Daydreamer of Messy Love Stories

The 2 Books That Inspired Me to Write

The 2 Books That Inspired Me to Write

In my previous post, I discussed how I went from daydreamer to writer. In the beginning, writing was a hobby, but since I’m a perfectionist, I did some research. I stumbled upon a free ebook about writing fiction and show vs. tell. I remember feeling discouraged. Creative writing was harder than I had envisioned. Without any experience or training, how could I even consider becoming a writer?

I stopped writing and focused on my impending wedding. Months later, two books would eventually change my life.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

On-Writing-Book-Cover

I’d been a longtime fan of Stephen King, especially the movies and miniseries based on his work. Carrie and Firestarter were childhood favorites. As an adult, I read his newest books, and really enjoyed them. This memoir kept popping up in my recommendations, and I finally read it.

Mr. King assured me that all I needed to become a good writer, was “read a lot and write a lot.” I didn’t need a degree in creative writing. I also didn’t need to do extensive research because “research is backstory.” He said, “tell your truth.” And that’s what I did.

Faking It by Elisa Lorello

I’d read this novel years before and remembered how it included some writing tips. Andy is a professor in creative writing who hires an escort to teach her about sex. In exchange, she gives him writing lessons. There are samples of Devin’s writing throughout the book, and you can see how he grows as a writer. I decided to reread the novel, now paying attention to the writing lessons.

Originally, I wanted to write a memoir, and I thought the tips included in the novel would help. But then this merged into writing fiction, and like Stephen King says – I should read a lot. The novel is women’s fiction with romantic elements, exactly the type of novel I wanted to write.

I sent an email to Ms. Lorello, telling her how much I loved the book and a little about my journey. I asked for her advice, and she kindly wrote me back. She was encouraging, told me to read On Writing, which I’d already read, and most importantly, told me to join a community of writers.

This was key. Now I know that without the feedback of other writers, you can’t know what works and what doesn’t. But how could I join a community when I lived in Germany and didn’t know any other writers? Her advice propelled me to find a community online, which led me to Scribophile.

And the rest is history.

What books and/or authors have inspired your writing?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I accept the Privacy Policy

Coming
July 18, 2023

One Tough Cookie Cover depicting flowers, leaves, sunglasses, apron, baking utensils, and a clipboard

ONE TOUGH COOKIE is foodie women’s fiction set a cookie company featuring a Latina Fleabag.

Subscribe to my Newsletter

Get updates and exclusive content. You will also receive a free short story featuring characters from ONE TOUGH COOKIE!

Recent Posts

Categories

Related Posts

My Top Writing Resources Post Image

My Top Writing Resources

When I started writing, I was a pantser before knowing that word existed. I wrote what came to mind. But later I learned about structure

How I Got My First Book Deal Post Image

How I Got My First Book Deal

After two books and six years, I finally got a book deal! My debut novel, ONE TOUGH COOKIE, comes out on July 18. Here’s how

The Faith To Keep Going Post Image

The Faith to Keep Going

Note: This essay originally appeared on the Writer Fairys website on September 24, 2019. Since that website has ceased to exist, I’m posting it here

LOST IN YOU

Get a Free Short Story

Featuring characters from ONE TOUGH COOKIE.

A woman who lives for her husband is confronted with how lost she is while he’s away on a business trip.