Authors Who Inspire Me

The well is a little dry today for a deep-thoughted post (my mind is practically putty - it's in the 90s here, and I don't mix well with heat :P), so I thought I'd share with you the authors that helped inspire me to write.


1. C.S. Lewis

Shame on me if I didn't mention this man! The only work of C.S. Lewis's I've read is The Chronicles of Narnia. I read the first book when I was nine or ten and was instantly enthralled. His use of imagery (sorry, Tolkien) and symbolic references captured my heart and opened my imagination, leading me to start with fan fiction (of which some I'm pleased with considering where I was, and others...I never want to talk about again) and eventually broadening and creating my own characters.


2. Jane Austen

Of course. Jane Austen and her wit and spunk. She seemed to write her heart on the page, not caring what anyone else would think of her views, and how I admire her for that. I tried reading Sense and Sensibility first, but I couldn't get into it so I think I went to Pride and Prejudice (it was a long time ago..I might've read Northanger Abbey first), and it was good, but I'll never forget the first time I read Emma. Sitting on top of the bunk bed, not able to tear my eyes away from the pages though the room had begun to grow dark. I fell in love with that story and the characters and even did a killer book report on it (well, I at least thought it was killer then!) by making a fictional newspaper for Highbury. The stories still inspire me to write, especially in that time period.

3. Dee Henderson

Taking a modern twist, Dee Henderson is by far my favorite author. A Christian writer of mystery and suspense, she certainly grips your emotions and takes them for a ride; you can't help but feel a part of the action and a connection with the characters. I've studied her writing style a bit while reading the books, and that's another aspect I admire. Though not at all immature, her words seem to be formed so simply and effortlessly. No abundance of flowery words, no over-embellishment, no dragging on; straight to the point, yet thrilling and highly engaging. I'm never bored when reading her works. After reading her books, I sometimes head straight into writing and find that I can write much more confidently and smoothly after being influenced by her technique. I recommend The O'Malley Series first of all, and I've also read her book Kidnapped, which was absolutely amazing.


4. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Bit of a different choice, but I can't help but fall in love with the Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm into the second volume of the works, and it's just fascinating. No wonder Doyle was sick and tired of writing these sleuth works of genius, because that's what they were - genius. I can't imagine the thought planning, research, and outlining or something that must've gone into these stories. A true inspiration and motivation to make your story the best possible.


I have other writers that I admire and love, but I haven't read enough of their works to be able to put them on my list. I'm working on getting some more books by these authors, and look for book recommendations coming in future blog posts.

Who or what has inspired you to write?