“My library was dukedom large enough.” – What? How is this line related to your writing career? [Tuesdays: “Write with the Pen of the Masters”]
“Me, poor man, my library
Was dukedom large enough.”
This line is found in Act 1, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s play titled, “The Tempest.”
When Antonio, the usurping brother of Prospero, the rightful Duke of Milan, takes over the dukedom, he also robs Prospero of his wealth.
The rightful Duke is left with nothing but the books he treasures.
Hence, the quote above, which he tells his daughter Miranda during their conversation. As a poor man, his library is enough for him.
Speaking of books…
Are you fond of reading good books? Do you value books as much as Prospero did his own?
If your answer is “yes,” then great! If not, that’s okay. There are still a lot of avenues for you to gain knowledge or read great written content.
However, if you want to pursue a career as a novelist, essayist, scriptwriter, or any other type of writer, reading should at least have a place in your life.
Why?
Even Shakespeare, one of the greatest playwrights in history, understood that in order to write well, you have to read well.
What are the benefits of reading to aspiring and amateur writers―and even veterans themselves?
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Reading helps improve your vocabulary.
Each word can have multiple meanings and usages, and it is through reading that you learn to utilize a single word in many ways.
When you become an avid reader, you learn about different ways a word can be used and how it can make your sentences more effective and impactful.
It’s not just new words…
Through reading, you also start to comprehend new phrases that will help you express your ideas, thoughts, and emotions better through various sentence structures.
Tip: The next time you encounter a new word or phrase in a book or whatever material you’re reading, write it down in a separate piece of paper or keep a digital note.
Once you’re finished reading, search for its meaning and usage in a dictionary or thesaurus.
You might think that the information you get is just short-term memory, but once you start writing in the future, that word can come in handy.
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Reading enhances your imagination.
Think about the novels or pocket books you’ve read.
What makes those stories interesting?
The play of words?
Personalities of the characters?
The plot?
While these are all factors, another point that contributes to a good story is the author’s ability to take his or her readers to different places mentioned in the book.
It’s as if you’re watching the scenarios unfold right in front of you as you read through every written line.
As you continually read well-written materials, you will also:
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Learn to critically analyze various situations
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Enhance your writing skills
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Refine your cognitive skills
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Reading exposes you to various writing styles.
We know writers have their own way of writing.
Read the works of different classic and contemporary authors, as well as a diverse range of publications.
As you do that, you’ll gradually recognize the differences between writing styles.
You’ll understand that creative writing is different from newswriting, technical writing from scriptwriting, etc.
One benefit of being exposed to these writing styles?
These will enable you to develop your own writing pattern, which will help you distinguish yourself from other writers.
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Reading instills discipline in your personal routine.
Think about this: If you’re an athlete, you know that it’s important to attend your regular trainings to build your capacity and improve in your field of sport.
Likewise, as a writer, when you want to get better at your craft, you have to understand that reading is an essential part of the process.
Remember the saying:
“You cannot give what you don’t have.”
In order for you to provide your readers with useful information, you first have to fill yourself with ample knowledge and enhance your writing skills.
One of the ways you can do that is by reading a lot of good materials.
Tip: Try to define a timeline in which you have to finish reading a specific material. We’re telling you, this designated time frame will increase your discipline and self-control.
Aside from that, this tip will also help you as you pursue a writing career, since you’ll have to meet deadlines for the submission of your written works.
If you’ve fallen out of the habit of reading regularly, that’s okay. It’s not too late to start again!
Here are two recommendations to make reading a part of your personal routine in improving your writing skill:
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It all starts with a small step.
Do you feel sleepy every time you read a thick book or novel?
If your answer is “yes,” you’re not alone.
Long stories can be quite overwhelming, especially if you’ve just started incorporating reading into your list of activities.
However, reading is not just limited to books and novels. There are also lots of well-written blogs, journals, and articles you can read.
It’s your choice on whether you want to read the printed or online version.
Start by reading shorter articles first so your brain can adjust properly. As this habit becomes part of your discipline, you can slowly start reading longer articles.
Aside from getting insights on how to make the most out of your writing capabilities, doing this will give you an idea about the topics or trends that people are talking about.
When you know these trends, you’ll be able to write content that appeals to your target readers!
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Switch It Up!
Just like what the third benefit of reading stated above, it’s good to expose yourself to an assortment of writing styles.
Why, you might ask?
It’s because comparing different styles will give you an idea on how to communicate in a certain tone.
Doing so can also help fill your “writer’s toolbox” with distinctive techniques that you can use in your own drafts.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with your writing―you never know what interesting things you might discover about yourself in the process too!
Reading and writing go hand in hand.
Just like the benefits stated above, reading helps in a lot of ways to improve your writing skills.
One, it serves as a basis of quality writing.
Two, if you want to kickstart a career as a writer, reading will be part of the foundation on which you’ll establish yourself as an author.
The bottom line of all these?
Read. It’s a life-long apprenticeship in the craft of writing.
About The Dynamic Marketing Communiqué’s
“Tuesdays: Write with the Pen of the Masters”
Who doesn’t find content writing to be a skill that requires a lot of practice and effort?
In fact, many people may even find copywriting very intimidating.
However, you can be a good writer as long as you have the right tools. You won’t always get things right the first time, but with enough time and practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
When you write a copy for any brand or for your company, your aim is to make an impact and…
…to get people to remember.
Getting people to remember means getting consumers to buy your product or to avail of your service.
And when you get your content to deliver the results you want, THAT is a great copy!
Every Tuesday, we publish content based on tips and insights from the masters of content writing, copywriting, and storytelling.
Become more familiar with ways to write great copy that helps you gain ROI from your efforts, drive profitability, and achieve your business goals.
Learn time-tested tactics that better capture the attention of your target audience, and maximize the benefits of great copywriting.
Hope you found this week’s insights interesting and helpful.
Stay tuned for next Tuesday’s “Write with the Pen of the Masters!”
Cheers,
Kyle Yu
Head of Marketing
Valens Dynamic Marketing Capabilities
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