What are your five favorite books, and why?
So many books; so little time. It is hard to reduce to five my favorite books. But I will try.
The Odyssey by Homer
The Odyssey, probably the greatest story ever written, is the tale of Odysseus returning home from the Trojan Wars. In my view, this ancient tale reflects what Joseph Campbell called, The Heroes Journey. The Heroes Journey is the story of each of us as we journey through life and in The Odyssey, we can glimpse a reflection of our own life’s journey. Homer’s characters show us the various archetypes that Campbell described. For example, we see the archetype of the Mentor reflected by the goddess Athena.
By the way, The Heroes Journey is an excellent technique for writing fiction. It is said that Hollywood will not consider producing a film that does not reflect The Heroes Journey. Star Wars, The Avatar, The Lord of the Rings and even the Field of Dreams all demonstrate this motif. My own novel, Celts and Kings shows one way that I used the concept of The Heroes Journey.
Oedipus the King by Sophocles
A tragic tale by Sophocles, Oedipus is the story of a man who tried to avoid his fate. The harder he tried to run away from the Prophecy of Apollo, the more he fulfilled his destiny.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A story of a little girl in a Southern Town that learns empathy, and the value of seeing through another’s eyes.
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
The story of a bitter old man, who is destroyed by his quest for revenge.
A tossup between Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne
I snuck in an extra book here. Huckleberry Finn is similar to Lee’s book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Huck also learns to overcome his upbringing by covering for his friend, an escaped slave, Jim.
The Scarlet Letter tells us of Hester who wears a scarlet A because she has committed adultery. The minister Dimmesdale, the Father of Hester’s child, learns to overcome his guilt and shame.
What is your writing process?
My writing process is different depending on whether I am writing fiction or non-fiction.
For a non-fiction article or book, I usually begin with some concept or news event that I feel strongly about. Often, I will mull this idea over and over in my head for several days. Sometimes I will get new insight at weird time like 3am. Eventually, all these ideas jell and I will write my first draft.
If I am writing fiction, I will use the structure of the heroes journey which is a pattern that has been used for thousands of years. A good example is my novel, Celts and Kings. The main character is a college Professor, John Michaels.
A short synopsis follows:
John Michaels is in Ireland seeking clues to his identity. Happily married with a son, Sean, Michaels was fired and blacklisted after a confrontation with Samuel Reed, a powerful owner of a software company.
While in Ireland, he unintentionally meets Meghan O’Rourke, an attractive graduate student. As each struggles with a powerful, mystical attraction for each other, they uncover the answer to an ancient Irish mystery—the puzzling Flight of the Earls in 1607.
Steeped in history, and Celtic lore, Celts and Kings is the story of a forbidden love going back 400 years and is essential for understanding the problems facing modern Ireland.
Each of the stages of the heroes journey, the call to adventure, the refusal, crossing the threshold, meeting the mentor, meeting allies and passing tests, confronting the greatest danger (the belly of the beast), and the return are in this novel.
Also, many of the archetypes are revealed as well. For example, George Lancshire is clearly a mentor to John and Meghan.
As discussed elsewhere, the heroes journey is an excellent technique for writing fiction. It is said that Hollywood will not consider producing a film that does not reflect the heroes journey. Star Wars, The Avatar, The Lord of the Rings and even the Field of Dreams all demonstrate this structure. The above novel, Celts and Kings shows one way that I used the concept of the heroes journey in writing fiction.
