One of the most difficult parts of writing is finding inspiration for ideas, and to find the motivation to continue writing. In order to become a better writer, one of the most valuable things that you can do (besides writing) is read. My favorite thing about books is that almost everyone has a favorite. Maybe it was a book that you read in high school that finally made you enjoy English class, or a book that changed your views on people, or made you want to travel the world. Writers have the ability to inspire others and to make people think in unfamiliar ways. As a student, writer, and book addict, I want to share some of my favorite writers that have inspired me; maybe they will inspire you too.
Studying abroad continued my love affair with books, and also allowed me to meet many writers here in India through guest lectures. Stephen Alter is one author that I enjoyed listening to while we stayed in Mussoorie. I read his book, Becoming a Mountain: Himalayan Journeys in Search of the Sacred and the Sublime, and met with him after the guest lecture to ask for his advice about writing. He told me that in order to paint a picture that people will enjoy reading, you have to write with your feet. That can be interpreted in different ways, but I understood it to be his way of explaining that writing has to be rooted in something real for it to be genuine. He has written other books, fiction and non-fiction, that are now on my reading list.
In the airport on the way to India, I realized that I forgot to pack something to do on the plane. I scrambled to grab a book and rushed off to the gate, but was pleasantly surprised by what I read. I grabbed The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. Wohlleben is a forest ranger turned environmentalist who writes about the trees he used to cut down, but now studies and preserves. The book describes how trees are social beings, and communicate through the “Wood Wide Web”, the fungal network of electrical signals that allow other trees to keep their neighbors alive. The book is well written and it changed the way that I see my own backyard. I admire Wohlleben’s boldness as he challenges accepted biological assumptions about plants and the environment. I see the forests that I run, ski, and hike through with an entirely new perspective.
Throughout my years in school as an English major, I have read many books that impact the way I read, write, and think. Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird is the book that made me fall in love with writing in high school. I fell in love with the characters and wanted to create some of my own. In college, I read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and was exposed to the world of gothic novels. She wrote the novel when she was 19 years old, the same age that I was when I read it in class. Her book inspired one of the most well-known characters that have remained a timeless fascination for generations. Both of these women wrote about difficult topics in artful and revolutionary ways during a time when women were not valued as writers. Female writers today have many bold writers to be thankful for.
One of my favorite books I read last year is The Language of Flowers, written by Vanessa Diffenbaugh. The book is beautifully written and a very realistic account of life and love. She is not only a great writer, but has also dedicated her life to helping others. She teaches art and writing to youth in low-income communities, and founded the Camellia Network, a nonprofit organization that supports youth transitioning from foster care. Her lifestyle is very much reflected in her writing.
