Books
1. Harry Potter 1-7. I was forced to read The Sorcerer's Stone for my Children's Lit class in college(at the time I was very anti-fantasy)and I canNOT thank that professor enough. No book(or series)has inspired me more.
2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. Also, Great Expectations! They were the first classic novels I fell in love with and the reason my obsession with all things England began.
3. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Okay, this was my first stab at fantasy, so I guess I can't say I hated it...I adored this book as a child and today the movies are part of my beloved collection(And Ben Barnes as Prince Caspian?? Yes please.).
4. Twilight. Just the first book. And yes, I realize the writing wasn't all that stellar, but the passion was. And I would love to create a characters with as much passion as this crew has!
5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. A fellow blogger, I knew I liked Stephanie and her writing long before she was published, and she never disappoints. Her characters are real and charming, and the setting is just as much a character as the people are. She is a huge inspiration to me.
Movies
1. Ever After. I'm a sucker for a good fairy tale, and the Cinderella in this story was strong and determined. One of my all time favorite movies!
2. Alice In Wonderland. When this movie ended, I wanted nothing more than to run home(or back to my hotel room, as it was)and spend every waking moment in front of my computer, creating my own masterpiece. If you haven't seen it, you should. Every second was magical.
3. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. Don't laugh. This movie made me believe. It also possessed one of the single greatest quotes I have ever heard: 'Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.' Well said, Mr. Magorium.
4. Penelope. A curse, a lesson, and true love(both self and James McEvoy. Come on, now.).
5. Harry Potter 1-7. Did you really think these wouldn't be on this list??? Speaks for itself.
Which books and movies inspire you the most?
I've been very inspired by Hermann Hesse's novels (even though his books are way, way, way shorter than the types of novels I'm usually into) and all the great Russian novelists. I've also been inspired in my chosen genre of 20th century historical by a lot of books, both adult and preteen or teen, set during the Shoah and the American homefront in WWII.
ReplyDeleteIda Vos's preteen Shoah books were a huge inspiration to me, particularly because her first book, Hide and Seek, was the first book I ever read in the present tense. It was like a revelation to me, in the 7th grade, to discover that a book could be written in the present tense, and it inspired me to write my first Russian novel in the present tense as well, to make the action seem more immediate and gripping. Of course, that was years before present tense got so trendy.
Writing in the present tense is difficult for me to do! I'd like to practice it more because I've read several books in which I felt it made the action seem, as you said, more gripping.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment!