As I dive headlong into the field of writing, I often set before me amazing pillars of creativity as my role models. I am pretty sure every author does this. Why write if you don’t love to read? Even though I have a very long list of favorite writers, my inspiration usually returns to Jane Austin, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.
It would probably show my cultured literary prowess if I could name more obscure authors as my inspiration, but somehow I don’t think obscurity recommends itself as a sign of quality. These three authors have been read by millions of people, and I personally can read their books over and over again.
Jane Austin was criticized in her own lifetime for writing merely novels. During this time, intellectuals read non-fiction, and novels were seen as a waste of time. Jane Austin defied this norm and was secretly read by those who made these statements. She observed common everyday humanity and found something humorous and exciting to write about. Her stories are optimistic at the same time it makes fun of foolishness. How does she keep me so engrossed in a story which has no action, violence, mystery, or world ending threats? Her characters are just that fascinating!
C.S. Lewis wrote both fiction and nonfiction with so much creativity and imagination that no one has been able to match it. He created worlds in which anything could happen and taught us spiritual truths. He used his Christian faith not to limit his writing, but to expand it beyond mere physicality. Children can read his Chronicles of Narnia and grasp the development of the characters, while adults can read the same books and learn about their lack of faith and trust.
J.R.R. Tolkien is practically the father of the modern fantasy fiction novel. I have hardly heard of a fan of the genre who has not placed him rightfully on a pedestal. Yet, the field of fantasy fiction has moved away from the very sources he studied and wrote from. Today’s fantasy writers are obsessed with magic systems, a systematic set of rules for how the magic in their world works. It turns the chaotic and unknowable into a pseudo-scientific law of nature. Fantasy was born from fairy tales and myths of which Tolkien was an expert. Fairy tales and myths, if studied in depth, are far from consistent. Magic is random and ever-changing is these stories. Often the main characters are not wizards and must survive in an unpredictable world by some sort of virtue or skill. Tolkien took these elements and created a massive world that one can continue to explore forever. We never know everything about his world and that is part of what makes it so epic.
If I could accomplish just part of what these writers achieved, I would consider myself successful. What are your favorite writers? Let me know in the commits below.
Check out my young adult fantasy fiction novels HERE for something optimistic and fun.
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