No two writers work exactly the same way, but there are certain things that any writer must do to be successful. The most important thing a writer can do, aside from writing, is reading.
Books are the memory of the human race.
Thanks to our invention of writing, you can share the thoughts of the greatest minds that ever lived. Not that you should restrict yourself to someone else's idea of what the Great Books are. Read what you enjoy. But make certain that you don't confine yourself to one narrow type of book. Read as widely as you can.