Writing is, for me, how I earn a portion of my income. It's not as big a portion as I would like, but that in itself takes time.
As a writer it's important to keep an open mind. And when we write for clients it's even more important. Not all views will be the same as ours so we have to have some flexibility.
When we follow other writers on social media, subscribe to their mailing lists, or even buy their books, we are broadening our horizons. We're learning more about the craft of writing itself, plus we're learning about different genres, formats, and the aspects of publishing.
As a writer of fiction and nonfiction, plus a self-publisher, I like to know what other writers are doing. It's nice to see what's working for them, and what isn't. And just because something does or doesn't work for them, it doesn't mean we'll have the same experience.
Having many interests also gives writers some wiggle room, especially when writing for clients. There's the added variety if you get bored easily, plus it can become fodder for your own projects. I'm not saying copy the idea, or use what you've written for them in your own material. (Even if you wrote it, if they hired you to do so it then becomes theirs so you could be infringing on copyright.) What I am saying is create a file with general ideas or topics, which you can later use in your own work.
I recently started following Writers Write here on BuyMeACoffee, and subscribed to their mailing list. By seeing what they have available, and the topics they cover has been a bit of an eye opener for me. It's fun to see what other writers are doing!
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