Bradley Sands, On Reading

"I have met a lot of self-proclaimed 'writers' in the 'real world' who do not read. I rarely meet people like this online. I suppose there are some who are mostly influenced by movies, which can be valuable in regards to learning plot structure, but a movie is a poor substitute for a good book. The best way to learn to write is to read as many books as possible. This practice is more helpful than taking writing classes. Reading a good book is more beneficial than studying a book about grammar. It’s also helpful to expose yourself to 'bad writing,' so you can learn to identify mistakes and avoid them in your own work. The best way to do this is to read the slush pile for a literary magazine. I did this when I worked for a magazine called Weird Tales."

{Bradley Sands is the author of It Came from Below the Belt and My Heart Said No, but the Camera Crew Said Yes! He edits the journal, Bust Down the Door and Eat All the Chickens. Visit his website here for more information.}