Writers Are Readers

I was a tutor for five years back in the early 2000s. I helped adults with reading and writing in preparation for taking the GED test. I discovered that those folks would didn't read much struggled with writing. The reverse is also true.

I have read bios of numerous authors and one common thread was that they read almost constantly. I read that the late lead singer of the 60s rock group The Doors, Jim Morrison was a voracious reader. I was blessed with parents who were readers. Today, I am a voracious reader who reads at least one book a month. I once read four in a month. 

It is important to read and read and read. As a writer you want stimulate your mind by seeing what others have written. I find it helpful to read another genre that you normally wouldn't read. That's how I started writing poetry over four years ago. Same thing with horror stories. I need to be challenged. My vocabulary has improved also.

My advice is to read! Read! Read! and read some more.