Two Things Writers Must Do
Part Two: So You Want to Be a Writer Huh?

Stephen King’s advice to writers is “If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two things that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”
I have been an avid reader since my first trip to the library.
I was five years old, and my dad was getting ready to make his weekly trip to exchange the stack of books he had finished reading for new ones. When he asked me if I wanted to go with him, I was thrilled.
Dad walked me over to the children’s section and let me browse all the books on the shelves while he went to search for his books.
I was so overwhelmed trying to decide which book I would bring home, that I didn’t hear him walk up behind me when he had completed his selections.
Looking at me, he whispered, “Don’t you see any books you like?” I replied that I didn’t know which one to pick, and I wanted to take them all home.
Imagine my surprise when he told me I could borrow more than one at a time, and he suggested I start with ten. He said if I finished them before we came back next week, then I could get fifteen next time.
I walked out of the library that day with a huge smile on my face, feeling so grown up. Dad had his mountain of books to read, and I had mine.
My love for books started that day.
Reading became a way for me to escape my surroundings and visit parts of the world I would probably never see without the help of the author.
It also gave me something to look forward to each week and a way to bond with my Dad. By sharing our love for books and the stories we were reading, we created special memories that have lasted me years.
Reading helped mold me into the woman I am today.
What Reading Does for the Reader
Reading helps keep our memory sharp and enhances our learning capacity. The more we read, the more we learn about the world and ourselves.
Reading unlocks our imagination and allows us to solve mysteries, pilot a plane, feel love and sadness.
Reading can give us a glimpse into the many cultures of the world and cause us to be more empathetic.
What Reading Does for the Writer
“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” ~Stephen King
For writers, there are two ways to improve our craft, and that’s by writing and reading.
Without setting aside time in our day with the words of other writers, our writing will plateau, and we end up going down a one-way street that brings us to a dead end.
Writers need to read every day.
Reading can help break writer’s block and bring inspiration to our work in progress.
Read good books, bad books, books that make you laugh and cry, books that challenge you and books outside our writing genre. Every book can open us up to fresh insights and perspectives that will enhance our writing journey.
How important do you think reading is to your writing?
Here’s What I Am Reading This Summer
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Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert
If At Birth You Don’t Succeed by Zach Anner
Write Naked by Jennifer Probst
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
What are you reading this summer?
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KatieMae is a writer, encourager and believes in the power of kindness. She lives in Washington state with her husband and their three dachshunds. You can find her on Twitter @Katiemaeonline, or her website http://www.katiemae.online
