People write for many different reasons, and I was interested to read (in the L.A. Times) that one of my favorite contemporary writers, Carl Hiaasen, is motivated by anger.
The article says, "Hiaasen talked about how anger drove his writing. He's an editorial columnist with the Miami Herald, where he has worked for more than two decades, and often focuses on misdeeds and mistakes of Florida's political establishment. He's got no love for developers, either, and is an outspoken opponent of the rampant growth that has fueled Florida's economy while harming its environment."
His chldren's book, Hoot..."was based on his own childhood experience with burrowing owls and the developers whose bulldozing often buried and killed them. Hiaasen and his friends moved survey stakes at night, leading to some confusion, but in the end, the developers continued their destructive work. The thing about fiction, Hiaasen explained, is that you can give a story like that a happy ending." Obviously kids liked it--it sold more than 2 million copies.
If you like comic novels with a decidedly zany edge, you'll love Hiaasen's books. His latest (for adults) is Star Island, a satire of the cult of celebrity. I'm going to make it my first ebook purchase and take it on my week's break to Malta.
If you're stuck for what to write about, take inspiration from Hiaasen--what makes you angry? There's a story in there somewhere!
(One source of anger you don't need is getting ripped off. Unfortunately a lot of writers don't know how to protect their material. For tips and information on my "Stop the Rip-Offs!" report, click HERE.)
