To Become a Better Writer, You Need to Read More.
Taylor Greenwalt, one of my tenth-grade writing critique students, has a love of reading that shines through her writing. I have been fortuitous to have her share her gift with words with many of my students in several of my critique classes, and week after week, they have praised Taylor’s use of description in her writing, as I have. The last few months, each time students read a draft of her paper, “Bus Bewilderment,” that I recently published on my website, they were left temporarily speechless, for they do not usually critique writing with such vivid descriptions—Taylor has a way of making a nonfiction writing piece come to life through her way with words, an ability she most likely acquired from the countless hours she spends reading.
Taylor’s love of reading began to blossom seven years ago in her third-grade classroom during morning circle time, where she would sit next to the class library and frequently get in trouble for reading. Warrior Cats were some of the books she would read. And to this day, they are still her favorite books. She has read every one of the 66 books in the series (some more than once), including a 537-page super edition that she proudly told me she read in just one day!
From the start of my interview with Taylor, it was apparent that reading is her favorite thing to do with her free time—including breaks from homework. Thus, I was not surprised to find out that she keeps books in various designated and undesignated locations throughout her room. She told me that when she reads each of them, it is “like watching a movie” for her. Whether she is reading them for the first time or rereading them to better understand them, she spends an average of two to four hours a day doing so—in addition to the time she spends reading for school—and she frequently stays up late at night to squeeze more reading time into her days.
Toward the end of my interview with Taylor, I dug deeper with my questions to find out how she—a sophomore in high school—has time to read for pleasure (because kids, even elementary school kids, these days are so busy): I asked her if she plays video games and how many extracurricular activities she partakes in, and her responses were thought-provoking. She shared with me that she occasionally plays video games (and watches YouTube videos, draws, etc.) but would rather read. As for extracurricular activities, she is not over-scheduled with them; she has a weekly internship and writing classes with me semiweekly, providing her ample time to read.
That unscheduled time to read has proven invaluable because the reading Taylor has done during it guides her descriptive word choice, freeing her from having to rely on other people to guide it. It also allows her to create writing that is truly different from that of most kids today—the wording in it is reminiscent of that in writing from the past and a beacon of inspiration to today’s aspiring writers.
“Bus Bewilderment” by Taylor Greenwalt, tenth-grade student
~ Christina Caputo
Founder & Owner of ★ W O R D S
"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that." —Stephen King