Reading Is Great!

    Reading is fantastic! This is an absolute fact. Undeniable. Unarguable. Un-debatable. :) And for many of us who take up the pen or keyboard to write, reading was what got us interested in writing in the first place. And there are so many ways reading helps us grow as writers and improve our craft!
    Reading makes the brain work. Not only do we register words and action as we read, but we use our imagination to get creative and picture things. We recreate scenes second by second, almost like a movie playing in our heads. In a fun and interesting way, reading exercises the right side of the brain.
    It's great for the left side too. A person can learn a lot about a particular subject in a novel. A historical novel provides lots of information about the time period it portrays, and some characters in novels evaluate a lot about specific skills they have. Novels with certain themes can show differing viewpoints on a matter, which can help a person understand (even if they don't agree with) the other side. Reading increases knowledge, which can be useful not only in real life, but perhaps a factoid gained from another novel can be put into use in one's own work in progress.
    Sometimes when I read, I experience a sort of "rinsing" affect. When I've spent some time reading a great novel, I find my own writing coming out better and more clear. Maybe my mind is picking up writing tips and strategies subconsciously as I read, or maybe reading conditions my brain to think more like a novel character. Who knows? But it's great!
    I know there's like a million posts out there about how awesome reading is (particularly for writers) but it's a nice topic to think about, right? Do you often think about ways to grow as a writer as you read, or do you just focus on the awesome experience of reading a story?