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Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 353
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Writer Stephen King once said that he spends four hours a day writing and four hours a day reading, and that this was essential for his process. At the recent Dallas Fort Worth Writers Conference, keynote speaker Sandra Brown repeated this story, emphasizing how important she also thought it was to read as much as you're writing.
Some writers on Twitter were outraged, thinking perhaps that that this was a sign of privilege. But they clearly missed the point. I think King's point was not that you should spend four hours both reading and writing every day, but that you should be spending the same amount of time reading as you are writing.
Even if that is only 30 minutes a day.
As an agent, it was often apparent to me when a querying writer wasn't spending enough time reading, especially reading within their own chosen genre.
So I'm throwing this out there: what are your own reading habits?
Cheers!
Colleen
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I read MUCH more than I write. My muse can be very elusive and I'm still in the process of trying to figure out how to force her to show herself so that I can write on a more consistent basis.
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I read much more than I write too! I'm a slow, slow writer but a very quick reader so that has something to do with it, I'm sure. I also like to absorb as much as I can about the market, other people's styles, how they accomplish certain challenges, etc. etc. I find it's really helpful in learning what kind of writer I am myself.
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Joined: 3/3/2011
Posts: 68
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My day job involves a lot of driving and travel, so I've taken to consuming a lot of audiobooks and podcasts. When I'm traveling, my input to output ratio is at least 2:1. I've been trying to read more outside my genre, though since I write widely across speculative fiction, I can read hard science fiction write writing urban fantasy and it still feels very different.
If I recall correctly, Samuel R. Delaney said that you cannot write a book better than the best book you read in the last six
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Joined: 3/3/2011
Posts: 68
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KS -- I'm jealous of your reading speed. I can average a book a week if I make an effort. I could do more if I wanted, but I'm also watching TV and playing video games (which I count as valid, if secondary inputs).
When I'm actively drafting, I try to only read material that's very very different from the feel/genre of my work. I read SF or non-fiction when writing fantasy, or at least urban fantasy when writing epic and so forth.
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Joined: 3/4/2011
Posts: 58
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When I'm working on a manuscript, I write every day and try to read at least one book a week. So, in time spent, I'd say I'm writing more than I'm reading, but I'm still reading a lot.
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Joined: 3/7/2011
Posts: 2
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I'm an avid reader, so I'd say I definitely spend more time reading. Helps me keep my finger on the pulse and verbage of the genre I write for.
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Joined: 3/7/2011
Posts: 13
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I would say that I spend probably about three hours a day reading, and only an hour or so writing. I tend to read almost anything, even outside of my specific genre.
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Joined: 3/7/2011
Posts: 15
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I was taught how to speed read in fifth grade, which was not necessarily a blessing to me. I've gone through two 400 page books in a day, but I don't pay deep attention to the details(which is something I'm known for). I have to go back and re read over and over to catch everything.
Now, that being said, I don't read alot every day...just a few minutes here and there, a chapter or two. I don't write every day, but I'm always thinking about scenes and how they need to go. When I write, I can writ
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I write and read every day; it's just not always fiction. I do try to read from a novel of book of short stories about a half hour before I go to sleep. I usually let my whim dictate. I write for a living, and I've yet to come up with the right formula of creative writing and client writing. But I'll figure it out soon!
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Joined: 3/7/2011
Posts: 10
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At the moment, I'm sort of forced to do both. This term's postgraduate work has required me to produce a 60-90,000 word novel, and our class is expected to read both the work of everybody else in the class and one or two genre books a week. We now have three weeks to finish or revise these manuscripts, play with a concept for a television series, and read two novels. Hm! I just might be a masochist!
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Joined: 3/10/2011
Posts: 6
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I don't have the choice to not read. I'm part of an active review site so I'm always needing to read more books, an entire series for our monthly feature or arcs people send me. On the upside, I read very fast and on a really good day I can get through a day of work, half a book, and a few thousand words. I'm guilty of leap-frogging days though. Work + book one day, then work + write another.
Reading keeps me creative. I think it's like filling my "word tank" as someone called it once. Plus, you learn when you read! You get exposure to what else is out there. Reading is a super important part!
That's my $.02, which with gas prices rising, won't buy you much!
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Joined: 3/10/2011
Posts: 5
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I read far more than I write, but I find myself playing the linking game on the Internet far more than I do both occasionally. I'm an information junkie. Recently, I've gone back and started rereading Stephen King's novella collection "Different Seasons" and writing seems to flow a bit more naturally because of that 
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Joined: 3/10/2011
Posts: 11
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Oooo, great question! And I like Colleen's introduction.
When I first started writing seriously, I don't think I realized just how important reading was, and it shows in my first novel. But now, I do try to devote some time to reading and some time to writing. Equal times for both? I'm not sure. I write a thousand words a day, which usually takes me about an hour, and I read in increments throughout the day... maybe it's about equal, maybe I read more than I write.
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Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 5
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I tend to read more than I write *fiction*, at the very least. I do a lot of writing that I don't *count* as Writing -- the freelance-work day job, for example, or my history column for the local Patch site, or the reviews I do for various publications, or just updating my blog and writing correspondence. All of those are writing, but none of them are Writing. Because I'm a reviewer and am on the jury for the Mythopoeic awards, and just like to read, I read for both work and for pleasure, which stacks up the time I spend reading.
I do go through phases, though, when I'd much rather be writing than reading, especially once I'm in the thick of a project. Which sometimes makes it hard to focus on the myriad projects I'm getting paid to do.
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 5
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I wish I wrote as much as I read :/ I just find reading easier because it's more interrupt-able and my no interruptions time is very limited.
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 5
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Meant to add: But do you read multi-genres or just what you write? There's a lot to be learned from reading in other genres as well.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 3
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I am currently reading a LOT more than I am writing as I am in the edit/design phase of this novel. However I have to say that since I started writing I have read much more than I had before as well as always reading a lot more than I am writing.
The thing about me is that I had never in my LIFE read a romance novel, so I had no idea there were books like this. I thought romance novels were something totally different (and ridiculous, actually) Yep, I was the enemy. Anywhoo, I read my first romance a little over two years ago when I started writing my book, and since then have read nearly 200.
My minor goal is to read at least one book a week. So far this year I've read 26, but I think I am avoiding my editing so that is a little high. 
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 412
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I always read a bunch. In elementary anld junior high, i would bring 15 books (the limit) home ever week, and read them all (mostly from the adult section)
These days i mostly read webfiction and old favorites that I have loaded on my bookreader, but I do read more than I write. As for those who say they avoid reading before writing so they don't sound too much like the other author, I use that to my advantage. I read some of who I want my current piece to sound like every so often.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 102
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I read more than I write, and I make a point of reading different genres. I also read as many unpublished writers as I do published. Every story, fiction or non, good or bad, finished or not, has something to teach me. It may not be what the writer had in mind, but I do take something away from every piece.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 222
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I totally agree with this. I actually read more than I write because I have this problem about not being able to put books down once I get hooked into them. (The Kindle has actually helped with this a little...not by much, but a little.)
I think equal amounts of writing versus reading time is truly idea. You learn how to write by learning how to read... you learn how to truly read by knowing how to write.
Just my opinion, of course... but I have improved my writing so much just from reading that it is truly an amazing thing for me.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 8
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I tend to alternate between bouts of manic reading and writing. When I'm in an intense writing phase, especially first draft stuff, I don't want any other writer's voice to interfere. Plus, I'm usually up very late writing so I have no time to squeeze in any reading, except the occasional short story or essay.
When I'm in an editing/revising phase, I read all the books that have piled up on my nightstand. I try to read in a variety of genres, to keep things interesting. I always try to have at least 2 or 3 books on hand, plus I have a huge backlog of books people have given me for gifts.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 49
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I read a lot more now that I have an ebook reader (for some reason I read significantly faster electronically than I do on paper). In the past month or so I've read around a dozen books. When I'm writing a first draft, though, I don't read much. As others here have said, it's too easy to inadvertently pick up the style or tone of whatever I'm reading. Even when I'm reading something significantly different than what I'm writing it happens. (I've written at least two technology-related blog posts that have a tone very similar to Pride & Prejudice. I'm just glad no one seemed to notice the sudden formality.)
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 376
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I tend to read when I cannot write. Doing cardio at the gym, walking from class to class at school, stopped at traffic lights, you name it. I don't get really absorbed by reading because of those 'read for thirty seconds' habits, but I do get a lot more reading time than I would if I only read when I could read straight through.
With writing, I found that hard to do until the most recent NaNo. During that one I was writing two books at once. Yeah, I'm not right in the head. Anyhow, I had to squeeze in all the writing time I could, so I learned to get writing and make progress in very small amounts of time, like under five minutes at a time.
I don't *measure* it, but I'd say I probably do read and write about the same amount, although it's not a conscious decision on my part.
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Joined: 2/28/2011
Posts: 17
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The other week I actually journaled every time I consumed non-work-related media - reading, listening to music, watching television or movies, and even video games.
What did I learn? I consume an epic amount of media - I passed 80 hours of consumption in a week (these are not isolated, I tend to listen to music when I read or work, but I had a lot of meetings that week).
I think the more telling question than time spent doing either reading or writing is how you approach the reading. Are you a passive consumer or do consume as a writer?
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Joined: 3/11/2011
Posts: 4
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"If you would be a reader, read; if a writer, write."
— Epictetus
I read at least as much as I write, so apparently I want to be both.
I think Bradley hits the nail on the head though--since I started writing seriously my reading speed has slowed way down, because I'm reading *as a writer*. I spend a lot more time flipping back and trying to deconstruct how the author did this or that. Honestly, it drains a bit of the pleasure from pleasure reading... but it makes up for it in nutritional value. So to speak.
Contra many folks, when I'm writing I like to read close to my genre (fiction and non-fiction)--it keeps me excited about what I'm working on. If I start reading a really good fantasy while I'm writing sci-fi, it just makes me want to ditch the sci-fi and start writing fantasy.
Plus, if you're reading in your genre and come across any really cool ideas, you can steal them.
Wait--did I say that out loud?
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Joined: 3/11/2011
Posts: 2
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I read significantly more than I write, mostly because a book is so easy to take anywhere. My netbook has made it easier for my writing to go with me (as opposed to the desktop computer i was using before) but waiting in line at the grocery store or riding in the car is still more conducive to reading than writing for me.
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Joined: 3/15/2011
Posts: 10
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I read a lot less fiction than I used to and mostly it's because I have a hard time finding things that "grab me from the get-go". I definitely read more nonfiction mostly because I need info for a wip or get an idea for a character and want to see if the subject unleashes the plot bunnies.
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Joined: 3/11/2011
Posts: 4
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I wish. I read as much and as varied as I can, but priority is my writing. Generally I write two hours in the morning without fail before work and then I will read in the evening, which can conflict with that great mind sapper--the tv. Castle, Good Wife, House, etc. Generally I get one hour of reading in.
I'm always amazed when people talk about speed reading. I do manage that when it is text work or business, but even for pleasure I still keep my highlighters nearby and I'll underline sentence structure, word choice, mood creators, plot points, tension builders, writer craft tools that I found used in great ways, or whatever I find wonderful to plop into a 'wow, look how this author did this!' I'll also mark up the pages with editing notes, when I 'm not so pleased.
The true judge of when I'm hooked is page after page of fast turning without notations in the margins. Even then, I've usually underlined at least one line per page.
Therefore my reading is greatly slowed as a result. I so admire readers who can speed read, speed edit, and still ENJOY what they read. Perhaps someday, that art will strike me when I least expect it.
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Joined: 3/7/2011
Posts: 13
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Update -
I now have a Kindle, which affords me a lot more reading time. Carrying 3500 stories with me everywhere is going to be a lot easier this way. For some reason the idea of turning on a device and flipping through pages seems so much more convenient than pulling out a paperback.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 80
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I probably spend too much time reading and not enough writing! I can't help myself, there are so many great stories out there for me to devour! I average around 20 books a month and I try to write an hour or two a day. Currently working as a nanny allows me a decent amount of writing time while the kids nap.
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 1
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I feel like I'm in the minority when I say this, but I don't spend enough time reading. It's a bad habit I'm trying to break myself of.
I think my biggest problem is that I haven't been keeping up with my social reading since I entered college back in '06. Now that I'm out, I have a list of books I want to read or re-read at some point.
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 2
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I use reading as a reward for writing but I'm ALWAYS reading something.
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 214
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I spend about an hour a day reading. However, when I'm actively writing a book within a specific genre, I stop reading that genre.
I interviewed a Pulitzer Prize-winning author several years ago for an news article. I remember that he told me that he reads nonfiction only when he works on a new novel. He did this for a couple of reasons. One, he didn't want another author's style to creep into his own. And secondly, he was afraid that he'd inadvertently plagiarize a sentence or phrase from another novel. When you think about it, this makes sense.
Right now, I'm reading Chandler Burr's "The Emperor of Scent," which is about perfume making. I'm still keeping my reader's mind active without having to worry that the work of a similar genre writer will influence my own voice.
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Joined: 3/16/2011
Posts: 279
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It really depends on the day but if I were to calculate the time reading versus writing I'd have to say I read more. Sometimes I get into the zone while writing and taking a small break and reading a few chapters of something fun really helps. Writing makes me a better reader, I think. I find myself admiring a description or a phrase the author uses.
I have a close friend who is also an aspiring writer and he refuses to read for pleasure. Flat out, point blank refuses. He explained once that he was afraid of letting what he read influencing what he wrote.
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Joined: 3/11/2011
Posts: 4
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During fall and winter I tend to read 'fun books' a lot less because I'm in university right now, so I have enough reading to keep up with as it is. However, I make up for that in the summer - between May and September I DEVOUR books.
On the writing side, I don't write nearly as much as I read. I have all these great stories in my head, but writing them down makes me terribly anxious. My inner editor is ruthless, and I tend to abandon things half-finished because I decide that they're terrible. I'm working on it though - hoping being active here will help!
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Joined: 3/12/2011
Posts: 40
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I'm always reading a book or two in my spare time, but it's not always equal to the time I spend writing. When I'm getting a first draft down, I spend a lot less time reading, I want to focus on getting the ideas written down as fast as I can. Then I relax and finish the books I was part way through. Overall I'd say I equalize over time though.
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Joined: 3/11/2011
Posts: 6
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I try to keep 2-3 books going at the same time: a book of fiction (novel or short stories), a nonfiction book, and usually a book on writing technique or craft. I spend about an hour a day reading, which is more than I spend writing per day.
I admit that I'm really jealous of my wife's reading speed. It's not unusual for her to consume half a dozen light fiction novels in a single day. It took her four hours to read that last Harry Potter novel.
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Joined: 3/15/2011
Posts: 7
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I definitely believe in this! Reading within the genre is so important. I probably read more than I write lately, just due to lack of time. I don't understand how someone can expect to be a writer without being a reader. Currently reading - Sarah Smith - The Other Side of Dark. I'm on a panel with her at the end of the month, so I thought it was important to read one of her books.
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Joined: 3/17/2011
Posts: 4
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I go through dry spells where I lose control of my time spent reading vs writing, but I find that my writing "health" suffers when I'm not getting enough "Vitamin R" (for Reading). I'm inspired by great prose, and I get excited when an author creates a gripping narrative with sublime use of vocabulary, dialogue and other literary tools.
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Joined: 3/17/2011
Posts: 6
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I think reading and writing go hand-in-hand. I make the time to read every night before bed. It's relaxing. If I'm particularly excited about the book, I notice my dreams are much more vivid and I wake up the next morning recharged in my writing spirit. There are days where I've spent more time reading than writing, but I think that's fine.
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Joined: 2/27/2011
Posts: 15
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I read way more than I do anything else (except perhaps clean). My writing isn't something I can streamline--if I don't feel what I'm writing, or if it takes me a long while to figure out a character's next action, I won't write. Other days, like a couple days ago, I typed out 22 pages on a completely new story in the daylight hours and wrote out by hand another 16 pages for a different story. All without stopping on either one.
I know you're supposed to practice writing everyday, but frustration only makes me not want to write more.
But reading? I average four books a week, depending on how long they are and what subject they are. I read when I cook. I read before I sleep, when my sister is doing her homework, during my 7 mile walks...A neighbor recently asked me if I did anything else because all she ever saw me doing was reading.
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Joined: 3/14/2011
Posts: 8
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I might be one of those people who seemed to find the King comment "bragging" or privileged. Not that King hasn't earned that privilege, but those of use who still have to juggle day jobs so we can eat...four hours each does seem mighty alluring.
Which is to say I'd LOVE to be able to spend four hours a day reading and another four writing. In reality I spend more time reading than writing and there are days I probably don't manage to spend four doing either one. Those days make me feel like something's missing.
I tend to average about a book a week, reading, but I rarely read one at a time, so sometimes weeks will go by when I didn't finish any and then I'll finish them all within days of each other. (I'm somewhat jealous of people who read faster, but the former proofreader in me can't seem to speed up that much.)
I also read several genres and will pick up almost anything that looks interesting. I've been trying to make sure at least 30% of my reads are in the genre I like to write but "literary" and non-fiction books call my name pretty often, too.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 244
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Unfortunately, no. I have a large TBR pile, but when it comes to using my precious time for reading or writing (on whatever project I'm working on at the time), writing wins out. It shouldn't be that way, it should be more balanced, but it isn't. I can sometimes barely muster the brain cells to write when I get home from my magazine internship, let alone trying to synthesize a novel. Weekends are my main time for writing and reading. Real life pushes its way in there, too. I'm still working to find that balance. It's an ongoing process.
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Joined: 3/31/2011
Posts: 5
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I hadn't heard that Stephen King story, but I completely agree that, ideally, there's a balance between time spent reading and time spent writing - though it seems I end up reading way more than I write.
For me, I got started in writing as a kid because I loved reading. Not because I loved the story so much I wanted to replicate it, but because I loved the emotional journey books took me on. I wanted to extend that feeling. Reading still inspires me to write, though writing has become so much more frustrating and less "easy" than it was when I was a child. Which I suppose is a good thing?
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Joined: 3/30/2011
Posts: 8
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For me, I try not to read while actively working on a story - I find, no matter how hard I try to avoid it, there can be a sort of "bleed in" from whatever I'm reading at the time.
That said, I tend to read far more than I write. The only solution I've found is to make myself get up earlier in the morning and write before leaving for work. If I get some writing done in the morning I can spend time reading in the evening as a reward.
Stephen King's 50:50 reading / writing ratio is one I can only aspire to - I'm still stuck in write more / read less or read more / write less, and far from that kind of equilibrium.
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Joined: 3/31/2011
Posts: 11
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I don't read as much as I used to, but I still read. What I tend to do these days is to stockpile books I'm going to read and then take a break and read all of them in a giant slurge (on holidays or something). When I do that I read very quickly, if I'm trying to read while I'm writing or editing something it takes much longer. Unless its a thoroughly addictive book. Some books just demand to be read.
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Joined: 3/31/2011
Posts: 3
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I am a slow reader and this bothers me to no end. Still, I find I spend more time reading than writing. However, like some of the authors here, I don't read books in the same genre as my writing when I get on a writing tear. I don't want to be too heavily influenced by another author's work. For example, when I was working on my Hamlet adaptation, I read a bunch of Dresden Files. Now that I'm working on more modern stuff, I have a hankering to reread Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. I wish I could spend more time reading and writing.
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Joined: 3/30/2011
Posts: 2
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I'm a fast reader and I read more than I write. I read at least one book a week, if not more. I try to maintain a balance between reading and writing, but it doesn't always work out!
I do agree that reading across genres makes one a better writer. I try to vary my reading POV and genre so I can compare and contrast styles among authors and genres.
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Joined: 3/30/2011
Posts: 10
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I do spend roughly equal amounts of time reading and writing. Probably more reading if you count nonfiction as well as fiction. But these amounts are spread out over time, not on a daily basis. I may read several books in the space of a few days, then none for a few days. I think over time it averages out.
I find reading is hugely beneficial for a myriad of reasons and it's especially great for writer's block!
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