Post Author: Lainy
In an earlier Article, I wrote about 
The Art of Writing for Blogs. a respected blogger left a suggestion at her Comment as follows:
My tip is to also , read…read and read and read…no, not just magazines and bestsellers, and non-fiction. Read the classics…they have more depth, style, and class. They are more provocative and influential.
During a chat with Windy. I sought his opinion on whether reading improves writing skill?
And this is to summarize all that Windy’s opined.
He began by saying listening to music does not improve skill in composing music. As it is with writing, constant practice develops the skill in composing music. Reading increases knowledge but it does not improve a person’s skill in writing.
He went on to say that writing is an expression of the writer. The same goes for oration which is another form of expression. Oration is used by a person to deliver a speech in public speaking. Oratory skills is perfected through practice, so too it is for writing and for composing music.
Basic reading is required to learn the rules of English Grammar because it determines the linguistic accuracy of written content and form, etc., That is about as far as reading contributes towards a person being able to write correctly.
Perhaps it is for that very reason Sir Francis Bacon wisely said…
Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.
Although it may be believed that reading influences what one writes, Windy believes that it is not only what but how it is written. That belief is relevant for the knowledge content in the written piece, the knowledge gained from reading. Knowledge acquired through reading assists in improving content of the written essay. It does not improve the writing skill per se.
Windy elaborated on it further.
Let’s assume that there are ten persons who have read the same book. Ask them to write an appreciation in as many words as they wish about what they read. And there you have it! For this purpose, set aside memory retention and accuracy. It will demonstrate the writing style and the skill of each person.
It is because there are several imperatives required in the Art of Writing the skill needs to be constantly improved. Technique, cohesion, clarity, effect, consistency and refinement are a few of the salient qualities. “Harmonizing” these qualities enables one’s writing style to attain greater effect. Therefore, the art of writing is only acquired through practice, practice, practice.
That’s Windy’s opinion.
T W E R L Y N
General Santos Time
oh well… now I know..hehe! No wonder there’s no improvement in my writings no matter how many times I read read read your blogs and the rest of great writers (recel and Jenn).. you answered my query Leyn..hehe dili d-i gihapon ma improve akong sinulatan..hay buhay nako way k sa pagsulat. mu-stop ba kog basa sa inyong mga blogs? No, kay kung mu stop kog basa, kinsa nalang kaha ang mubasa sa akong blogs?ehehe! wala na eh!
.-= Twerlyn´s last blog ..For Your Eyes Video Contest =-.
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Scotty's Princess Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:29 am
Lermz,
I beg to disagree on that. I know the efforts you have put in to learn and improve your command of the language and I must say that you have improved a lot. In fact, you’re one of the winners in my writing contest, right?
And remember that Windy was one of the judges 
To reiterate what Windy opines:
Although it may be believed that reading influences what one writes, it is not only what but how it is written.
Please do not lose heart, Lermz. There is always room for improvement. It still pays to read, read and read and PRACTICE as well. It’s only by putting into words what we have learned that we are able to hone our writing skills.
Nah! Basaha pud intawon akoang blogs kay kung di ka mubasa, wala nakoy number one reader and follower, hehehe!
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ayos! thanks for sharing this, Te! Learning from the bests jud, you and Windy! hehehhe….
Hahay… It will take a while for me to improve my writing skills talaga because I’m stubborn, heheheh… But will try to practice, practice, practice…
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Scotty's Princess Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:41 am
Thanks Bang. I am learning a lot from Windy’s perspectives.
You are doing well yourself. Winner ka rin sa writing contest ko, diba? Both you and Lerma got the nods of the panel of judges which included Windy
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Hmmm…. I may have to disagree on the whole thinking that reading doesn’t contribute to good writing. I agree with Bingkee. And I don’t fully agree with you and Windy as well that reading only contributes to grammar accuracy. Reading and reading some more, for me, inspires me to keep writing and writing some more. And with the inspiration comes the improvement as well. Well, we differ in views so I understand.
My hubby feels the same thing. He, being a man of number, doesn’t have a lot of words to put down to writing. He can talk and speak, but he says writing is never his skill. Poetry, pwede ba, pero correction-nanan japon. He has to learn though when he proceeded with his masteral kay puno man ug researches. If he didn’t read a lot, he wouldn’t be able to come up with a skyrocketing improvement on his writing. Believe me, with his experience sis, reading and reading some more helped his writing big time. Dili lang sa grammar, apil sa styles and all.
Although I fully understand what you and Windy are trying to say. What I said is based on experience lang man pud.
.-= Recel´s last blog ..This is the day!!! =-.
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Windy Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 10:18 pm
Hi Recel,
Thanks for sharing your opinion on this Article.
Differing opinions contribute to a lively engagement of minds.
I read and re-read your comment and perhaps this may add more clarity. It is not to be seen as being irrationally stubborn.
First, admittedly people are inspired to write for many reasons and causes.
Reading does not only contribute to grammar accuracy. Elsewhere in the Article Lainy also mentioned that Reading also improves knowledge and therefore it helps the writer to improve on the written substance.
Writing skill is not purely substance. It also includes writing style, expression,vocabulary, construction, virtuosity, and so many other etc.,
To be inspired to write is a willingness to express. And that’s something else from the ability to write skilfully.
There is a dichotomy with reading and writing.
A person can be knowledgeable, and inspired but lacks the ability to express well.
For example we have come across preachers who are knowledgeable, inspired but they lack the skill in delivering a sermon. Result? we take a nap when he delivers his sermon.
What about when we know about a well composed music piece that had inspiring lyrics but the way the singer sang the song it became soul-less. Result? we discard the CD in the bin or change the Radio channel.
Reading is not being belittled. It has its value. However in relation whether it improves writing skill, these are two separate entities.
Reading improves a person’s perception and knowledge. We read to know. Therefore I shall call it an “inward” activity.
Writing seeks to impart a perception to others. We write to tell. Therefore, unlike reading, it is an “outward” activity.
A writer can know and tell if it is the same thing that he is writing about. The difference lies in just how effectively he writes about it. That is the Skill in Writing.
However, a writer can also know but not tell about it in his writing because it is not the intent of his writing. In this case, the writer’s knowledge gained from reading will not be imparted.
(Incidentally, knowledge is not only gained from reading. For this article it is being narrowed to reading.)
The worst scenario is when the writer knows from reading and writes about it but because his writing skill is poor, he confuses the reader or he causes the reader to lack an interest in reading due to his poorly written essay.
And it is also possible that there are very good writings that fail to stir a reader’s interest and it is not that the writer did not write well. It is a preference of the reader.
Reading, writing and inspiration are motivated at different levels.
God Bless you Always!
.-= Windy´s last blog ..The Pinnochio Court Case =-.
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Windy, here are some articles on why reading improves writing…..
http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-improve-your-writing
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090818162258AA65Q8b
http://thewritingpages.blogspot.com/2009/01/reading-helps-improve-your-writing.html
http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24156
http://www.ehow.com/how_5105854_improve-writing-reading.html
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100415145700AAPE537
.-= bingkee´s last blog ..WHERE CAN YOU FIND SEX STORES? =-.
[Reply]
Windy Reply:
April 17th, 2010 at 3:16 am
Hi Bingkee,
Some of what’s said at those referenced links echo what Lainy and I have stated. Besides, none of those referenced links is an authoritative source to support your leaning.
Reading provides vicarious knowledge (content, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and such like) BUT it DOES NOT render assistance to a person’s excellence of expression in the written form.
One can read a thousand books or read the works of a thousand authors but it does not develop the art of writing that is essentially characteristic of the writer’s imagination, creativity, expression, technical supremacy of the language and so forth.
Going by that norm, wouldn’t we all be Charles Dickens or John Miltons or the favorite authors of books that we mostly read? In reality we DO NOT end up writing in the form or style of the authors that we read. In fact, it would be nigh impossible to even imitate their expression and virtuosity.
Writing is an expression of oneself. It is beholden to how one expresses oneself in writing.
In fact, I was condescending when I said that reading in a small way lends to the ability to write well. We do not read novels to learn grammar. That form of reading isn’t reading how one learns to excel in writing. On the contrary, it’s gained from a learning routine, mostly at school or through a language course. Hence, let’s not mix up reading (for what you point to) and Learning as being one and the same thing.
Allow me to take you for example. Going by the gist of your belief, I will have to assume you are an avid reader. Has all the voluminous reading that you’ve done in decades achieved a remarkable skill in your writing? With all due respect to your premise, by today you should have attained an excellent skill in writing. Perhaps even better than I because I have not read much over the past 20 years save for magazines and the daily Newspapers.
However, for whatever my writing skill is worth, I write heaps. And I write, rewrite and refine my piece and each time I expect it to reflect better, the essence of what I am expressing that would depict my thoughts in my mannerism and not ape the writing style of any other. It is this skill in writing that makes the difference and it can only be achieved through practice and more practice.
Take me for example. I was a Missionary for more than 15 years. Do I write like a God fearing man? Do I write like someone who during his Religious training almost completed reading the entire library. What I read included highly spiritual books of Saint Augustine and Saint Teresa of Avila. The works of these two in our secular higher institutes of Learning, are accepted as reference books in the Science of Psychology. And do I write like a psychologist?
I have read the Bible countless times but it did not make me a religious scribe or write in the same vein.
I have read trash and do I write trash?
I write what I think and express what I feel. That is the essence of the Art of Writing. Nothing more; nothing less.
Then what about the blind people? Does that mean that because they can’t read Braille they therefore can’t be skilled writers? (Please note that some of these blind authors lived at a time when Braille was not yet invented.) Although they would not be able to write in the conventional sense because they are unable to see where the paper begins or ends at its side, they “write” through other norms and express their intellect and their creativity.
Allow me to say here that there were authors (some of them renowned) who were handicapped by blindness. They could read no more and yet for some of these blind authors, their greatest works were done during their visual infirmity.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum
I rest my case.
p.s.
As you should have noticed, I write what I know, what I believe in and I take the time to gel how I have to express my thoughts in a succint manner. I don’t run a list of references or links. My writing is impromptu because that is how I continuously practice my art in writing {it never came from all my years of reading books) and what I write will not stoop to mirror what others write about (unless a quote is needed).
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