What We Can Learn From Mark Twain

Dear Reader,

Today, Hannah E.M. is borrowing my blog for a bit, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Who is Hannah? She is a long-time writing friend of mine. She is a critique partner who has helped me improve my writing time and time again. She is a fellow Community Assistant, and I work alongside her to keep a community of young writers in line. And she is also a fellow blogger, sharing delightful stories at Precarious Bookstacks.

But aside from that, Hannah is an adventurer. Hannah strives to bring real-life experiences to her stories, and she is passionate about helping other young writers to do the same.

I’ll let her take the wheel now. Read on to learn a lesson that Hannah was taught by none other than Mark Twain.

Yours truly,
Eliana

What We Can Learn From Mark Twain | A Guest Post by Hannah E.M.

How can you become better at writing? 

Is it spending hours studying other stories? Taking classes? Reading books? Learning about plot structure and character arcs? 

Or is it taking the time to practice writing? Writing for hours each day, churning out story after story until you finally write one that resonates with readers? 

All of these methods are viable ways of learning about writing, but I think there’s something else that many young writers miss. Something that keeps their stories from showing readers raw and genuine emotions: 

Life. 

When we imagine writers and authors, we often picture them spending countless hours at home or in an office, a cup of tea in hand and a computer before them. Writers are often thought of as homebodies, which is definitely okay. It’s valuable to relax and enjoy the slower moments that come. 

But I don’t think that’s the best way for a writer to learn, grow, or craft truly compelling stories. 

Stories hold a lot of power. They might be made up, but they still reflect the real world. Real experiences—both the highs and the lows—are what connect readers to a book on a deep level. In order to craft these kinds of stories, writers need to get out and experience the world. 

Allow Me To Tell You About Mark Twain 

Mark Twain is an author who shows us that experiencing the world is essential to writing compelling books. 

His stories are very unique and lifelike—there’s a reason why we read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn many years after they were published. 

Mark Twain had many adventures in his life—many of which were not related to writing. He grew up near the Mississippi River, where riverboats and travelers constantly flowed. Think about how many interesting, or at least out-of-the-norm people you meet when you travel. He was surrounded by travelers and likely met many interesting, out-of-the-norm people that inspired his stories. 

Later on, he moved around the country, working different odd jobs. New York City, Philadelphia, New Orleans… you name it. Moving around—especially to large cities – can surround you with a lot of new experiences and story inspiration. Eventually, Mark Twain worked as a riverboat pilot, seeing new lands and meeting new people. 

All of these adventures that Mark Twain experienced contributed to his stories. His books are lifelike and deeply connect with readers in a way that many other books don’t. 

Mark Twain didn’t spend all of this life analyzing plot or practicing prose. Imagine if he had done that instead of moving around the country and adventuring. Would his books have been the classics that we all love today? 

Writers Need to Live 

The hardest thing about being a young writer is that we’re young. We haven’t experienced very much in this world. The best stories reflect real life, but you can’t write about that until you actually live. 

Many young writers want to write meaningful stories but aren’t sure how to do that. They can’t seem to write stories that feel real or that deal with thought-provoking themes, no matter how many classes they take or how much they practice. 

A lot of life experience comes with age, but we can still gain wisdom about the world as young people. We can start experiencing the world, even while being young. 

Meet Project Live Your Story 

I experienced some of these struggles, and saw the same in other writers. So I decided to make a challenge that doesn’t focus on teaching plot or character arcs. Instead, it pushes writers into the world so they can bring life into their stories. 

Project Live Your Story is a month-long challenge focused on helping writers begin to experience all the world has to offer. It lays out the stepping stones for adventuring and pushing past your comfort zone – and most importantly, bringing life into your story. 

How It Works: 

Starting June 21st (the first official day of summer! ☀️) you will be emailed one challenge per week until July 12th. Each challenge will be small, but every one of them will push you out into the sunshine to experience new things. 

There is also a private Slack community focused on building accountability and friendship! 

Ready to bring life to your writing? Sign up HERE. You can also find more info about the challenge here. Signups end on Wednesday, June 20th. 

Friends, I encourage you to set your computer aside for a moment. Go out into the world and experience something new. Get messy, make mistakes… and then return to your stories with your newfound knowledge and experience. 

I hope to see you there! 

And many thanks to Eliana for momentarily letting me steal her blog! 🙂 

-Hannah 

About the Author

Hannah E.M. is a crazy pen-wielding, jack-of-all-trades writer. She writes contemporary stories with a vintage (or magical) twist, usually featuring big families, delicious food, and tear-jerking scenes.

Along with writing, she enjoys outdoor adventures, sewing, historical costuming, playing music, and spending time with her lively family.

To see what new shenanigans Hannah might get into, visit her blog at precariousbookstacks.com.