Writers Recommend

In this online exclusive we ask authors to share books, art, music, writing prompts, films—anything and everything—that has inspired them in their writing. We see this as a place for writers to turn to for ideas that will help feed their creative process.

Heather Sellers

1.19.11

“The bath. Endlessly, luxuriously, the tub. I write almost every morning and after an hour or two or three or (if I’m very lucky) four, I run out of road. And then I know it’s time.

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Matt Stewart

1.12.11

“Dog walks with no iPhone access force me to pay attention to San Francisco’s world-class characters, who are wonderfully weird and story provoking. I recently saw a shirtless Jesus doppelgänger playing drums while riding a beach cruiser uphill, which has already made it into my next novel.

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Belle Boggs

1.4.11

“I have a small loft in my house where I write; I like being up high with my laptop and a few books.

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Shane Jones

12.22.10

“Listen to rap music. There’s a certain level of surprise, bright color, loudness, and just plain fun in artists like DOOM

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Maureen N. McLane

12.15.10

“Music has infiltrated my writing in all manner of ways—most recently I’ve drawn on the ballad tradition

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E. C. Osondu

12.8.10

“I didn’t look forward to the long trek in the sun to my grandfather’s farm which was at least a two mile walk.

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Frank X. Gaspar

12.1.10

“I can consider many things that fill me up with writing—my sense of place and personal history, the uncountable wonderful books that have come before me, the love of language and all its sounds—but in the end I simply come to the act itself

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Sarah Gridley

11.17.10

“I read recently that if you were to add up the combined lengths of rootlets and root hairs of a single rye plant, the resulting length could stretch almost from the North to the South Pole

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Michelle Hoover

11.10.10

“What inspires me? Running. Because there’s nothing like having nothing except your own two feet, the sight of some far off point, and a hard breath to keep you going.

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John Reimringer

11.3.10

“Place is important to my writing, and one of my best practices is to get in the car and drive.

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