Which authors inspire you most?

cbp31 says...

Overall I'd have to say as far as contemporary writers Hunter Thompson, Christopher Moore, and other authors like them inspire me. Their wit and being able to pull truth from fiction. I love that. The mythos of Hemmingway, the works of Fitzgerald these also inspire me, but in a different way. They are loftier, more "highbrow" I suppose. The "unattainable" goals which I'm reaching for.

doyle says...

STEVEN KING MUST HAVE.... Stephen King must have laughed aloud the first time he wrote an advanced, presold, New York Times Best Seller word. One word, just one word causes an electronic transfer to increase his wealth perhaps a cup of espresso. He must have giggled as the second cup poured into his coffers. In some parallel world, ‘Carrie’ still lies in the trash can awaiting delivery to the sidewalk with the eggshells and the coffee grounds. Nine dollars an hour part time will barely feed an imagination or buy gas for ‘Cristine’. My sweet Susan kisses the back of my neck as I hunch over the keyboard, planning an escape. Dawn light breaks the winter gray, making my table lamp somewhat redundant. The writers’ cramp I feel is in my butt. My scratchy eyes remind me I should sleep once in awhile. I write because I cannot do otherwise. Susan is already sewing in the next room. A stack of custom throw pillows lie backstage, awaiting their debut as a designer’s touch for some local parlor. Susan’s adult daughter is in the next room singing along with ‘Beauty and the Beast’, as I paint another tale of fear and victory. Stephen King must have smiled as fires blazed and monsters lurked in his mind, crouching to jump onto the page. Stephen King must have laughed the first time he realized he was getting paid for every word; words he could not give away in years past. The next road to the south is Vines Road. I am back to where I never was before. I can smell the coffee. Soon, some publisher will not say “No.”