The earliest influence on a person's writing was definitely the first books they read.
In grade 5, I read a short story called the 'Painter'. (Can't really remember the title exactly and the more intimate parts, but I still remember the essence.) About a painter who wants to create the best masterpiece. He travels around, meeting a priest, soldier, musician, etc. When he asked them for advice on what was the most important thing in life as inspiration to create his masterpiece, they all provided different answers. The priest says faith, god, or religion. Soldier says peace, musician says harmony, etc. They were all great answers. Painter goes home to his family, his wife saying dinner was ready. There, painter sees faith as they prayed together before a meal. When they ate, painter was reminded of various great answers he heard like from the beggar, a full stomach, the food on the table filled with warmth. The painter witnessed every 'great' answer he heard reflected as his family went there daily life such as the harmony between family members as they cleaned the table and kitchen. When he slept, he kissed his wife, and then there was peace reminding him of the soldier.
When I read that story and finished it, I was so shocked by the ending like it was so awesome and I was mindblown as everything connected.
In grade 6, I read Rizal Exiled in Dapitan. Thinking now, it didn't leave much of an impression, except now I start to think Jose Rizal as some isekai protagonist with really incredible feats set in a non-magical world. Yes, I am a filipino and our national hero was Jose Rizal. Since I read that book, I idolized the dude. I mean, he does arnis. And I was doing arnis in grade 5. Not to mention, dude was a doctor, and later a novelist in his life. The one that really stuck to me in the Rizal Exiled in Dapitan was how Rizal basically tech-uplifted the place with a few of his contraptions. It was so long ago that I might be mistaken, but I am feeling confident today.
Grade 8. It was the first english book I read. It was a pocket book. I don't remember the title, but it was about kids probably freshmen high schooler or elementary schooler being sent to summer camp-esque correction program to dig holes under the hot sun. Yeah, dig holes, some with bare hands! Why? I don't know. It presented itself as a mystery in the beginning. I finished that book in a whole day. I remember smuggling that little pocket book from the library, getting it home, and reading it under the darn candle because why not? It was my first exposure to an english story. I couldn't remember the ending, but the climax involved was that the head honchos of the program was looking for diamonds or gold and they were using the kids to find the treasure, using digging holes as metaphor for punishment to them, so that they would correct their attitude. Looking back now that I am effectively an adult, I thought they might be looking for oil.
Grade 9. The first webnovel I read was Legendary Archmage. Really generic, but it had been a magical experience for me. It was CN. But darn, I loved that novel. My first KN was The Novel's Extra. Eventually, I turned to Release that Witch, and several more popular titles. My first JN, meanwhile, was Overlord. The first RR novel I read was Perfect Run. The first SH novel I read was Runesmith.
What's your first?
In grade 5, I read a short story called the 'Painter'. (Can't really remember the title exactly and the more intimate parts, but I still remember the essence.) About a painter who wants to create the best masterpiece. He travels around, meeting a priest, soldier, musician, etc. When he asked them for advice on what was the most important thing in life as inspiration to create his masterpiece, they all provided different answers. The priest says faith, god, or religion. Soldier says peace, musician says harmony, etc. They were all great answers. Painter goes home to his family, his wife saying dinner was ready. There, painter sees faith as they prayed together before a meal. When they ate, painter was reminded of various great answers he heard like from the beggar, a full stomach, the food on the table filled with warmth. The painter witnessed every 'great' answer he heard reflected as his family went there daily life such as the harmony between family members as they cleaned the table and kitchen. When he slept, he kissed his wife, and then there was peace reminding him of the soldier.
When I read that story and finished it, I was so shocked by the ending like it was so awesome and I was mindblown as everything connected.
In grade 6, I read Rizal Exiled in Dapitan. Thinking now, it didn't leave much of an impression, except now I start to think Jose Rizal as some isekai protagonist with really incredible feats set in a non-magical world. Yes, I am a filipino and our national hero was Jose Rizal. Since I read that book, I idolized the dude. I mean, he does arnis. And I was doing arnis in grade 5. Not to mention, dude was a doctor, and later a novelist in his life. The one that really stuck to me in the Rizal Exiled in Dapitan was how Rizal basically tech-uplifted the place with a few of his contraptions. It was so long ago that I might be mistaken, but I am feeling confident today.
Grade 8. It was the first english book I read. It was a pocket book. I don't remember the title, but it was about kids probably freshmen high schooler or elementary schooler being sent to summer camp-esque correction program to dig holes under the hot sun. Yeah, dig holes, some with bare hands! Why? I don't know. It presented itself as a mystery in the beginning. I finished that book in a whole day. I remember smuggling that little pocket book from the library, getting it home, and reading it under the darn candle because why not? It was my first exposure to an english story. I couldn't remember the ending, but the climax involved was that the head honchos of the program was looking for diamonds or gold and they were using the kids to find the treasure, using digging holes as metaphor for punishment to them, so that they would correct their attitude. Looking back now that I am effectively an adult, I thought they might be looking for oil.
Grade 9. The first webnovel I read was Legendary Archmage. Really generic, but it had been a magical experience for me. It was CN. But darn, I loved that novel. My first KN was The Novel's Extra. Eventually, I turned to Release that Witch, and several more popular titles. My first JN, meanwhile, was Overlord. The first RR novel I read was Perfect Run. The first SH novel I read was Runesmith.
What's your first?
