That seems to cover every base, right? I thought so. But the more I thought about the books that truly inspired different aspects within me, the longer the list grew.
So, to wrap up this post series, I'd like to share a few of the books/series that helped me be confident with other aspects of the craft.
First, there's The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel (and the rest of the series) by Michael Scott
Scott taught me through the Nicholas Flamel series just how to orchestrate a large cast of characters. He taught me how to make characters' voices distinguishable and how to give everyone their own unique personality. Scott also has an amazing ability (one I truly covet) to write in great detail with the most amazing clarity. His action scenes, especially, and his descriptions of cities I've never been to and magic I've never witnessed are so real, I feel as if they weave themselves into tapestries before my eyes - tapestries I can touch and experience. Scott has the knowledge to craft amazing detail that's just enough for readers to be captivated and yet not too much for readers to be confused or bored.
It's a skill I hope to master myself. It was Michael Scott who taught me how perfect of an art form it really is.
The next set of books come from Nicholas Sparks. The Longest Ride and The Last Song.
Now, I know what you're thinking: Sparks is a commercial romance powerhouse. Every year, another book. Someone always dies. Yadda Yadda.
Well, that's what I thought, too, until my mother convinced me to read first The Last Song, and then The Longest Ride. (Truthfully, most of the great things that happened in my life seem to be roundabout connected to my mother's influence. Strange. She must have some master plan I have yet to unveil.)
Anyway, back to Sparks.
By reading these books I discovered this author's greatest strength - one I hope to employ in my own fiction - and it's the ability to balance romance within a book that has other aspects. Once I gave him a chance, I learned that Sparks is, perhaps, the master of Counterbalance.
(Missed that post on Counterbalance? Go here.)
So, if you need help keeping the tension sizzling within your novel, or you're missing that little extra magic that brings a book to its soul, read Sparks.
The next amazing story is not a book, but a short story by Raymond Carver. Cathedral.
Now, I haven't read the full Cathedral collection Carver published in 1983, but I have read a smattering of Carver short stories, which has led me to believe that Raymond Carver is the best short fiction writer that has yet to publish. Yes, there you have it, he's my favorite.
Mostly it's because his details are so direct and yet stand for so many different things. He's a master of voice, and his characters are at once real and not. There's too many reasons I adore Carver's writing to devote to one post, so I'll leave it at this: Of all the short stories I've read, after reading Cathedral, I wish I had written it.
And there's still more books I could write about. Still more that have taught me what to do or what not to do. What to aspire to be, and how to write as I always imagined I could.
That's the most important aspect I'd like you to take away from this post series. Other than getting to know me better, I hope that you see the power in stories. They're the only catalyst besides art and human beings that can truly impact the trajectory of a person's life. If my mother hadn't started me on Harry Potter, would I have been one of those children who hated reading? If I'd hated reading, would I have never been in AP English and read The Stranger? If I never read The Stranger, I wouldn't have actively decided to be a writer.
And I wouldn't be me.
So, when you write, remember it. Remember that your story or novel could be the next book that causes someone to fall in love with reading. It could be the book that person needed to resume working on their novel in progress. It could be the book that inspires a future writer and ends up posted on her blog.
Photo Credits:
Michael Scott: http://www.amazon.com/Alchemyst-Secrets-Immortal-Nicholas-Flamel/dp/0385736002/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424794477&sr=8-1&keywords=michael+scott+the+alchemyst
Nicholas Sparks: http://www.amazon.com/LONGEST-Sparks-Nicholas-Author-Hardcover/dp/B00I1D927U/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424795330&sr=1-4&keywords=the+longest+ride
and: http://www.amazon.com/Nicholas-Central-Publishing-Paperback-Reprint/dp/B00DWYY1ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795361&sr=8-2&keywords=the+last+song+book
Raymond Carver: http://www.amazon.com/Cathedral-Raymond-Carver/dp/0679723692/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424795941&sr=8-1&keywords=cathedral+raymond+carver
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