# Writers That You Emulate



## Altamont (Feb 16, 2011)

It has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, and truth be told, all of us here have developed our styles by reading the works of other writers and shaping their styles into our own.

What I want to know is if there are any writers that you all have chosen to consciously emulate over others, styles that'd you'd like to experiment with.

Lately, the two authors I get the most inspiration from are Vonnegut and Joyce; I want desperately to be able to achieve affecting humor on the level Vonnegut does, and Joyce's experiments with stream of consciousness and subverting the typical trope of contemporaneous fiction allure me to no end


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## Ley (Feb 16, 2011)

Honestly.. I'd love to emulate Stephen Kings style whenever I do horror stories, or at least parts of horror in my comic book. 
      I mean, I can sit through any scary movie and yawn, but whenever I read his books I have severe anxiety for the next couple days. (Or Dean Koontz, but I find his characters to always be tall, strapping, handsome men or tall, beautiful women, but that's just me)
    I was once told I have a writing style similar to Douglas Adams. 'Course, I freaked because I freakin' love A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galyxey <33 But I want to try to write in his style more often.


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## Winter (Feb 16, 2011)

I try not to consciously emulate others, but I have a few writers whose style I admire and let inspire me. Arthur C Clarke, Ray Bradbuty, Mark Twain to mention a few.


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## Poetigress (Feb 16, 2011)

I don't usually consciously emulate other writers unless I'm writing something meant as an homage in some way -- for example, with "The Tiger's Son" I had to imitate Kipling's style for the story to really work, and I was aware of echoing Felix Salten somewhat when I wrote "In the Greenwood." 

I would probably count Ray Bradbury and Stephen King among my general influences, but I've read and enjoyed so many authors' works over the years that it's difficult for me to pin down who's influenced me in what ways, except by looking at specific pieces I've written and seeing reflections here and there of stories and characters I've loved.


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## Altamont (Feb 16, 2011)

Stephen Kin has been a huge source of inspiration to me as well, especially in his crafting of characters  The man can have a character in a book for only a few pages and still create a three-dimensional human being.


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## Ley (Feb 16, 2011)

Altamont said:


> Stephen Kin has been a huge source of inspiration to me as well, especially in his crafting of characters  The man can have a character in a book for only a few pages and still create a three-dimensional human being.



My most favorite character he's ever had was Ted from Rage and Bart from Roadwork. It's the really, really early books he wrote when he was Richard Bachman. <3

Which of his characters were your favorites?


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## Icky (Feb 16, 2011)

Oh goddammit do I have to be another one to say King and Bradbury. Ugh, I feel like a tool.


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## Monster. (Feb 16, 2011)

Edgar Allen Poe. Don't ask why, I just try to emulate him and it usually works (since I seem to get really high marks on my English classes) though if I get _too_ advanced/detailed in my writing, I get lower grades because my school is full of idiots.


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## Ley (Feb 16, 2011)

Gaz said:


> Edgar Allen Poe. Don't ask why, I just try to emulate him and it usually works (since I seem to get really high marks on my English classes) though if I get _too_ advanced/detailed in my writing, I get lower grades because my school is full of idiots.



I feel horrible that I forgot about my favorite poet. God bless it. 

While I'm here, Eoin Colfer, Madeleine L'Engle, and Christopher Paolini are also favorites.


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## sunandshadow (Feb 16, 2011)

Other than anime scriptwriters, I mainly look to female writers of science fiction and fantasy - Cherryh, Friedman, Scott, McCaffrey, Lackey.


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## The Anarchectomy (Feb 16, 2011)

Ray Bradbury, George Orwell, Clive Barker and Thomas Pynchon. I want to be an unholy combination of these, with a dash of Edgar Allen Poe.


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## M. LeRenard (Feb 16, 2011)

At this point, I'd have to say I don't try to emulate any writers.  I tend to just write now in the way I usually talk, except quite a bit more fluidly and with a bit better vocabulary.  I do want to be able to write in that really captivating, easy to understand way that King and Rowling do, though, but not necessarily in their styles.  I don't think I could emulate King's growing-up-in-the-50s mannerisms, unfortunately, so I'm stuck with my growing-up-in-the-90s mannerisms instead, which probably aren't as charming.
And anyway, everyone wants to be able to write like Ray Bradbury, so that doesn't even count.  I'd personally like to be able to write like Umberto Eco, just because then I'd sound like a pompous douchebag and I'd be swimming in literary awards.


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## TakeWalker (Feb 16, 2011)

Whoever I read last will seep into my writing. I'm not nearly good enough to be able to say, "I'm going to write like so-and-so today."


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## ShÃ nwÃ ng (Feb 16, 2011)

I don't actively try to emulate any writer's style but if I did/could I'd try to mix John Steinbeck and Cormac McCarthy.


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## Altamont (Feb 16, 2011)

Leybun said:


> My most favorite character he's ever had was Ted from Rage and Bart from Roadwork. It's the really, really early books he wrote when he was Richard Bachman. <3
> 
> Which of his characters were your favorites?



Agh, so many to choose from!!!!

Well, pretty much every one of the characters from It (especially Bill Denborough and Mike Hanlon), Henry James and Shannon Cotterie from the novella 1922, and...hm...man, I can't not mention the supreme greatness of Jake Chambers from the Dark Tower series.


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## theLight (Feb 16, 2011)

If I read any Salinger, my writing reeks of him. Absolutely love his style, but it's so infectious. I think the feelings of copying another style are just in one's head. Over-analyzing your own work and nitpicking whatever you think you see as another author's style. Emulation isn't bad either.


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## Scarborough (Feb 16, 2011)

We prefer the phrase "writers who have influenced you". :l

Kidding, of course. I feel like my writing's highly influenced by David Foster Wallace, Dave Eggers, Donald Barthelme, and that crew. Experimental and wonky and trying to tug at your heart strings without you knowing that that's what's happening.


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## Tolgron (Feb 17, 2011)

TakeWalker said:


> Whoever I read last will seep into my writing. I'm not nearly good enough to be able to say, "I'm going to write like so-and-so today."


 
Same; I notice that the voice and style of whoever I've read recently will usually reflect in my own stuff. There's probably some psychological/sociological theory behind it or something. Usually I find I draw mostly from Terry Pratchett, but I'm starting to think that this is becoming noticeably less visible as I mature as a writer. It's a shame, since I find being influenced by someone and showing it in what you is almost like a homage to them, yet at the same time it can be agreed upon that you should always strive to stand on your own two feet as much as possible rather than lean on the works of others. No matter how much you may enjoy them.


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## Kadrian (Feb 17, 2011)

I don't try to emulate anyone when I write.  I just try to write like I know what I'm doing.  Nobody has ever told me that my writing reminds them of anyone.


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## reian (Feb 21, 2011)

I have read so many Star Wars books that I feel that my style could reflect from them.


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## Daisy La Liebre (Feb 22, 2011)

John Steinbeck is a big influence on me. I learned a lot of symbolism from him.


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## Love! (Feb 22, 2011)

I really like the way Neal Stephenson writes, but I don't think I usually emulate his style. Probably closer to the way Stephen King wrote the _Dark Tower_ series.


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## Altamont (Feb 22, 2011)

Love! said:


> I really like the way Neal Stephenson writes, but I don't think I usually emulate his style. Probably closer to the way Stephen King wrote the _Dark Tower_ series.



The Dark Tower has really influenced me as well, especially in the way King brings life to even the smallest of events or side-characters.

I have to say I've also been influenced by a lot of non-literary sources too; LOST really imbued in me a love of the episodic format that I've been experimenting with lately. I just think it's an awesome way to tell interesting varied stories while building on the development of certain characters.


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## Gavrill (Feb 22, 2011)

I'm more influenced by visual media when it comes to ideas. When it comes to writing styles, I guess when I actually write I take a bit from Stephen King and maybe a bit from Brian Jacques (I absolutely love playing around with dialects).


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## Drass (Feb 22, 2011)

Chalk another one up to Stephen King


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## Aeturnus (Feb 22, 2011)

My biggest influence is James Patterson, but I'm also influenced by Sue Henry, Jane Lindskold, Brian Jacques and a few others. Right now I'm enjoying Scott Lynch's style. Although I'm not a fan of his(how many points am I going to lose with that?), 'On Writing' by Stephen King is another strong source of influence, especially when it comes to writing in present tense, or trying to anyway, and keeping things to the point.


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## Love! (Feb 23, 2011)

Altamont said:


> The Dark Tower has really influenced me as well, especially in the way King brings life to even the smallest of events or side-characters.


Ah? See, for me, it was more the way--toward the end, especially--the style of writing took on a kind of folksy, this-story-is-actually-being-told-by-somebody feel. I like that--where the line between narrator and narrative blurs.

On a related note, I've also recently fallen madly in love with the _Dexter_ novels by Jeff Lindsay. In...many senses of the term. I'm not sure whether it's because I love well-crafted works of words [which is a large part of why I love Emilie Autumn's music] or because charismatic, sardonic killers who look like Michael C. Hall turn me on. Probably both... 



> I have to say I've also been influenced by a lot of non-literary sources too; LOST really imbued in me a love of the episodic format that I've been experimenting with lately. I just think it's an awesome way to tell interesting varied stories while building on the development of certain characters.


Comic books do that too. At least, the ones I read do.


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## Altamont (Feb 23, 2011)

Love! said:


> Ah? See, for me, it was more the way--toward the end, especially--the style of writing took on a kind of folksy, this-story-is-actually-being-told-by-somebody feel. I like that--where the line between narrator and narrative blurs.



Oh me too; and it's so hard to put yourself in your own book without seeming ridiculously pretentious. The only other authors I've ever read who pull it off with any realy success are Tim O'Brien in _The Things They Carried_ and Kurt Vonnegut in _Breakfast of Champions_.

I'm actually attempting to do something kinda similar in my Anthrofiction COntest entry this year...


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## Love! (Feb 25, 2011)

Altamont said:


> Oh me too; and it's so hard to put yourself in your own book without seeming ridiculously pretentious.


Ah! See, I really hated how he actually put himself in as a character. That was when I knew the books were starting to go downhill. To be honest, I stopped reading volume seven after 



Spoiler: The Dark Tower



Eddie and Jake died


, and I don't regret that for a minute, since 



Spoiler: Ending



ending with the main character back at the beginning is not an ending at all


. But it really annoyed me how he made himself a character.

It's one thing to be the narrator, but to be the author, the first-person narrator, _and_ a third-person character is just awful. Especially since Roland is _canonically_ a Gary Stu/Author Avatar. :-T



> The only other authors I've ever read who pull it off with any realy success are Tim O'Brien in _The Things They Carried_ and Kurt Vonnegut in _Breakfast of Champions_.


I've never read either of those. Probably should, once I've finished with the _Dexter_ novels.



> I'm actually attempting to do something kinda similar in my Anthrofiction COntest entry this year...


 ???


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## M. LeRenard (Feb 25, 2011)

I wasn't real thrilled with the self-insertion in _The Dark Tower_ myself.  Just felt awkward and made the whole thing lose a lot of its fantasy/otherworld feel to it.  The ending, though, I don't think he could have done it any other way.  Honestly, if it were me, that's how I would have ended it, too.  Anything else would be a huge letdown.
Really, King is good at doing that.  He builds up these incredible expectations and mysteries, to the point that no matter what he does, it always ends up being something of a 'So what, that's it?' kind of moment.  What I'd like to be able to do is to somehow get the pent up mystery that he gets, but still manage to make the ending satisfying.  I don't know if it's possible, though.


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## Altamont (Feb 26, 2011)

Oh, I can certainly see how one could be put-off by the obviously self-indulgent self insertion in TDK, but I always personally found it fascinating that King would use the series to demonstrate the importance of the craft in his life 

And in regard to Love!'s question, I was thinking of doing a series of short stories about a fictional city of mine called Haven, with myself being the narrator that frames the stories together.


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## Love! (Feb 26, 2011)

M. Le Renard said:


> I wasn't real thrilled with the self-insertion in _The Dark Tower_ myself.  Just felt awkward and made the whole thing lose a lot of its fantasy/otherworld feel to it.  The ending, though, I don't think he could have done it any other way.  Honestly, if it were me, that's how I would have ended it, too.  Anything else would be a huge letdown.
> Really, King is good at doing that.  He builds up these incredible expectations and mysteries, to the point that no matter what he does, it always ends up being something of a 'So what, that's it?' kind of moment.  What I'd like to be able to do is to somehow get the pent up mystery that he gets, but still manage to make the ending satisfying.  I don't know if it's possible, though.


 probably is
i really don't think he's as great as everyone says

like i said
the only thing of his i really enjoyed was _the dark tower_
and even that fell short of being truly great [in the way classics like _a clockwork orange_ and such are truly great]


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## Cain (Feb 27, 2011)

I've tried writing about 100 pages of a Dan Brown-style book, gave the first 100 pages to my friends, and well... It didn't go well.
But Dan Brown is just fantastic though.


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## Love! (Mar 1, 2011)

I just started reading _The Bell Jar_ today, and it hit me like a row of bookshelves that, at least for the stories I never show anybody, I write like Sylvia Plath.

I'm not sure how to feel about this. I certainly don't want to someday have a novel published and be declared "the next Sylvia Plath" by some well-meaning but overenthusiastic reviewer. But it's kind of nice all the same.


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## Alekz (Mar 2, 2011)

I'm more of a world builder than I am a writer, but the author that's had the most influence on that is definitely Heinlein.


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## Tabasco (Mar 5, 2011)

King's short stories were what inspired me to give that brand a go. I'd never read many short stories that packed a punch until I stumbled across his collections.

Is it strange that I'm a King fan and have never read Dark Tower?


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## Altamont (Mar 6, 2011)

Blues said:


> King's short stories were what inspired me to give that brand a go. I'd never read many short stories that packed a punch until I stumbled across his collections.
> 
> Is it strange that I'm a King fan and have never read Dark Tower?



Not at all; there's plenty of King fan's who've never tackled the Tower  They're certainly very strange, even for King, and that's saying a lot.


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## buni (Mar 7, 2011)

I'd like to think that I take inspiration from Alan Dean Foster and William Mark Gardner. The _Spellsinger_ series played a huge part of my high school years, as did the _M.Y.T.H. Adventures_. Piers Anthony had his hands in there as well, I'm sure; I never got into Xanth, but I did enjoy the Incarnations and the first half of the Phaze cycle.


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## FallenGlory (Apr 3, 2011)

tiny bump, maybe?

I was told that I write like Harry Harrison, though I've never read anything by him or even heard of him, but, apparently I do :3


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## Nameless Vixen (Apr 4, 2011)

I can't say I emulate any author in particular. George R. R. Martin comes to mind, but I was writing before I read his stuff, and I feel I can do better than even him.  Cocky statement, I know, but I simply don't directly emulate any writer in particular. Though, the structure of my own novel was borrowed heavily from Mr. Martin.


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## Earth Rio (Jun 23, 2012)

I try not to emulate a writer, but sometimes I find I accidentally have a sort of 'Percy Jackson' style. The innocence at the start, the first person, the Greek monsters (chimera, Hydra, references to Sirens), and, of course, the innocent boy turning out to be something else (Grover as a satyr, Kirus as a demon).


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