My last journal entry noted that I was reading "Paradise Lost". I have since finished it, as well as Machiavelli's "The Prince", and "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and Through the Looking-Glass". I'm currently on "Frankenstein" and have plenty more books on my pile. I also have plenty of manga which I favor too, like Battle Angel Alita, Ikki Tousen, Chibi Vampire, and Vampire Doll. (Yes, those.) What this leads to is how it influences my own fiction.

I only have one example of my own fiction in my gallery, which I have to assert is not something I'd call my usual style of prose. But it is an example of how I would do such storytelling, leaving many details about the setting implied rather than expounded upon- but certainly not overlooked entirely. I know much about my settings, my characters, their interactions, the plots and themes- but writing about it all would take away from a story.

In reading these various books and manga, it gives me ideas of what else to flesh out in my stories and characters. But I don't want to borrow so heavily it seems like a fanfic with my character appearing. One example, my character Minerva, had never a fully fleshed-out high school life. I had noted that people picked on her for seemingly no reason, and that she has lots of tragic luck. But now I can incorporate other themes, develop supporting characters to be her friends and enemies, and combine events like trying to keep her secrets and possibly getting into conflicts (though avoiding much fighting). And that might all make for better stories.

But this all leaves me confused sometimes, reading books with my own settings and characters in mind, and developing my own works having recently read pieces. And really, I just need to work on the stuff more and produce something people can read or look at.