To Be a Great Writer, You Must First Be a Great Reader

Every year, I share the same reminder with writers at every stage of their journey: if you want to become a stronger writer, you must commit to becoming a better reader.

It may sound simple—even obvious—but it’s one of the most overlooked habits among aspiring and even experienced authors. Writing is not created in a vacuum. It is shaped, sharpened, and elevated by what you consume.

Reading Is Your Apprenticeship

Think of reading as your apprenticeship in the craft of writing. Every book you pick up offers a masterclass in something—whether it’s pacing, dialogue, character development, structure, or voice.

When you read actively, you begin to notice:

How authors open their stories and hook readers

How tension is built and sustained

How characters evolve (or don’t)

How dialogue reveals personality and moves the plot forward

How chapters are structured for momentum and impact

Even books that don’t quite work can be powerful teachers. They help you identify what feels off—and more importantly, why.

Read Within Your Genre (Yes, It Matters)

If you are writing romance, you should be reading romance. If you are writing historical fiction, memoir, fantasy, or thrillers—you need to be deeply familiar with what’s happening in that space.

Why?

Because genres come with reader expectations.

Readers pick up a book with an understanding—sometimes subconscious—of what they’ll experience. When you read within your genre, you learn:

Common tropes (and how to use or subvert them)

Reader expectations for pacing and tone

Structural norms

What’s currently trending—and what’s been overdone

This doesn’t mean you need to copy what others are doing. It means you need to understand the conversation your book is entering.

Read Outside Your Genre, Too

While genre-specific reading is essential, don’t limit yourself entirely. Reading broadly exposes you to different styles, voices, and storytelling techniques that can elevate your work in unexpected ways.

A nonfiction book might sharpen your clarity.

A literary novel might deepen your prose.

A thriller might teach you pacing.

Great writers are curious readers.

Reading Builds Instinct

The more you read, the more intuitive your writing becomes.

You start to feel when something isn’t working on the page. You recognize when a scene drags, when dialogue feels unnatural, or when a character’s arc is incomplete. That instinct doesn’t come from writing alone—it’s built through consistent exposure to well-crafted (and sometimes poorly crafted) work.

Make Reading Part of Your Writing Practice

If you’re serious about writing, reading should not be optional—it should be part of your routine.

A few ways to make it intentional:

Set aside dedicated reading time each week

Keep a notebook of observations while you read

Revisit books you admire and study them more closely

Pay attention to what keeps you turning pages—and what doesn’t

You don’t become a strong writer by writing alone. You become one by immersing yourself in the written word—by studying it, questioning it, and learning from it.

So if you’ve been stuck, feeling unsure about your writing, or wondering how to improve—start with a book.

Then another.

And another.

Because great writers are, first and always, great readers.