Reading to Write
“Reading maketh a full man.”
Sir Francis Bacon
By Mark J. Boone
Edited by UWC staff:
Lisa Crawford, Lead Editor
(© DBU University Writing Center)
Contents
I. What does “reading to write”
mean?…………………………..slide 3
II. Why read to be a better
writer?..................................slides 4-11
III. Practical Steps……….....slides 12-19
IV. What to Read…………..slides 20-22
I. What does “reading to write”
mean?
 “Reading to write” means reading for the purpose
of becoming a better writer. This can mean
reading a specific book and specifically observing
the writing style of an author or genre.
 However, the fuller definition of “reading to
write” includes developing habits not only of
reading good books, but also of allowing great
books to shape and influence one’s writing style.
II. Why read to become a better
writer?
 Like any skill, writing is best learned by studying
its masters.
 There are many reasons why reading is probably
the best way to be a good writer:
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“Walking with the wise”
Composing Eloquence
Building vocabulary
Recognizing good writing
Staying learned and informed
Improving thinking skills
Improving grammar
Walking With the Wise
 In order to be the best writers they can be, writers
study those who have mastered the art of writing.
“He who walks with the wise grows wise […]”—Proverbs
13:20 (NIV).
 When readers walk with the wise writers by
reading their books, their own wisdom increases.
 Their skill affects readers through “osmosis:” if
readers immerse themselves in good writing, some
of the writers’ talent will seep into them.
Composing Eloquence
 Eloquence is the ability to use words in a clear,
engaging, and creative way.
 Writers can learn eloquence by reading the works
of authors whose writing is above or different from
every-day writing.
 Reading things that are interestingly and beautifully
written helps writers to write interestingly and
beautifully.
Building Vocabulary
 One of the best ways to learn new words is to see
them used in the context of a good piece of
writing.
 Seeing a word in context helps in learning the
word’s meaning.
Recognizing Good Writing
 As a result of reading good books, writers learn of
what good writing consists. They learn how to
judge good writing because they know what good
writing looks like.
 Then, not only are writers better equipped to judge
what is written in newspapers, books, or
elsewhere, but they become better equipped to
recognize when their own writing is in need of
improvement.
Staying Learned and Informed
 In this era of technology, reading is still the most
effective way to know what is going on in the world.
 This is not just for keeping up with the news:
becoming well informed about just about anything
requires reading at least one or two good books.
 Do not forget other sources: whatever one wants to
write about, one can probably find information on the
internet that is useful for understanding the topic.
Improving Thinking Skills
 Critical thinking skills are improved both by
following written arguments and evaluating them.
 Following the argument allows readers to think
about whether or not they agree with the position
provided and why.
 When readers examine an argument, they discover
whether or not the argument is logical and what the
strengths and weaknesses of the argument are.
 Knowing what a good argument looks like helps
writers when they create their own arguments.
Improving Grammar
 Just by being exposed to good grammar, writers
can learn how to use it themselves.
 The more writers becomes familiar with good
grammar through reading, the more it becomes
part of their knowledge.
III. Practical Steps
A quote on reading to write…
“Reading critically means not just comprehending passively
and remembering what you read but also scrutinizing
actively and making thoughtful judgments about your
reading. . . you need to alternate between understanding
and questioning—on the one hand, striving to understand
the text on its own terms; on the other hand, taking care to
question its ideas and authority.”1
Rise B. Axelrod and Charles R. Cooper, The St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, sixth
edition. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2001), 529.
1
Practical Steps . . .
 Write down new words:
– A good idea for building vocabulary is to immediately look up
every unknown word.
– Either copy or summarize the dictionary definition onto a notecard
or sticky note and hang it up in places where it will be seen during
the day.
 Study sentences:
– Observe sentence structure when reading good books.
– Also watch the way words are put together into various kinds of
sentences when reading good books.
Practical steps . . .
 Observe writing styles:
– When reading something of interest, either for pleasure or to later
write about, watch what is written to learn how others have written
it.
– Become immersed in the writing styles particular to subjects of
interest to learn how to write similarly.
Practical Steps . . .
 Annotating:
– Annotation is “recording your reactions to, interpretations of, and
questions about a text as you read it.”2
– The following are strategies for annotating:
•
•
•
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Making marks “directly on the page.”3
Underlining important points
Highlighting
Making notes in the margins
2 Axelrod
and Cooper, 529.
3 Axelrod
and Cooper, 530.
Practical Steps . . .
 Outlining:
– Outlining is “listing the text’s main ideas to reveal how it is
organized.”4
– Outlining forces writers to search for the overall flow of a text.
– When using this in writing, it helps to clarify thoughts and to make
the paper flow.
4 Axelrod
and Cooper, 529.
Practical Steps . . .
 Paraphrasing:
– Paraphrasing is “restating something you have read using mostly
your own words.”5
– Being able to say something in different words shows that one
truly understands it.
 Summarizing:
– Summarizing is “a summary is a relatively brief restatement . . . of
the reading’s main ideas.”6
– Skills in summarizing will be especially useful in writing
introductory and concluding paragraphs.
5 Axelrod
and Cooper, 541.
6 Axelrod
and Cooper, 542.
Practical Steps . . .
 Synthesizing:
– Synthesizing is “integrating into your own writing ideas and
information gleaned from different sources.”7
– Synthesizing is cross-referencing different ideas and information
from different sources, or comparing the information to bring it
together in a meaningful way.
– Skills in synthesis of material in different sources are vital when
writing a good research paper.
7 Axelrod
and Cooper, 529.
Practical Steps . . .
 Evaluating the logic of an argument:
– This means “determining whether a thesis is well reasoned and
adequately supported.”8
– While reading, improve logical skills through practice by logically
testing what is read.
– Being able to evaluate logical arguments is a must for writing wellreasoned papers.
8 Axelrod
and Cooper, 530.
IV. What to Read
 What should one read to become a better writer?
– It is very important to read the right things: good books,
respected newspapers, and quality magazines.
 The more one reads, the more it will help in
becoming a better writer.
What to Read
 Be sure to read things of interest.
– When one reads something he or she is not interested
in, reading becomes boring.
– Reading things that hold interest encourages more
reading.
 Writing about subject requires reading about that
subject.
– This will help in learning the vocabulary specific to a
subject as well as the writing styles.
– Reading also creates familiarity with major contributors
and authors of a topic.
Three Suggested Books to Read
 Dune, by Frank Herbert. If you like sci-fi, try reading this
classic sci-fi book and learning all the new vocabulary
words you find there (just don’t trust the commas).
 On Writing Well, by William Zinsser. This book is a guide
to writing, but is written in humorous, lively language and
doesn’t at all resemble a textbook.
 Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Steinbeck uses his
words to paint vivid pictures, and his works will expose
readers to effective vocabulary and powerful imagery.