Intro: Authors often discuss how reading improves your writing. However, there’s a big difference between passive and active reading, and if you’re serious about using published novels to improve your writing you must learn how to do the latter.
When you read passively, you consume a novel as entertainment — you’re trawling through without paying attention to detail. This lets you form a broad judgement (“this is great!”).
By contrast, active reading involves specific focus on an author’s craft. It is to passive reading what fly-fishing is to trawling. Active reading encourages your judgement to be precise (“this is great because the chapter endings created lots of suspense!”).
Read: “How to use Active Reading to Become a Better Writer” by Jed Herne @ProWritingAid https://writingcooperative.com/how-to-use-active-reading-to-become-a-better-writer-b60356bdd212
Lost Signal 
good point – and interesting post!
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Just as I’ve been speed reading to try to get through all the books and such I’ve amassed over time.
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I think writers should always be active readers. Good post!
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I don’t know about all the time though. I try not to be too obsessive about it like this articke suggests. Occasionally, and certainly for the newer writers. Reading is a huge chunk of my regular entertainment. It’s bad enough I can’t turn the editor in me off LOL. So if I’m obsessed with every nuance it takes me out of the story when I really want to be immersed in it. So like most things I lean toward moderation 🙂
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