Writers Write creates and shares writing resources and writing tips. In this post, we share seven important reasons writers should also be readers.
The Mayor
After I left university, I worked as an assistant for a mayor for a while. He had a policy of only hiring people who were university graduates – preferably those with an Arts Degree.
He was not an intellectual snob; he was simply an astute politician and businessman. He wanted people who had found a way to think for themselves in a tough environment. Yes, contrary to what some people believe, an Arts degree is not easy.
At the root of his philosophy, was the fact that these people had a lifetime of reading behind them. Confucius understood this. He said, ‘No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.’
The Students Who Didn’t Read
When I first thought about writing, it was because I loved to read. When I started teaching Writers Write, it came as a shock that some people who wanted to write books did not want to read them. This does not make sense. It is like an aspiring cricket player who knows nothing about the sport, and who does not like watching the game, arriving at team trials.
Stephen King says, ‘If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.’
Reading makes you think and it teaches you how to write.