An essential part of being a writer is learning what has come before you; learning from the classics so you can become (as T. S. Eliot said in “Tradition and The Individual Talent”) a part of that tradition. Though finding a direction in that massive canon can be quite tricky, I will try to make a directional list for you. This list will mainly be for novel and short story writers.

I should also mention that reading may not always be enough on its own, as implementing a bit of analysis and essays of analysis can be a great help in getting inspiration from these writers and their works. This is going to be a series of articles. From now on I’ll be writing detailed articles about the writers and subjects I mention in this one.

1. Edgar Allan Poe 

Of course, this would not be complete without Edgar Allan Poe, both because he is one of the greatest writers of all time and also because his writing process is meticulously detailed. Poe writes mysteries in a manner that does not really leave room for the reader to ‘’assume’’, while still keeping that ominous sense of ambiguity; and when he does leave room for assumption (narrator’s gender in The Tell-Tale Heart). it is always on purpose.

From Poe, I would suggest rereading The Raven, The Tell-Tale Heart, and Bells with your current knowledge (believe me you’ll get a new understanding of his work) but also completing this reading with his essay “The Philosophy of Composition” in which he explains his writing process of The Raven. When you read the two together, you’ll learn how much of an impact a single word can have on the overall atmosphere and sensation of your work. 

2. Kurt Vonnegut 

Kurt Vonnegut is tricky to understand everything totally because he makes use of various different imageries, techniques, and references but can definitely be a massive source of inspiration. To give a few examples, he uses commercial imageries, black humor, and science in Breakfast Of Champions to satirize the dystopic consequences of consumerist society. If you’re interested in humorous science fiction/ dystopian works, Vonnegut is your guy. For sci-fi, I’d suggest Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five, and for dystopia with a big dose of black humor, Breakfast of Champions. The complementary essays I would suggest are: 

"Parody in Kurt Vonnegut's novels, Breakfast of Champions and Slaughterhouse-Five” by Nergis Percinel

"An Analysis of Vonnegut’s Use of Science in Cat’s Cradle” by Corina-Maria David

3. Miguel De Cervantes

Father of novels, as they call him, reading Cervantes’ works, especially Don Quixote (the full book, not the shortened versions) today is of big importance for a novel writer. There is no specific technique I would focus on, rather his magnificent blending of different forms and subjects is a key for inspiration. I already talked about Quixote’s significance in my previous article, but will take another, more extensive look at it later on. As this is a more broad and important one, a book rather than an essay would be more appropriate if you want to learn every detail: “Don Quixote: The Quest For Modern Fiction” by Carroll B. Johnson.

Remember, learning what has come before you, and what made these writers immortal is going to broaden your imagination, provide you with the theoretical knowledge to help you create consistent and high quality works. It does not mean that you are “stealing” from them; it only means that you are learning from the best source possible which will help you establish your own unique style.

Stay safe and never forget: knowledge is your best friend.