Friday, June 24, 2011

Inspired to Read

One thing that inspired my writing was reading. Back in 2007, I super got into reading. Nope, I wasn’t a prodigy child who read everything I could get my hands on. It just wasn’t my thing at the time. 

My thing was watching Nick-at-Nite when it REALLY had the good classics like the Dick Van Dyke Show and Get Smart. 

Ok, tangent. I really liked infomercials, too. Back to the point, now.

I can say with complete confidence the Twilight series was the pivotal point where I realized the value of reading. That series opened my mind to the creative power of words. I kept reading other books until I was carrying one in my bag all the time.

So, my grammar/punctuation guru beta said it would take him some time to read my manuscript because he gets sidetracked—just can’t focus on one thing for a long time. Within a week (he told me it would take a month) he’d finished my novel and with rave reviews. The following day he asked me if I had any book suggestions. I asked what he liked to read. He said 1984 was a fav. I instantly knew he’d enjoy a dystopian book. Now he has my copy of Across the Universe by Beth Revis in hand.

While I talked to him, he said that my book sort of inspired him to read. Hearing that was like fireworks exploding out of my ears, possibly nose, too. I was beaming and sort of wanted to cry. One of the purposes of my writing is to inspire people to read. It happened to me, and I want it to happen to others.

Words really do have immense power.

I’m glad to say my novel has been an inspiration to someone, and hopefully my other beta’s, too. I hope it can inspire many people to read as well. And I know it WILL be published one day. Look out world; I’m on my way. Uh, or at least to bookshelves.

Which books have inspired you to read? Or for that matter write?

10 comments:

  1. Anonymous said...The book that inspired me to get back into reading after all those years in college reading for work not for fun, was the Goose Girl an excellent book by Shannon Hale and given to me on my birthday by...you!

    I have been reading for pleasure and fun ever since. Thanks Julia for getting me back into reading.

    And, I love the review on your book, I can't wait to see it in print!

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  2. Yah, Lizers! I am so happy that Goose Girl got you back into reading. BTW: I love Goose Girl. Everyone should read it. Like right NOW! Thanks dearest old roommate! Love to you from me!

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  3. Goose girl? *minimising blog to go and google*...

    Great post Jules!

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  4. The book that inspired me to read was HARRY POTTER. You can be 8 or 18 or 80....you are going to love it no matter what!

    Awesome post....got me thinking :)

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  5. Yes, Jen, you MUST read Goose Girl. It's a series of four books. Totally fantastic. Shannon Hale's books rock!

    Hiba008 - Yes, those HP books were an inspiration, too! Gotta love em. You should listen to them on audio book. Jim Dale is superb!

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  6. Although I'm an avid reader now, like you, I didn't read all that much when I was a kid. I suffered through the required reading in school which totally turned me off from books. Why do school do that?? I remember sleeping through the Awakening about a woman trying to escape a bad marriage -- like that's real appropriate for a 7th grader! I don't care if it's a "classic".

    I would say I really found the love of reading when I read John Grisham's Time to Kill. And it was no stopping me from there. What inspired me to write? Probably JK Rowling. She built such epic awesomeness. And then reading Ken Follet's brilliant Pillars of the Earth I was just in awe of his writing prowess. I was almost disheartened thinking I could NEVER EVER write as good as him.

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  7. Uh, wow. That's the exact thing that happened to me! Twilight got me into reading.

    Until summer 2008, I didn't read at all (though when I was in grade 1 and 2 I apparently loved reading). It happened at the end of grade 10 when I was probably at my lowest--I'd pretty much dropped out of school--and I had nothing better to do. My mom got me "Twilight" for my birthday and it just sort of snowballed from there. I put reading before school, before sleep even.

    Now, I can't go a day without reading, and since I've officially dropped out of high school, I can read and sleep whenever I want!

    HP (J.K. Rowling) and PJO (Rick Riordan) inspired me to write. I don't know why, though. Maybe because HP is so epic and PJO is so funny.

    - Megan Conway

    (Oh, and if any high school students are reading this: Stay in school!)

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  8. Ella - Yep, if I were a school teacher, I'd at least pick books that the students really would enjoy. Yes, the classics are way important but, seriously, kids need to learn how to love to read. I may just have them read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White cuz it would pique their interest in reading. But one of my fav books I read in 11th grade English called "My Name is Asher Lev."
    Megan - Glad I'm not the only one that didn't exactly like reading until the Twilight books. Shephenie Meyer knew what she was doing when she had the idea for it. Love your last sentence. Yes, kids stay in school. hehe

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  9. I've always been a big fantasy reader, and I've always enjoyed contemporary reads, though I never really got into the YA buzz books. It wasn't until I picked up a copy of Paranormalcy that I began reading paranormal books and other buzz books.

    As for what inspired me to write... it's more of an overall fondness of spinning stories than any one book :)

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  10. Kris - I LOVE Paranormalcy. It is probably one of the books that got me reading lots of YA stuff. Spinning stories is a great inspiration to write!

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