David Sedaris Inspires Me

This is NOT a children's book, however, it's brilliant writing and a great example of voice.

If you've ever read David Sedaris before or heard him speak, you will hear him so clearly in these stories. The way the words come together, the voices of the characters, the ideas.

This book is also amazing in it's ability to show the very roughest edges of human beings under the guise of animals. It causes one to squirm, "OOoooouuu, I think I do that," or "Oh, I wish humans weren't that way."

Be prepared for dark humor.

Mr. Sedaris inspires me as a writer. Not only by his talent, but by the fact that he writes all the time, writes and writes. He works at his craft.

For years, I had assumed that his rise to fame was overnight. It wasn't. It came after years of writing several hours every day. He supported himself by odd jobs, the main one being, house cleaner.

As a writer, I am grateful to know this. That a man as talented as David Sedaris had to work really hard to get where he is today. He put in the hours at the typewriter. He paid his way. He put himself out there.

It doesn't take away from his talent or success to know this, it just helps me remember that writing isn't magic. It's a good idea and lots of work writing, rewriting, rewriting, rewriting, editing, and polishing.

Who inspires you?

Click - to hear David Sedaris read some of his stories on NPR