Day 4- Most Influential Author

Well, it didn't say most influential, but I'll go with it.

I'd have to say that the person who most influenced the style of my first true "book" is the late Brian Jacques, author of the extremely popular "Redwall" series. I didn't really plan it that way, but upon re-reads I found Arlon to be HEAVILY influenced by Cluny the Scourge (to the point that Arlon's full name is Arlon the Blade. Ohhhhh the shame...).

To be fair to myself, Jacques is the master of the Quest Story, which mine was. Certain parallels had to occur at some point or other.

While the Redwall series does become formulaic as time wears on, the original trilogy is wonderful, and a few of the others stand out brilliantly as well. Rakkety Tam, for instance. Who would expect a squirrel with a Lowland Scot accent? And his friend a Highlander?

Rakkety, Rakkety, Rakkety Tam,
The drums are beating braw.
Rakkety, Rakkety, Rakkety Tam,
Are ye goin' forth to war?

The other author to inspire me came in late on the scene. I'd already begun writing my book when I finally read Tolkien's works for the first time. Once I did, I recognized how needful history, geography, and culture were to such a story as mine. And he spurred me to look into linguistics, which showed me just how horrible my scatterings of a language were. The reform was massive. I now have three variants of the Shankee Alphabet. Thank you, Professor (?) Tolkien. Your help was invaluable.