If you’ve ever wondered what fuels the mind of a writer, it’s not just the late nights or the early morning spent writing while the world slumbers —it's the books that mark them, the ones that teach them how to translate the memories and ideas onto the page. 

In my case, I can remember at least seven books that shaped my writing. These are the stories that have altered me and made an impact that lasted long after flipping past the final pages. 

The Books That Shaped My Writing

1) The City of Mist

“Then I smiled to myself and, although it was just for a few seconds, I became aware that for the first time in my life I was happy, and that after tasting that poison my existence would never be the same again.”

― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The City of Mist

Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s City of Mist is like wandering through a labyrinth where every corner holds a mystery, every page an invitation to get lost. This book taught me that writing is about creating your own world with its own laws. The gothic, atmospheric vibes of City of Mist hooked me from the start, showing me that it’s essential to embrace the weird, the dark, and the mysterious in your writing. Zafón’s ability to craft a setting so palpable you can almost feel the mist on your skin pushed me to dig deeper into my descriptions to make my worlds characters in their own right.

Zafón stacks layers upon layers in his stories, each one revealing more than the last. That’s what I wanted for my own work—a depth that forces readers to look twice, to question what they think they know. City of Mist was a blueprint for creating worlds that readers can get lost in and, more importantly, want to get lost in.

2) The Great Gatsby

“There must have been moments even that afternoon when Daisy tumbled short of his dreams -- not through her own fault, but because of the colossal vitality of his illusion. It had gone beyond her, beyond everything. He had thrown himself into it with a creative passion, adding to it all the time, decking it out with every bright feather that drifted his way. No amount of fire or freshness can challenge what a man will store up in his ghostly heart.”

― F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

Everyone and their mother has read The Great Gatsby at some point, but not everyone sees it the way a writer does. For me, Fitzgerald’s classic was a masterclass in what it means to craft characters that are as flawed as they are fascinating. Gatsby himself is a walking contradiction, a man with a dream so big it blinds him to reality, and that’s what makes him unforgettable. Fitzgerald taught me that characters don’t have to be likable to be compelling—they just have to be real, messy, and human. He also taps into longing and regrets more effectively than most authors can ever dream of doing.

The way Fitzgerald uses language is nothing short of art. His sentences are sharp, his metaphors precise, and his ability to capture the essence of a moment is something every writer should strive for. The Great Gatsby made me obsessed with the power of words, with the idea that every sentence can (and should) serve a purpose. 

3) Big Fish

“This is what is meant by last words: they are keys to unlock the afterlife. They're not last words but passwords, and as soon as they're spoken you can go.”

― Daniel Wallace, Big Fish

Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish is a tale that blurs the line between reality and fiction, and that’s precisely why it struck a chord with me. The way Wallace plays with narrative structure, jumping between past and present, truth and exaggeration, showed me that stories don’t have to be linear to be effective. In fact, sometimes the best stories are the ones that keep you guessing, that leave you wondering where the truth ends and the fiction begins.

Big Fish also taught me the importance of myth and legend in storytelling. Wallace’s protagonist, Edward Bloom, is a myth in his own right, larger than life and twice as fascinating because of it. This book pushed me to think about how I can infuse my characters with that same sense of mythic grandeur and how I can elevate them beyond the ordinary. It’s not just about telling a story; it’s about creating a legend, and Big Fish showed me how to do that with style and flair. In fact, this whimsical southern fantasy book served as the main inspiration for my own southern fantasy book, Spellbound Under The Spanish Moss. 

4) Slaughterhouse-Five

"All time is all time. It does not change. It does not lend itself to warnings or explanations. It simply is. Take it moment by moment, and you will find that we are all, as I've said before, bugs in amber.”

― Kurt Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse-Five

Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five is the kind of book that slaps you in the face with its brilliance. It’s weird, it’s raw, and it’s unapologetically anti-war. Vonnegut presents the horrors of war in all their absurdity, and that’s what makes Slaughterhouse-Five so damn powerful. This cross-genre anti-war book taught me that it’s okay to be unconventional and that you don’t have to play by the rules to tell a story that matters.

Vonnegut’s use of non-linear narrative and his blending of science fiction with brutal realism opened my eyes to the possibilities of genre-mashing. Why stick to one when you can pull from many? Slaughterhouse-Five made me realize that the best stories are the ones that defy categorization and refuse to fit neatly into a single box. It’s a reminder that writing should be an act of rebellion, a way to challenge the status quo and say something that matters.

5) 100 Love Sonnets

“I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close.”

― Pablo Neruda, 100 Love Sonnets

Pablo Neruda’s 100 Love Sonnets is a book of poetry that bleeds emotion. Neruda dissects love, lays it bare, and reveals its most vulnerable parts. This collection showed me the power of poetry, the way it can cut straight to the heart of an experience and make you feel something deep in your bones. Neruda’s language is sensual, his imagery vivid, and his ability to evoke emotion is unmatched.

What struck me most about 100 Love Sonnets is the way Neruda balances beauty with pain. Love is raw, messy, and often painful, and Neruda captures that complexity in every line. 

6) Blood Meridian

He rose and turned toward the lights of town. The tidepools bright as smelterpots among the dark rocks where the phosphorescent seacrabs clambered back. Passing through the salt grass he looked back. The horse had not moved. A ship's light winked in the swells. The colt stood against the horse with its head down and the horse was watching, out there past men's knowing, where the stars are drowning and whales ferry their vast souls through the black and seamless sea.”

― Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian

Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian is a brutal, unflinching examination of violence and humanity at its most raw. McCarthy’s prose is relentless, his imagery haunting, and his depiction of the American West is anything but romanticized. This book ripped through my perception of what storytelling could be, showing me that you don’t need to sugarcoat the truth to create something powerful.

Blood Meridian taught me the value of stark, unapologetic realism in writing. It’s a reminder that stories don’t always have to end neatly and that sometimes, the most profound impact comes from the raw, unresolved truth. McCarthy’s fearless approach to language and his willingness to dive headfirst into the darkest corners of human nature pushed me to take risks in my own writing, to strip away the unnecessary and let the harsh, unvarnished reality speak for itself.

7) The Widow of the South

“Had the Battle of Franklin ever really ended? Carrie walked her cemetery, and around her the wounds closed up and scarred over, but only in that way that an oak struck by lightning heals itself by twisting and bending around the wound: it is still recognizably a tree, it still lives as a tree, it still puts out its leaves and acorns, but its center, hidden deep within the curtain of green, remains empty and splintered where it hasn't been grotesquely scarred over. We are happy the tree hasn't died, and from the proper angle we can look on it and suppose that it is the same tree as it ever was, but it is not and never will be.”

― Robert Hicks, The Widow of the South

Robert Hicks' The Widow of the South is a masterclass in historical fiction that grounds itself in raw, emotional truth. Set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, this novel explores the wreckage of battle and the haunting aftermath that clings to those who survive. Hicks immerses you in a world where grief, loss, and resilience are palpable on every page. The way he crafts Carrie McGavock, a woman driven by both love and duty to transform her home into a Confederate cemetery, showed me the power of characters shaped by their circumstances yet strong enough to bend fate to their will.

The Widow of the South taught me that history is a force that shapes and drives the narrative. This book pushed me to think about how I can weave historical context into my writing in a way that enhances the story without overshadowing the characters. It’s about making history feel as immediate and visceral as the present. Hicks’ ability to blend the personal with the historical is something I strive for in my own work, aiming to create stories that resonate with the weight of both past and present. I was also fortunate enough to call Hicks a personal friend and to spend time discussing life and hanging out at his cabin in Franklin, Tennessee, before he passed away.

These books shaped me as a writer. Each one pushed me to think differently, to challenge myself, and to dig deeper into the stories I want to tell. From the atmospheric world-building of City of Mist to the raw brutality of Blood Meridian, these books are the foundation of my writing journey. They taught me that writing is about breaking the rules, pushing boundaries, and telling the best story you can. If you’re a writer, or even just a lover of words, I challenge you to dive into these books and see where they take you. Because the best stories aren’t just told—they’re felt, lived, and experienced on a level that changes you forever.