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WhompingWindowstoday at 10:56 AM2 repliesview on HN

Counterpoint: To become a better writer, write as much as you can.

Reading gives you a flavor, a taste, a style, it allows you to occupy the thoughts of another human.

But getting your thoughts written down? That's writing, not reading. Actually practicing the art of writing is better for your craft than reading someone else's writing.

Matthias Wandel a famous woodworker on YT says it: most of his audience are watching for fun, they don't actually build projects. Would we expect a woodworker to get practically better by not woodworking, but by sampling others work? You might gain a little knowledge, but you'll never see your own limitations and where to grow if you never do it yourself.

Since music comes up in this thread, it's an even better counter example. The act of practicing technique shows you the idioms of each instrument, it shows you HOW to compose for that instrument much more than listening to 100's of recordings. Chopin's genius was knowing the human hand and how it conforms to the keyboard, he knew how to compose for it better than perhaps any other, because he was practical and a virtuoso himself.

When you touch and hear the instrument as you play, when you satisfy your own ear and judgment as Chick Corea says, then you're able to then better mimic others and create new fusions. Just listening to others "as much as you can" isn't going to make you a better performer or technical player at all.

Save the time for doing, not using. Use the time for production, not consumption. Practice makes perfect.


Replies

throwrioawfotoday at 11:06 AM

Both reading and writing are necessary, but writing alone is not sufficient.

show 2 replies
jake_and_fatmantoday at 4:16 PM

Reading is going to Whole Foods. Writing is living off the land.