Where Did I Get My Writing Style?

With this blog, I'm going to talk about my writing style and where I got it from. For those of you who have peeked in on my stuff, you probably know that I am a writer who likes to have a good balance of detail and action, as well as some character development. Many who read my stories say that I am very descriptive with my writing, and I have been called "Tolkien-ish" by a couple of people on thelionscall.com. While this may very well be true, I must admit that it is not just Tolkien who has given me influence over my writing, but other authors as well. There are three of them actually. J. R. R. Tolkien (author of The Lord of the Rings) , C. S. Lewis (author of The Chronicles of Narnia) , and Philip Pullman (author of His Dark Materials).
For those of you who have checked out my work before, you know that my writing is very descriptive, and this probably has come from my reading of J. R. R. Tolkien's books. J. R. R. Tolkien is a magnificent writer, and Lord of the Rings are beautifully written books. Tolkien has a way of putting in a lot of detail in his stories, sometimes that detail can run on for what seems like pages and pages. While I am very detailed, I try not to let that be the primary focus of my work. Which is probably where I am also like C. S. Lewis...

C. S. Lewis is much like his fellow genius, Tolkien. The two of them are considered two of the founding fathers of what is today considered "Modern Fantasy." For those of you who read my fics, there always tends to be some form of spiritual message embedded in my writing, whether it be upfront or in the background, just like many of Lewis' works. In addition, Lewis has a way with providing detail in the story, but doesn't dwell on it a lot and keeps you moving along the plotline, just like me. Even though I am more descriptive than Lewis is, I admit, my ability to keep you moving along the plotline while still providing detail probably comes from him.

Finally, the last author who has provided me a lot of influence on my writing is Philip Pullman. Now some of you probably know that Philip Pullman is an atheist, and his series His Dark Materials deals with overthrowing and killing God, and not just God, but all religion in general. Nevertheless, His Dark Materials is a beautifully written series, and is one of my favorite series of all time. (It's up there with Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.) What exactly about Pullman's style has influenced my writing? His ability to develop characters. Seriously, this guy is a master when it comes to developing characters. Lyra Belacqua, the main character in His Dark Materials, is a girl who goes from being a barbaric and insolent girl in the beginning of the series to much more sweeter and caring girl by the end of the series. Also, Pullman has this habit of explaining what the characters' personalities are like when you first meet them. That's where I get my character personality describing from. Often I describe a character's personality when you first meet them. And as the story continues down the plotline, I tend to develop them, just as Pullman does.

So in conclusion, the three authors who have mostly influenced my writing are C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, and Philip Pullman. How about you? Have any authors or poets or any other writer for that matter ever influenced your style of writing in some way or another?