by Rhiannon Reintjens, jaBlog! Junior Editor for Non-fiction
Here’s a tip for all the writers out there: To be a good writer, you need to be a reader. Loving to read and doing it constantly are important qualities for a writer to have. Being an avid reader is beneficial in many ways for a writer.
The most obvious benefit of reading for writers is the learning of language basics. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, structure; all of these important elements can be learned. When I was younger, I wasn’t the best speller. But then I started reading more and more books, some that used more sophisticated language than I was used to. My spelling improved, as did my grammar and vocabulary, and as a result I became one of the best English students in high school. Thanks to reading, I can spend more time creating my stories and less time correcting my language.
Another benefit, one that I’d never really thought of until writing this article, is that you can learn the craft of writing. When you read a book or an article, you are reading something that is already published. The writers have already passed the point where you and I are at and are professionals in their field. Who better to learn from than an expert? You can study good (and bad) writing and in the process, you’ll discover how to improve your own work.
Samuel Johnson once said “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading in order to write”. This is very true. When you read, you experience the power of writing. You learn what words work together and how they can be used to convey emotions. You can’t fully understand how to do this in your writing if you’re not a reader. So make sure you read because it’s the best instruction there is.
*
Rhiannon Reintjens is a 19 year old writer from Australia and a valued member of the LTC freelance team. Rhiannon says, “It’s been my dream to be a professional writer since I was five years old. It’s never been anything else.”
