Reading Makes You a Better Writer

Why Reading Makes You a Better Writer When a football player reviews video tape of practice or a game he is not only looking for what he did that was good, but also what he did badly. He is looking for mistakes that can be avoided or corrected, thus making him a better player. This same concept proves true when a writer reads material whether it be good or bad. In Stephen King’s memoir On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft he explains the importance and relevancy of reading all types of material to be a more conducive writer. Stephen King is correct when he states that aspiring writers should read all they can, regardless of the quality of the material. Reading different levels of literary works will help develop a personal writing style for you. King states, “So we read to experience the mediocre and the outright rotten” (“On Writing” The Conscious Reader p.89). He states this because when reading the good and the bad of the literary world, the reader begins to adapt and procure some techniques they like and disregard things they dislike. It is very possible for the reader to mimic some writing styles of another author’s writing style, as King states in his essay, “You may find yourself adopting a style you find particularly exciting…” (“On Writing” The Conscious Reader, p.89). Throughout a reader’s adventures, the writing styles they have encountered will eventually evolve and begin to form, “…where all these styles emerged…” (“On Writing” The Conscious Reader, p.89) into their own personal style that is unique to them as a writer. “Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life” (“On Writing” The Conscious Reader, p.90). This quote is the foundation of every successful writer. Without reading there would not be unique writing or creative writing style. Reading ignites the learning of knowledge the reader never knew existed and gives the writer a reason to apply their learned knowledge. In Malcolm X’s “A Homemade Education” one of his personal goals to