The author is obsessed with writing craft. He writes daily, reads about it, and watches interviews with authors about their process — it's a sickness. He tells aspiring writers there's no blueprint; every writer's path is different. But there is one golden rule, and if you don't follow it, you shouldn't be writing at all.

That rule: read as much as you can, widely and well.

1. You're not too busy to read

He's noticed a worrying trend: aspiring writers who don't read. Asked about favourite authors or current reading, they say they're too busy or haven't read in a while.

His retort: check your phone's screen time. Two hours? Five? Seven? Then shut up — you have time to read. He writes full-time, works three gigs, and raises two kids, yet reads every night.

2. Reading teaches craft and inspires

Every book, good or bad, teaches writing. Books read in youth imprint on the brain, providing structure and style. He wrote in three-act structure, not knowing it, because his reading brain had absorbed it.

Reading across genres sparks ideas: crime fiction informed his sci-fi, non-fiction feeds story material, poetry teaches elegant economy of words.

3. Reading changes the brain; digital addiction harms it

Reading rewires the brain for focus, imagination, and critical thinking. Digital addiction — doomscrolling, constant distractions — does the opposite. Writing needs sustained attention and vivid imagination, like running a marathon; reading is the training.

But there's hope: a few weeks of putting the phone away at night and reading for an hour can change your brain.

So there it is: the secret to becoming a better writer. Just do it, every day. Go forth and read.