Tuesday, May 15, 2012

What I Aspire To

I recently finished Patrick Rothfuss's Name of The Wind. It's an epic novel. I typically don't read much fantasy, but this drew me in from page one. I was invested in Kvothe's life, in the hero he becomes. Despite the hefty size of the novel, I did not want it to end (and luckily it won't because there are multiple books in this amazing series).

But it got me thinking. What is it that I adore about this book so much? And what is it that adore about most books? John Irving has long been one of my favorite authors, especially his classic novel The World According to Garp. And while Irving and Rothfuss clearly write very different tales, they do have something in common: they write stories that dive deeply into someone's life, the heartbreak, the joys, and everything in between. They pull the skin of their character's over their head, literally getting inside of them and figuring out who they are inside and out. As such, the world building is amazing, and they make be believe in these characters and their plights.

That's what I want for my writing. I want to know my characters inside and out. I want to develop worlds that seem like they really and truly exist. That's what I strive for, each and every day I write. That what's I aspire to.

What writers do you like up to, and why?