Inspiration

I've been stuck over the past week for something to write about. The novel is still going strong, the characters are learning and loving and losing, but I can't put my finger on what exactly has propelled me in this activity. Perhaps it's the first week of university throwing me off (that's right, I've FINALLY started classes). Either way, I decided that the best way to move forward would actually be to take a step back and explore my inspirations. Below are six of my most favourite books by six of the most fabulous authors currently working and all of them have had a huge impact on my style of writing. For one thing, they all write about my most common subject: the dysfunctional family.

1.

Gerard Woodward - I'll Go To Bed at Noon

 

I first read this book in 2007 while studying at Sheffield University and its portrayal of a family in crisis almost broke my heart. Woodward has a beautiful sense of comedic tragedy which softened the altogether soul destroying narrative but what I remember most isn't the sadness or loss. It's the strength of stubborn family love through almost insurmountable odds. 

2.

E. Annie Proulx - The Shipping News

 

Annie Proulx, I hear you all sigh. An obvious choice but an important one none the less. I read this book in 2003 during high school and have reread it almost every year since then. Proulx writes absolutely miserable stories but I chose The Shipping News because it shows a man rebuilding a family from the shreds of one long lost. There is hope within the hurt and the promise that family is something that can be recovered.

3. 

Gail Anderson-Dargatz - The Cure for Death by Lightning 

This book is particularly special as it was the basis of my third year creative writing degree thesis in 2008. I'd never heard of Dargatz before stumbling into my local second hand book store and seeing the cover (yes, I do judge books by their covers) but discovering her writing was a blessing. This book is shocking and brutally upsetting but it's an excellent example of family crimes that allow no redemption and roads that once walked can not be swept clean.

4. 

A. M. Homes - Music for Torching

Another discovery in 2007 at Sheffield University, Music for Torching is an unusual book and one I didn't really understand until the final page. It navigates a family tragedy before it occurs, delicately describing the joys and disappointments that lead to a truly heart-breaking calamity.

5.

Miriam Toews - A Complicated Kindness

I have one of my lecturers at Wollongong University to thank for this rare discovery in 2008. This book is so poignantly written that I immediately went out and bought her entire opus. Unfortunately, her other books weren't as memorable but A Complicated Kindness remains one of the books that most shaped my writing style. Its protagonist watches as her family abandon her one by one and the strength and shame of this character is a touching mix.

6.

Tim Winton - Cloudstreet

This is a controversial choice as readers tend to either love or hate this book. I loved it. From the first moment I read it in 2004 I thought it was one of the most beautiful family sagas ever written. Few other novels manage to capture such a large breadth of time while staying so true to the characters within those years. I can only hope my book, spanning three decades, comes close to such honesty.

Now I want to hear from you, my readers. What are the books that shaped you? Are there any on my list you agree with? Maybe we could have a mouthy debate over one or two of them? Share your novel soul with me and I'll meet you half way.

Lara S.