Read What You Like–And Maybe What You Don’t
I live by the principle that you should only read what you want to read (students excluded!) and if you’re not interested in the book you picked up, then put it down.
Only, I’ve come to realize, I risk limiting myself. A genre I think I won’t like actually ends up teaching me something. An author’s vastly different writing style that seems off-putting ends up showing me new insights. An ending of a book I might otherwise have put down resonates with me long after I finish.
A crisis of faith, then: do I discard my long-held reading principle? Do I slog through books that aren’t to my (assumed) taste just to learn something?
As a writer, I’ve come to learn that the answer is YES. Yes, to getting out of your reading comfort zone. Yes to attempting a book that might not initially appeal to you. Yes to reading a style that might grate. Because yes, you learn from each and every one of these reading experiences. If only to hone your own style. If only to see what you don’t like. If only to show you what not to do.
The trick, of course, is moderation. Reading can’t be a slog all the time! Pack your to-read pile will all your favourites! Just slip in a few unknowns, too.
Take a risk as a reader to learn what it takes to be a writer.