Why it’s important to read in the genre you write in

One thing that astounds me most as both reader and writer is the number of people who try to write a book in a genre or category that they have never read. The most common that I’ve come across is children’s fiction, whether that be picture books, chapbooks, middle grade or YA.

Now, I write mostly middle grade and YA books, and the main reason for that is because I love to read middle grade and YA. The books I loved during my childhood are still some of my favourites, and whenever I re-read them, I feel not only the sense of joy and wonder of my childhood self, but also the pure enjoyment of reading them now.

One of my favourites, The Legendeer series by Alan Gibbons, is still so engaging that every time I pick it up, I get lost in it. The story is…