I’m an avid reader—and writer.

And I’ve come to this conclusion: we writers need to read examples of good writing. We can learn so much from reading the works of renowned authors.

Sentence structure, plotting, character development, just to name a few.

But we also need to read the works of beginning authors and perhaps those not so “accomplished” writers. We will see mistakes that weaken their stories, make plots confusing, make characters flat and unappealing, and so on.

By contrasting the two writing examples, we can identify strengths and weaknesses in our own writing. We can learn from writers at both extremes.

And strive for perfection!!