The Relationship Between Reading & Writing

Everyone says that if you want to write, you need to read.
Read extensively.
Read every day.
Read good books.
Read bad books.
Read everything in sight.
They're absolutely right.

I've been an avid reader for as long as I can remember. Reading often and a wide range of books has certainly helped me become a stronger writer. I've learned what makes a good book, and what makes a bad one.

But I've found the opposite is also true.
Being a writer has helped me become a stronger reader.

I can analyze books in a way now that I wasn't able to before. Not just structure (although definitely structure). I've always been able to say "I liked that book" or "I didn't like that book" but I couldn't always say WHY I liked it or disliked it. Now, most the time I can. I can say that I liked a book because of strong, identifiable characters, because of imagery, plot, etcetera. Just as importantly, I can point out what I don't like about a book. I can point to a character that didn't feel believable, a plot that could have been stronger, a poor ending, or simply to the fact that I didn't care for the writer's style.

Basically what I'm saying is, it's not just about READING to WRITE BETTER. It's this whole relationship between the two, this whole cycle. You read to know how to write. Writing makes you read better, more critically. You read more critically to write better. And on and on it goes. During each cycle, you get a little stronger in both regards.

So, yeah. Read a lot. Write a lot.
Never stop practicing. Never stop getting better and stronger.