Reading and Writing Yourself

I'm at the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators) conference in Los Angeles. Not only is it a great chance to learn and reconnect with friends, there is a room downstairs full of books. I can't wait to have some time to go down and buy five or six - my reading for the rest of the summer. Some will be written by friends and some will be totally new to me. I'm excited. Some of the best advice I have for writers is to read. Read what you love and read what you'd like to write. Are they different? Is there a reason for that? Reading is the receptive language of writing. If you read, you will learn the rhythm of the language. You'll learn the structure of dialogue. Read enough and the sequences of dialogue, action, description, scene will begin to seem natural. It's a great place to start. Go to your library. Head to a bookstore. What are you reading? Seriously, post it here!