The written word never has been more important to society than it is right now. Whether it is the transfer of information to entertain or educate, words on a page, a screen or a tablet can inspire (and sometimes incite) people to act.

Couple of weeks back I asked my Twitter tribe a simple question, “Does it help you to write better if you read a lot?” The responses were all over the map, but most serious writers of fiction and nonfiction will tell you that it is imperative to read a diverse mix of books to help your writing. Yes, even if your only avenue of writing is Twitter or Facebook.

We live in a very distracted, unfocused world; being pulled in a million different directions is just part of our lives now. I stumbled upon this book by David L. Ulin – The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time and it made me think about how I used to read voraciously. I don’t anymore and it clearly has hurt my ability to write.

Now, I received a graduate degree in journalism and even I have to admit that I find myself faltering when it comes time to put pen to paper. So, degrees and other credentials mean little until the work is actually done. Take even this blog post for example. It took me nearly a week to start, stop, re-do, re-write, throw out and then start from scratch. That’s just the process of writing a blog post or anything worth publishing. When it comes to microblogging on sites like Twitter or Facebook, the writing is almost on impulse. Do you agree? Yet, I feel you still are going to have something more intelligent to share with your own online tribe if you get into the habit of reading a lot more often. Think of how well your communication will be received if it is well informed and your writing is lucid. The benefits are much too great to ignore the fine dance between reading widely and writing well.

Start small. Read magazine articles. They still exist thankfully so go to the nearest bookstore, grab a cup of joe and start perusing through. As a photographer, I get awfully distracted by the images so choose wisely on what you select. Time magazine has a good blend of graphics and great writing. Or, try Interview magazine, which also has a great display of images but the writing is pretty solid.

When you feel like you can ween off the magazines, I suggest heading into the fiction section of your bookstore or library. I was recently directed to Michael Crichton’s State Of Fear. Honestly, anything by Crichton would do. I remember my jaw dropping when I first read Jurassic Park by him.

If you are in business like I am, I recommend devouring business books – on selling, marketing, management, psychology, etc. I found this interesting book – The 100 Best Business Books of All Time: What They Say, Why They Matter, and How They Can Help You. But if you are interested in individual books, well, I am here to help you. You see, I am slightly obsessed by business books at the moment. In fact, I have a back log of them. In the weeks and months ahead, I’ll explore each one in-depth giving you a synopsis and why you should or shouldn’t buy and the read the book yourself. Deal?

If you already are inclined to write but still are fielding road blocks, I recommend Stephen King’s On Writing: 10th Anniversary Edition: A Memoir of the Craft and Anne Lamont’s Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life (which was recommended to me by Rachel LaCour).

I stumbled across this blog post by Paul Castain on 6 Ways To Read A Book.

What thoughts do you have about writing? What or who inspires you? Share your thoughts down below.