College Students! discussion

I think you really need to do both in conjunction. When you start writing and learning how to craft sentences, nevermind a whole scene or novel, you start reading with that in mind. So, as you read, you really notice what appeals to you with respect to the word usage and structure certain authors have.

That's how it has worked for me anyway. Just reading doesn't make one a better writer. Practicing writing, reading some more, then writing some more... rinse and repeat. I think this is what people mean when they say "reading makes you a better writer". I believe this is true for creative fields in general.

As a tutor, I can say that reading does influence writing a great deal, and it's because of the way our mind's language-learning center works. When you're a baby or toddler, you learn to speak from the people who speak around you and to you. The same is true of learning to write. The reader is like the kid learning to speak, and the writers are the ones who have been speaking for years. You can't help but pick up patterns of language from exposing yourself to writing. Now, to hone specific skills, it takes attention to detail and concentration, but over all, good writers are avid readers.

As a long-time reader and writer, I have to agree: you really need to do them in conjuction. Reading a published work gives you the opportunity to see how things should be versus what you think should be, and it gives you some applied mechanics to add to your arsenal when you need it. I also find that writing helps me be a better reader because I look at things a lot closer and try to see what the author was trying to do. It's a two-way street, really.

I agree with you all and especially with Regina! Writing without reading is something not possible. The first step towards writing is to read-to read as much as you can. Only then the world is open to us. Only then we realize how creative we are. Only then we can through words out of our cage. Classics are like a gateway towards writing and especially for beginners. For those who are avid readers but can't write I can only say that they may not be passionate about becoming writers. If you want to write don't wait for the right moment. Start writing because every moment is special.