Every time I begin to feel guilty about the plots, the antagonists that I create, the things that I put my main characters through, I think about the books that I've read, and how they've shaped the writer that I am today. These are the first major authors that I was exposed to at a young age that helped shape themes that still carry over to my writing today.
When I was a little thing, in elementary school, I devoured children's books. I was really annoyed when I went in to kindergarten, and I found books with thick cardboard pages, and one sentence per page. Hell, I was more than annoyed, I was insulted. I was already basically able to read Clifford the Big Red Dog books. But Clifford had nothing to do with my reading choices: my young adult older sister did.
I remember sneaking through our bedroom, looking for things, reading books that were big and "big kid books". There were three books in the bottom of our entertainment system: Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews, Forever by Judy Blume, and Paradise by Toni Morrison. The lattermost book, that was waaay too difficult, at least until I was in middle school. But the first two... those were the first chapter books I read with full comprehension.
Immediately, I remember sinking to the tragic world of the Dollenganger clan, in to their pain, and heartache, and life in the attic whilst being ridiculously beautiful. They were my first literary loves. From horrific parents and grandparents, to incest and coming-of-age under fucked up circumstances, all of it entranced my young, gelatinous brain. I knew that there were other books in the series, and I couldn't wait to devour them.
After Flowers in the Attic, I was exposed to Forever. Now, Forever is and isn't in the same category as V.C. Andrews; they're about teenage life, but where everything tragically beautiful goes wrong with my pre-pre-pre- Med Christopher, and my beautiful ballerina doll Catherine. Forever is more of a truer-to-life coming of age story of a young woman and her first love. It had descriptions of sex, not graphic, but detailed. I learned rather quickly what happened during the act itself, and I also learned that when the book was written, or its time frame was before the HIV epidemic, hence the lack of protection being used. Even years later, I remembered the book, and I remembered Ralph. No, that's not the name of the main love interest, it's the name of his penis. I guess that's what really stuck in my mind, out of it all: the penis.
By the time I was in fifth grade (I'm really bad with age associations to years in school, and time in general), I had already read a few different V.C. Andrews series (yes, entire series), and I had a short encounter with Caligula (I didn't read the whole thing, I got caught, and it was taken away... I still have yet to actually read it all the way through). Up until then, most of the horrific things I had read were fiction, until I came across When Rabbit Howls. To be honest, I didn't come across it, my Mom was reading it for a psychiatry class, and she allowed me to read it. If people have come across this book, they know what it's about, if you haven't, I'll give it in a nutshell: sexual and physical abuse cause a woman's psyche to break into 97 different personalities. Not only was this book something that was true, it was written by the woman's "troops". I think her books are the only ones about Dissociative Identity Disorder by the actual individual(s).
I've also read multiple books by Toni Morrison, who I consider a fantastic writer that i will never be mentioned in the same sentence is. Her books are... amazing, they're so different, and they're writing style... her style is so incredibly unique, and I adore it. Her style is so next level, I can't even begin to describe it. She's one to study, like the other greats, but I don't know if I will have the literary prowess at this point in my life to actually give her the deepness of thought she so deserves. I know I'm sounding like a kiss-ass, but I don't care, she is the bomb.
If there's any author whose works I've read in a volume similar to V.C. Andrews, it would be Stephen King. I love reading his work, I don't know why all of his work isn't already made into movies, it's that good. From Nightmares and Dreamscapes to The Stand Unabridged. There are some books I haven't read yet, but even if I'm not in the mood to read, I can still read his books and then realize "shit... I'm 200 pages in".
For the things that I've read, those were the ones that helped me choose the other books that I desired. Granted, I've read lots of fantasy (Harry Potter head here), and things that aren't full of deception rape and incest, but these things... they're fascinating, and they're something that is highly under researched. The reasoning behind things like that... hell, you can take it any way that you want; there are people that are perverse and consider those things their sexualities or paraphilias, then there are those that are confused as to their place in the world, and there are others still who only engage in such behavior because the opportunity arises.
I could probably do a separate article on the different types of TV shows that shaped my writing style, or helped influence my writing, but it's basically two: Oz (which I watched while it was on television), and Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. There are a lot of movies, IFC and Sundance movies that are also really amazing, and show to me that I can write such things. I can get published, I don't have to worry about being burned at a cross, although I will get limited airing, or audiences, but I know if the audience is anything like me, they will be loyal, and they will enjoy my work and share it with their friends.
There are other authors that I've read since those ages, authors and styles that I love, and can't get enough of. I will list them below, because I might review some of their writing, and gush about them:
Are there any authors that you love, that have inspired your writing style? Let me know!
you are invited to follow my blog
ReplyDeleteI write a blog which I have entitled “Accordingtothebook” and I’d like to invite you to follow it.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t see a follow widget on this site, but if you put one up...I will gladly follow you publicly as well.
If you wish, click on “dashboard” or “design” on the top right of your main blog…then click on “layout” on the left side of the page, “add a gadget” on the right side column…that takes you to the "basics" list. On the left of that list is a "more Gadgets" option. Click on that one and scroll down to the one that simply says “FOLLOW"
Thank you for inviting me to your blog, but I must say, I do not think our blogs are about the same thing. Yours is a single topic blog about your Christian life, mine is about many different types of literature. I will read your blog, and I thank you so much for the information to make my blog better.
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