Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Sunday Salon: 25 Influential Writers

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you all have many reading pleasures planned for your day!

As for me, I received a bunch of books in the mail I'm really looking forward to reading, but sadly, I can't read them all at once. I think I will be spending most of today in Galway Bay.

I saw this fun meme over at Dorothy's site and decided to see if I could come up with 25 writers who have influenced me. These are the instructions: "name 25 writers who have influenced you. These are not necessarily your favorite writers or those you most admire, but writers who have influenced you." Influence me how? I ask. In writing? In thought? In reading pattern? In actual things I spend my day doing? Fiction writers or non-fiction? Since it was all a little unclear, I went with writers both fiction and non who have influenced me in some way. Whether it be reading patterns, thought processes, etc. I also threw in one who was my professor in college and isn't actually published, and one who had a book contract but backed out of it and is really just a blogger. But his blog majorly influenced me and revolutionized how I think about so many things.

Laura Ingalls Wilder
C.S. Lewis
Roald Dahl
Ann M. Martin
Charlotte Bronte
Mark Twain
Edgar Allan Poe
Anne Rice
L.J. Smith
Hermann Hesse
Francine Rivers
Lisa Samson
Ravi Zacharias
Robert Wetmore
Shaun Groves
Sophie Kinsella
J.K. Rowling
Angela Hunt
Frederick Buechner
Philip Yancey
Henri Nouwen
Shusaku Endo
Tennessee Williams
Amy Tan
Eve Bunting

Kind of a weird list, really. A lot of Christian thinkers who have influenced how I see God, some classic writers, and then others like J.K. Rowling, whose books were the first I ever bought in hardcover and who sent me to the internet searching for information. And of course the books I heard/read as a child that are so much a part of me!

I know I've seen a few others do this meme. Feel free to leave your link in comments if you have done it!



Amy

15 comments:

serendipity_viv said...

Great list - I think my list would have quite a few of the same names.

Alix said...

Great meme, although I haven't heard of half the writers - opps!

Beth Kephart said...

Wow. What a question. Have brave to try to answer the question. And what a great list. I'd love to know how Poe influenced you.... :)

Ana S. said...

Anne Rice would be at the top of my list for sure. She had such a HUGE impact on my teenage self. And that still shows today.

Beth F said...

Interesting list. We overlap for some authors, but I'm unfamiliar with several-- I'm guessing at least some of those are Christian thinkers.

Anonymous said...

I have many of the same names that you have. I would add Louisa May Alcott to my list as well. I just might have to take part in this meme. It's a nice way to show some love to authors who have enriched my life.

TexasRed said...

These are great. There would be lots of overlap on my list, but some of these authors I'll have to check out. Let me think about my list and I'll link back here when it's ready.

samantha.1020 said...

There are some great authors on this list. I know what you mean about having too many books that you want to read. I just can't find enough time to read 'em all :)

Ruth King said...

I would list many of the same authors. In particular: Ann M. Martin (My love of series books is all her fault!), Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, J.K. Rowling and C.S. Lewis.

Gavin said...

Wonderful list, a few of ours overlap!

Karen Harrington said...

Great, diverse list. I enjoyed perusing those names.

Susan said...

Here's my link, I just completed it on my blog: http://susanflynn.blogspot.com/2009/03/sunday-salon-25-most-influential.html It was fun to do, wasn't it? I left off authors I liked but didn't feel influenced me, and I'm sure I forgot some who did (or don't recognize that they have....)

Ali said...

I don't know if I could come up with 25! In terms of writing style, J.D. Salinger would have to be on my list. There are a few bloggers who would be on there, too, but I'd never admit it publicly, LOL.

Jenny Girl said...

Laura Ingalls Wilder...loved every book. Devoured them actually.
Never read C.S.Lewis although I always wanted to.
And there are a few others we have in common. Great list, becasue I'm not sure I could come up with 25.

Amy said...

Scrap girl...cool!

Alexa...oh it's a very strange mix trust me.

Beth..in so many ways. He was my first scary writer!

Nymeth...oh yes. Me, too!!!

Beth..well a few are sort of made-up lol. :) yes several Christian thinkers.

Jennifer...I love Louisa May Alcott...and actually she really did influence my life because I'm named after Amy in Little Women.

TexasRed...I look forward to reading you list!

Samantha...there will never be enough time!

Ruth...I'm so glad you agree with Ann M. Martin..I felt a little goofy listing her, but it's so true!

Gavin..thanks and cool!

Karen...thanks for reading!

Susan..yours are so serious! I feel like a flake, ;)

Ali..it was actually pretty hard and then it got easier.

Jenny..I know. Laura Ingalls Wilder has probably influenced so many girls!!

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