Four people reading. What if they are also writers? What do you think they are reading?
It makes sense to me that writers should read a lot of the same kind of writing that they do themselves. It's a learning process as well as pleasure.
A man who writes suspense thrillers could benefit from reading other authors of the same mind.
One who writes personal essays can only learn more techniques by reading a myriad of personal essays.
Memoirists should soak up as many memoirs as possible to know what approach to take when writing their own. They should note which memoirs attracted them the most and then figure out the how and why.
Poets should immerse themselves in the poetry of others while they continue to write their own.
Writers of children's fiction should scour the library shelves in the Children's Department to see what the trend is, what made the classics so popular, how other writers reach out to children and more.
Nonfiction writers will be better writers if they also read a lot of nonfiction. Again, it's wise to see which articles attract you and then find out why.
If you write How-To articles or books, read multiple article or books o the same nature. Which ones are the clearest in instruction; which inspire the most? Pattern your own after the winners.
No matter what type of writing you do, be sure to read a lot of the same. You'll be glad you did. I'm not advising you to neglect all other kinds of writing. Far from it. You need to take a break and read for pure enjoyment, too.
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