To Mimic the Greats...Be An Influential Writer

I'm learning something about writing lately. Mainly I'm learning it because of the British Literature class I've been taking. The class isn't geared toward writing, although I'm learning much about writing an essay, which is very helpful.

What I am learning though is that many of those fabulous authors that we still revere today are remembered because they wrote with a purpose. There was something that they wanted to discuss or point out to the world, and one of the best ways to do it was in story form.

Perhaps that was not the way the story began. Many times an author began a new novel simply to earn what money he could. Even so, they knew how to manipulate the plot in order to make it worth while for a person to read and that manipulation became a cause.

Below are some books that made a difference because of what they discuss. I have not read all of these books and so cannot recommend them all, but each one is significant (in many cases, world-wide!) for how it covered a current trend or event, or even how it took a stand for a particular belief.

• Uncle Tom's Cabin is decidedly anti-slavery.
• Little Dorrit points out the shortcomings of the government and social society, as well as showcasing imprisonment in various forms.
• A Picture of Dorian Gray gives us a creepy view of morality, or rather, immorality and it's utter selfishness.
• North and South contrasts an industrial northern England with an agricultural south, and represents a transitioning time from the old, traditional ways to the new, progressive approach that came with the industrial revolution.
• Les Miserables explores redemption, and the characteristics of the law and of grace.

There are a few more contemporary novels that portray similar characteristics.

• The Hunger Games also depicts the government and how controlling and dominating it can become.
• One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich centers on oppression from authorities and prison camp survival.
• To Kill a Mockingbird exposes the racist views that were still extremely prevalent at the time of it's writing. (And often still are.)
• Cry, the Beloved Country showed the disintegration of a culture and way of life to native South Africans. 

These books resonate with a truth that appeals to people. These books have made an impact and so have the people who penned them in the first place.

That got me to thinking. So much of what is being written nowadays is written purely for entertainment. Now there's nothing wrong with having a great adventure just for the sake of having an adventure, but the truly great books are the ones that show you something about life while you're having that adventure.

I mean really, do all of those vampire-stole-my-heart stories really have anything to offer us other than a chilling thrill and a hint of danger? No. Not even the junky, so-called "Christian" ones. (Honestly, if you're a Christian you should know better!) In my opinion the whole vampire thing is a fad and will fall away in it's turn in a similar manner to Furbys from the 90's. Granted Twilight will hang around and still be popular as the trendsetter of it's day, but there's nothing about those books that is really going to appeal to people for forever. They aren't important. It's the important ones that have made an impact.

As long as we are on this earth there is going to be a government that we are going to have to deal with.  Oppression, redemption, and change are things that we will always be coping with.

So, the question I begin to ask myself is, will my writing be influential? Are my books pure entertainment? Granted I have a few "just for fun" books lying around for when I'm in a lazy mood, but if I'm really serious about my work, and if I'm really trying to do my absolute best, then making people think and react to my work is something that desperately needs to be considered.

This applies to any kind of writer out there, not just Christians. Fiction or nonfiction, fantasy or contemporary, sci-fi or historical. If you want to be like the Greats, then it's not just a matter of expanding your vocabulary (watch this video!) it's a matter of being influential.

It's the difference between fluff and something to really chew on. It's the difference between a kindergardener's schoolroom and the Library of Alexandria.

FASD Awareness Day

I know that there are a million different causes and missions that one can support, but I would like to offer up to you one that is little known, and 100% avoidable.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) happens when a mother drinks alcohol during her pregnancy, and it can affect the child in so many ways; physical, mental, behavioral, and learning.

This is a cause that is a little closer to me than many others, because my youngest brother has FAS. We adopted him when he was a baby, and he has faced many challenges, many of which he will have to deal with for the rest of his life.

There are things we can do to help my brother, and we are! Along with that, though, I want to tell you that FASD is a cause that is fairly easy to support! You don't have to donate money for a cure, you don't have to do fundraisers, and you don't have to make products to make even more money for your cure. Instead, all you have to do is help the others around you be aware of what can happen when they drink while they are pregnant, and urge them to abstain from alcohol during those nine months.

This is a cause that will be exciting to spread to your community, as well! Unfortunately for our family this year, we didn't realize that until it was too late, and we already had things planned.

Perhaps the best way for you to learn more would be to pop over to the FAS Families of Faith blog!

Wheels For Noah

Alright, so I was going to write a sweet, touching post about how everyone should go and support this dear family, but I changed my mind.  It turned out way too sappy.

Wait, not the dear family part!  That's not what I meant!  Oh, here, let me try that again.

No, the dear family bit is 100% correct, but since I'm having a hard time writing out a brief summary of the story for you all, how about you just head over to the home page of Wheels for Noah to get the full scoop?

What I REALLY want to tell you is that right now, until Saturday the 5th, they are having an online silent auction in order to raise money to buy a wheelchair accessible bus for the family!  Another thing that I REALLY want to tell you is that there are BUNCH of great products on there to buy, all donated by people who care for Noah and his family and want to help.

But wait, there's more!  I was lucky enough to have some items available that I donated to the auction, and if you go over and check out the auction, you can see them there!  I donated the gloves, the small purse, and...a dress.  If you can find the dress and come back and tell me what kind of dress it is, you get double points!  The points don't count for anything, but hey!  There has to be an incentive somewhere, right?

Anyway, please go check out the auction, and if at all possible think of bidding on some of the items.  It's for a GREAT cause. <3