Why read blogs? (part 3)

Finally, blog writers read blogs in order to improve their writing skills.  I do not know of a good writer who was not also a voracious reader.  Why is reading so important?  Because we learn to write in much the same way that we, as infants, learn to speak our native language.

We naturally acquire language from listening, speaking, and getting feedback from more fluent speakers.  Similarly, writers internalize their writing skills by reading, writing and getting feedback from other writers.  If we don't know other writers, it is harder to improve, but we can still read thoughtfully, analyze the works of writers we love, write regularly, and reflect upon what we are learning.

There are no shortcuts to excellence.  Good writing comes from thoughtfully reading and re-reading the best writing of others, then trying their techniques in your own work.   Leo Babauta says succinctly, "If you want to be a good blog writer, you should read blogs with good writing." 

Today's Links

How to Improve Writing by Reading

Ten free ways to improve your writing

Bibliography

Babauta, Leo. "15 Must-read Blogs for Blog Writers." Freelance Switch. 22 May 2010. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. <http://freelanceswitch.com/freelance-writing/15-must-read-blogs-for-blog-writers/>.