To Be A Writer, One Must Be A Reader

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one – George R.R. Martin

It has often been said that a good writer is only as good as the stories he or she reads – that is not to say of course that original stories, characters and plotlines are born purely from reading a wide selection of books rather the more a writer reads, the greater their scope will be. In fact, it could be argued that the greatest piece of homework any writer can do is to spend time reading other writers’ work. Whether you enjoy delving into old classics, reading what is new on the markets or turning back to a story that creates a special feeling for you, books are made up of common words which each writer skillfully crafts into their story.

With that in mind, could you pinpoint a particular story that made you want to be a writer or perhaps you have a favourite book or author that taught you something about your craft? We’d love to hear your thoughts!