: Re: Is read, read, read really the best advice? Is there any evidence that a prolific readers are better equipped to write than a non-reader? At first I'd suggest the answer is a no-brainer but

@Ravi5107385

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Well, I think it mostly depends on what you think the reading is for. One could assume people read to get more ideas and to learn how to be creative, but in my opinion that is not the case.

I am not a native english speaker, but I do write stories in english. Reading a lot of books (in english) really helps me to get a feeling for the language. By reading lots and lots of books I learn new expressions, words and even ways to phrase my sentences. It is ofcourse different for a native speaker, but I think the same principle applies. You are not born with infinite knowledge of a language, and you have to learn it. While learning english I noticed that reading books made the words come more naturally. I often write down a phrase because it 'feels' good, then read it again and get confused about the wording. But when I look it up online it appears to be a normal english expression. I never actively learned it, but I knew it and used it without thinking about it.

So, to be short:

Does reading a lot help with writing stories?
Maybe. I agree with you there. People will be influenced by reading other peoples ideas. But I don't think you can learn to be creative from reading. Either you are and you have a lot of ideas, or you are not.

but, does reading a lot help with writing words?
Most definitely. If you read more words, you learn more words. And if you know more words, you can use more words. The more words you can use, the easier it gets to express a feeling, or a setting, or a person. That is also why reading lots of different things is important. It gives you more examples of how to use words, how to phrase sentences, and more idioms, expressions and metaphors to use. It also helps you get in the head of a certain kind of person, reading lots of books for children will help you write a better child.

Reading can't make you become a writer, but it will help you become a better writer.

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