29 November 2006

Happy Birthday

Three children's authors, speculative fiction writers all, have birthdays today: Louisa May Alcott, Madeline L'Engle and C. S. Lewis.

Louisa May Alcott of Little Women, you say? She wrote sensationalized stories about duels and opium addiction and mind control. I haven't read any of them, but I'm interested enough to google around after I get my two thousand words in today.

Remember the loving family in A Wrinkle in Time? L'Engle's parents weren't very interested in her, only each other, so she imagined happy families for herself. What does your life lack that you make up for in your writing? That's your niche--go for it!

And, C.S. Lewis said, "You can't get a cup of tea big enough or a book long enough to suit me."

3 comments:

lesleylsmith said...

Hhm.... I'm not sure I totally agree with you, Betsy. By your reasoning, your life is lacking being a man, going to other worlds, having swashbuckling fights, magical powers, long-lost relatives, and being a world-leader. Wait a minute! You don't do any of that in real life, so maybe I just proved your point! :)

Betsy Dornbusch said...

Is this the counter-theroy to "write what you know"? Write what you lack?

Betsy Dornbusch said...

It works for me!