I find the notion ludicrous.

I can somewhat understand reading LESS frequently or for shorter intervals during some of the more intense phases of writing … but to stop altogether is like being a shark and deciding to stop swimming. You’re going to drown.

When I’m asked for “tips” on writing, the first thing I say is “Write.”

The second thing I say is “Read.”

If I don’t read, how am I to be exposed to anything new? How am I to know what is exciting readers? How am I to see shifts in market? By reading books in my own genre(s), I educate myself on terms and conventions I might not have known. I see new viewpoints and new uses of language, and I am reminded of things I have forgotten.

To me, reading and writing are as essential to an author as air and water are essential to life. You might exist for a little while without one or the other, but you’re not going to last long.

For those who have asked, Yes. I read. Constantly.

Currently, I am finishing Elizabeth Moon’s trilogy, “The Deed of Paksenarrion.”

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