Summary

Destiny S. Harris emphasizes the importance of reading for writers to enhance their skills, creativity, and knowledge across various topics and genres, advocating for a diverse reading plan and engagement with other writers' work.

Abstract

The article "Reading: The Magical Door of Opportunity For Writers" by Destiny S. Harris underscores the significant impact that reading has on a writer's development. Harris argues that reading is not just a pastime but a crucial activity for writers to improve their vocabulary, writing style, grammar, and overall skill set. She suggests that even a small daily reading habit can lead to substantial improvements over time through marginal gains. Harris encourages writers to step out of their comfort zones by exploring different genres, authors, and writing styles to spark inspiration and creativity. She shares her personal reading plan, which involves reading from multiple books across various subjects each day, leading to the completion of one to three books per month. The article also highlights the value of connecting with other writers and studying the craft of writing through books and articles dedicated to the subject. Harris invites readers to join her newsletter for free books and to explore more of her writing on the topic.

Opinions

Reading is essential for writers to enhance their vocabulary, writing style, grammar, inspiration, creativity, and flow.
Writers should not limit themselves to reading only their work or within a single genre, author, or type of book.
Exploring unfamiliar topics and writing styles can lead to increased inspiration, energy, and creativity.
A diverse reading plan, involving multiple books and topics, can help writers expand their knowledge in manageable doses.
Engaging with other writers through groups and reading their work is crucial for learning and cultivating one's craft.
Writers should prioritize reading books on writing to study and improve their skills in creativity, ideas, and flow.
Destiny S. Harris values the act of reading as a means to graduate to the next level of writing and encourages others to dedicate time to this pursuit.

Reading: The Magical Door of Opportunity For Writers

One way to improve your writing significantly

Find Time To Read: Here’s Why

Reading is one of the most impactful ways to increase your skillset as a writer. You might think you don’t have enough time to read books if you’re already investing considerable time into your writing, but reading offers a treasure chest of knowledge and learning opportunities.

You will enhance your vocabulary, writing style, grammar, inspiration, creativity, and flow from reading books. Even if it’s one page, article, or paragraph, read something every single day. Over time, marginal improvements that you acquire from reading will significantly benefit your writing skillset.

Many Writers Enclose Themselves In A Box

If you only ever read and edit your work, you’re severely limiting your exposure. Exposure is the foundation of cultivation. Don’t read one genre, one author, or one type of book.

Explore topics, subjects, and writing styles unfamiliar and uncomfortable to you and your thought processes; by doing this, you will experience sparks of inspiration, energy, and creativity from exploring uncharted waters.

Never cease exploring. Never cease learning. Never cease reading.

Reading is one thing that will help you graduate to the next level of writing.

My Reading Plan: Marginal Time, Many Books

I read at least a section or chapter from 6–10 books almost every day. Instead of focusing on one book at a time, I get in small learnings from several books.

Currently, I’m exploring about ten different topics. It might sound like a lot, but it’s a perfect and diverse curriculum that helps me expand my knowledge on a plethora of different subjects in small doses.

This reading plan helps me complete anywhere from 1–3 books per month, depending on the length. Some of my books are daily reads, accounting for several scheduled for completion in December.

Writers Must Study Their Crafts

I was chatting with some fellow writers in my writer’s group today, and everyone has a plethora of resources that I’d never heard of previously.

As writers, we should prioritize learning from other writers. We can do this by 1) connecting with other writers via groups and 2) reading other writers’ work (which is how we can study our craft and build upon it).

In today’s writing group discussion, I came across several books that dive into the writing process that I had no prior knowledge of; connecting with other writers is a powerful tool.

Leading to my next point, ensure you read books on writing.

How many books have you read that cover the topics of writing, creativity, ideas, and flow?

Many writers haven’t.

I’m sure many people on medium have read articles on how to make more money on medium, but if you’re interested in becoming a better writer, read some articles on becoming a better writer (not just becoming a more profitable writer).

Study, learn, and dedicate time and energy to the craft of writing.

Hey, I’m Destiny. Join my newsletter, and get free books from me daily. Read more articles on writing from me: here