Weekly Topic April 9-15
Posted by Lynnette on 09 Apr 2007 | Tagged as: Weekly Topics
I thought we’d talk about something fun this week. I’ve been to numerous author chats and this question comes up alot, so I thought I’d post the question here.
If you could spend time with Five (5) people out of history that have affected you or your writing in one way or the other, who would they be and why?
Blog Diva
That’s an interesting question. I never really think about who I’d like to know from the past. I do think often about places I’d like to see, or rather how places I’m in now would have looked in the past. I’d like to visit colonial America, Spain during medieval times, Ireland (not sure about the time period), etc. For some reason, settings really lure me. I think I need to do some time traveling:)
April 9th, 2007 at 6:57 pmI’ve always been drawn to strong women in history, like Cleopatra, who sparked my early and passionate love of Egypt, and Queen Elizabeth, one of the best loved monarchs and most admired rulers of all time. Others would include Mae West, Amelia Earhart and Virginia Woolf, all strong independent women who have been inspiring to my life as a writer and a woman.
April 10th, 2007 at 7:09 amI would love to have met H.P. Lovecraft. His dark, horrifying image of life was very influencing on my young brain. There’s always something in the back of my head when I’m writing that wonders if he would have liked the books I write.
I’d also like to meet Benjamin Franklin. He effortlessly combined idealism with practicality. Not afraid to take risks, so long as there was food on the table. I like that in a person, and he had so MANY ideas!
Another person would be Mother Teresa. Compassion and fearlessness in the face of her daily threat of death is something that I find fascinating.
Fourth, I think, would be Alexander the Great (provided I wasn’t in chains at his feet…) Again, that personal drive and ability to lead and unite is thrilling.
Finally, I would like to have met Mark Twain. He was both caustic and funny and would have made me laugh.
Cathy
April 10th, 2007 at 10:25 am• the Queen of Sheba
• Boadecia (whose name I can never spell!)
• Blanche of Castille
• Heloise (of “Abelard and…” fame)
• Eleanor of Aquitaine
Warrior queens - in their own way - each and every one of them. Hmm. I sense a theme.
Claire
April 10th, 2007 at 10:27 amWell, dang if it had just been five people, I think I could do it, but that they affected my writing? That’s tough! All of my influence is modern.
April 10th, 2007 at 3:10 pmI’m more of a place person, too, but if I could meet a few people, most of my choices would be hard-drinking, hard-living male writers, like Hemingway, Kerouac, and Steinbeck. Or their wives—that would be even more interesting! Hunter S. Thompson, too, believe it or not, though I doubt I could keep up for more than a minute. Edison Marshall wrote the first romance I ever read, “Yankee Pasha,” and I remember being astounded that men needed women as much as women needed men. I was lucky enough to briefly meet the late Laurie Colwin; she’s definitely on the list.
April 11th, 2007 at 12:28 pmHmmm…I’d be afraid that if I met them I’d be dismayed by the reality. Finding out your fave figure has no teeth can put a damper on your day.[g]
But if I had to pick, I’d like to meet Alexander Hamilton, David Farragut, Osceola, Jean Lafitte and Abigail Adams.
April 13th, 2007 at 6:30 amFive people from history? That’s a tough one. Like Diana C above said; if it was just five historical people…
I can only name two people who I think gave me the desire and courage to write. That would be Mark Twain and Carolyn Keene.
Mark Twain gave me a love of reading early on and Carolyn Keene helped me keep that love of reading through my pre-teen years.
Other historical figures I’ve felt an affinity with are, Abraham Lincoln, Cleopatra and William Wallace.
April 16th, 2007 at 5:42 pm