Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 47
February 1, 2025
A Writer's Moment: 'In love with language'
January 31, 2025
'An expression of my own life'
“I arise full of eagerness andenergy, knowing well what achievement lies ahead of me.” – Zane Grey
Born in Ohio at the end of January 1872,Grey was intrigued by history at an early age and started writing about it whilestill in college, even though “Writing was like digging coal,” he said abouthis early efforts. “I sweat blood. But the spell was on me.”
Grey self-published his first novelbut when sales exploded, Harper & Row took his next one and the rest, asthey say was history – both literally and figuratively.
Besides more than 70 Westerns(adapted into 112 films), he wrote 2 hunting books, 6 children’s books, 3baseball books, and 8 fishing books. His total book sales –which made him a millionaire many times over – surpassed $40 million (todate since many of the books are still in print).
A star baseball player incollege and a frequent brawler as a young man, his writing depicting bothathleticism and fistfights were often cited by his readers when talking aboutthe "realism" brought out in his books.
“Well, what is writing,” heresponded, “but an expression of my own life?”
A Writer's Moment: 'An expression of my own life'
January 30, 2025
A Writer's Moment: Searching for answers; opening doors
Searching for answers; opening doors
“We learn more by looking for theanswer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answeritself.” –Lloyd Alexander
Born in Philadelphia on this datein 1924, Alexander authored more than 40 books, primarily fantasy novels forchildren and young adults. His most famous work The High King, partof his “Chronicles of Prydain” series, won the Newbery Medal forexcellence in American children's literature. Healso was awarded two U.S. National Book Awards.
Alexander grew up with a deep love of reading, particularly adventures andclassics. “Shakespeare, Dickens, Mark Twain, and so many others weremy dearest friends and greatest teachers,” he said. While henever finished college, his writing eventually earned him several“writer-in-residence” opportunities at colleges and universities – anexperience he said was like being a favorite uncle who comes in and spoils thekids and then leaves them to their parents at days’ end.
A World War II veteran, Alexander –who died in 2007 – spent time in Wales late in the war and the landscape andhistory he discovered there shaped a number of his fantasynovels. Enamored with adventures and tales of knights anddragons, he went into the army to get a taste of adventure forhimself.
“I decided,” he said, “that my ownadventure was the best way to learn about writing.”
January 29, 2025
'To hold the reader's attention'
“Books are humanity inprint. Books are carriers of civilization. Without books,history is silent, literature dumb, science crippled, thought and speculationat a standstill.” – Barbara Tuchman
Historian, journalist and author,Tuchman – who was born in New York City on Jan. 30, 1912, was a two-timePulitzer Prize winner for 1962’s The Gunsof August (a prelude to and first month of World War I), and the 1970biography on World War II General Joseph – Stilwell and the American Experience inChina.
But she is perhaps best known forher insightful 1978 book A Distant Mirror about the calamitous14th Century but considered reflective of the 20th Century,especially about the horrors of war. That book, too, was a finalistfor the Pulitzer and led the New York Times bestseller list formost of a year.
Tuchman dedicated herself tohistorical research and writing, turning out a new book approximately everyfour years. She provided eloquent explanatory narratives in her writingand was called “a layperson's historian who made the past interesting tomillions of readers.”
The author of 20 books, the lastcoming out less than a year before her death in 1989, Tuchman said all writingstyles are acceptable in the sharing of history.
“The writer’s object is – or shouldbe – to hold the reader’s attention.”
A Writer's Moment: 'To hold the reader's attention'
January 28, 2025
'Tackle that crazy idea'
“If you sell yourself short beforeyou even start, you'll never know how far you could have gone. Ambition is awonderful thing and has gotten me farther than I ever thought I'd go.” – Carrie Vaughn
Born in Sacramento, CA on this datein 1973, Vaughan has written dozens of novels, many novellas, and more than 60short stories, most in the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Young Adult genres,including her popular YA “Kitty Norville” series. Her most recent book – just out in November –is The Naturalist Society, and a sequel The Glass Slide World willbe out this coming fall. And, she is part of the writing team for the“Wild Card” Sci-Fi Superhero books, edited by George R.R. Martin and MelindaSnodgrass.
A graduate of Occidental College(California, Vaughan earned her Master’s in English Literature from TheUniversity of Colorado and has continued to make her home in Boulder.
Her advice to writers is to do whatshe did and take risks. "Go ahead and tackle that crazy idea that you think willnever fly, because that may be the one that makes you stand out from the crowd,”she advises. “Keep pushing theenvelope.”
