Real Eyes, Realize Different Writing Skills

In order to understand reading and know what you are reading you must learn to read like a writer. To read like a writer does not necessarily mean, “to read like an actual writer”, it means to understand how the author put the text together. In high school when I would get reading assignments for homework, I would read the material but as soon as I finished reading, I did not have a clue what I had just read. Now that I understand the difference of reading normally and reading like a writer I am able to read and understand material. Not only am I able to understand what I’m reading but also realize the different styles of writing authors use and improve my writing skills as well. Although we might not realize how much our writing improves because it becomes a natural for us but it does. In a way it is like the saying “monkey see monkey do”, if we are reading proper writing from material that does not use slang our brain picks up certain vocabulary used by the authors then soon enough we are either using some of the words, quotes, and styles of writing as well which improves our writing skills without us realizing it. One of the first books I read after I began to take my time and really focus and understand what I had read, was “The Boy in The Stripped Pajamas” by John Boyne and I absolutely fell in love with it. I enjoyed reading the book because the author tells a story about a young boy, who’s dad is a Nazi, becomes friends with a Jew and ends up dying in a gas chambers made to kill Jews helping his friend look for his dad. The author made me want to continue reading and actually feel bad for the young boy. John Boyne  is using pathos in his own style of writing to get the readers attention. Also every time the author would explain the two young boys meeting up in secret makes you wonder interested in what is happening next. I’ve learned to use this pathos in my writing, in my own style of course, to catch the reader’s attention. This way when I am writing I am not boring the reading by making my writing too long and not getting to a point. As a reader I know what interest me therefore I am going to read material that is to my interest. Another reason why I like John Boyne’s style of writing in this book was because he painted a perfect picture for me, to understand what it was like living during a hard time like World War II without too much historical information. It is shocking how much a choice of certain words together or alone even can be so powerful and meaningful. That is what makes pieces of writing better and understanding words or word phrases is what helps us read like writers.

work cited

Boyne, John. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. London: R, 2008. Print.