As a writer, I spend more then my fair share of time hunched over a desktop or browsing through library shelves on the hunt for the right information. In fact, I recently spent one glorious week sitting in a library doing research for my newest manuscript. However when I got home from a long day of page flipping I did a whole other type of research. Reading fiction.

There is nothing like reading a book from your favorite genre (in my case science fiction, fantasy and adventure) to really get the writing juices flowing. I love reading the prose and poetry that someone else has constructed. I find myself inspired by anything: from a word choice to an odd phrase to a heart pounding action sequence.

So next time you realize you've been staring at a blinking curser all week or when you just need a little inspiration to keep your spirits up and finish your novel, try the best kind of writing research. Reading.

Happy Writing!