Have you ever heard of the phrase “read widely?”  Many famous authors share this common advice.  Many people read often, but possibly not widely.  Next time you’re at the library, pick up a different genre and try to learn something from it.  Maybe it’s a section that will teach you how to incorporate romance into your own writing or chapters that show true character development. You are essentially reading with a purpose. And if it’s a good book, you won’t even realize you’re learning. But it’s not just from the good books that you can gain knowledge. You might read a book and realize that it can teach you how NOT to write.

On a blog post by Cate Hart, she describes what’s it like to find what she felt was lacking in her own writing.  http://www.corvisieroagency.com/blog/read-read-and-read-some-more

Maybe you won’t have the eureka moment like Ms. Hart but if you’re always reading something and choosing to read ‘widely’, you may find bits and pieces that are missing from your writing.