You got to read. The sentence should end like that. As always there’s a why. The same way you study for an exam or to get a new position you have to learn. You have to memorize, practice, and apply what you learned. If you are a writer, you have to read.
You will see thousands and thousands of styles, rhythm, and other techniques that make writers and authors great, good, and in some cases so-so. Little by little, each time you read you will absorb something. If you do it more, then you will deposit bits of information to your brain that later you can use. I’m not talking plagiarism.
An athlete trains day and night for hours. Perfecting techniques. Getting more cardio. Working on his or her flexibility. Agility. The same things go-to writers. You need to read. Train that brain of yours. The more you get in there, the more you can get out when you actually deposit on a computer or piece of paper that you are working with.
The other thing that helps you when you read, is that you can also take a break from writing. You would have times when you hit a wall. You will get anxious about a particular scene that is not working. And I get it. Some writers don’t like mixing what they are working on with other things so their work is not tainted (or as they say). If this was so you need to stop living. Everything you do daily is a chance to help or not your writing. But reading can improve what you are struggling with. See what other authors did to resolve conflicts or create worlds.
Remember that for writers, reading is our gym. If you need help, you can go to a local library or book store and asks for some recommendations. Or, I’ll let you with some books you can read with different categories.
Sci-Fi: Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter
YA Dystopia: Marie Lu’s Prodigy trilogy
Fantasy: Leigh Bardugo Six of Crows
Self-Help/ Motivatonal: Paulo Cohelo’s The Alquemist
Horror: Richard Kadrey Sandman Slim series