TRIGGER WARNING. This video contains well-documented information about Jack London's political and social views. It is offered in the context of what he wrote about and why, and should not trigger a political or social debate in this comment section. I personally believe in free speech, including digital free speech, so I seldom delete comments. Expression of a wide range of insight and opinion is encouraged. However, extreme comments about political or social matters (unkind or irrational rants) are off-topic here. This channel is about writing and political and social matters are incidental to that. All comments with a writing focus are welcome. Brilliant novelist and essayist Kurt Vonnegut said, “Love may fail, but courtesy will prevail.” That is my rule for the VelocityWriting channel.
Fascinating. I will never forget this quote, which my cousin had on a poster on her wall and which was burned into my memory: “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Jack London
Thank you for this up-to-date's glance on Jack London. I suggest a topic you can talk about, as you promoted, concerning the writing style and tips between Hemingway and Faulkner, and which one of it is more inspiring and fitting today.
He began as a racist but by the end of his life was coming out of it. Read his stories from his travels on the Snark where he identifies and gets deep into his character. I suspect 'The Mexican' inspired or fed into 'Rocky.' He deserves a good autobiography read on him. 'The People of the Abyss' and 'The Iron Heel' inspired George Orwell.
When Socialists become rich, they tend to change their views. London became fairly wealthy, so his world view unquestionably changed somewhat. Socialism is for young idealists who have nothing to lose. But did his views on eugenics and racism soften? Not enough to matter. He was still advocating them in his writings in the last few years of his life. It was part of his political ideology which included "Social Darwinism," a subject for another time. Still, London could write a pretty good dog story.
Greetings from Spain Mr. Hughes. Although my writing language is the Spanish, I find your channel very interesting and full of good tips. I would love to see a video on R.L.Stevenson, Oscar Wilde or Edgar Allan Poe. Thank you for your videos
Glad to have viewers from Spain. Welcome! Have you subscribed? I will add Robert Lewis Stevenson and Edgar Allan Poe to my list. They are good suggestions. Oscar Wilde is already on my list. Viewers seem to enjoy my Great Writers Series so I'll keep producing them. ruclips.net/p/PLKetvzjGQ0asIIP403k2yIL4-Vho5pwVe
An interesting choice that I'll add to my list. I am aware of his 1939 novel, "Ask the Dust." Charles Bukowski spoke well of him and that is good enough for me. Thank you for your suggestion. I'll do a video about him in the coming months.
A gold mine of great writing, comments, and advice can be found by digging into the work of Harlan Ellison. Philip K Dick would be another wonderful focus, given that his work moved from fringe science fiction to being recognized as serious philosophical literature.
Hi Mr. Hughes. I've been a subscriber for a couple of years now, and really enjoy your series of "Learn from Great Writers" video posts. I wonder what your ideas and commentary would be on perhaps presenting some of the so-called postmodern fiction authors. You've covered several of the classic, legendary writers of the 20th century - Hemingway, Tolkien, Steinbeck, etc. How would you feel about Pynchon, DeLillo, Franzen and David Foster Wallace, to name a few, and identifying ways a writer could glean insight from some of their works and styles? It's been a long time since we've had a chance to see a new post from you, and I must say it was exciting to get an email notification today that you had posted a new entry. Keep them coming please - and thank you sir.
Thank you for your kind comments. I admit I have missed the mark with this YT Channel. I have been writing books, editing books for clients, and renovating VelocityWriting.com. But, I take your point. I'm ahead of the game now and have produced videos in advance which will be appearing regularly each week. I feel great about offering insight from postmodern writers. I have David Foster Wallace already scheduled for next month. He seems to polarize some, but I am enchanted by his writing. I'll promise Pynchon, at least, in the slightly more distant future. I'll be covering other topics as well. Many people want to know how to write, and how to make money writing, and I cover those topics too. I also have several videos scheduled on the many aspects of blogging. Thank you for your suggestions and your encouragement.
Hi, I love your valuable information. Thank you. One of my favorite authors was Richard Matheson. I wept when he died, the same as Mario Puzo. I loved both of them. I read What Dreams May Come, the original one, in a single day! Then I read it again! Did they have any writing secrets they shared with anyone, or did they take those secrets to the grave? They were very different from each other, and they both died way too soon. I'll be looking for a video from you on either of them, or both of them. Please and thank you! PS You have a wonderful voice, easy to listen to. Again, thank you.
Thank you for your encouraging comments. Like you, I am interested in authors like Richard Matheson ("I Am Legend," "The Shrinking Man", etc) because he writes wonderful characters in a very visual way. That's why the film industry wants to do adapt his work. "What Dreams May Come" was an Academy Award-winning 1998 movie starring Robin Williams. The same applies to Puzo, of course. He wrote, "The Godfather" (novel and screenplays) and several other screenplays for other popular movies. Thank you for mentioning these writers. I will put each on my list for future videos.
Could you do a presentation on the creator of Paddington Bear - the ex-cameraman of the British children's program, Blue Peter? Or, if that's not possible, how about Percy Shelly - the writer and husband of Mary Shelly who wrote Frankenstein - or as a bonus or DOUBLE-BILLING - both Mary and Percy Shelly?
Thanks for these suggestions. I'll have to think about Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear. But your idea of a double billing for the Shelley's is a great one and I have just put them on my list.
That's great. Thankyou, it would be great to see them featured as a double-billing. I sometimes wonder which one of the Shellys is more great. I know Percy Shelly found more fame (or I should say, was famous) after his death, but Mary, I am not quite sure.
i can't help comparing Jack London and Jules Verne (2 of my favorites) - whereas London lived an adventurous life and wrote about it - Verne stayed ensconced at home and wrote about adventurous lives - Verne tests the adage "write what you know about" - which implies that a writer of adventures must live it first - Verne got away with his sedentary life by deeply studying recent inventions and distant countries - and used his observations of human nature to help him place characters in those situations he never experienced - not just ballooning over africa - but being shot out of a cannon towards the moon i never have forgotten about London's first published story in a writing contest that he won - he wrote about a typhoon the ship he worked on survived - i forget the actual numbers - but i think the story limit was 10,000 words - he wrote 20,000 words and pared it down - a good lesson to someone who fears being unable to produce the wordage needed - just disgorge everything you can think of - and edit it down my favorite novel of London's is thoughtful instead of stirring - MARTIN EDEN was revealed by London after its publication to be closely based on his life - his struggle to succeed as a writer - rising from poverty & poor education - due to the inspiration of a beautiful upper class woman - it helped that at the time i read it - i was badly smitten with a woman who matched his description of his muse - we even know the name of the actual woman - Mabel Applegarth (Ruth Morse in the novel)
You offer helpful insight here. Most writers need external stimuli to trigger their creative juices. They experience something and then write it in true or fictional form. Yet, a rare few are able to envision worlds from their chair. Such is the power of a superior imagination. It is good to be reminded that both methods can be effective.
Thank you for creating this video. I'm 42 years old. I enjoy reading. I would like to try my hand at writing as a hobby. How should I begin? A local creative writing group perhaps? Wishing you health and happiness 😊
I want to encourage you try your hand at writing. I suggest you start with a few short stories before you jump into a novel. Many new writers get discouraged when they try to pull off a novel without learning basic skills. My advice is that you NOT join a local writing group. Too often, they are the blind leading the blind. Invest your time in writing, not in a group talking about writing. I suggest you find some short stories you love. Study them. Dissect them. Then, write your own unique story based on what you gleaned. I am not suggesting you plagiarize. I'm suggesting you carefully investigate how the stories are put together (plot, characters, pacing, etc.) and emulate the patterns you see in your own unique way. Here is a post of plagiarism that will free your creativity: velocitywriting.com/plagiarism-in-creative-context/ Here is a video about the writing process: ruclips.net/video/10TefrpbWmQ/видео.html Go for it!
I hate to admit it, but Leigh Brackett was a new name to me. I quickly checked her credentials and saw writers should definitely know more about her. She had an outstanding writing career. I have added her to my list and will do a "tips" list video about her in 2021. Thank you for suggesting her.
She was fantastic. She also had connections with another name you might recognize: Ray Bradbury. Leigh wrote Westerns, Sci-fi, and she was one of the best screenwriters in Hollywood, too.
I have enjoyed London's writings as well as learning about his life. I knew he was a socialist, but here is where I disagree with you. You said that if he were alive today, he would be a leftist/socialist or something like that. Maxim Gorky was a realist, a supporter of the Bolsheviks, and a friend of Stalin. But when he became disillusioned with Stalinism, he made some slight criticism of its evolution and practice. His friend, Stalin, sent a couple of NKVD agents who visited with him one afternoon, left, and a few hours later, Gorky died in convulsions. The point is that everything is always changing. In my college days I, too, was a socialist. Now, I am very conservative. I don't want the government or anyone else to have unnecessary power over me. I certainly don't trust other people. London was a socialist during a different time and place. He probably would eschew socialism now after seeing its practice in reality.
An interesting suggestion, Jeffrey. He is not an author but was the literary confidant of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie Rawlings, Thomas Wolfe, and Ernest Hemingway. He edited their work. The fact that he was not an author may be begging the question. His literary sensibilities changed the last half of the 20th century. Maybe I should do a short series on people like him. Pascal Covici also comes to mind. He was the wise editor and friend of John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, and a few others. Thank you for your suggestion.
@@VelocityWriting We rarely hear about editors, though, to varying degrees, they play an important role in the creative process. A series on editors' advice to writers should prove very enlightening.
You are right, Jeffrey. You got me thinking about this and I have started a list of notable editors. I'll start producing videos about them, one at a time, in a few weeks. I'll start with Maxwell Perkins because you inspired the series of videos.
Sadly, not a hoax. You can still find his stories about the "yellow peril" and other issues I presented in the video. Did he mellow at some point? Ha! Socialists always seem to mellow when they want to buy property or fund their 401k retirement plans. Socialism is for those who have nothing to lose, and in his final years, he had plenty to lose. London was a passionate Socialist and an advocate of eugenics and racism that was part of the Socialist package, for almost all of his 40-year life.
If he was a racist, he was bad at it. Take him in the context of his times. As a photographer, he made portraits of indigenous peoples with respect and dignity. When he opened his camera's shutter he opened his heart. Check out Jack London, Photographer, published by University of Georgia Press in 2010.
@@philipadam7870 Londons's racism is well-researched and well-documented. See www.jstor.org/stable/27747084?seq=1 as one example of many. The thing that makes his racism somewhat unusual, as I have noted in the video, is that it was primarily aimed at Asians, not Blacks. When he was taking photographs of indigenous people in various parts of the world, he probably did not understand that many people groups he photographed had Asian antecedents. Sadly, there is no question that London was an advocate of the "cultural hygiene" of Eugenics. He continued to write about these matters into the last decade of his life.
London did believe in the racial superiority of whites - but allowed that each race would feel the same way - he wasn't a aggressive racist like the KKK - he just thought that nature made whites the natural leaders of a diverse population in practical example - he was like many whites when Jack Johnson won the heavyweight boxing title - he openly pleaded for a white boxer to stand up and defeat Johnson
TRIGGER WARNING. This video contains well-documented information about Jack London's political and social views. It is offered in the context of what he wrote about and why, and should not trigger a political or social debate in this comment section. I personally believe in free speech, including digital free speech, so I seldom delete comments. Expression of a wide range of insight and opinion is encouraged. However, extreme comments about political or social matters (unkind or irrational rants) are off-topic here. This channel is about writing and political and social matters are incidental to that. All comments with a writing focus are welcome. Brilliant novelist and essayist Kurt Vonnegut said, “Love may fail, but courtesy will prevail.” That is my rule for the VelocityWriting channel.
Fascinating. I will never forget this quote, which my cousin had on a poster on her wall and which was burned into my memory: “I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." Jack London
I have read both Call of the Wild and White Fang.But these are all new things to me.
Thank you
I watch your presentation regularly.
DL - I love your videos - very informative and entertaining. I think they are brilliant. Keep 'em coming!
Just found this channel and I am happy to see it is a very good one. Thank you from Romania, keep up the good work!
Glad you enjoy it!
"Lost Face" is my favorite short story.
Jack London and Robert Service. Two big time adventurers !
Thank you for this up-to-date's glance on Jack London. I suggest a topic you can talk about, as you promoted, concerning the writing style and tips between Hemingway and Faulkner, and which one of it is more inspiring and fitting today.
He began as a racist but by the end of his life was coming out of it. Read his stories from his travels on the Snark where he identifies and gets deep into his character. I suspect 'The Mexican' inspired or fed into 'Rocky.' He deserves a good autobiography read on him. 'The People of the Abyss' and 'The Iron Heel' inspired George Orwell.
When Socialists become rich, they tend to change their views. London became fairly wealthy, so his world view unquestionably changed somewhat. Socialism is for young idealists who have nothing to lose.
But did his views on eugenics and racism soften? Not enough to matter. He was still advocating them in his writings in the last few years of his life. It was part of his political ideology which included "Social Darwinism," a subject for another time. Still, London could write a pretty good dog story.
If you like boxing, I suggest reading The mexican. One of the best short stories ever.
Greetings from Spain Mr. Hughes. Although my writing language is the Spanish, I find your channel very interesting and full of good tips. I would love to see a video on R.L.Stevenson, Oscar Wilde or Edgar Allan Poe. Thank you for your videos
Glad to have viewers from Spain. Welcome! Have you subscribed? I will add Robert Lewis Stevenson and Edgar Allan Poe to my list. They are good suggestions. Oscar Wilde is already on my list. Viewers seem to enjoy my Great Writers Series so I'll keep producing them. ruclips.net/p/PLKetvzjGQ0asIIP403k2yIL4-Vho5pwVe
Hello there, could you make a video about John Fante? I dont find people to even talk about him. Thank you.
An interesting choice that I'll add to my list. I am aware of his 1939 novel, "Ask the Dust." Charles Bukowski spoke well of him and that is good enough for me. Thank you for your suggestion. I'll do a video about him in the coming months.
@@VelocityWriting Robert Towne said that the 2 best writers of Los Angeles were Raymond Chandler and John Fante.
A gold mine of great writing, comments, and advice can be found by digging into the work of Harlan Ellison. Philip K Dick would be another wonderful focus, given that his work moved from fringe science fiction to being recognized as serious philosophical literature.
Hi Mr. Hughes. I've been a subscriber for a couple of years now, and really enjoy your series of "Learn from Great Writers" video posts. I wonder what your ideas and commentary would be on perhaps presenting some of the so-called postmodern fiction authors. You've covered several of the classic, legendary writers of the 20th century - Hemingway, Tolkien, Steinbeck, etc. How would you feel about Pynchon, DeLillo, Franzen and David Foster Wallace, to name a few, and identifying ways a writer could glean insight from some of their works and styles? It's been a long time since we've had a chance to see a new post from you, and I must say it was exciting to get an email notification today that you had posted a new entry. Keep them coming please - and thank you sir.
Thank you for your kind comments. I admit I have missed the mark with this YT Channel. I have been writing books, editing books for clients, and renovating VelocityWriting.com. But, I take your point. I'm ahead of the game now and have produced videos in advance which will be appearing regularly each week.
I feel great about offering insight from postmodern writers. I have David Foster Wallace already scheduled for next month. He seems to polarize some, but I am enchanted by his writing. I'll promise Pynchon, at least, in the slightly more distant future.
I'll be covering other topics as well. Many people want to know how to write, and how to make money writing, and I cover those topics too. I also have several videos scheduled on the many aspects of blogging.
Thank you for your suggestions and your encouragement.
Love the videos!
Glad you like them! Thank you.
Hi, I love your valuable information. Thank you. One of my favorite authors was Richard Matheson. I wept when he died, the same as Mario Puzo. I loved both of them. I read What Dreams May Come, the original one, in a single day! Then I read it again! Did they have any writing secrets they shared with anyone, or did they take those secrets to the grave? They were very different from each other, and they both died way too soon. I'll be looking for a video from you on either of them, or both of them. Please and thank you! PS You have a wonderful voice, easy to listen to. Again, thank you.
Thank you for your encouraging comments.
Like you, I am interested in authors like Richard Matheson ("I Am Legend," "The Shrinking Man", etc) because he writes wonderful characters in a very visual way. That's why the film industry wants to do adapt his work. "What Dreams May Come" was an Academy Award-winning 1998 movie starring Robin Williams.
The same applies to Puzo, of course. He wrote, "The Godfather" (novel and screenplays) and several other screenplays for other popular movies.
Thank you for mentioning these writers. I will put each on my list for future videos.
Could you do a presentation on the creator of Paddington Bear - the ex-cameraman of the British children's program, Blue Peter?
Or, if that's not possible, how about Percy Shelly - the writer and husband of Mary Shelly who wrote Frankenstein - or as a bonus or DOUBLE-BILLING - both Mary and Percy Shelly?
Thanks for these suggestions. I'll have to think about Michael Bond, creator of Paddington Bear. But your idea of a double billing for the Shelley's is a great one and I have just put them on my list.
That's great. Thankyou, it would be great to see them featured as a double-billing. I sometimes wonder which one of the Shellys is more great. I know Percy Shelly found more fame (or I should say, was famous) after his death, but Mary, I am not quite sure.
i can't help comparing Jack London and Jules Verne (2 of my favorites) - whereas London lived an adventurous life and wrote about it - Verne stayed ensconced at home and wrote about adventurous lives - Verne tests the adage "write what you know about" - which implies that a writer of adventures must live it first - Verne got away with his sedentary life by deeply studying recent inventions and distant countries - and used his observations of human nature to help him place characters in those situations he never experienced - not just ballooning over africa - but being shot out of a cannon towards the moon
i never have forgotten about London's first published story in a writing contest that he won - he wrote about a typhoon the ship he worked on survived - i forget the actual numbers - but i think the story limit was 10,000 words - he wrote 20,000 words and pared it down - a good lesson to someone who fears being unable to produce the wordage needed - just disgorge everything you can think of - and edit it down
my favorite novel of London's is thoughtful instead of stirring - MARTIN EDEN was revealed by London after its publication to be closely based on his life - his struggle to succeed as a writer - rising from poverty & poor education - due to the inspiration of a beautiful upper class woman - it helped that at the time i read it - i was badly smitten with a woman who matched his description of his muse - we even know the name of the actual woman - Mabel Applegarth (Ruth Morse in the novel)
You offer helpful insight here. Most writers need external stimuli to trigger their creative juices. They experience something and then write it in true or fictional form. Yet, a rare few are able to envision worlds from their chair. Such is the power of a superior imagination. It is good to be reminded that both methods can be effective.
Thank you for creating this video. I'm 42 years old. I enjoy reading. I would like to try my hand at writing as a hobby. How should I begin? A local creative writing group perhaps? Wishing you health and happiness 😊
I want to encourage you try your hand at writing. I suggest you start with a few short stories before you jump into a novel. Many new writers get discouraged when they try to pull off a novel without learning basic skills.
My advice is that you NOT join a local writing group. Too often, they are the blind leading the blind. Invest your time in writing, not in a group talking about writing.
I suggest you find some short stories you love. Study them. Dissect them. Then, write your own unique story based on what you gleaned. I am not suggesting you plagiarize. I'm suggesting you carefully investigate how the stories are put together (plot, characters, pacing, etc.) and emulate the patterns you see in your own unique way.
Here is a post of plagiarism that will free your creativity: velocitywriting.com/plagiarism-in-creative-context/
Here is a video about the writing process: ruclips.net/video/10TefrpbWmQ/видео.html
Go for it!
@@VelocityWriting Thank you so much for the advice 🙏 ❤
Do a segment on Leigh Brackett.
I hate to admit it, but Leigh Brackett was a new name to me. I quickly checked her credentials and saw writers should definitely know more about her. She had an outstanding writing career. I have added her to my list and will do a "tips" list video about her in 2021. Thank you for suggesting her.
She was fantastic. She also had connections with another name you might recognize: Ray Bradbury. Leigh wrote Westerns, Sci-fi, and she was one of the best screenwriters in Hollywood, too.
Could you do a video on Truman Capote? I would enjoy that very much
Great suggestion! I have added him to my list. Thank you.
Building a fire is his best short story.
The Sea Wolf is my favorite
I have enjoyed London's writings as well as learning about his life. I knew he was a socialist, but here is where I disagree with you. You said that if he were alive today, he would be a leftist/socialist or something like that. Maxim Gorky was a realist, a supporter of the Bolsheviks, and a friend of Stalin. But when he became disillusioned with Stalinism, he made some slight criticism of its evolution and practice. His friend, Stalin, sent a couple of NKVD agents who visited with him one afternoon, left, and a few hours later, Gorky died in convulsions. The point is that everything is always changing. In my college days I, too, was a socialist. Now, I am very conservative. I don't want the government or anyone else to have unnecessary power over me. I certainly don't trust other people. London was a socialist during a different time and place. He probably would eschew socialism now after seeing its practice in reality.
I'd like to see a video on Maxwell Perkins.
An interesting suggestion, Jeffrey. He is not an author but was the literary confidant of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie Rawlings, Thomas Wolfe, and Ernest Hemingway. He edited their work. The fact that he was not an author may be begging the question. His literary sensibilities changed the last half of the 20th century.
Maybe I should do a short series on people like him. Pascal Covici also comes to mind. He was the wise editor and friend of John Steinbeck, Saul Bellow, and a few others. Thank you for your suggestion.
@@VelocityWriting We rarely hear about editors, though, to varying degrees, they play an important role in the creative process. A series on editors' advice to writers should prove very enlightening.
You are right, Jeffrey. You got me thinking about this and I have started a list of notable editors. I'll start producing videos about them, one at a time, in a few weeks. I'll start with Maxwell Perkins because you inspired the series of videos.
Advice or tips on writing mysteries
Good idea! I'll put it on my schedule for an upcoming video. Thank you.
Friend of Sinclair Lewis. That makes sense.
That's an unabashed view they don't teach middle school students.
hi, i did know anything about jack london racist intentions, is it true or just a hoax !@? thank you.
Sadly, not a hoax. You can still find his stories about the "yellow peril" and other issues I presented in the video. Did he mellow at some point? Ha! Socialists always seem to mellow when they want to buy property or fund their 401k retirement plans. Socialism is for those who have nothing to lose, and in his final years, he had plenty to lose. London was a passionate Socialist and an advocate of eugenics and racism that was part of the Socialist package, for almost all of his 40-year life.
If he was a racist, he was bad at it. Take him in the context of his times. As a photographer, he made portraits of indigenous peoples with respect and dignity. When he opened his camera's shutter he opened his heart. Check out Jack London, Photographer, published by University of Georgia Press in 2010.
@@philipadam7870 Londons's racism is well-researched and well-documented. See www.jstor.org/stable/27747084?seq=1 as one example of many. The thing that makes his racism somewhat unusual, as I have noted in the video, is that it was primarily aimed at Asians, not Blacks. When he was taking photographs of indigenous people in various parts of the world, he probably did not understand that many people groups he photographed had Asian antecedents. Sadly, there is no question that London was an advocate of the "cultural hygiene" of Eugenics. He continued to write about these matters into the last decade of his life.
London did believe in the racial superiority of whites - but allowed that each race would feel the same way - he wasn't a aggressive racist like the KKK - he just thought that nature made whites the natural leaders of a diverse population
in practical example - he was like many whites when Jack Johnson won the heavyweight boxing title - he openly pleaded for a white boxer to stand up and defeat Johnson