What Are You Reading?
I’ve been asked to speak on a panel at the upcoming ThrillerFest X in NYC. The topic is “MUSIC, TELEVISION, OR PEOPLE WATCHING? Finding Inspiration to Write.” I think this is a great topic. It should be a lot of fun hearing what the rest of the panel has to say. I’m pretty much influenced by all three, and then some.
Music
I HAVE to listen to music whenever I write (or paint or do anything creative). Music helps my mind wander and stay open to new possibilities. There’s actually scientific proof that music can help unlock creativity. You can read more about that in this article here.
Music can also help tell a story in a powerful way. A title of a familiar song can automatically bring up certain feelings in a scene. If a character overhears Led Zeppelins’ Going to California while sitting in a coffee house and suddenly becomes nostalgic, a reader from his generation can probably relate. Music can bring to mind a time, a memory, a heartache.
Television
As for TV, growing up, everything from Colombo to The X Files influenced my love for mysteries. I’m a huge fan of Turner Classic Movies (TMC). I can watch Murder on the Orient Express, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, Rear Window or North by Northwest over and over again. I also go gaga for Game of Thrones. I love watching all of those beautiful, powerful women characters go head to head with their male counterparts.
People Watching
People watching is a given when you’re a writer. It’s important to be aware of all your surroundings in general. The only way to write about people’s characteristics is to observe them. You need to eavesdrop and watch their mannerisms, their facial expressions, their ticks, how they pause when they speak, how the use their hands or other body language.
Books
But, of all the places I find inspiration to write, reading books is the most influential for me. It was right after I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when I became inspired to write my own novel. The masterful way Stieg Larsson wrote the story of the troubled Lisbeth Salander made me want to create my own mystery of a tortured, but strong and resilient female character.
Right now I’m reading two books.
One is non-fiction, called The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler. It’s an in-depth analysis of the structure of storytelling. I probably should have read this a long time ago, but, I must say, a lot of the information the author gives is somewhat innate to those who have paid attention to what makes a story work. It’s still very interesting and it will definitely help me develop my writing skills, especially because I like to use an outline and plot out a story before I start writing.
The other book I just started reading is Ian Rankin’s Standing in Another Man’s Grave. I love just about anything Ian Rankin writes. He’s a best-selling mystery crime fiction writer from Scotland best known for his long running series character, John Rebus. Rankin’s Inspector Rebus novels are set mainly in Edinburgh. The back cover description says Standing in Another Man’s Grave is a riveting story of sin, redemption, and revenge. That’s right up my alley!
What about you? What are your reading right now? Anything you recommend? I’d love to hear from you!
