When it comes to reading and writing there are different views on how each task should be performed. No one has the right criteria on how readers and writers should function but there are definitely some ideas that many agree with. Looking at Eudora Welty's "One Writer's Beginnings" and Vladimir Nabokov's "Good Readers and Writers" one can evaluate some of their thoughts to be more similar than they appear. Both authors believe the ideas of self-values, imagination, creativity, knowledge, and reality essential to great writing and reading. Even though Welty may seem more emotional with her writing and reading in contrast to Nabokov's passionate realistic approach, I believe both express similar thoughts about how a reader and writer should operate.
A good reader and writer is not created by someone's specific criteria or views. A person is responsible to create his or her own values and criteria to be a great writer or reader. Now, Welty is definitely a true believer of such case. She experienced her reading based on her morals and beliefs as a child. Very innocent but knowledgeable she was as a child. Welty's style and character for writing also developed because of her own mind and views. This is exactly what Nabokov is saying in his essay. He quotes, "but the real writer has no given values at his disposal: he must create them himself."(1005) Neither author has followed any one else's values but their own. Their own mind and spirit has guided them to be what they have become.
The beauty of imagination and creativity lies deep in a person and that is what can make or not make them a good reader or writer. When a person lets their imagination flow, interesting events take place. All of a sudden, you can smell the sweet honey in the hive or hear the busy bees buzzing as they enter their hive. This happens not only in reading but in writing as well. When writing being somewhat aloof from reality is good to let ideas emerge onto paper and create wonderful novels.