Authors Answer 103 – Top Influencing Books

Still not really very sure about this one.

I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

Authors have many influences, and it’s something we’ve talked about before. However, we never did focus on the books themselves. Authors tend to also be avid readers, and a lot of the books we read will influence us, even if it’s subconsciously. But which ones have the strongest influence on our writing and other areas?

Question 103 – What do you consider to be the book that has influenced you the most?

H. Anthe Davis

I can’t point to any book that has influenced me sufficiently for this.  If I had to point at anything at all, it would be an anime series — Revolutionary Girl Utena — which fascinated me during my formative teen years and continues to help me get past some of my mental hang-ups.  No books, though; they’re all just part of the big past pile.

Jean Davis

Goodness, there are so many, and the…

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Authors Answer 80 – Inspiration From the Screen

Influence can come from just about anywhere and doesn’t have to be conscious (in fact unconscious influence often goes deeper), so I won’t pretend I even tried to make my answer complete.

I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

Happy Friday the 13th! Unfortunately, our topic isn’t related to that, but there is a movie called Friday the 13th. We’re talking about movies and TV shows this week. Sometimes, we get our inspiration from reading, sometimes from life, but sometimes from movies and TV.

Question 80 – Are there any TV shows or movies that have influenced your writing?

Gregory S. Close

Basically anything I consume from any media has some sort of influence, positive or negative.  There are lessons to be learned about good and bad storytelling, characters, plot points etc. in anything from My Little Pony to Jessica Jones.  If I had to say what was the biggest single influence, I’d say that Star Wars fits that bill.  I saw it in the theaters when still pretty young, so it had a huge impact on me.

Elizabeth Rhodes

Funny this question comes up, because The…

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Authors Answer 17 – Writing Influences

I don’t think what I said was incorrect (I’ve read so much by Asimov that I’m sure anything I have in common with him isn’t a coincidence), but I think I’m probably more influenced by Robert A. Heinlein, Philip Pullman, and Tamora Pierce.

I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

Every author has someone or something that influenced them.  They can be anything from another author to a style.  Even a single book can be an influence.  This week’s question is brought to us by H. Anthe Davis.

J. R. R. Tolkien inspired an entire genre.

Question 17: What authors, styles or intellectual movements have most influenced your writing?

Elizabeth Rhodes

First it was Mario Puzo’s The Godfather.  I liked reading multiple storylines at once from many points of view.  There are many authors who use this technique, but I saw it in Puzo’s book first.

The second was a movement that I’m not sure has a name.  I grew tired of stories that boiled down to clear-cut forces of good and evil fighting against each other.  Despite what we may feel, no one person or cause is completely good or evil.  Instead I wanted to write about heroes that…

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Authors Answer 15 – The Influence of Media

I forgot to mention that I’ve also made game-like stats as a way of keeping things consistent.

I Read Encyclopedias for Fun

Since the early twentieth century, new types of media have become popular ways of telling stories.  Books were no longer the only way to get your stories.  Movies, radio, television, computer games, the internet, and more kinds of media have influenced many authors. But how are our authors influenced? This week’s question is brought to you by D. T. Nova.

Question 15: All of us write prose fiction (unless I’m mistaken) in an era that has an astounding variety of storytelling media. Has your writing been significantly influenced by any works of newer media?

Elizabeth Rhodes

When I first started writing novels in earnest a few years ago, I became heavily influenced by the music I happened to be listening to at the time.  Jasper has influences from song lyrics by Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, and The Cult.  I have other stories in the works that have been influenced…

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