Reading and writing are inextricably tied together, and not just because you had to learn to read before you could learn to write. You want people to read what you write, and your writing can improve by reading what other people write. So read every chance you get.

You’re likely to retort that you have little opportunity to read beyond news headlines, a couple of blogs, reports at work, and the occasional beach book. But the fact is we’re all reading all the time without realizing it.

The trick is to be aware of all this reading and consciously assess what you like and don’t like about it as a way to improve your own work. Here are a few examples of what you’re “reading” now probably without realizing it:

Billboards–Ever notice that some are masterpieces of terse communication? What can that teach you?

Scripts–You’re watching TV shows and movies, aren’t you? Put aside burning questions about which actress you prefer, and ask yourself which script holds your attention and why. What can you learn about writing dialog?

Greeting cards–Why do some sum up your sentiments in a sentence, while others seem sappy? Is it the choice of words? The interplay of the words and the graphics?

Every time you see–or hear–words you are in the broadest sense “reading.” You are receiving words someone put, we hope, some thought into stringing together. Put a little thought into whether the writer or speaker was successful and why, and you’ll receive a lesson for your own work.

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