Just this week, I received in my hot little hands three books from favorite authors, including Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Philips and Karen Rose. Yay! I love getting new books from authors I trust, enjoy and depend on not only for a great story, great characters but also that I.V. feed of inspiration.
You know what I mean, right? That immediate rush of "Oh, I NEED to open my manuscript" when you delve into a great book from an author who just does everything right. I always find that certain authors give me a massive dose of inspiration — not in plot or character — but in that drive to write, that drive to work on MY manuscript. To me, reading is as much a part of writing as writing is.
No matter the genre, no matter the story, there are certain authors whose work just connects to me in a great way. It usually has to do with characters I relate to. Sometimes it can be a specific turn of phrase in a book that is so unique, so interesting, it pushes me to work on the areas in my work that need improvement.
So, I know this is a short post today, but I have some family matters to attend to this afternoon….so I leave you with a question. Who gives you that IV Feed of inspiration? Not just your favorite authors (because I have more of those than I do of the IV Feed kind)…but whose work, whose stories, whose characters compel you to work on your own?
I'll be back tonight for comment replies!
9 comments
J. D. Robb, more than LaNora. The voice is so different and watching Eve Dallas grow and “mature” has been an amazing ride. I want to create a character that compelling.
Maureen Child. Her books often make me laugh and after reading one of hers, I want to write witty repartee.
Mary Stewart. I read her books as a youngster and The Moonspinners and Airs Above Ground are still comfort reads. Her ability to layer the suspense and create red herrings makes me try harder.
Ian Fleming. Nobody does action and “deep” heroes like Fleming.
Great topic, Jeannie!
Catherine Anderson, Mary Higgins Clark, to name just two. Jeannie, I’m like you in that I have a number of author’s who I can’t wait until their next book but….
Stories by these authors have me saying, “I’ll never be able to write like this.” I know I take things away with me from their stories but their just so darn good.
Now a book that’s not so good, like a strong plot and flat characters has me wanting to write it better. You know the ones,, they make you wonder how in the world they were ever published. After throwing a book away (horror’s I’ve really done this) I hear myself saying, “I can do better than this.”
Does this make sense? Or is it just me that gets inspired by not so good books or just plain bad ones.
Jeannie, I don’t have a specific person or thing that inspires me, but I do know that if I’m at a difficult part in my ms if I take a night or two off and just read, it definitely helps to get my creativity flowing again. That, and unfortunately, cleaning my house. Needless to say, I go for the books when I can! LOL Lavada, I know how you feel about when it’s SO good, thinking, “I’ll never be that good.” It feels good when you read something you wrote and there’s a part where you can say, “Hmm…that’s not so bad. In fact, that’s pretty darn good!” Not that those time always happen close together, but sometimes it comes right when you need it most. 🙂
In general, reading inspires me. For Regency, I go for Mary Balogh, Lisa Kleypas, Victoria Alexandria, the list goes on. For sci-fi, Steven Erikson and Raymond Feist. For paranormal, J.R. Ward. There are lots that I’m not naming, but those definitely give me inspiration.
Lynsay Sands is my new must read author. Her Argeneau series is awe-inspiring. Her take on the vampire legend is unique and original. I want to do that with my paranormal stories, build a whole new world and take readers there.
Silver — ITA about Eve Dallas. Something about her is so compelling…and I love how she grows and changes, but remains the same character. She’s wonderful.
Lavada — I totally get what you mean about the bad books. But for me, it just makes me realize how subjective this business is. I think the book is awful, but somewhere an agent LOVED it enough to take on the author. And somewhere else, an editor loved it enough to buy it.
Definitely a subjective business and reading books I don’t like always comforts me about that. 🙂
Stacey — I LOVE those moments when you realize your work isn’t as bad as feared. I just read over chapters of mine this weekend and had that nice, surprising thought. LOL
Hi Emma, great names. So do you focus on a specific genre to read when you’re writing? I actually find sometimes reading a different genre helps me with my work. Not sure why. LOL