To become a better writer, read as much as you can
Aspiring writers are urged to read extensively, both to absorb style and develop taste, but many commenters argue this is necessary yet insufficient without sustained, deliberate writing practice. Participants debate what kind of reading actually helps—careful engagement with high‑quality or varied texts versus passive consumption of social media—and draw parallels to learning music, coding, and other crafts where studying great work must be paired with doing the work yourself. Underneath is a broader concern that fewer people read long-form writing at all, with some blaming AI- and feed-driven media for eroding attention and the “muscles” needed for deep reading and original thought.
Reception of “read as much as you can”
- Many strongly agree that heavy reading is foundational for good writing: it builds taste, vocabulary, sense of rhythm, and awareness of what works or grates.
- Several see it as necessary but not sufficient: you must also write a lot and revise hard.
- Some find it “obvious” advice, even surprising that it now needs to be stated.
Reading vs writing practice
- Multiple commenters argue the primary golden rule should be “write as much as you can”; reading alone doesn’t confer skill.
- Others say both are like two legs: you need to alternate between reading (input, models) and writing (output, muscle-building).
- Deliberate practice is emphasized over sheer volume for both reading and writing.
What and how to read
- Disagreement over breadth vs selectivity:
- Some recommend reading widely, including “trash,” to absorb patterns and contrast good with bad.
- Others stress carefully chosen, repeatedly reread high‑quality works, plus occasional bad ones analyzed for why they fail.
- Several stress critical or deep engagement—not just passive consumption or chasing whatever is popular.
- There’s debate over whether modern books are worse than older ones vs survivorship bias in what from the past survived.
Tone, profanity, and “gatekeeping”
- The article’s use of profanity divides people:
- Some see it as abusive, immature, or off‑putting.
- Others defend it as deliberate voice, emphasis, and part of loving language.
- One subthread debates whether forcefully telling aspiring writers to read is “gatekeeping” or simply teaching a craft.
Influence of reading on style
- Many report unconsciously mimicking whatever they’re currently reading—emails, legal codes, game scripts, LLM output.
- Some see this as how style is learned; others find it disruptive when a work in progress suddenly shifts tone mid‑draft.
- Several long comments try to break down “style” (sentence length, complexity, word choice, narrative focus) and compare it to musical style.
Time, attention, and modern media
- Commenters note people already “read all day” (feeds, chats, docs) but struggle with books’ cognitive load.
- Suggestions: reclaim phone time, carry a paperback or e‑ink device, read in short bursts, use audiobooks.
- Some worry digital media and AI outputs erode deep reading, flow state, and independent thinking.
Analogies and cross‑domain parallels
- Repeated comparisons: musicians who don’t listen to music, filmmakers who don’t watch films, game devs who don’t play games, coders who never read code.
- Many see the same pattern: people want the status of “writer/creator” without loving the medium or studying its best examples.