[Meta] What Influences Your Story Hour Writing Style?

[el-remmen]

Hey all,

I thought it was time for another Meta-Story Hour post.

I was wondering (and forgive me if this had been asked before) who the various authors of the story hours in this forum are influenced/inspired by in their campaign and in their actual writing…

For myself, I am greatly inspired by Ursula K. LeGuin, who is probably my favorite sci-fi/fantasy author (admittedly I don’t red much of it) – but I love her use of moral dilemmas, clashing cultures, and characters who have their world-views undermined by the events and knowledge of their situations. There is also an under-current of almost Buddhist thought in her work – as suffering seems to be a natural part of the life of her characters and dealing with and accepting that is part of their challenge. I would say my campaign is definitely influenced by that.

Zelazny’s Amber chronicles are also a big source for me in terms of a huge cast of NPCs and crazy amounts of machination and plotting. I also like the near-comic moments of the second Amber series in the midst of just dark and confusing things happening.

Of course, my presentation of elves (and halflings – though none have appeared in the story yet) is greatly influenced by Tolkien.

A book I would really recommend that I just finished reading and I found incredibly helpful and devious is John Fowles’ The Magus – which while not fantasty – is none-the-less fantastic.

In terms of actual writing, I am not so sure as all of my favorite authors influence me tp some degree or another. I go back and forth between emulating the concise and packed sentences of Hemingway, and the mellifluous and poetic prose of Gabriel Garcia Marquez (who also influences my campaign because is showed me that a story is not the outcome as much journey itself).

Oh, I also love dialogue. While I have no control over what PCs say - I try to encourage the snappy dialogue with my NPCs - I find myself writing down "cool" things NPCs might say if given the chance - it also helps me create the NPC's "voice".

I think my story hour is not the best gauge of my writing ability since I do not write “all out” and do very little editing (if any) – but if those who read “Out of the Frying Pan” see some similarities I’d love to hear your opinions.

So, what about the rest of you?

 

[drnuncheon]

I feel myself very suscepetible to the influences of whatever I'm reading at the time - and I read a lot.

Lately I've been burning through the Doc Savage books, which may have influenced my style somewhat - but I think I've at least managed to keep Di'Fier from saying "I'll be superamalgamated!"

J

 

[Lazybones]

Hi-
Boy, I've read a LOT of authors, and I suspect that a bit of everyone ends up in my own writing. I tend toward a narrative style (dialogue was always the hardest thing for me, although I think I'm starting to get it down), and try to use language that evokes a rich imaginative view of the world and its inhabitants. Thus Jordan, Tolkien, and other wordy authors are on my list. I like action scenes, and suppose I've been influenced by RA Salvatore's brisk combat style (even if it gets cookie-cutter after a while ). I also loved the visceral feel of the RE Howard stories that I consumed repeatedly in my youth, and try to add some of their sense of urgency and pacing to my writing.

LB

 

[Paka]

The Holy Trinity of Fantasy loom large on my horizon: Tolkien, Moorcock and Leiber.

Tolkien, for me, is about that entire world sitting there but you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg and you know that there is so much more just under the surface.

Moorcock is about nto being afraid to muck around with traditional roles of heroes, villains and all of those caught in the crossfire.

Leiber is not forgetting to have a damned good time while doing it.

George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is probably the best fantasy I've read in a looong time and has surely effected the way I think about a medieval world.

I just read the 3rd Harry Potter (and I liked it)and that could very well why I threw a child into my latest STory Hour (with another in the next chapter).

So many more...but those are my geeky D&D-ish lads. The main ones...

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

I have a lot of favorite authors but even in my best moments I wouldn't dare to compare myself to them.

I tend towards authors who generate long series of works-- not necessarily epics, I simply like to have a lot of material to gorge myself on. I find that after a long visit with a particular author my writing style and "voice" will pick up a few of their mannerisms, so it changes often.

In order:

Fritz Lieber-- Top of my list. I like the fact that his stories are both gritty and very humorous. He's descriptive but not overly so; his dialogue (which usually slips into "banter") makes the characters.

Michael Moorcock-- Same as above, but he is much more descriptive, bordering on the poetic. Again, strong characterizations. I would feel guilty trying to write like Moorcock. Although I love reading his stuff, he's too descriptive for my tastes as a writer; I would feel pretentious mimicking his style.

Robert E. Howard-- Specifically Conan. Gritty and action packed "anti-hero" stuff, and I borrow a lot of Conan's "optimistic fatalism" and relationship to the gods.


Wulf

 

[Plane Sailing]

My story hour writing isn't up to fiction standards at all. It is mostly there as an adventure log, but (I hope this doesn't sound too fanboyish) I guess my biggest influences have been Sagiro and Piratecat's storyhours - I like the way they describe things, I like their use of dialog. If you were to check some of my earliest accounts compared to what I write now, you would find a lot more adjectives for instance!

Cheers

 

[Rune]

I'm mostly influenced by other story hours. (Although, when I run games, I tend to have my players write the story hours.) I find great inspiration in the story hours I read, and bring it to my table. If I'm writing a story hour for a game I'm a player in (as I just began to do) I find my writing style to include these same inspirations. I tend to bring in a little of everybody that I read, but the ones that stand out are more influential, even if I don't precisely immitate them. For instance, nemmerle, your story hour is very dense--in a good, informative, creative way--and has excellent characterization. I can't write that densely. I'll never be able to write that densely, but I can still work on my characters. (There are some other stories with very good characterization, as well, I merely use yours as an example.) As another example, Paka's story hour helps me to envision what is possible if I use different viewpoints.

Basically, to answer the question more briefly, I steal from the locals.

 

[DoctorB]

I am constantly influenced by other story hours as well as books I am reading.
I have been using my story hour to experiment with different writing styles to try and see which one fits me best. I guess I will settle down to just one eventually.

 

[Paka]

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

I never ever meant to compare my own writing that's here to writing done by any of the writers mentioned. they are the reason I'm here and into fantasy.

I'm just a tourist, man.

 

[Piratecat]

I have been using my story hour to experiment with different writing styles to try and see which one fits me best. I guess I will settle down to just one eventually.

DrB, I actually think that's a cool effect!

I don't think my story hour is high art, although I do hope it's fun to read; at its core it's a game log. I try for vivid action and occasionally witty banter, combining a movie serial/pulp adventure's pacing with evocative descriptions and vivid combat.

I have a terrible time remembering and recording dialogue. The recent confrontation between Malachite and Saint Aleax was very challenging for me to write. I am pleased that it reads a lot like it played out.

Lately you've also been seeing more H.P. Lovecraft slipping in to the story hour; I'm a sucker for such things, as demonstrated by the trillith encounter from last year! If I describe a ghoul as "rugose" or "cyclopean", however, feel free to mock me.