Yes, reading is important for an author.
First, there are books dedicated to the art/craft of writing, I have read a few. Believe it or not, Stephen King wrote a book to help aspiring authors and not just for those wanting to write horror. I've read his book, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, as it has been widely recommended by many. It was interesting to see into him as an author and his thoughts on writing. I thoroughly enjoyed "I Give You My Body…" How I write Sex Scenes written by Diana Gabaldon. Does her name sound familiar? It may if you've read her Outlander series of books or are a fan of the TV series of the same name. And there's Save the Cat! Writes a Novel. A fun book that gets into beat sheets for planning your book.
Second, there are blogs, websites, and magazines, like my stash I discussed in my blog post, New Year Resolutions on 8 January 2023, dedicated to writing and that offer a host of information. (And no, I haven't yet succeeded in reducing my stash.)
I consider this all education like the continuing education I was required to take when I worked as a contracting officer. It's an important factor in any job, and writing is a job…a highly enjoyable one. To keep my writing polished and interesting this is a key activityfor me.
Next is reading for fun, although I've discovered I noticed the author in me takes note of techniques used or missteps. Fortunately, I can still enjoy the books I read. The genre I read consistently is romance in a variety of subgenres: contemporary, historical, and paranormal (yeah, werewolves and even werebears!!) I enjoy mysteries with a couple of series set during the Regency era in England high on my list. The first is the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. Harris. A recent discovery of the Lady Darby Mysteries series by Anna Lee Huber has me hooked as well. A book that falls under the category of biography and memoir made me cry at the end even though I knew what happened! If you're searching for your next read, I highly recommend Alone at Dawn: Medal of Honor Recipient John Chapman and the Untold Story of the World's Deadliest Special Operations Force by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. The one genre I don't read is horror. I don't watch those movies either.
So there you have it. Reading is important for everyone. I'm so blessed that my mom instilled a love of reading in me with bedtime stories and regular library visits.
Happy reading to us all!!