One point I try to make to the students in my university-level writing class is that to be a good writer, you must be a good reader. When I tell them this, I sometimes get puzzled looks. Many think, mistakenly, that becoming skilled at writing only entails developing a solid grasp of grammar and mechanics, and learning how to assemble forceful sentences and paragraphs.
Those are all vital elements to learning the craft, but reading matters to the writer, too. It's by reading, reading and reading some more that your mind begins to absorb the nuances of language and how it's used. It exposes you to the myriad ways in which words can be harnessed to meaning. Reading the classics is a good start. For inspiration and instruction in the art of reading well, try Mortimer J. Adler's "How To Read A Book." But don't limit your reading to Dickens, Twain, Faulkner, Shakespeare and other august wordsmiths. Sample everything: comics, blogs, newspapers, ads. Read the good, the bad and the ugly.
Pay attention to how effective writing accomplishes its aims and how the awful stuff falls flat. In time, you'll see how your reading informs your writing ... and makes it worth reading.
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