It’s
amazing what we can learn when we study the lives of those who have excelled and
made their mark in their chosen field. There are lots of facts about the life
stories of the authors presented here I wasn’t even aware of before I did
research for this article. But these experiences came to be the striking peculiarities
that preserves their work in the hearts of readers of every generation.
See
for yourselves.
5.
Stephenie Meyer (1973- )
Four
years after her birth, Meyer’s family relocated to Phoenix, Arizona and she
thinks herself a native since she moved there at such a young age.
Meyer
felt out of place among the otherwise wealthy population of Chaparral High
School in Scottsdale, where she received her secondary education. She also
married her childhood sweetheart. (Well,
not really. They barely if ever, exchanged words as kids though, they attended
the same church and social activities.)
Most
of the students at school rode Porsches but Meyer never had a ride until she
was in her twenties. Bella Swan of
the Twilight series readily comes to
mind when we think of a fictional character who’s had a similar experience. Almost
everything about Meyer’s childhood fits perfectly into Bella’s profile.
6.
Ian Fleming (1908-1964)
Ian
Fleming worked in the British naval intelligence during World War II and was
involved in the planning of high profile intelligence operations.
Fleming
proved himself resourceful during the war. He plotted and carried out dangerous
missions often involving rescue operations.
Fleming’s
traits including golf handicap, his taste for scrambled eggs, his love of
gambling, and brand of toiletries became Bond’s
as soon as the character was created.
Fleming admitted that Bond “was
a compound of all the secret agents and commando types I met during the war.” – Wikipedia.
7.
Maya Angelou (1928- )
Some
will argue that her life story which Angelou has published in six volumes
should be termed autobiographical fiction and not autobiography. Whichever side
of the wall you pick, we can still appreciate the fact she has taken pains to gather
her life story into books which are
no doubt, works of great literary worth.
Before
becoming a writer, Maya Angelou had tried her hands on several other items including
dancing in nightclubs. She eventually, produced a Calypso album, which she titled Miss
Calypso.
Maya
sometimes slept in the same bed as her mother and her mother's lover, Mr.
Freeman, who eventually, raped her. They found him kicked to death three days
later after the court failed to sentence him. For five years, Maya was a mute
because she believed her telling on
Mr. Freeman had killed him. Her muteness was cured when recited one of her
poems to a family friend and since then, she’d discovered the power of poetry.
8.
Bram Stoker (1847-1912)
Stoker
was bed-ridden until he was seven. His mother was a writer and told him tales
of the macabre while he lay sick and worn in bed and this probably influenced
his choice of genre in later years.
He
was dedicated to Henry Irving who he worked for as personal assistant while also
managing the Lyceum Theater.
Henry Irving was a real-life
inspiration for the character of Dracula, tailor-made to his dramatic presence,
gentlemanly mannerisms and affinity for playing villain roles. –
Wikipedia
Stoker
may also have used the battle for his wife, former Florence Balcombe, whom he fought over with Oscar Wilde, in a scene
where some men battle for the hand of the female character, Lucy Westenra who
receives three marriage proposals in one day. And also, his son Irving Noel Thornley Stoker, who is
named after three different personalities, in the naming of the son of the
character Jonathan Harker, whose son
is named after the men (about four in all) who helped him to destroy Dracula
and rescue his wife from the villain’s spell.
9.
Tananarive Due (1966- )
Tananarive
Due is one of a handful of black science fiction and fantasy writers. Due at
one time worked as a journalist and columnist for the Miami Herald. She had at
some point in time been in a relationship with a guy who she said, “turned out to be different.” She
believed this man was out to deceive her.
A
few years after the relationship between Due and this strange fellow ended, she
reworked her personal experience and created a character she called her
‘perfect guy’ by re-inventing her former boyfriend.
The
novel conceived by this idea is called My
Soul to Keep. And the plot revolves around the life of a young newspaper
reporter who is still in her twenties. The woman later discovers her husband is
a 500-year old immortal from a culture of immortals.
10.
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
Tolkien
grew up around the Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog in England and loved exploring
these places. As a child, Tolkien was bitten by a large baboon spider in the
garden, an event which later had echoes in his stories. His adventurous mind
led him to his Aunt Jane’s farm of Bag End. The name occurs in his fiction. Frodo
Baggins, Samwise "Sam" Gamgee, Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck
and Peregrin “Pippin”–the characters from his books may have been the
fictionalized Tolkien and three of his childhood friends, Rob Gilson, Geoffrey
Smith and Christopher Wiseman, with whom he formed
a semi-secret society which they called the “T.C.B.S.” (Tea Club and Barrovian
Society).
In
a 1968 letter, Tolkien details his trip to Switzerland on a summer holiday. A
trip, which called to mind Bilbo's journey across the Misty Mountains in his The Lord of The Rings book. A scene from
the book, which includes “the glissade
down the slithering stones into the pine woods”, is directly based on his
adventures as their party of 12 hiked from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. – Wikipedia.
After
his mother’s demise at age 34, Tolkien lived in the Edgbaston area of
Birmingham in the shadow of the Victorian tower of Edgbaston Waterworks which
is believed to have influenced the images of the Dark Towers within his works.
These
are writers who have endeared themselves to our hearts by creating masterpieces
from their personal experiences in life. Writers who we, no doubt perceive as
geniuses. No wonder they say it’s the ordinary things of life that are the real
miracles.
Keep
your pen bleeding!
Akpan
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