What books inspire you to write? Is there a book that you've read that made you think that you could actually do this crazy insane writing thing? Maybe you've written for a very long time, but not very seriously, then you read a book by someone that let you think that you might actually be able to be a serious writer, even if you never get published. The kind of book where the author seems to be talking to you and telling you that you can actually do this thing, and maybe even one of these days get published. What is that book?
For me it is Stephen King's "On Writing." It can be boiled down to one sentence, "Read, write, and don't stop." It was the book that made me think that just maybe I could pull this writing thing off and maybe even one day become published.
So, what book will you be looking at three weeks from now when you are in the dark doldrums and convinced that you will never finish this thing?
Leah Adams
Jinxleah
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20,000 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 16 46
When in dire straits, I will refer to my borrowed copy of A Game of Thrones. That is political fantasy at its best and while I'll probably never write anything that epic ever in my life, I think it's my goal that I want to achieve someday. George R.R. Martin's book is the most awe-inspiring fantasy epic I've ever read and I think shatters so many fantasy cliches, I can't even count them on my fingers.
----------Blue Skies: Nanowrimo 2008: WON!
Lords and ladies of the dance,
guided by fortune and ruled by chance.
50,014 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 17 17
Every November, I re-read Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life." When I'm down and want to chuck my novel (out the window, across the room, into the garbage), I read a chapter. It gives me hope that "yes, this is possible." Plus, Ms. Lamott is funny.
----------ML Captain of Capital Ideas & Austin, TX Municipal Liaison
50,003 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 17 27
I read "Bird by Bird" years ago and found it inspiring. I lent it to my then-boyfriend, a would-be writer, and he said it gave him writer's block. That made me very happy when he dumped me a week later for unrelated reasons. He eventually became an academic, so I guess he got over the block in some ways.
You could take inspiration in another way, as "wow, this [novel, dissertation, op-ed piece] is really bad. Even I could write this!" :)
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Marianne
21,382 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 20 01
I've never read any books on writing but the books that have inspired me is "Brideshead Revisited" and "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy". Brideshead because, in my opinion, it's beautiful and dense. Hitchhikers because...well, too many reasons to list. I just love it. I guess they inspire me because I would like to create something that means so much tosomeone just as these two books mean to me.
I read "MoonPowder" (a picture book by John Rocco) to my son the other day. The beautiful art and whimsical story made me feel the same way. Just would love to create something beautiful.
----------He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher... or, as his wife would have it, an idiot.-Douglas Adams
39,043 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 20 25
I've got some books like that. They serve as warning to me. I have a list of things I want to avoid putting in my novels. I had so many by this one author that I eventually just said "Anything written by so-and-so in the last ten years!" What is sad for me is that her earlier books are some of my favorites.
41,692 / 50,000
Oct 25, 2009 - 20 58
My favorite books on writing that light a little fire under me arse are both from Orson Scott Card (who I idolize on an unreasonable level). I recommend his "How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy," and "Characters & Viewpoint" to anyone.
I have a short list of most inspirational reads that aren't How-To books, but that inspire me in a way that only truly awesome stories can:
A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin. I'm in 100% agreement with Lumis on that one. The subsequent books are also great, but this book is the best I've ever read for just moving all the chess pieces into place and setting the world up for political chaos. And I learned the lesson of making the reader believe you are capable of ANYTHING, and letting them know that no character is invincible, no matter how likeable.
Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen. Her subtle jabs at society are genius. I find something new to laugh about every time I re-read it (and I've been through it about 30 times by now).
Soldier Son Trilogy - Robin Hobb. A lot of my friends who loved everything else by Robin Hobb, think this trilogy is boring. I, on the other hand, think all of Robin Hobb's work is good, but that this trilogy is a masterpiece. It shows me a thing or two about being a versatile writer, too; it's a complete 180 from the world her other 3 trilogies are set in.
Tamir Triad - Lynn Flewelling. Flewelling is tops for characters. She also loves to toy with traditional gender identity and gender roles. She's a little dark and twisted and creepy on the inside, I think, but in a good way. Her Nightrunner series is enjoyable, but this trilogy, set in the same world but several hundred years earlier, is definitely her BEST work.
Speaker For the Dead - Orson Scott Card. I read it for the first time almost 15 years ago (that makes me feel old) and remember suddenly discovering that a book can deal seriously with very human ethical dilemmas and still be a really great story.
----------NaNo 2009:
43,502 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 12 10
Every horrible book I've ever read should keep me inspired. Sadly, it doesn't seem to be enough.
Seriously, though, while I have read a few books that have been inspirational to the act of writing, the "why" comes from a different place. Decades ago in high school English, Mr. Mork assigned a story along the lines of Winesburg, OH by Sherwood Anderson. He then selected a few of the stories turned in to be read by all sections of the class. I was surprised that mine was chosen (and feel guilty that I didn't give it more of an effort at the time) and the feedback received from peers was positive. When I get stuck, I pull out my copy of WO and remember what it felt like.
31,302 / 50,000
Oct 27, 2009 - 16 29
I recommend "The Mind of Your Story" by Lisa Lenard-Cook. It's a good holistic overview of the writing process (and it's beautifully illustrated). Another one of my faves is "The Midnight Disease", a fascinating look at the link between creativity and mental illness, told from the perspective of a neurologist.
----------Clear thinking manifests as clear writing.
30,014 / 50,000
Oct 28, 2009 - 07 23
Recently, what inspired me to write more seriously again is when I inherited a magazine Tin House and was reading some of the short stories on my lunch break. Seeing the different authors' creativity and the variety of topics made me impatient to write down my own ideas. In the past when I was writing more I remember thinking to myself as I was going to sleep how satisfying it was to write my own stories rather than just reading someone else's.
More practically though, I bought Victoria Schmidt's Story Structure Architect and Book in a Month and subscribed to her listserve which has been extremely helpful!
36,058 / 50,000
Nov 5, 2009 - 22 12
Completely bad novels inspire me to write. I figure if they can actually sell a book, why can't I?
Books that I think are really good actually discourage me from writing because I feel I can never be that good, that eloquent, that creative, etc.
I WISH I could write like Stieg Larsson (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Played With Fire, etc.)
I would love to be able to write a thriller but I find my ideas hard to come by. The best I got was, "ah, there's this girl and she has this secret thingymabob that she inherited from her parents who worked at this really cool interesting and mysterious job doing... well, doing something... before they were killed by... well, someone. And now she's got to find this thingymabob that is hidden.... well, somewhere cool and........"
----------35,195 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 08 46
I love, love, love "Bird by Bird". Although, I think next year maybe I'll re-read it in October. Trying to read it while doing nano is only encouraging my neurotic tendencies. Someone else mentioned Stephen King's "On Writing" too. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook version of this because he reads it himself. Listening to it made me feel like Stephen King was in the car with me having a casual chat about writing. Of course, I'm a little afraid of Stephen King (I don't read or watch horror) but I also want to be friends with him.
As for bad writing, I'm in a Jane Austen book club where we read her work and because there are so few complete novels we also read the sequels written by people trying to be like her. A few of those have been okay but lots of them were awful too. These inspire me because yes, if they can get published than maybe I can too. I think I could write a much better sequel than some of them but I wouldn't dare try because I don't think I can compete with Ms. Austen herself. Plus, I love her so much I want to use her work as inspiration to find my own creative genius and not to just try to copy hers.
42,768 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 08 53
As for very bad writing... I have Pride and Prejudice and Zombies open right now. Ugh.
Louise Erdrich is my inspiration. Unattainable but inspiring.
58,000 / 50,000
Nov 17, 2009 - 09 20
I won't tell you the one but there was a blockbuster that came out a few years ago and I read it - and enjoyed it - but I thought, Gee, doesn't this seem just like stream of consciousness writing? And then I thought: I can do * this *.
I read the Grey Horse and Ender's Game once or twice a year and I also like OSC's end of the series books, Bean's story. I adore almost everything Octavia Butler wrote, especially her really out-there ones. The Ooloi ones, I forget the name of the trilogy.
For making me want to write it would be the whole Vorkosigan series by ... by... dangit. She layers her plots with all these subplots which somehow all get tied neatly together in the end. Her characters I find vivid and believable, too.
There's another one I've been listening to again lately which is not her most famous book by a long shot (I don't think) but it is Robyn McKinley's Sunshine. Another stream of consciousness book but a brilliant. I love all the detail but I also like rich characters.
----------A picture is worth a thousand words, but it uses up three thousand times the memory.
21,532 / 50,000
Nov 18, 2009 - 09 20
Any Mickey Spillane, or Glen Cooks "Garrett P.I." books. Makes me go "Ooooh, I'd love to write like that!"
Also, really bad romance novels! Makes me go "cripes, I bet I could do better..." ;-p
----------What in heck is a WOOLY loach? http://writing.woolyloach.com
39,043 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2009 - 00 55
I love the Glen Cook "Garrett PI" books! Between them and the "Dresden Files" (Butcher), I'd love to write half as good!
21,532 / 50,000
Nov 19, 2009 - 09 10
The "Garrett PI" series is the direct inspiration for "Dead Ringer"! I have some "Dresden Files" in my Amazon wishlist, too!
Nice to see I'm not the only fan! :-)
----------What in heck is a WOOLY loach? http://writing.woolyloach.com