Author Blog Challenge - Day 4

How do the things you read impact your writing? What do you love to read? What do you avoid reading at all costs? How would your writing change if you read more of the things you typically avoid?

When I was only a reader I used to immerse myself into the story and didn't notice much, all I could tell you about a book is if I liked it or not. Now I tend to notice writing styles a lot more, plot/plot holes, character development, descriptions and so on. I don't think that my reading experience enhanced or diminished, it just changed. The main impact it's had on my writing is that now I don't feel like I need to be like this or that writer, my own words and voice are a part of me and can create great stories!

I love to read murder-mysteries, historical fiction, women's fiction and chick-lit. I'm not too fond of fantasy, but I will read the occasional book, and I avoid at all costs westerns and romance! The ironic thing is that my stories revolve around love, although love is not the main thing so my category falls more into chick-lit or woman's fiction.

So what would happen if I read more romance? Maybe I can come up with a very nice story of two gorgeous characters that hate each other at the beginning, end up in bed in the middle of the story and fall in love by the end of the book! I don't mean to mock romance writers, I am a sucker for love, happy endings and especially: Fabio covers.....