Top Ten Literary Inspirations

 J.R.R. Tolkien

I first read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series when I was in middle school, and I was fascinated by the depth of worldbuilding that went into the creation of Middle-Earth. My very first full-length novel, which has not yet been published, pulled a lot of inspiration from Tolkien’s work. I was even studying his language of Sindarin as a guide to crafting my own languages.

 
Madeleine L'Engle

One of the first books I remember my mom reading to me as a kid was A Wrinkle in Time. There were others before it, of course, but that’s the one that really stuck in my head and made me love science fiction and fantasy.

 
Mary Pope Osborne

When I first started reading on my own, I quickly fell in love with The Magic Treehouse series. I devoured these books and eagerly sought out more, becoming a total bookworm throughout my youth. I have to thank Mary Pope Osborne for instilling a love of reading into me with her stories.

 
Sylvia Plath

Plath remains one of my all-time favorite poets. Her precisely chosen words create hauntingly beautiful images layered with symbolism. “Sheep in Fog” is one of my favorite Plath poems, although truthfully, it’s hard to choose an absolute favorite. The breathtaking beauty of her descriptions is so powerful:

“The hills step off into whiteness. / People or stars / Regard me sadly, I disappoint them. / The train leaves a line of breath.”

Ernest Hemingway

Early in my writing career, a mentor compared my style to Hemingway’s, which of course deepened my appreciation for Hemingway’s work. I was particularly interested in his iceberg theory and the art of selective omission, especially when it comes to worldbuilding. I have extensive notes and ideas regarding the worlds I create, but only a fraction of those details ends up in the novel’s final draft.

 
Mary Shelley

I am amazed and inspired by this groundbreaking woman known as “the mother of science fiction.” I once had someone ask me what it’s like to write in genre dominated by male authors, and the question surprised me because 1) I honestly hadn’t noticed; I just write the kind of stories I love to read, and 2) Mary Shelley, a woman, is credited with inventing the science fiction genre. So why is it unusual that I, a woman, write science fiction/fantasy? It may be a male-dominated genre now, but it didn’t start that way.

 
George Orwell

From the handful of books I was required to read in school, 1984 is one of the most memorable. I think it was likely my first introduction to dystopian literature, which then became one of my favorite genres to read. The danger, dark themes, warnings, and real-world parallels evoked fascinating discussions in the classroom and stuck with me long after I finished the book. I can safely say that it was one of the most impactful books I read in school.

 
Ursula K. Le Guin

Whenever I stumble across a beautifully written, eloquent quote about writing, reading, or storytelling, it’s usually one of Le Guin’s. Her words always seem to resonate with me. One of my favorite quotes is her response to the advice that new writers should “write what they know”:

“As for ‘write what you know,’ I was regularly told this as a beginner. I think it’s a very good rule and have always obeyed it. I write about imaginary countries, alien societies on other planets, dragons, wizards, the Napa Valley in 2200. I know these things. I know them better than anybody else possibly could, so it’s my duty to testify about them.”

 
Christopher Paolini

As a reader, I enjoyed The Inheritance Cycle, especially the languages and worldbuilding details that felt rather Tolkienesque. As an aspiring author, I appreciated Paolini’s story and how he came to be successful. He started working on Eragon, the first book in the series, at the age of fifteen—about the same age I was when I started getting serious about writing fantasy books. He created the cover for his book (as did I) and drew the maps inside his books (my first hand-drawn map of Avilésor will be printed in my third book coming in the next few months).

Paolini started as a self-published author before being discovered by a traditional publisher. Initially, my plan was to go straight into traditional publishing, but I ended up becoming an indie author instead… following Paolini’s author story a little closer than I’d anticipated. I don’t know if I would ever switch to traditional publishing, though. I enjoy being an indie author, maintaining creative control over my work, and openly sharing my journey and progress with my fans. I acknowledge that I likely wouldn’t have that much freedom under a publishing contract, so that may be where my story is destined to deviate from Paolini’s.

Alexandra Bracken

When I was working at a landscape architecture firm for my college internship, I often walked a couple of blocks to a small bookstore during my lunch break. Here, I discovered The Darkest Minds on the shelf and bought it on a whim. The book ended up sharing similar themes to my own Chronicles of Avilésor: War of the Realms series I was working on at the time, and I found myself feeling inspired to write every time I closed Bracken’s book.

A few years later, while I was querying literary agents for the first book in my series, I had the pleasure of meeting Alexandra Bracken at a movie theater when her book was adapted to the big screen. She kindly answered my questions, talked to me about how she found her agent, and gave me advice. Meeting one of my favorite authors in person will always be a memorable highlight of my life.