Friday, September 20, 2013

Mark Twain: An Unforgettable Beginning

Hannibal, MO-Mississippi River

"A strong beginning can define an entire journey." -Noah Lukeman

I've been working on the beginning of my second novel. Beginnings fascinate me. I love to read opening lines, paragraphs and chapters of great authors. Writers spend countless hours, striving to craft unforgettable beginnings. 

The beginning of literary legend Mark Twain's life was quite memorable. Living in Hannibal, Missouri, I have the privilege to walk in Samuel Clemens' footsteps. I thought by now that I would tire of his boyhood town. Instead, I've grown quite fond of this place and the writer's witty humor.

In the year 1839, Twain began his journey to this scenic town located along the Mississippi River. After the family's belongings were packed and loaded onto a wagon, they proceeded to Hannibal. Later in the day, a lone rider galloped over to their former residence in Florida, Missouri (Twain's birthplace). He jumped off his horse, checked the house, to make sure they didn't forget anything, and scoured the outside property. I'm sure he chuckled to himself when he spotted the little boy out back making a mess of mud pies. He picked up the young boy, mounted his horse and returned Mark Twain to his family.

"Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest." Mark Twain

I'm sure Twain loved re-telling the story of his beginning. Maybe his mishap helped him embrace the humorous side of things. We should follow Twain's example and look at the lighter side of life. Work on those beginnings and make them unforgettable.


"There comes a time in every rightly constructed boy's life that he has a raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure." -Mark Twain




#Mark #Twain #amwriting #beginnings #MondayBlogs #writetip

Quotes: www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Mark_Twain

Photos: Courtesy of the writer of this blog.

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