Image via WikipediaHere’s a meme I found on Karen Swim’s blog that should be fun for any writer or avid reader. It’s part of a month long celebration of reading, writing, and books. For details, check out Karen’s meme post.
In no particular order, these are my top 25 writing influences. What are yours? Participate in the meme if you care to, or just comment here. I’m curious!
The Bible
Plato
Gustave Flaubert
G.K. Chesterton
Albert Camus
C.S. Lewis
Thomas Merton
Woody Allen
John Cleese and Graham Chapman
Michel Tournier
Warren Zevon
John Lennon and Paul McCartney
Bruce Springsteen
Edgar Allan Poe
Robert Graves
Paul Bowles
Franz Kafka
Anne Rice
Hunter S. Thompson
Philip Jose Farmer
Philip K. Dick
Rod Serling
D.M. Thomas
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Brad,
There are many authors here who I have not actually heard of before, so I can’t make informed comment with respect to those.
However, the inclusion of the likes of Bruce Springsteen, John Lennon and Paul McCartney on the list indicates to me that you have some very good tastes.
With respect to the bible, I am curious, which is your favorite book in the bible? As I wrote in a comment on Karen’s blog, my personal favorite is Luke’s gospel.
Andrews last blog post..Thoughts for a nation in shock
Hi Andrew, When I read Karen’s post I didn’t recognize many of the authors, so included links in my entries so people could learn more if interested. It’s good to know we have similar tastes in music! Your Bible question is tough … I like Matthew, but that may be because I’m more familiar with it. Psalms and Proverbs are wonderful. What is your attraction to Luke?
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
It’s hard to say which writers have influenced me, but I certainly admire many. Some of them I see on your list as well.
C.S. Lewis
Margaret Atwood
Erma Bombeck
Ellen Degeneres
Sheryl Crow
Dave Barry
Ernest Hemingway
F. Scott Fitzgerald
William Shakespeare
Geoffrey Chaucer
James Baldwin
and on and on and on . . .
Terry Heaths last blog post..The Baskin-Robbins Method of Blogging
George, You are so right. It’s hard to remember them all.
Terry, With a slightly longer list I would have certainly added Shakespeare and perhaps even Ellen Degeneres. Twenty five is a small number when you really start to think about it.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
To this day, the main two writers who have influenced me greatly are:
Donna Gillespie, author of the most incredible historical fiction books imaginable (The Light Bearer, Lady of the Light)
Cathy Cash Spellman, author of Paint the Wind – her words still stay with me to this day. For example, during one horrifying ordeal, the main character was told, your gods honor you…they believe you equal to this challenge.
Can’t say enough good things about them.
Data points, Barbara
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coachs last blog post..Mastering the Pullup
Hi Barbara, Thanks for adding to the list of remarkable authors! I have not heard of DG, but I love historical fiction and will have to check out her work.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
I echo parts of your list.
For sheer influence on my writing, particularly of faith, i’d add
Kathleen Norris – ‘the cloister walk’ and ‘amazing grace’
Jons last blog post..I get up at 6
Jon, Thank you for adding another author to the inspirational mix. “The Cloister Walk” looks very interesting!
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
Wow Brad – what a great mixture of different folk. This is a toughy off the top of my head. The Bible has influenced me. I probably shouldn’t say this but it would be nice if it could influence the way I write too – but that sounds ungrateful.
Out of the others – definitely C.S Lewis, Lennon and McCartney and John Cleese. A bit of magic writing dust would be wecolmed from them too.
There’s too many more but I have to give a special mention to Roald Dahl, since I wrote the follow up to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in my head.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Some Business Gimmicks Backfire
Cath, How do you know the Bible isn’t influencing your writing? Maybe it is … Roald Dahl is is an excellent choice – I forgot about him, but I have always enjoyed his short stories. I’m reading “The Great Divorce” by C.S. Lewis right now – have you read it? An uncomfortable vision of Heaven and Hell.
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
Cath, For some reason Roald Dahl made me realize I totally forgot cartoonists, another source of writing inspiration for me. Charles Addams is one of my favorites. You can’t write any better than this -
http://tinyurl.com/3yogvs
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
OK, so I’m a business and engineering geek.
Henry Pertoski writes about the history of engineering and “stuff” (like pencils, etc). Always interesting. He wrote “To Engineer is Human: the role of failure in successful design.” I was reading it the day the Challenger exploded and he was SO right.
Adrian Slywotsky is the best business thinker I know of and his book on “Value Migration” made me rethink my approach to strategy about 15 years ago.
On a non-geek front I recently re-read Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” It’s over 100 years old and still darn scarey
Bill
Hi Bill, You recommended another Slywotsky book to me once, the title of which escapes me. It was about a new manager learning at the feet of a business mystic. Excellent book! On your recommendation I will read Pertoski. (Do you prefer authors with hard to pronounce names?)
Brad Shorrs last blog post..25 Writers Who Are Shaping My World
Well, you could read authors with hard to pronounce names, or you could read authors with easy to pronounce names, but with tough to read book. Maybe Adam Smith would be easier? (NOT)
Bill
Hi Brad – That cartoon is brilliant. I haven’t read Heaven and Hell yet, but I’ve just read the plot summary and it’s definitely going on my “must read” list. Right now, in fiction, I’m reading a Jodi Picoult book (forget the title) and Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses.
I guess I don’t know if the Bible is influencing my writing. But have you ever gone through phases where every single thing you write seems rubbish – whether it’s fiction or non-fiction?
When I can’t sleep, I can lie in bed and write some awesome stuff in my head. If I get up and start writing some of it down, I save some of the good stuff, but it’s not nearly as good as what I wrote in my head.
Last night – I wrote every single word of three blogposts in my head. Also, the missing bits of my novel began coming together and I could visualise the story, as though I was watching a film. But I didn’t get up. And this morning, I remembered the basic ideas but the words I wrote were appalling in comparison.
This happens to me a lot and I don’t know what it means.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..Some Business Gimmicks Backfire
Hi Cath, Very interesting … I experience the same thing about writing in my head. That’s why I keep a notebook by my bed, and I use it often. Still, it never comes out on paper quite as strong as it did in my head. I’m very selective about what I read, and if I start something that seems like rubbish, I stop reading it. Years ago, I would never dream of quitting on a book, but now I do it whenever I feel like it. Very liberating!
Hi Brad – My bedside light has broken. I guess getting a new one would be a start.
I do that with books that are not so good too. Like you, I used to read everything to the end. But I began reading a disappointing Dean R Koontz book a few years ago and it wasn’t up to his usual standard. So, I made the decision right then, not to complete books that sucked.
Cath Lawsons last blog post..How To Be Lucky
Brad,
My attraction to Luke – I guess I like Luke’s biographical style. It probably gives what I feel is the most complete and holistic description of Jesus’ life.
Andrews last blog post..Thoughts for a nation in shock