Reading: The Second Most Important Task for a Writer

An author hones her writing skills by reading as well as writing. As a reader, the writer opens herself to new ideas, approaches and possibilities. Ordinary readers enjoy a good story, profit from new information and learn something new. Writers automatically analyze the techniques of everyone they read. And in this way, writers improve their craft by reading.
First, read deeply in your own subject or genre. By reading in your specialty, you add to your knowledge and expertise. Reading a variety of writers in a single genre, you will become familiar with the typical approach and style of each writer. This exposure to other writers will help you develop your own approach and style.
Second, read broadly beyond your own specialty. Go to the library and read a magazine you typically would avoid. Pick a book at random from the library and read it. Reading outside your own field allows you to encounter new theories, information and ideas. This unforeseen input stimulates thinking outside of the box. Most creative solutions come from combining two familiar things in unusual ways.
Third, read for pleasure. Most writers don’t need much encouragement to read. In addition to the pleasure of reading, writers find other benefits as well. While reading for pleasure, your subconscious continues to wrestle with unsolved problems and incubating potential solutions. While your subconscious may not always deliver a usable solution when you return to your writing table, it frequently does.