Influence.

First of all I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who stopped by to check out the US cover. From the comments I have been receiving, it looks like the cover really gets across my story extremely well. Which is really a huge testament to John Rocco's ability as an artist (can you tell I am in utter awe of the man?) Now I only have to hope the inside lives up to the outside!

Okay onto today's post. Today I wanted to write a bit about my writing influences, and then sort of open it up to discussion. I always love hearing about who inspired people to write, and sometimes it can come from the strangest places.

(The reason that I thought I would talk a bit about this was because I was filling in an author questionnaire for my Canadian publishers, and had to answer that question. I am nothing if not derivative.)

This is what I wrote - ehem:

As far as writing influences go, I would have to cite a few authors. Obviously the authors of the classic kid books, AA Milne, CS Lewis, Lewis Carroll, JM Barrie etc were very important to me. It is pretty evident that my novel owes a lot to Alice in Wonderland, not only in story structure, but also in the way that Lewis Carroll satirized the politics of the time through his characters. I too satirize my life: my obsession with the Lord of the Rings movies behind the scenes documentaries, my temp jobs and having to virtually read the minds of my bosses, my love of classic films and plays and their actors . . .

A Series of Unfortunate Events inspired me to write in Magical Realism.

The Adventure Series by Enid Blyton, though woefully politically incorrect, was a huge favourite of mine growing up and I think really inspired that whole adventure story concept.

And of course the classic nautical films (since I love my movies) of the classic nautical books, Mutiny on the Bounty, and the mini series of the Horatio Hornblower series inspired all the sea faring stuff (along with that classic: Muppet Treasure Island).

But of all the authors out there the one who influenced me the most would have to be Douglas Adams. You see my dad would always read to me before bed, and because he was an English teacher he read me all the classics. Then one night he started reading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and it was unlike anything I had ever come across before. It was wacky and different, and played with the rules. Adams saw things from a completely different perspective, and wrote in a very straightforward manner as if everything he was telling us was perfectly normal. I loved the books. And that moment of revelation, of playing with writing as opposed to 'just' writing stayed with me ever since. I would love to be the Douglas Adams for kids. That is of course, reaching way up high above me. But I figure there is no harm in trying.

So there you have it! Now it is your turn. Who and what influences you in your writing, your work in general?

And . . . go!