I have seen posts on social media where this question is asked – do I need to read to be able to write. My first instinct is to say yes, you do need to read to be able to write. The link between great story telling, and reading a great story, are in the same gold chain.
However, there are many ways of reading.
My son is dyslexic, and struggles with reading the simplest of words. He is now on his first steps to writing. I have been helping him type the text for cartoon, web strip. Working alongside him, and putting words to his drawings has shown me that you don’t have to read novels, to be able to write.
There are many types of books – his favourite are Mango comics – and his inspiration is from reading them. I marvelled at his detail with eyes, without even having to draw them. He told me its all in the eyebrows and I smiled at his cleverness.
In my next manuscript, the main character is blind. She reads by listening, or by feeling braille. I think it is amazing that you can trace your fingers across raised dots, and immerse yourself in a book.
Pictures can give inspiration to write. As I see with all the picture prompts on all the great the blogging sites I am part of; each picture tells a different story. Our different experiences of life breathe life into our own stories.
My one piece of important advice, once you’ve finished your manuscript, is to get someone else to read it. Especially if you feel like your spelling and grammar needs work. Not my quote, but everyone’s first draft is rubbish. I totally agree. Also, we do not see our own mistakes. An editor could write a book, and miss glaringly obvious errors.
So – do you need to read to able to write? Yes, but there are many types of reading.
Writer Ravenclaw 
Passage of time also helps with editing. Pick up something you wrote a year ago and you will unavoidably edit it into something better.
I thinkwe just get an imprint of something on our brain, and somebody else needs to get a different imprint. Or, we leave it sufficiently long that our own imprint hes been erased.
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That is true, because our original idea can change over time. There is also a feature on word called immersive reading, which changes the background colour, or you can even listen to your writing. It doesn’t help much with spelling though.
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So many good and practical ideas here.
I have learned so much from reading posts in WP.
I think we should never be hesitant to copy/well imitate another writing style or idea.
That’s really how a baby learns and then eventually grows into themselves. Becomes their own person.
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This is so true….no matter how good you are as a writer, you need an editor…
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I was at my writing group the other week, and someone said my sentences were all the same length. I looked, and without realising I had done this, they were. So alongside editors, I think other people who write can also help see what you cannot.
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That is true, and it helps blogging amongst fellow writers. Also, when you see something from another blogger, it inspires you to write something totally new, but inspired by that first idea.
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Well said about reading and writing correlation.
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