"Which author or authors have most influenced your writing and how?"
I like clean prose -- let's say that up front. Sure, I toss in some imagery here and there, but for the most part, I like my writing ship-shape. TIDY.
That started with Laura Ingalls Wilder. From first to third grade, I read everything she'd written, and her strong, simple prose stuck with me.
Are there authors whose prose is too simple for my taste? YES. But Wilder got it just right. So did John Steinbeck and Lucy Maud Montgomery, both of whose books read as though they wrote them yesterday. None of the affectations of their respective eras; just straightforward human experience -- his with a dash of despair, hers with humor.
Later influences are harder to pin down. A contest judge told me the way I write children reminds him of how Stephen King does it. Um...SWEET. According to GoodReads, I've read more King than any other author, so I guess it's no surprise he'd be an influence. I'm just glad it shows. :)
I don't deliberately try to reproduce another author's style. I haven't sat down and studied how they do what they do (yet). That said, authors whose work I'd be happy to reflect are:
- Margaret Atwood for her lack of sentimentality,
- Bryce Courtenay for his empathy,
- William Goldman for his humor,
- George R R Martin for his use of antiheroes,
- Michael Chabon for his whizz-bang metaphors,
- and Suzanne Collins for her pacing.
Whether or not it comes out in my work is for readers to decide.
Click over to read how Cole answered this question before me, then visit Michelle M tomorrow for her post!
What do you think? Do you have authorly influences? Can we judge our influences objectively?
12 ate pie:
Interesting mix of influences!
Wow. I agree with Sandra, that is quite the mix. What I want to know is, what, in particular, influenced you to write for children?
I think they each have points to teach, regardless of genre.
Cole - my first two manuscripts happened to have pre-teen MCs. They were the right age for the story I wanted to tell. I think kids encounter as many conflict-inducing situations as adults, and the frustration of not being in charge of their destinies makes for good drama/comedy. (Until they do take charge and the story jumps into action.)
Nice list! My nickname growing up was half-pint. Yeah. Labels, sigh. ;)-
Certainly, clean prose is NICE!
margaret atwood... hmmmm. we read The handmaid's tale for english AP IV, and it was ok. The lack of sentimentality in the whole book bugged me. but some of that i may have not realized if my teacher hadn't been talking about it the whole time
I love how you took something specific from each author that you would like to emulate. I am also a HUGE LM Montgomery fan - I'm pretty sure I've read every book she's ever written.
I love your influences...And I agree that every one you mentioned has something unique to bring to the craft
Laura - nice nickname :)
Tobias - ha! Your teacher just didn't want you to miss it.
Kate - I've only read the ANNE books (no RILLA, etc), but I thought her style was really accessible.
Christine - I figure there are reasons people love their books, right? :)
Nice list, really diverse. And, um, yeah, you can definitely take being compared to Stephen King as a compliment. I read CUJO when I was in fifth grade, and it has stuck with me for almost twenty years.
I agree with everyone else. You have an interesting list of authors (some of whom I admit to not being familiar with). Nice though.
Nice list! And I love Stephen King, so I'm sure I'll love your books too. ;)
Kavalier & Clay ranks as one of my favorite novels of all time. It's rare to find an author who actually makes every word count.
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