You see, I always feel conflicted when someone asks me who my favourite author is. Do I pick a perennial favourite, someone whose novels have been and are going to be major influences in my life for many, many years, like J.K. Rowling? Does the title of "Favourite Author" have to be reserved to some big, important writer? Is George Orwell more worthy of the title than someone more modern, like Maureen Johnson? I love, love, love Jane Austen (more than words can express), but I'm just as wild about Stephanie Perkins. Does one merit the title more than the other? Should I crown my favourite based on what makes me sound fancier, or based on which book is igniting my imagination right at this moment?
How about you: who's your favourite author and why? Do you have different favourites for different occasions? Do you fret about the question or just spit off the first name that comes to mind?
I actually don't know the answer to this. *hangs head* I think I would say J.K. Rowling is my favorite though, just because of how much imagination is in her books. I wouldn't fret too much about the question. We're writers, we're allowed more than one answer. ;)
ReplyDeleteThis is always a tough one for me. I don't think there will ever be just one who is my favorite. It does depend on the occasion (who I'm talking to) for me to pick a favorite. I would narrow it down to: Margaret Peterson Haddix, J.K. Rowling, John Green, and Melina Marchetta. There are lots I'm probably forgetting, but off the top of my head I say those. And will usually tell people J.K. Rowling or John Green, as they're the most popular.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of my favorite authors, I think of whose books I would buy no matter what, even if I didn't *love* the last one that they released. For me, that list is getting smaller and smaller. I'd have to go with Megan McCafferty or John Green. It doesn't matter what they put out, I'll buy it the day it releases.
ReplyDeleteI have A LOT lol, but I'd have to say Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderon, F. Scott Fitzgerald, THEN J.K. Rowling. I only say Ellen Hopkins first because I wrote poetry before I started novels.
ReplyDelete@Madeline: That's totally true, we writers are allowed more than one! At least I would hope so!
ReplyDelete@KT: Telling the most popular ones is a good idea. I probably wouldn't tell a layperson my favourite author is Stephanie Perkins, unless I wanted to go on spiel about how great she is. I'd probably say somebody they would recognize.
@Steph: Yes, instant buys are a great indicator, thank you! Speaking of instant buy... The Fault in Our Stars? Yup, instant buy! :P
@Aaronni: I love all of those. Ellen is amaaaazing. I aspire to that level of emotionally honest writing.
I could not ever choose a favourite author ;) I have too many!
ReplyDeleteSome of my faves, though, include Terry Brooks, Robert Jordan, Dean Koontz, Jane Austen, John Marsden and Diane Hoh ;)
Haha, yep, like most people, we would be hard-pressed to choose a single favorite author.
ReplyDeleteContenders: JK Rowling, Tolkien, CS Lewis, Jane Austen, Robin McKinley... we're sure there's more, but that's who comes to mind right away!
oh i have a bundle of faves.
ReplyDeletebut then there's my absolute absolute soul-mate author faves.
which are: Jaclyn Moriarty and melina Marchetta <3
and, i also have faves who write my fave series, but it;s for the series that i love them, not just b/c of there brilliance (if you get what i mean)
I completely agree with Steph; that's exactly how I judge my favorite bands. If it's a favorite band of mine, I know I will buy it without having to think about it for a second. It's harder for me to be so committed to any one author. I'm much more likely to be diehard about a particular book than the entirety of someone's work.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who my favorite author is...I think I'm just about as conflicted as you about picking one.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you've won an award at my blog!
Yep, I'm just as conflicted as you when it comes to this question. Same with favorite book, movie, band etc! Too hard to choose just one above all others.
ReplyDeleteI can never choose an answer to this question! Because there are some authors I always try to read, but then they come out with a real pooper book. So I can't exactly call them my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI too feel this is an question one cannot juts respond to on a whim. So many things which make up favourite and you can never find them al in one book. I have loved Neil Gaiman most for a while, American Gods specifically and then I finished The pursuit of happiness yesterday and as I read the last word thought wow, if I were a novelist, this is the book I would measure myself against. I won't even go into Jean Auel and Jane Austen and Arthur Conan Doyle and the list continues. Each has its time and mood.
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