If you want to be  a writer, you must first be a reader.  Since I began my writing career at a very early age, my mantra has always been:  “Writing is dreaming, head in the skies. Reading is sharing another man’s eyes.”

The more you read, the better your vocabulary will be; you will effortlessly absorb other writer’s ways with dialogue, scene-setting, plot, creating tension etc.   Even if you don’t plan to write it, reading poetry will enhance your skills with scene-setting, avoiding cliches and finding more colorful words that will fuel the readers’ imagination.

TODAY’S WRITING TIP:  If you have trouble finding ideas for a book you want to write, read the small ads. in the back of magazines.  Problem pages in newspapers and magazines can also be helpful, and it’s worth looking at Jobs ads. and Matrimonial columns.