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Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mark Twain. Show all posts

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Struggles of the Working Class

Peter Leavell, a 2007 graduate of Boise State University with a degree in history, was the 2011 winner of Christian Writers Guild's Operation First Novel contest, and 2013 Christian Retailing's Best award for First-Time Author. Peter and his family live in Boise, Idaho. www.peterleavell.com.

Many Americans deny social classes exist in the United States. Oh, how we fight against the idea that not everyone is equal!

But as writers, we must detach ourselves from culture and look at the bigger picture. No matter what Americans claim, social classes in the United States exist. Some want to climb in social standing, and cannot attain. And there are those who have social standing, and hold it over those who struggle just to survive.

One example is our public school system. But our job is not to change society, but to make commentary. So we won't discuss schools here.

Great novels have a fight between the classes. Inside readers, the struggle between the have and the have nots is compelling, perhaps the most compelling storyline ever written. But Americans refuse to admit social classes exist. Is this why there are so few American literary geniuses that stand the test of time?

There are a few American writers who do understand. America’s greatest writers understood social classes in the United States.

Mark Twain made light of the struggles between the African American community and their masters. But easily read between the lines are the struggles that still resonate with readers today.

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is a perfect example that social classes make for a compelling story. Many critics believe this may be the greatest novel ever written.

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is a close look at the plight of the working class. Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick is an incredible snapshot of social classes aboard the ship. William Faulkner’s Snopes Trilogy follows a family’s slow rise in social standing.

A compelling novel includes social injustice. First, admit social classes exist within Amercia, and you’ve gone a long way into making a page-turner! Pull your head out of your culture and take a look around!

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him. 
His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family out there in the wilderness?

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Things Your Mother Told You about Writing by DiAnn Mills

Things Your Mother Told You about Writing
By DiAnn Mills

Our mothers are notorious for passing out advice about life. Sometimes their guidelines are appreciated and sometimes not so much. The older we grow, the smarter our mothers become. Quotes from mothers play an inspiring role in the lives of writers.

“My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” Mark Twain

How much of Mark Twain was in Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn? Did he attempt to take a raft down the Mississippi? Escape from painting a fence? Fall in love with a pretty little girl named Becky?
Mark Twain? He got into trouble?
“I got to grow up with a mother who taught me to believe in me.”
Antonio Villaraigosa

Mothers desire their children to become a productive member of society. When they believe in us and our aspirations, we become superheroes—at least in their eyes. Thanks, Mom!
Thanks, Mom, for believing in me.

“Mothers are all slightly insane."
J.D. Salinger

That’s probably 90% spot-on for mothers of writers. Where else would we inherit the genes that lead to creativity?  We look at life a little skewed, and then we’re thrilled with the words to describe it. Sprinkle sensory perception onto the page with strong nouns and verbs, and the writer has penned a crazy adventure.

“That strong mother doesn't tell her cub, Son, stay weak so the wolves can get you. She says, Toughen up, this is reality we are living in.”
Lauryn Hill

A wise mother provides guidance for her children to accept the hard knocks of life, like rejections, bad reviews, low advances, and publishing house changes. Toughen up! Hey Mom, no wolf is going to eat me!



“My mother taught me about the power of inspiration and courage, and she did it with a strength and a passion that I wish could be bottled.”
Carly Fiorina

Every writer needs a cheerleader, and who does it best but a mother? Writers need self-confidence to stand up under the pressures of an often hectic writing scheduled. When a writer slips in the confidence arena, her work suffers until she snatches courage and gains her momentum. Go Mom!

“My mother used to spank me for lying. Now I get paid for it. “
DiAnn Mills

Yep, this is mine, and it’s true. Of course she purchased a new bookcase and challenged me to fill it up. And I have. My stories aren’t driven by filling up Mom’s shelves, but it does offer a good chuckle.

Mothers are an asset to writers. They take up for us at family reunions when well-meaning relatives ask why we don’t have a day job. They read our stories and tell everyone about our incredible talent. They pass our books among their friends and offer bookmarks. But most of all, mothers love us and that’s the best news of all.


DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne Du Maurier, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests. Library Journal presented her with a Best Books 2014: Genre Fiction award in the Christian Fiction category for Firewall.
DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers; the 2015 president of the Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope, & Love chapter; a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, and International Thriller Writers. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.
DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on any of the social media platforms listed at www.diannmills.com.