Today, I’d like to talk about books, something we are all very familiar with on this blog. As soon
as we hear that beautiful word, the image of little black letters lined up
perfectly on a white page springs to our mind, and we have a sudden desire to
go find the nearest book and read it.
This post isn’t about any random book, though. No, this post
is about books that inspire.
That’s what we all strive for, in our own ways. Books, so
wonderfully written that they inspire others, whether that inspiration is to
change the world or take up writing themselves. We want our work to touch
others’ lives, and to have an impact.
We can all think of those kind of books in our own lives. I
know I can.
There are books that made me fall in love with reading,
books that I grew up reading again and again, never growing tired of them.
Books like The Hobbit, Dragon Rider, and The Chronicles of Narnia fed my growing passion for the written
word, and hold a sense of nostalgia to me that will probably never die.
Then there are the books that made me fall in love with
writing. These are the books that made me consider the idea of creating worlds
and characters of my own. They inspired me to pick up a pencil or sit down at
the computer and write, in hopes of one day creating something that could
mirror the beauty that these authors have created. Authors like Rick Riordan,
Christopher Paolini, Tolkien, and so many others shaped my writing in ways that
I can’t even begin to explain.
Finally, there are the books that made me fall in love with
the beauty of English. Books that were written so well, with such beautiful
lines and scenes that make me smile every time I read them. I’m addicted to
English now, and it’s the fault of these kinds of books. The main suspects?
Books like To Kill a Mockingbird, Wolf Wilder (the final line in this book
is one of my favorites; if it weren’t for the fact that you need to read the
whole book to understand it, I would share it), and the Redwall series will always hold a place in my heart, simply because
of how well they are written.
I’m not sharing this with you just to show you all my
favorite books and authors, although that motive does exist somewhere. The
reason I’m sharing this list is because it’s part of my journey as a writer.
A lot of times, when writers talk about their “journey”,
they focus on when they first finished a book, got published, and began to
truly be successful and impactful as a writer. While these are all important
moments for any published author, they don’t tell the full story.
Our journeys began long before we even start writing the first
scene of our books. The winding path of our lives did not begin when we picked
up that pen. Everything we’ve ever read in our lives, in some small way, has
shaped our writing.
Even if it’s a book we hated,
it’s still affecting us, as those are books that, in the back of our minds, we
try the hardest to avoid being like.
Both the good and the bad from every book we’ve read has
changed our views on writing, and our writing style.
As writers, we’re a bit like sponges in that sense. We soak
up everything we come in contact with, absorbing it all with enthusiasm. Then,
when we write, we’re squeezing all of that out, pouring into our work with a
mixture of all the knowledge we have gained.
That’s why we need to keep reading, just as much as we need
to keep writing. Without books to keep fueling us and inspiring us, we can’t
keep going. We need to read to study and master our trade of
writing, and if we
don’t pick up a book on a regular basis, we can’t really do that.
Books are impactful. Not just to us, to our writing, or to
our career. Books can change a person’s mindset, and have a resounding impact
on their life.
Sure, maybe reading your fantasy novel is not going to
change someone’s heart and make them suddenly decide to change their lifestyle –
but it could inspire them, or hold a lesson within that they remember for a
long, long time. It could even become their escape, their refuge from the stress
of this world.
Or perhaps a younger writer may pick it up, and it is what
inspires them to go pick up a pen and start their own adventure.
So, to bring this post back around, what do those books look
like in your life? What places and far off lands inspired you? Which authors
and characters alike do you admire and love? Who got you into writing, and who made
you decide you’d never give it up?
Those are the books and authors that affected you the most
as a writer, who got you started on your journey. Maybe you won’t get a chance
to ever thank them in person, or maybe you will. But the best way to thank
them? Carry on the legacy of writers in our generation. After all, it’s up to
us to inspire the next.
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