Classics That Have Inspired Me

Hello!

This month I wanted to discuss something that I normally don't talk about: books! Okay, so I'm joking. But only halfway! My favorite genre to read in is fantasy, especially lesser known fantasy, but way back when I was a wee thing, I didn't have access to the internet which has broadened my reading field. 

I grew up on classics and read them for school. One of my goals for this year is to revisit some of them and read some new ones. 

Today, I want to share with you some classics I've read that have inspired my WIPs (Works-in-Progress). These aren't arranged in order from most inspiring to least. They're just numbered for my sake (because I like order and that sort of thing).

Classic #1: Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

My entire childhood I had a friend who would badger me to read this book, but it wasn't until I was an adult and in desperate need of reading material that I took him seriously and checked out this massive book from my local library. It took me an entire Summer to read it through, but when I was finished, I wondered why it took me so long to pick it up. Not entirely sure, but I'm fairly sure that I have Sherlock Holmes to thank for inspiring my WIP Tear, which features a detective in a world where words literally have power to create.

Classic #2: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Now, I've seen the movie several more times than I've read the book, but this story has impacted me nevertheless. I mean, it's a revenge story with pirates, true love and sword play? What's not to like? I blame this story for inspiring certain aspects (pirates and revenge) of my WIP Harbinger, which I've been working on for about five years now. I'll get it out into the world someday. 

Classic #3: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

I've seen the Broadway show twice and listened to the story once, but it's on my TBR list for this year because I NEED to revisit this story! Something that doesn't get touched on much, (if at all), is the various rooms and mazes underneath the opera that the Phantom built. I mean, that alone is awesome and food for inspiration, but then you throw in two-way mirrors and you've sold me. Definitely has inspired my villain for Harbinger.

Classic #4: Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Are you seeing a theme? Sort of? Stories of revenge? Swordplay? Oh and did I not mention poisoned blades and the use of poisons and a ghost? And, and a play with a hidden message in it, (not Hamlet, but I see your point. The play that the traveling troupe puts on for the king.) And oh.... It's a tragedy. Suddenly, I want to write a tragedy. Maybe I have? That remains to be seen. What has this inspired? Literally, about every WIP I've ever written.

Classic #5: The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Long before I even knew that The Lord of the Rings existed, there was Narnia. I used to read the series every year for almost a decade. I lived and breathed Narnia. The talking animals, a world between world, portals, magic horns, magic books, stars that have names and walk among humans, just EVERYTHING? What has it inspired? Well, back when I was a wee writer and really didn't know what I was doing (I mean, much more than I do now), I wrote something called The Horn of Morashan. I recently pulled it out of my writing box and took a brief look through it and was so happy it never saw the light of day. That thing was a disaster, but I've used some of it as world-building for the stories that I'm working on now. So nothing was wasted.

Classic #6:  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Confession: I didn't even know this existed until my mom bought me a copy when I was thirteen. I quickly inhaled it, studied it like it was life and (you guessed it), it finally made its way into one of my WIPs. It was bad, though. I took a look at it later and realized that it was basically a Lord of the Rings fanfic. Basically plagiarism. Yep. That thing is staying buried deep. Keep the dwarves away from it. 

Classic #7: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

I've only read this once, but it made quite the impression on me. Perhaps the thing that stood out to me the most, was that it was narrated by Death. And just the whole way it was narrated was perfection. PERFECTION, I tell you. This aspect alone made me wonder if I could pull off something similar myself. 

Classic #8: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Ever since reading this, I've wanted my own secret garden. I love how the main character, Mary, finds it all locked away and basically dead and how she transforms it through hard work and an unlikely friendship. Maybe that's why I placed a hidden garden in one of the cities I created for one of my WIP and why my villain in Harbinger has one of her own.

Classic #9: A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I LOVE rags-to-riches stories, and this one has it both ways. In the beginning, the main character, Sara Crewe, is a rich little girl. Midway through the story, she loses her riches only to gain them again in the end. One of the things I love so much about this story is that Sara is kind throughout. She doesn't let her circumstances dictate her actions. I can't pinpoint exactly how this story has inspired my own, but it definitely has.

So there you have it, nine classics that have inspired my own. Have you read any of these books? Which is your favorite? How has it inspired you?

Until next time, 

-Julia Garcia/ Arysta Henry