⌨️Do Writers Really Need to Read?
Let’s just start with some honesty, okay?
You’ve probably heard the advice a million times: “Real writers read every day.” It’s like this universal mantra that gets tossed around as if it’s some sacred rule carved in stone somewhere.
If you don’t read every single day? Well, what are you even doing?
If you’re a writer who doesn’t fit that mold—welcome. You’re not broken. You’re not a fraud. You’re just... you. And that’s okay.
This post isn’t here to bash books (let’s not get dramatic), but to offer a realistic, nuanced perspective on reading and writing.
I want to talk about something not enough writers will admit:
👉🏽 Reading isn’t always the secret sauce behind good writing. Sometimes, it’s just… writing.
📖 Reading Used to Be My Thing — Until Writing Took Over
Let me take you back a few years.
Once upon a time, I would have proudly called myself a reader. You know the type. The one who rereads books just for the comfort of it. The person who gets excited browsing shelves and buys three more novels even though six unread books are already stacked on the bedside table.
That was me.
But as I moved deeper into the writing life, that dynamic started to shift.
Reading for “inspiration” didn’t hit the same way anymore—not because I disliked reading. Far from it. Reading still gives me that sweet escape we all crave. It clears my head. It lets me disappear for a while.
But when it came to creating?
I stopped looking outward for ideas.
My imagination stopped needing external fuel.
Characters, dialogue, plot twists, endings—I wasn’t waiting for another author’s story to spark my own. My mind was constantly spinning, creating worlds from scratch, wrestling with my own voice.
That’s not to say I never read books related to craft or structure. I do. But when it comes to finding my stories? I look inward.
I don’t want to accidentally write someone else’s character.
I don’t want to absorb another author’s voice when I’m trying to find my own.
I want to build from scratch, then use books as reference if I need to check pacing, structure, or style.
📌 Bottom line: I’d rather write my world than borrow someone else’s.
📈 Reading My Own Work Teaches Me the Most
Want to know the most valuable “reading” I do?
It’s rereading my own writing.
Not as the author, but as a complete stranger.
Someone approaching the story for the first time, unsure of what’s coming next.
That’s when I learn.
When I can separate myself emotionally from the pages, I spot what’s working—and what’s not.
I find weak spots, missing depth, pacing issues, and inconsistencies. I catch tonal slips and identify where the emotional stakes could be higher.
That’s how I grow.
Don’t get me wrong—I’m still a fan of well-written books. Stephen King’s work, for example, has shown me how to build tension with description and subtle dread instead of loud scares. His books have made me a better technician. But his creativity? That’s all him.
😌 The Pressure to Read Every Day? Let It Go.
I want to be real with you here.
In my early writing days, I bought into the myth that skipping reading days meant falling behind.
Every blog post, YouTube video, writing coach told me: “You need to read daily if you want to be a writer.”
So I tried. I forced myself to read even when I wasn’t interested. I wasted hours trying to mimic others, reading for obligation instead of joy.
It was crushing.
I was exhausting myself creatively.
Nothing was flowing.
It wasn’t until I realized this universal truth that things changed:
📚 There is no one way to be a writer.
You just have to write.
Make mistakes. Rewrite the same sentence twenty times. Figure it out as you go.
Your journey is your blueprint, not someone else’s.
📣 Reading Can Be Powerful — But It’s Not the Only Power
Look, I’m not saying reading is useless. That would be ridiculous.
Reading can:
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Teach you vocabulary and tone
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Show you rhythm and pacing
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Demonstrate how dialogue can sparkle
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Help you understand how description shapes tension
A good book can absolutely sharpen your skills.
But creativity? That spark that wakes you up at 3 AM with a plot twist?
That comes from somewhere else.
It comes from the part of you that needs to create.
The part that doesn’t settle for what’s already been written.
The part that looks at a blank page and says:
“Let me tell you a story that hasn’t been told.”
And for me, that part doesn’t come alive when I read—it comes alive when I write.
🧪 Trial, Error, and Everything In Between
My greatest lessons haven’t come from books.
They’ve come from doing it wrong.
From rereading old drafts and cringing.
From failing and facing it anyway.
I’m a visual learner. I need to see the mistakes on paper.
I need to experience the growing pains to grow.
Writing teaches me more than any book ever has.
While that might not be true for everyone, it’s the heartbeat of my process.
✍🏽 Writing is my teacher.
📉 Mistakes are my curriculum.
📈 Improvement is the result.
💬 “If You Don’t Read, You Can’t Write” — Let’s Unpack That
You’ve probably heard some version of this phrase.
I haven’t heard it exactly, but if I had during my early days, it would’ve messed with me bad.
It would’ve reinforced the lie that I wasn’t cut out for this unless I could read like it was a full-time job.
That I couldn’t build a writing career unless I studied stories like textbooks.
That kind of thinking is damaging, especially for emerging writers still building confidence.
Here’s a better way to look at it:
📖 “If you don’t read, write more.”
📖 “If you read often, don’t be afraid to fail on the page.”
Both paths are valid. Both deserve respect.
🗣️ Advice for Writers Who Don’t Enjoy Reading
Here’s some tough love:
Put the book down.
Seriously.
Put it down and don’t pick it back up unless you want to.
Reading isn’t a punishment. It isn’t a box to check.
It’s a privilege.
Something that should excite you.
Don’t waste your time with stories that don’t speak to you.
If reading feels like a chore, it won’t fuel your creativity anyway.
Only read what inspires, challenges, or captivates you.
Otherwise? Write.
✍️ Creating vs. Consuming
I’m at my most creative when I’m building.
When I’m knee-deep in dialogue.
When I’m figuring out a character’s fatal flaw.
That’s when my mind is alive.
But sometimes, I do need a break.
A good story—whether a book, movie, or show—can help me reset.
You should try both. Mix it up. Experiment.
See what energizes you.
🌀 Creativity is a cycle. You’ll only know what works by testing it.
📚 Books That Did Shape Me
Stephen King’s Insomnia taught me how slow can still be gripping.
How to build suspense without rushing or overwhelming.
And 11/22/63?
I read it in elementary school and I’ve never forgotten it.
His attention to emotion, stakes, and real-world connection made me fall in love with storytelling.
From that moment on, I knew I wanted to write stories that make people feel deeply.
Stories that stay with readers long after the last page.
🤔 Defining Success as a Writer
I don’t have one fixed definition of success.
Some days it’s finishing a chapter I didn’t think I could.
Other days it’s hearing someone say they connected with a character I created.
Yes, I want to make a living. Of course.
But more than that, I want to get so lost in my own world that I forget I made it.
I want to create stories that outlast me.
Books that matter.
Characters that feel real—not just to readers, but sometimes even to me.
I want to entertain.
I want to explore.
I want to grow.
That’s success for me right now.
🔗 Final Thoughts: Write Your Way
If you’re reading this and you feel out of place because you don’t devour books like others do—breathe.
You’re not broken.
You’re not behind.
You’re building your own creative process.
Maybe you learn best through observation.
Or maybe you’re like me, learning through experience.
Through trial, error, failure, and revision.
Reading is powerful. Yes.
But so is writing relentlessly, making mistakes, and learning from yourself.
You don’t need to read to be a writer.
You just need to write.
And keep writing.
The rest? You’ll figure it out along the way.
✨ Let this post be your permission slip to stop doubting and start discovering.
Let it remind you your voice is valid, your path is real, and your stories are worth telling.
🗣️ Let’s Talk!
What’s your relationship with reading and writing?
Do you think reading is essential to becoming a great writer—or do you learn more by doing?
Drop a comment below and share your story.
Let’s get real and support each other in this messy, beautiful journey. 👇🏽
BONUS: Writing Prompt
Try this for your next writing session:
Write a scene from your current story where your main character rejects outside influence or advice.
Maybe they refuse help, ignore tradition, or break the rules.
How does that resistance shape their voice?
What does it reveal about them?
Share what you create in the comments or on social media with #WriteYourWay and tag me — I’d love to see your work!
#MindsInDesign #WritingAdvice #WritersLife #CreativityUnlocked #Makitiathompson
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