Gino Sorcinelli asked Michael J. Sullivan:

Which non-fiction book that you've read has had the greatest influence on your storytelling and writing style?

Michael J. Sullivan Hey Gino, thanks for asking. As for style...I really can't think of any as the non-fiction I read is generally factual based and so the style is much more geared toward information than entertainment. That said, I think Bill Bryson has a fabulous style at how he goes about his non-fiction writing. I would never mimic his style but I appreciate the way he combines education and entertainment.

When I think of "influence" I generally think about "story ideas" or "character ideas." Usually my non-fiction reading is done for research...things like (a) how is a round house built? (b) How fast does a horse travel in a day (c) what do sailors eat while at sea? Generally for most of my non-fiction reading I'll come across an interesting tidbit or fact that I can use to provide a quirky character trait. For instance, Newton stuck a needle in his eye when studying optics. That's the type of fact that really shows just how curious - and devoted he was to learning at all costs. I "stole" this for a character in one of my books as a homage to him and because I thought it encapsulated just the kind of thing Roan would do.

I read a lot of non-fiction...and it provides all kinds of facts I squirrel away for future writing...then there are whole books I read on a given subject - such as sailing in preparation for The Emerald Storm.

For new fantasy writers, I generally recommend Guns, Steal, and Germs as it does a good job of showing out cultures develop and the effects of conflicts on societies. Thanks for asking.

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