Three Things That Turned A Violent Dystopian Novel Into A Required Reading Classic

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Three Things That Turned A Violent Dystopian Novel Into A Required Reading Classic

What books were you required to read in school? If you are like most Americans, it may have included The Great Gatsby, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Catcher in the Rye, and Lord of the Flies. Each of these books has a fascinating backstory. Each has become embedded in the culture through the millions of formative minds that read them. But only one is a bloody dystopia in which students themselves carry out the violence: Lord of the Flies.

I recently revisited the book as I worked on my current novel, The Green Tower. I figured I could learn from another chaotic struggle in a jungle. But Lord of the Flies is much more than that. Here are three things that have turned this novel into a classic that has endured—long before books like Hunger Games made dystopia cliché.

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The Magic of Editing

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The Magic of Editing

Editing is important. But did you know it's magic?  

It starts with the power of the written word, connecting the minds of writers and readers across space and time. Steven King said it's like telepathy -- I write something. You read it.  I never opened my mouth, and you never opened yours.  We're not in the same time together, let alone the same room . . . except we are together. We're close. We're having a meeting of the minds. -- I agree with King, and if you're looking for a metaphysical or spiritual source for this special power, google: "In the beginning was the word."

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Writing Your First Novel

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Writing Your First Novel

Welcome to my new blog.  

Our lives are a swamp of words. We hear and consume 30,000-100,000 words a day. It is easy to get lost in that swamp. But words still have power. On this website, I hope to provide fresh and succinct insights into the art of writing, words, and life.

As I've recently written my first novel, Light in the Gloaming, I'm beginning with a roadmap for how I did it (actually, for how I wish I had done it now that I've fumbled my way through the first one).

Five Steps To Writing A Novel

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