Part of being a great writer is being a great reader. Reading plays a significant role in a writer’s life, that is, for any writer who wants to get better at their writing. However, readers read with different intentions in mind. While sometimes we read for entertainment, other times we are keen to evaluate the writing in a book and add to our knowledge. Here are some ways you can make use of your reading time to ensure you are getting the most out of it.

Spare some time for reading

Before you embark on becoming a better reader, you need to ensure you are reading first. Many times our days are filled with different sorts of activities so that we do not even have enough time to read in the first place. When setting aside time to read, begin first by categorizing what type of reading you want to do. We will categorize reading into two major segments for the purpose of this article: Light reading and deep reading.

Light reading is the type of reading that does not require much analytical thinking, the type of reading that you can do when commuting or when you are in a waiting bay or similar environment and when getting disrupted is more likely. Deep reading, however, requires a quieter environment so that the reader is able to absorb and mentally digest what they are reading. While it is more beneficial, it is limited in terms of the types of environments where you can engage in this type of reading.

In the case of light reading, select pieces of writing that are short in length and that can be easily understood even when you have less time on your hands. The piece needs to be short mostly because you are likely not going to go back to it unless you are purposeful about continuing to read it later. When you also complete reading the piece within a brief period, it gives you some time to think about it when you are in the same environment before you jump to the next activity on your schedule. The piece needs to be easily understood because you do not have much time to ponder on it and particularly for you to obtain the full benefit of reading the piece within a short period.

Simpler reads are also a great source of entertainment and since most sources of these are usually easy to understand, you can preserve them for when you have little time to read. Blog posts, social media posts that are enlightening and short stories can make great reads during times you need something light to read. It is, however, important to remember that reading should be purposeful even when light to ensure you spend your time only on what you think you will learn from. It is okay not to spend every minute of your time reading everything available. It should depend on you and what you think is important to you.