In our fast-paced digitalised society where captivating movies and TV-shows are released at the speed of light, fewer and fewer people are taking the time to sit down and read a good book.
Personally, I find it strange whenever I meet writers who are reluctant to give it a try.
As Stephen King once famously said: “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: Read a lot and Write a lot.
Not convinced? In this article we’re going to list the 5 primary reasons why reading books will make you a better content writer
If you want to gain a competitive edge in your career in digital marketing, read on and we’ll share some valuable insights.
You are always improving your writing skills
Contrary to what many writers tell themselves, reading does improve your writing. Every single book you consume teaches you something new. It helps you find your own style while similarly learning from the styles of others
It can teach you new tricks and inspire your writing in more ways than you can imagine.
Try it. It may surprise you.
Expand your vocabulary
The broader your vocabulary, the easier it gets to write at a decent pace without having to stop. If you are frequently trying to think of ways to describe something, or you are umming and arring and heading to your nearest thesaurus, it is slowing you down.
Reading will introduce you to new words on a daily basis and not all of them will be grand and difficult to pronounce; you’d be amazed by the many short yet powerful words you never knew existed!
An endless repository of ideas
You might think: “Well, what does reading The Lord of the Rings have to do with SEO services in New York City? How can that possibly give me ideas to implement into my own content writing?”
This is a defeatist attitude and it isn’t helping you. Don’t get too caught up in the “literal”. Books are filled with metaphor and morals and all manner of literary devices that can translate wonderfully into content writing.
After all, content writing—whether it be about brass doorknobs, aluminium plant trailers, or international arbitration—is not so dissimilar to storytelling.
Reading makes you more empathetic
Whenever you read a book you are assuming the role of the protagonist – unless you are reading non-fiction, in which case you take on the role of the narrator. In any case, you get to see the world—and various subjects you may be otherwise unfamiliar with—through the eyes of other people.
It might sound like pie in the sky, but reading really does make you more empathetic. This isn’t some cliché to make those who don’t read feel bad about themselves; it is an actual fact.
Let’s say you are working on a new project writing sales copy for a brand whose target audience is young women aged between 16 and 24 (give or take). If you were to pick up a book from the perspective of a young female protagonist (say, The Hunger Games), it would invariably help you better understand your target audience.
Don’t believe me? Try it the next time you take on a new gig with an unfamiliar audience.
Your imagination is a muscle: flex it
Reading empowers your imagination. It challenges you to create imagery in your mind as you read the words on the page. The more you read the more powerful your imagination becomes and this is a very, very useful tool in the content creation arena.
Simple.
Conclusion: Why not give it a try?
Don’t panic! You don’t have to go back and read all the classics if you don’t want to; there’s nobody forcing Shakespeare down your throat; and you can skip War and Peace if you value your sanity!
The fact is, you can read anything you like.
You can stick to non-fiction or you can solely read fiction. You can choose Sci-Fi. Thrillers. Fantasy. Romance. Anything!
Just pick up a book and give it a try.
We guarantee that if you commit to reading, you will become a better writer. There are no two ways about it.
Editorial Staff of the TechnoRoll, are a bunch of Tech Writers, who are writing on the trending topics related to technology news and gadgets reviews.
