#writing influences

[thana-topsy]

Are there any books that have inspired you or influenced the way you write?

Hello there anon! This is a great question and made me have a good think.

Like a lot of people my age, I was probably (unfortunately) influenced by JKR's writing quite a bit, though I like to think I've grown out of the bad habits she instilled in me as a young, aspiring writer.

I was delightfully influenced by the series "Johannes Cabal the Necromancer" by Jonathan L Howard, which spoke directly to the kind of humor I enjoy both writing and reading. (i.e. dry as a bone).

"Sabriel" by Garth Nix is also one that left a lasting imprint, especially the way he picks and chooses his poignant details without getting too lost in the scenery, which is especially important in high fantasy worlds I think. (Sorry, Tolkien, though there's also a time and place for getting lost in the scenery).

Lastly, and most recently, "Piranesi" by Susanna Clarke haunts my every waking step. It was the most beautiful book I've read in years, for many many reasons. I've re-read it once already and occasionally dip back in to find inspiration. The evocative way she describes the world, always tightly filtered through the main character's unique point of view, is exactly what I aim for in my own writing.

[lajulie24]

For the fanfic writers ask- would you mind answering R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

R. Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

This is a really interesting question! For writing outside fandom, I would say bell hooks (whose mind just continually amazed and challenged me, and whose writing was both lyrical and accessible, I wish she were still with us), Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar is wickedly funny even as it is heartbreaking), Sandra Cisneros (her poetry is funny and powerful and beautiful and truthful all at once), and various other poets or essay writers (Naomi Shihab Nye, Elizabeth Bishop, Adrienne Maree Brown, Lindy West). Anne Lamott has great advice about how to get out of your own damn way for writing, though ironically I am not a fan of her novels. My beloved Carrie Fisher sort of straddles the fandom and non-fandom worlds, and I’ve enjoyed her novels but her memoirs and essays are the things that have most influenced me.

For fandom writers, I’m going to start with some commercial Star Wars writers, because I think writing in the GFFA is sort of a different beast. Of the commercial writers, I especially love Claudia Gray (big fan of Leia, Princess of Alderaan, less so of Bloodline though it’s still well-written), Martha Wells (who really has a great sense of Leia’s character), and Rebecca Roanhorse (Resistance Reborn is SO GOOD, somehow managing to make the events of The Last Jedi make any kind of narrative sense as well as bringing some characters I LOVED back in believable and in-character ways). Aaron Allston’s X-Wing novels helped me get to know the Rogues and the Wraiths, and really do this great mix of action and character arcs that I strive for when I’m writing fic — he creates worlds that are so full and the characters feel fully realized too.

I feel like just about everyone who writes and shares HanLeia fanfic has influenced me and my writing in some way. I joined Tumblr so I could read more of @madame-alexandra ‘s snippets and fics on a regular basis. Bouncing ideas around with folks like @otterandterrier, @organanation, @graciecatfamilyband, @yoyomarules, @soloorganaas, and others has been incredibly influential. I blame @drinkupthesunrise (in the most grateful possible way) for my affection for Wedge Antilles and the Rogues, and for my Luke/Wedge shipping. Reading @chancecraz’s fics has caused me to think about Leia and the galaxy in brand new ways (and also to cry about droids damnit), and introduced me to @this-acuteneurosis’s Don’t Look Back series which shows what one can do with a mix of politics and relationships and the Force and so much more in the GFFA. And I’m not kidding about other folks influencing me — every time I read a different person’s perspective on the Rebellion, or on Leia’s state of mind, or on how Han’s past has influenced his approach to life, or Han and Leia’s interactions, or how Luke fits into everything, or different takes on our heroes’ sexuality or gender identity, or mental health, or what would happen IF, I feel like I have a better sense of who these characters are to me, and what’s possible.

Wow, that was long-winded. Thank you for your patience, and for the ask!

Fanfic writer ask meme

[tododeku-or-bust]

So one of the themes of Fortune that I've been pushing is of both corporate and consumer greed, and how that can drain creativity out of someone with a genuine love for their art. And I always think of this clip from Class of 3000 called "All We Want Is Your Soul"-

-where Lil D makes a deal with a record company bc he wants to be famous and play the drums, but he starts isolating from his friends and essentially becomes a conduit for their advertising. It definitely serves as one of my major influences.

Also, I think Andre 3000 had a ball on this show and I will always love the soundtrack.

[android-and-ale]

For the ask game: 🥝

Q: Who are your literary influences, and have they shaped your own writing?

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I deeply love space opera, but I care more about the ship’s crew than its blueprints. My early reading absolutely shaped those preferences.

As a second generation nerd, I grew up consuming everything I could from the sci fi section of used bookstores. (My local library only had 30 science fiction books, and they wouldn’t let me have any of them because they weren’t in the kids section.) I mostly read whatever my mom picked out for herself, but I’d get to pick a few books for us both every trip.

In my early years, that meant a whole lot of paperbacks that were older than I was. Newer books went fast and cost more, so I brought home a lot of well worn old 1970’s titles from Octavia Butler, C.J. Cherryh, Frank Herbert, Arthur C Clark, Robert Heinlein, Jack Chalker, and John Varley. 

None of it was remotely age appropriate, and I became a better adult for it. 70’s sci fi was all about pushing boundaries and breaking social taboos. Being a dumb kid, I thought gender and sexual fluidity and what we now call transhumanism was normal. ‘Turn your body into whatever feels right’ was a big theme of a lot of those books. Sometimes that meant changing gender. Other times it meant becoming a centaur or a space ship. All were presented as equally valid, and kinda no big deal. As a less dumb adult, I’m now grateful I imprinted on the ideas in my old paperbacks instead of the ideas of the adults around me. 

Once I had access to a better library and the occasional indulgence of new books, my biggest literary hero became Terry Pratchett. The man was funny as hell while also having great social commentary. He wasn’t afraid to let his characters and attitudes evolve over time as he himself became more socially conscious. Most of all, he’s infinitely re-readable. You can’t get a better bang for your book buying buck than Terry Pratchett, because you will find new wonders on every re-read.* 

In addition to Pratchett, as a young writer I paid a lot of attention to the writing styles of  Connie Willis, Lois McMaster Bujold, John Scalzi, and Bill Bryson. None of their works ended up being recycled at the used book store. The goal wasn’t to write like them, so much as to understand why I found them such page turners. (I bet if I went back and re-read those books now I’d have very different ideas about why they’re page turners.)

These days I read a lot more female authors than male. Martha Wells, Becky Chambers, and Cathrynne M. Valente feature heavily in my recent Libby history. I’m no longer actively reading to study people’s style, but if you marinate your brain in enough of someone’s work, some of it will soak in. 

*Like all Americans who discover Terry Pratchett, I went through an unfortunate footnotes phase. We get over it.**

** Mostly.

[whimsically]

Writers of Tumblr! Your assistance please!

I'd like to do a bit more active reading. Reading like a writer is how I've seen it termed, with specific attention paid to technique, intention, the choices the writer made and such. I'm ready to analyze and annotate! I have my favourite books and authors, and that's probably a good place to start, but I'd like to step further into the unknown. I'm curious about the books that have influenced fellow writers, so I'm looking for some book recs!

Novels, poetry, short stories, plays — I'd love to know what's inspired you, what's made you stop and reread in awe, made you envious that you hadn't strung those words together yourself, or in some way irrevocably altered the way you approach writing and put words on the page.

If you feel compelled to share — thank you, I really appreciate you doing so.

[thevagabondexpress]

Y'know, I make fun of Cassandra Clare's love for Charles Dickens a lot. But honestly? I love it when I sit down to read a book and the author's beloved influences shine through.

When I watch Star Trek: TNG and it's not just Picard quoting the Bard but the whole episode feels like Shakespeare.

When I sit down with a mystery and I can see Agatha Christie in Rian Johnson and Erik Larson in Batman.

And yes, when I read The Infernal Devices and see A Tale of Two Cities.

I hope when people read my genderbent tsc fanfic they see not just Cassandra Clare and Charles Dickens but Shirley Jackson, too. I hope that in every book I write they see shades of Godmother Death, of Utgard-Loki, of Pele and Kamapua'a.

Originality is always good, but I like looking at a book and seeing its history. Seeing the things that came before. Knowing the tradition it follows. Somehow it makes a story more fascinating to see the pieces it's patched from.

[theowritesfiction]

So I've been thinking a little bit about writing influences. When I first started out writing fanfic more than 10 years ago, my biggest influence was obviously Sir Terry Pratchett. (even if you might not guess this from my current style of writing)

I was thinking of some small details that younger me used to borrow from PTerry. And I was reminded of his use of the phrase she/he/them 'rallied magnificently'.

To explain this to those not familiar with Pratchett, usually this would be used when someone tried to come back from a devastating burn, but the comedy of the scene was that it was actually a very weak comeback. To put it in a real example:

'Zuko, you are weak and useless, and you will never amount to anything in our father's eyes,' Azula snapped.

'no u,' Zuko rallied magnificently.

---

I should go back to using this in my stories, I really should. :)

[machineofreality]

Not an anime review

231001 This isn’t a review of Soul Eater, I promise. It’s a bit of rumination, as I am prone to do, while I process things in the background. In particular it’s gonna be some rumination about inspiration and imitation. I’m going to start with Soul Eater, though. In particular, the first episode of Soul Eater, so it’s not really spoilers. We’re introduced to Maka and Soul, a blonde girl and her…

[zarawest]

Meet Romantic Suspense Author Annie Parnell

Meet Annie Parnell. She writes exciting Georgian and Regency romantic suspense. Today she talks about her writing life, marketing, and her new podcast How did you choose the genre you write in? I write Historical Romantic Suspense–which is a mashup. Most suspense is written in what would be considered a contemporary time period–World War II to present day. My work takes place from mid 1700’s to…

[thepedanticbohemian]

[austindetails]

Where You Look Is Where You'll Go

When obstacles are blocking your path, where you look matters. #lifelessons #inspiration

Life provides obstacles, but you can choose what you focus on Avoid boulders. Where you look prevents cycling accidents As I maneuvered my bike along a twisty path today, I was reminded of advice a mountain biking racer gave me twenty years ago. His wisdom was meant for avoiding obstacles. I doubt he realized how profound it was. “Where you look is where you’ll go.” —Jim Carlson In mountain…

[night-unfurls-its-splendour]

But [Christine] regarded this ring—this warm gold and its solid, tenebrous gem, shimmering with unfathomable depths and enigmatic hues—and all she saw was him. It was a sort of mesmerizing thing, but it did not make her head feel cloudy or intoxicated; rather, she felt clear-minded when she held it and looked at it. It fortified her.

-- When the Longing Returns, Ch. 3

This paragraph brought to you by H.P Lovecraft

They got their pastries; piping hot, flaky, buttery pastries filled with rich cream cheese and sweet plum compote—a treat that could make you forget anything in the moment. Afterward they had washed their sticky fingers clean by spending the afternoon gathering snowballs in the Bois and throwing them at each other, and other such wholesome winter exercises as can and should be enjoyed by anyone of any age.

-- When the Longing Returns, Ch. 3

This paragraph brought to you by Charles Dickens

[Christine's] mouth was rather broad, which [Erik] understood was not considered the ideal of beauty by Tout-Paris. It was no demure bud fit only for pretty conversation, but a rose in full bloom, made to open wide and pour out the hallowed notes of music… 

When the Longing Returns, Ch. 4

This paragraph brought to you by Elizabeth Gaskell

[itsawritblr]

Jim Henson’s “The Great Santa Claus Switch.”

It’s not often you rediscover something that changed your life forever, but thank god someone posted this on Youtube, because it was never released on VHS or DVD.

It aired on TV only twice, for Christmas 1971 and 1972.  Back then Jim Henson and his Muppets were still fairly unknown; Sesame Street had only been around for a little while.  Ed Sullivan was the host of a hugely popular variety show; he’d discovered loads of talent from around the world.  He believed in Henson, so he was producer on The Great Santa Claus Switch.  It starred Art Carney, a very famous and popular actor, in the duel roles of Santa and the evil magician Cosmo.

Some of the Muppets and voices made their first appearance in this special: the huge troll-like blue guy and the cigar-box monster (who later became Gonzo) and the head elf (later Ernie’s voice).

When I saw this when it first aired it blew me away.  I loved Carney’s villainous Cosmo.  He cemented my preference for the bad guy forever.  And it also taught me something I hate to this day (details after the cut).

For reasons unknown it was never aired again.  Sullivan owned the rights and never released them so it could be reaired, put on VHS or on DVD.  Unless you had seen it on TV or were a hyperfixated Henson fan you wouldn’t know this ever existed.

But here it is, punny jokes and songs and all, exactly as I remember.  I love this thing so much.  I contacted Jim Henson Productions and asked if there was any chance Sullivan’s estate would release it.  They said they’re negotiating for it.  But that was a few years ago, and it hasn’t happened yet.  So download it, enjoy it, make it a Christmas tradition!

I especially love Cosmo’s Villain Song at 13:40.

SPOILERS

At the very end, during the closing credits, a monster comes out, offers Cosmo a present, and takes him inside to join the party.

Even at age 11 I was infuriated.  For Cosmo to be reformed so quickly, with so little justification, was wrong!  He was The King of Evil!  He wouldn’t just stop being evil just because he was defeated and one of his ex cronies brought him a present!  I wanted my villains to stay villainous!  From that day forward I can’t stand a reformed villain unless the story makes it absolutely inevitable that he’d switch to being Good.

[winthorntales]

my first muse 💖

why 'kind broody shifter x adorable soft magic girl' is the root of so many of my pairings (I just write the lady-gay version) It all started with an intolerably sweet couple of side characters on a show that's actually about this other girl and something-something vampires. Needless to say, but saying it anyway...I prefer werewolves and it's their fault.

[animos-bloodmagic]

I feel like you can tell what piece of media I consumed and loved most recently based on the world building elements of my stories

My first book was heavily influenced by wtnv and you can hear it in the first chapter.

My current book I'm writing for nanowrimo is heavily influenced by the Book of Lodt Things and the books of Anna Marie McLemore and jt permeates the world I'm building rn

So much of art is pulling from other artists around you and molding it into your own style and I feel like that's really evident in my works

[serephinastardust]

I might be posting infrequently

I'm trying to take the book I'm currently listening to for the 2nd time, soon to be third time, and make a time line of sorts, and character log throughout 2242 Chapters. Even though it's my favorite audio series, there's lots of inconcisties and it bugs me. Example: A supposedly dead character just showed up, after being away for 10y, even though he's been at the capital since the main character was back from what we know.

It's not like the inconsistencies really affect the plot or anything, but this is my learning experience on what not to do with my book (Still untitled). But also a good series to take pointers from. TIME TRANSITIONS.

But anyways, I'll post more poetry and stuff as I'm inspired, The weekends and Monday can be hard, as my sleep schedule flips, and sleep during the day Saturday and Sunday instead of at Night. And I don't sleep at all on Friday. So my brain is recovering today.