Four Writers I'm Thankful For #WritingCommunity
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s a time of reflection. So I decided to come up with a list of authors who I am thankful for. In no specific order, these are the writers who influenced and inspired me during various seasons of my life.
Susan May Warren : I started writing in Christian fiction and romance. The first book I read in that genre was a Susan May Warren book, and I was hooked. She’s a wordsmith, crafted character-driven novels that inspired me and helped when I was going through a difficult period in life. But it wasn’t just her writing that shaped me. She’s a teacher, traveling around the country hosting writing workshops. Years ago, I nearly passed out when I discovered she was coming to my state and only a few hours from my city. I signed up, promised myself I wouldn’t “fan girl” all over her, and got ready to meet one of my favorite authors. I wasn’t disappointed. For two days, I learned more than I had in a year of trying to crack the writing world on my own. When I came back, revised my manuscript, and sent it to my critique partners, one replied, “Geeze, what did you learn? It’s like you’re a completely different writer.” And I was. Even though I left Christian fiction, I still use the techniques in her workshop every time I sit down at my computer. Her tips still echo in my mind. Her words of wisdom still comfort me when doubt and fear creep up. I’m very thankful for the chance to meet and learn under her.
Chuck Palahnuik : This one shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. I’m basically obsessed with his writing. The first Palahnuik book I read was Choke, parts of which I still quote to myself when life shits all over itself. He not only provides me with radical escapes from reality, but he proves to all rebels and outcasts there is a place for them in the world. When I was making my shift from Christian to horror, it was Palahnuik’s writings that gave me the courage to make the final leap. Because he’s brave. Because he’s gritty. Because he makes me gag and squirm and cringe and he doesn’t apologize for it. His writing is an embrace of the weird, not an omission, and during a time in my writing career where I clearly wasn’t fitting into the Christian world, it was this wild fearlessness that inspired me. I’m so thankful for him.
John Irving : Okay, this one might be a surprise. To understand why he’s made the list, we must travel back to my high school senior English class. There I was. Little Nico, sitting in her desk, staring at the reading list and feeling nothing but dread. I hated reading. I hadn’t completed a book since I outgrew the Babysitter Club Little Sister books by Ann M. Martin. (Side note - I’m thankful for Cliff notes for making it possible for me to never read a full book for the majority of my reading assignments). It wasn’t that I hated storytelling. I loved to write from an early age and dreamed of being published. But reading? Reading took time, and I was a very slow reader. I still am. And that doesn’t work well in public school where you have to read, understand, analyze and report on a book within a confined time limit. So when I saw A Prayer For Owen Meany by Irving had 645 pages, I knew I was doomed. This was also right around the time my parents caught on to my Cliff Notes scheme. (I mean, I’m surprised it took so long.) And since this was pre-information available at the click of a button, I was forced to actually read the book. To my surprise, I loved it. It took awhile for me to get through it, but unlike past attempts to meet reading deadlines, I actually enjoyed staying up late reading this book. It was the first book I completed in years, but more importantly, it was the first book I loved in years. And it re-sparked my love of reading. It also taught me that some books are worth the effort, and slow reading isn’t “bad”, as my teen self believed. If it takes me a long to read a book, so be it. I’m thankful for that lesson.
Ann M. Martin : Ah, the Babysitter Little Sister Club. These are the books of my childhood. I read every one multiple times, mimicked the story structure when writing my own stories, and even convinced my parents to buy me a pet mouse who I named Pepper (Karen had a pet rat, but my folks weren’t willing to go that far into the rodent world). When I outgrew these books, I never really found a new niche. I tried R.L. Stine, but at that point in my life, I didn’t like being scared. (I still don’t. I much prefer to scare others….mwa-ha-ha). These books provided a wholesome escape and for that, I’m thankful.
What about you? What writer inspired you to start writing? Which author sparked your imagination? I’d love to hear!
