My most influential authors

Whenever I hear an interview with famous celebrities, whether I'm a fan or not, one question they are often asked: "Who are your greatest influences." The other day I was at the first anniversary celebration of South Dakota Writes, and someone asked me, who were my influences. This is a tough question to answer. I don't really see myself as a raving fan-boy, who must read everything 'my' spirit-celebrity spews out. I usually like to say I have eclectic tastes, but that's just not true. While I didn't have an immediate answer to this woman's question, eventually I was able to throw out a few good answers. A lot of times, it takes reflection in order to coax out those who've influenced us in all sort of areas in our lives. Without further rambling, here is the list of my most influential writers. (This list could change upon further reflection.)

5. RL Stine. As a teenager I couldn't get enough of the Fear Street books. R. L. Stine ingrained in me the need for a twist. Watching the Goosebumps movie, there is a part where Stine's character says that a story has three parts: the beginning, middle, and the twist. As I have grown older and pretend to have grown wiser, I've heard many fancy, stuffy literary types claim most twist endings are cheap gimmicks. I see where they're coming from. At my work, there are a bunch of old Fear Street books lying around. I've read a few out of nostalgia. They don't hold up. Most of the twists are there solely to have a twist. But, how could anyone expect those books to all be pure brilliance when R. L. Stine spewed out books so quickly.  Through this, a phenomenon has grown known as "The Twilight Zone" effect. When people come at a work expecting a twist, they may often guess it, and thus it loses its power.  Yet, to this day I love, love, love, a brilliant twist. I spend much of my time trying to come up with the greatest twist since... Arrival?

4.  Raymond Chandler. Sometimes life is harsh, rough. At times, it beats the optimism out of us.  Chandler's influence on me stems more from his writing style as opposed to any thematic elements. I've always found something uniquely poetic about the noir/hardboiled voice. Noir is a style of writing characterized by cynicism and moral ambiguity. Is this to say I'm a proponent of either? No (even though I may struggle with such). Yet, there is an honesty this style of writing carries. Concerning moral ambiguity, humans tend to ignore the moral flaws of those whose side they happen to be on, while the flaws of those they root against are repulsive reminders of their depravity. Noir illustrates such complexities so well. As two immoral giants clash, that lone detective, himself filled with flaws, tries his darnedest to stick to some sort of moral code, one he is trying to figure out.

3. Ernest Hemingway. The master of subtext, Hemingway taught me that I don't have to explain everything. Sure, with some of his works a less intelligent person like me would be better served if a little more was explained, yet even when I'm not sure what is going on, I can feel the right kind of tension. Reading his works is like listening to two people talking, where you can sense something's going on. One example of this is the short story Hills Like White Elephants. It’s simply a man and a woman having a discussion. The man was trying to convince the woman to do something, but he didn't want to seem as if he was being pushy. When I first read it, I didn't know what they were talking about. I didn't know whose side to take. It got me thinking... Did it really matter what they were talking about? Then, I found out what they were talking about, and it drastically changed my mind on what I thought about the conversation. So, Hemingway got me thinking, that maybe it's OK to leave the audience guessing. Yet, that's a tough call. Sometimes readers won't get it.

2. John Piper. When I was in high school, all I ever wanted to do was be a writer. I wanted to write crazy cool stuff like R. L. Stine. Or, maybe my own superhero kind of works. Then, I joined the army and my dreams slowly faded. To help me cope with the difficult military life, I grew in my Christian faith. I read. I learned. I dug deep. Once I got out and went to college, my writing desires grew once again. But, now I thought that I had to be a 'Christian' writer. (I put Christian in quotes because I am referring to the genre of writing, not trying to mock anyone or any books.) I wrote a few things I liked, but for the most part I wasn't inspired to write Christian genre fiction. Then, I read John Piper's works. He spoke about the importance of Christians to create art, not just 'Christian' art. Yet, this isn't a license to mock or ignore my faith.

 

1. C. S. Lewis. In both style and substance, C. S. Lewis is my greatest influence. Of all writers, his style of writing is my favorite. Neil Gaiman, one of today's most influential writers praised Lewis's writing. Gaiman said he's never read anything like Lewis, conversational, down to earth. He described C. S. Lewis's writing brilliantly. When I read Lewis, I feel as if he is there, having a conversation with me. If his writing was like driving across the country, he would be like a gentle father who pulls off to the side of the road from time to time to see the sights. His works have a gob of m-dashes, gentle detours that illuminate his points. This conversational style is what I wish to emulate. In addition to style, Lewis's work is filled with philosophical meat. The powerful symbolism in the Chronicles of Narnia. The twisted nearly noir-like tale of two demons scheming in The Screwtape Letters. Or, ardent, philosophical defense of the faith in Mere Christianity. Somehow, and someway, Lewis has accomplished what I wish more writers could accomplish today. He's found a much broader appeal.