read, write, repeat

Writing and reading. The dynamic duo. They're an inseparable pair. If you wanna write, you've gotta read. A lot. Not because you have to (where's the fun in that?!), but because you want to. Okay, maybe a little bit because you have to, but not in the way you're thinking! When you have to keep reading because you can't stop (even when you know you're gonna be exhausted in the morning), you can't put down the book that's engrossed you so completely.

You know stories like this (for me, recently: Sabaa Tahir's Ember in the Ashes series, Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, Fredrik Backman's Beartown to name a few faves that have led to COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE bleary mornings). When you think back on these stories that captured your full attention, they're so much more than words.

They're also the best teachers. From these beloved books, you can learn how to create complex characters, how to set scenes, how to write interesting dialogue and how to move the plot along. It's all there, in your favorite stories. All those words and paragraphs and pages are at your fingertips to study.

So, next time you're looking for inspiration, return to one of your favorite books. This time, read it with a critical eye while asking questions about what makes the story so good, what you like about the characters, which scenes are your favorite and why. It'll be a new (and fun!) experience, and fill you up with loads of inspiration to use when writing your own stories.

And, if you have any books that are so good you couldn't put them down, please share 'em! My list seems to only grow, not shrink, but that's okay. Too many good books to read, and plenty of coffee to help recover from those up too late reading nights.