January 13, 2017

Choosing your Literary Influences

One of the most important questions I ask myself as a writer is "who are my writers?"

In order to write your own fiction it is helpful to have a template for the kind of writing you want to create. This is why its important to read many different writers. This is the best way to find the variation of writing that inspires you, that you would like to emulate.

The fact is that the world is full of writers and everything has already been written about. No matter what you create it will be viewed as related to something that already exists. It is better to accept this idea that nothing is original because the alternative of believing that you are special will most likely lead to disappointment.

"Bad artists copy. Great artists steal."

What artists do you attempt to imitate or steal from in your own work? Lately I have been most focused on the work of Lydia Davis. I find that her focus on psychology is more suited to my writing style.

That's all for today.

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