The Book of Inspiration

When I was a kid back in high school, I was searching for a good fantasy book in National Bookstore inside Ayala Center, Cebu. I was not satisfied with the selections available, until I came upon a single blue book (The last stock). It read Eragon at the front and a funny drawing of a blue dragon. I read the summary at the back. It’s about a young farm boy who happens to stumble upon a blue dragon egg whom he nurtured in secret, until the day came when his family was killed by a group of insect-like men. Their town storyteller helps him escape from his would-be murderers and trains him in the way of the dragon riders.

Then I saw the price, P499. I gave it a go and gave it to the cashier.

I read it immediately when I got home, and I was stuck. The book was colorfully written by a young boy of 15 (actually he started writing it at 15 but finished it at 19). His name is Christopher Paolini, an aspiring writer who was a big fan of Lord of the Rings and decided to make his own fantasy world come true, and it really happened. It was then and there that I was inspired to pursue and hone my writing skills until one day I can be like him (I’m still not good in writing).

I do have my own fantasy world that I want published some day, but I still need to practice writing some more and at least know the advance steps of the fantasy genre. Unlike Paolini who had writers as parents, I don’t have that luxury, plus I don’t have a writing degree, so I’m just doing this out of experience and constant practice. Plus, I read and pick up some techniques the authors have used in their books.

Anyhow, I’m still on my quest to master the art of fantasy. Maybe that’s the reason why I love playing Dungeons and Dragons all the time.

By the way, the author has already completed the whole cycle of the story. There are four books under the Inheritance cycle: Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, and Inheritance. I need the fourth one to complete the set.

The exact book I saw in the bookstore that day

The author