In our previous blog we talked about writing within a specific genre. In this blog I might seem to contradict myself a bit, but stick with me.

     While it is very important to spend a good deal of time reading in our own genre, after a while we will gravitate to a certain author and then we will begin to sound more like that particular author than we will a genre. That is why you must also spend time reading outside your genre. There are a couple of reasons reading outside your genre is useful to building your writing craft and your professional writing career.

1. As I’ve shared in previous blogs, reading in different genres can add depth to your writing in ways you won’t get by only reading your genre.
2. One other benefit is we have less of a tendency to analyze writing that is outside our genre. That means we are able to read for the simple joy of the story rather than trying to extract wisdom from every sentence.

     One final thing, be sure you’re reading industry magazines as well as books to help you develop as a writer. I read The Writer and Writer’s Digest. Both are tremendously helpful in developing your craft and keeping you on track in your writing.

     Just as an architect works on designs and an athlete conditions their muscles, writers must continually train through reading and writing if we are ever going to be able to communicate with our readers.

Tiffany Colter is a writer, speaker and writing career coach who works with beginner to published writers. She can be reached through her website at writingcareercoach.com

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