David Shrauger
That is one of those tough questions! I am a big believer in Bloom's "Anxiety of Influence" and that any writer is necessarily part of an ongoing discourse that includes the voice of all those who went before. Therefore, a writer will often just rattle off the name of someone that they admire while being completely unaware of who is really an influence on them. There is probably no one less qualified to analyze my writing and draw forth an influential voice than I am.
With that being said I have really been inspired by the writing of Thomas Harris, and I would love to be able to write a book like Black Sunday or Red Dragon. If I could write one book like that I would die happy. I also was blown away by the writing of David Morell, especially First Blood. My literary man-crush will always be Jack London, and his stories were the first stories that got by blood pumping as a young reader. I still get chills when I read "A piece of steak" or "To build a fire." I have also probably read more George R.R. Martin than is healthy. His Song of Fire and Ice is getting him well-deserved noteriety, but his Wild Card book series is highly underrated and would make an INSANE HBO series.
I have to give a little shout-out to the bad influences. They are as important as the good ones. Tom Clancy, Don Pendelton, and their various crawling clones are my guilty pleasure.
With that being said I have really been inspired by the writing of Thomas Harris, and I would love to be able to write a book like Black Sunday or Red Dragon. If I could write one book like that I would die happy. I also was blown away by the writing of David Morell, especially First Blood. My literary man-crush will always be Jack London, and his stories were the first stories that got by blood pumping as a young reader. I still get chills when I read "A piece of steak" or "To build a fire." I have also probably read more George R.R. Martin than is healthy. His Song of Fire and Ice is getting him well-deserved noteriety, but his Wild Card book series is highly underrated and would make an INSANE HBO series.
I have to give a little shout-out to the bad influences. They are as important as the good ones. Tom Clancy, Don Pendelton, and their various crawling clones are my guilty pleasure.
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