So I'm in Austin right now visiting my older sister and, tragically, as I was rushing out the door I forgot to make sure my Scrivener manuscript transferred successfully to my laptop. It's especially frustrating since I'm bursting with inspiration to work on my manuscript. Oh well, tomorrow when I get home I'll pump out the words.
Since I've found myself in this predicament, my mind can't help but wander to topics I've become motivated enough to blog about. Yesterday I rambled about Mary Sues, today I'm feeling nostalgic.
While sipping my coffee this morning I started thinking about the books from my childhood that inspired me, not to write, but to read. These were the books that made me a reader. I've often looked back at my childhood books in the past because of how inspiring they can be for my writing. I love to look back on the nostalgic feeling of what first made me feel so deeply from just absorbing words on a page. It's amazing how often I can go back to a book I read in eighth grade and see how much it still holds up. What's more, I can analyze said book from eighth grade and get out of that uninspired writer's block that has me stumped.
We all have our favorites, mine personally was Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
I can't tell you how many times I've reread this book, because I honestly lost count. Remember when Blue Bonnet Books were all the rage as curriculum in grade schools? Yeah me too, and this was the best of them all--at least in my opinion. If you haven't read Ryan's short novel its a wonderfully tragic and courageous story you really should encounter at least once in your life.
I can distinctly remember how I still reread this book while everyone else was all the rage for J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter--which we also read in school.
No offense of course, I was quick to catch on to the Harry Potter rage myself (thanks to a Potter-Head friend, I took the Pottermore quiz and found out I'm a proud Hufflepuff).
There's inspiration to be found in what inspired you to read in the first place. It's something I realize that I've strived to do in my own writing, strive for achieving that same impact the stories of my childhood had. To encourage new readers to believe that they can gain something from reading a book. It's world changing to become a book nerd, addicting and so very rewarding. It's entertainment you just can't let go, and adventures that simply feel so much more intimate that playing a video game or watching a movie, probably because you know not everyone is indulging in the same form of entertainment. So whether you are just an avid reader or a writer who likes to study your own version of the classics, it's definitely a nostalgic venue worth pursuing.