--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Becoming the reader is the essence of…" description: "\"Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.\" — John O'Hara" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg" --- # Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer. ![“Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.” quote by John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg) > “Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.” [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding how to read critically and absorb structure, style, and voice is foundational to creating one's own writing. **In simple terms:** Reading informs writing. Key Takeaway Read to write well. Themes creativity learning skill development literacy self-improvement Mood inspired reflective Type advice observation When to use this quote - studying literature - writing workshops - self‑education - editing drafts Key Concepts critical reading writing process authorial voice Practical Applications - teaching creative writing - developing editorial guidelines Questions to Reflect On - How does reading shape your writing voice? - What reading habits enhance your writing skill? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Becoming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence/) [Essence Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/essence-writer-438883/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Reader Essence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader-essence-438882/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [True literature is more than just a story someone has told. It must provide the reader with the essence of the world on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orhan-pamuk/true-literature-is-more-than-just-a-story-someone-has-told-it-must/) [Orhan Pamuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orhan-pamuk/) > [I get to show the reader the essence of the book without giving anything away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-grandpre/i-get-to-show-the-reader-the-essence-of-the-book-without-giving/) [Mary Grandpre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-grandpre/) > [The writing of a novel is taking life as it already exists, not to report it but to make an object, toward the end…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eudora-welty/the-writing-of-a-novel-is-taking-life-as-it-already-exists-not-to/) [Eudora Welty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eudora-welty/) > [The greatest book is not the one whose message engraves itself on the brain, as a telegraphic message engraves itself on the ticker-tape, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romain-rolland/the-greatest-book-is-not-the-one-whose-message-engraves-itself-on-the/) [Romain Rolland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romain-rolland/) > [Essence of newspaper is the large size. You are a reader you're an eagle flying over the desert, you're scanning. You see the rabbit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russ-wilcox/essence-of-newspaper-is-the-large-size-you-are-a-reader-you-re-an/) [Russ Wilcox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russ-wilcox/) > [“Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it's an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carlos-ruiz-zafon/bea-says-that-the-art-of-reading-is-slowly-dying-that-it-s-an/) [Carlos Ruiz Zafon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carlos-ruiz-zafon/) > [It's all the unwordable things one wants to write about, just as it's all the unformable things one wants to paint - essence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-carr/it-s-all-the-unwordable-things-one-wants-to-write-about-just-as-it-s/) [Emily Carr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-carr/) > [“But the secret of good writing is to strip every sentence to its cleanest components. Every words that serves no function, every long word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-zinsser/but-the-secret-of-good-writing-is-to-strip-every-sentence-to-its/) [William Zinsser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-zinsser/) > [I was a big Nancy Drew reader. Nancy figures it out. Case closed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-vowell/i-was-a-big-nancy-drew-reader-nancy-figures-it-out-case-closed/) [Sarah Vowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-vowell/) > [I don't think that writing, real writing, has much to do with affirming belief--if anything it causes rifts and gaps in belief which make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-evenson/i-don-t-think-that-writing-real-writing-has-much-to-do-with-affirming/) [Brian Evenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-evenson/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [Neither novels or their readers benefit from any attempts to divine whether any facts hide inside a story. Such efforts attack the very idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/neither-novels-or-their-readers-benefit-from-any-attempts-to-divine/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Love of books is the best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/love-of-books-is-the-best-of-all/) [Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) ## More by John O'Hara > [Hot lead can be almost as effective coming from a linotype as from a firearm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/hot-lead-can-be-almost-as-effective-coming-from-a-linotype-as-from-a/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [“The people who want regeneration to be permanent are fanatics for the happy ending, dissatisfied with themselves and with anyone else, unrealistic men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/the-people-who-want-regeneration-to-be-permanent-are-fanatics-for-the/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [“Did you ever read The Cat's Revenge , by Claude Balls? Did you ever read The Passionate Russian , by E. Nawdor Titzoff? Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/did-you-ever-read-the-cat-s-revenge-by-claude-balls-did-you-ever-read/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [I can get very depressed by a review that is unfair, unreasonable, and totally destructive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/i-can-get-very-depressed-by-a-review-that-is-unfair-unreasonable-and/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [Socially, I never belonged to any class, rich or poor. To the rich I was poor, and to the poor I was poor pretending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/socially-i-never-belonged-to-any-class-rich-or-poor-to-the-rich-i-was/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [Men go to musicals. Women are the ones who buy the tickets for plays.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/men-go-to-musicals-women-are-the-ones-who-buy-the-tickets-for-plays/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [They say great themes make great novels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/they-say-great-themes-make-great-novels/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [Our story opens in the mind of Luther L. (L for LeRoy) Fliegler, who is lying in his bed, not thinking of anything, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/our-story-opens-in-the-mind-of-luther-l-l-for-leroy-fliegler-who-is/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [America may be unique in being a country which has leapt from barbarism to decadence without touching civilization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/america-may-be-unique-in-being-a-country-which-has-leapt-from/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [“There comes a time in a man's life, if he is unlucky and leads a full life, when he has a secret so dirty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/there-comes-a-time-in-a-man-s-life-if-he-is-unlucky-and-leads-a-full/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [But whats the use of being old if you cant be dumb?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/but-whats-the-use-of-being-old-if-you-cant-be-dumb/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [Little old ladies of both sexes. Why do I let them bother me?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/little-old-ladies-of-both-sexes-why-do-i-let-them-bother-me/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [An artist is his own fault.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/an-artist-is-his-own-fault/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [Illinois is a state of suspended animation and the people live in hibernation from Oct. to whenever it ever gets warmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/illinois-is-a-state-of-suspended-animation-and-the-people-live-in/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) > [They say great themes make great novels. but what these young writers don't understand is that there is no greater theme than men and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/they-say-great-themes-make-great-novels-but-what-these-young-writers/) [John O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) [Explore all 27 John O'Hara quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/) ## More Becoming quotes > [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/) [Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [The path I choose through the maze makes me what I am. I am not only a thing, but also a way of being--one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/the-path-i-choose-through-the-maze-makes-me-what-i-am-i-am-not-only-a/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Becoming famous is a really shocking thing, especially when you don't have aspirations to it. It got to the point where I would try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/becoming-famous-is-a-really-shocking-thing-especially-when-you-don-t/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [When other boys dreamt of going to the moon or becoming doctors, I wanted to be a designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivier-theyskens/when-other-boys-dreamt-of-going-to-the-moon-or-becoming-doctors-i/) [Olivier Theyskens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivier-theyskens/) > [One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius; and the feminine situation has up to the present rendered this becoming practically impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/one-is-not-born-a-genius-one-becomes-a-genius-and-the-feminine/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [The dream of coming back is becoming a reality. A lot of the uncertainty about the future has been cleared up. A lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-tagliabue/the-dream-of-coming-back-is-becoming-a-reality-a-lot-of-the/) [Paul Tagliabue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-tagliabue/) > [I'm getting to a point where everything is becoming streamlined in my life. I'm learning how to stand onstage for two hours and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mayer/i-m-getting-to-a-point-where-everything-is-becoming-streamlined-in-my/) [John Mayer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mayer/) > [The term 'Pre-Raphaelite' is in danger of becoming one of the most misused tags in art history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-wood/the-term-pre-raphaelite-is-in-danger-of-becoming-one-of-the-most/) [Christopher Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-wood/) > [We are somehow the children of the planet, we are somehow its finest hour; we bind time, we bind the past, we anticipate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/we-are-somehow-the-children-of-the-planet-we-are-somehow-its-finest/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [The reason so many of us are obsessed with becoming stars is because we are not yet starring in our own lives. The cosmic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/the-reason-so-many-of-us-are-obsessed-with-becoming-stars-is-because/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [In a personal way, to do with family and the father-son relationship, in a kind of artistic way with regard to him being an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-serkis/in-a-personal-way-to-do-with-family-and-the-father-son-relationship/) [Andy Serkis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-serkis/) > [Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion...What is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/trying-to-be-perfect-may-be-inevitable-for-people-who-are-smart-and/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) [Browse all 4,715 Becoming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/becoming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John O'Hara" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-becoming-a-writer/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Becoming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-becoming-a-writer/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ab/john-o-hara-22466_becoming_becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-be_35184.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.” — John O'Hara", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John O'Hara", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-o-hara/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Becoming the reader is the essence...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-becoming-a-writer/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-o-hara/becoming-the-reader-is-the-essence-of-becoming-a-writer/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```