Аннотация: How to become and how to be a writer. About the biography of Mayne Reid, written by Andrei Tanaseichuk. A quick start guide.
How to become and how to be a writer. About the biography of Mayne Reid, written by Andrei Tanaseichuk. A quick start guide.
There are probably no readers who have not heard of Mayne Reid's novel "The Headless Horseman".
Who is he - Mayne Reid?
What is the work - the book by Andrei Tanaseichuk 'Mayne Reid: the brave captain was living' [Андрей Танасейчук 'Майн Рид: жил отважный капитан']?
You can look at the biography of Mayne Reid by Andrei Tanaseichuk from different points of view.
Let's look at this book as a quick guide for people who want to become and to be writers.
Naturally, you need to make an adjustment - to take into account the years of Mayne Reid's life: 1818-1883.
But, even taking into account the chronological specifics, a potential or a real writer can find a lot of useful information for themselves in the book by Andrey Tanaseichuk.
So, we turn to the recommendations that make up the short guide.
1. A place of birth. For birth, it is preferable to choose the core of the Western World (for example, Ireland, as it was in Mayne Reid's biography). The periphery of the Western World is also suitable - if the applicant for a literary success has general and writing talents and abilities, the title of count, and the estate.
2. An origin. It is advisable to be born in an intellectual family with religious beliefs and traditions. Mayne Reid, for example, was born into the family of a Protestant priest. (The ancestors of Mayne Reid were priests).
3. It is advisable to get a traditional classical and religious education. Such an education will create a viable personality structure in the candidate for writer's success and provide him with the proper knowledge. Adjacent to these qualities will exist the understanding of how a gentleman acts and thinks. Applicant for a professional writing career (if he lives in the middle of the 19th century) will be accepted into appropriate circle in Britain, in the USA, in cities, in a rural areas, and in poorly developed places. Reliable, active, energetic, knowledgeable people, as a rule (in a normal countries), are in demand. Therefore - as the example of Mayne Reid shows - such people have the opportunity to prove themselves and earn a living.
4. A good indicator for check of a writing ability is a level of success in journalism. After participating in hunting and expeditions and other activities, Mayne Reid begins cooperation with magazines as the author of prose and poetry.
5. Participation in hostilities contributes to success in journalism and in literary profession, and media cooperation contributes to success in a military affairs. Mayne Reid is recognized as a veteran and hero of the US-Mexican War of 1846-48. He was injured in this war.
6. It would be nice to get a some title. Before the surname is useful to put a title that draws the attention of readers. Mayne Reid ended the Mexican War, gaining the right to put the word "captain" before his surname.
7. It is important to determine a life calling, a life purpose, correctly. Mayne Reid was inclined to realize himself in the field of education. Having become a writer for young people, he acted as a super-educator - a person who quietly, non visibly (and explicitly) taught (through books) many young men. In books for young men, the author, 'Captain Mayne Reid,' sounds very good. Mayne Reid wrote not only for youth, for young men. But, we can assume that he became best known precisely as a writer for young people.
8. It is advisable to jump into the literary train at a time when the literary locomotive (national, world book market) is gaining speed. The book by Andrei Tanaseichuk describes in sufficient detail and clearly the financial and organizational mechanisms of the British book market of the Victorian era, the US book market of that time. Some copyright issues and a number of details of the relationship between publisher and writer are explained.
9. A writing, a literary profession is not only talent and ability. It is also creative forms, algorithms, standards. The more a person works on a literary field, the more he develops his literary abilities. The development and growth of a writer is also described in the book by Andrei Tanaseichuk on the example of Mayne Reid.
10. In the presence of inclinations and opportunities - travel more. Change your places of residence: both countries and places of residence within countries. Life of Mayne Reid is a traveling, it's a change of countries, a change of residences. A writer takes note of everything, processes everything, uses everything in his work.
11. Pay attention to a self analysis and a self-control. Keep a passion in check - for example, a passion to antiques.
12. Avoid financial and economic projects not related to vocation - not related to a writing, to a literary career. The things, which are particularly dangerous: the establishment and editing of newspapers, magazines, the launch of construction, capital-intensive investment projects, passion for agricultural production. The establishment and editing of the media is allowed if such plans bring experience, but do not require any significant expenditure of money. Capital-intensive projects outside of his writing career brought Mayne Reid to the brink of bankruptcy and ruined his health.
13. When changing places of residence, give, nevertheless, a preference to countries and territories with a civilized, cultural population. This helps both in a literary career and in other circumstances, for example, when receiving qualified medical care. Proper treatment in the UK has added for Mayne Reid at least 10 years of life.
14. Organized personal, family life contributes to a literary success. A civilized social environment can provide the writer - in a case of some luckiness - useful friendly and business contacts. In the UK, Mayne Reid successfully married. He also found a friend and assistant (Charles Ollivant). An interesting detail: when Mayne Reid's financial situation became unstable (his a very profitable writing career was combined with a catastrophic, disastrous construction, newspaper, magazine and other projects), Charles Ollivant organized (1) a charity subscription to help Mayne Reid financially - Mayne Reid was suddenly and dangerously ill, (2) appealed to the governments of Great Britain and the USA with a proposals to appoint a pension to Mayne Reid.
As a result, a pension was assigned for Mayne Reid by the US authorities as to a participant and a wounded hero of the US-Mexican war of 1846-48.
Andrei Tanaseichuk analyzes books - both foreign and Russial (Soviet) - devoted to Mayne Reid, and concludes that the book 'Mayne Reid: the brave captain was living' [Андрей Танасейчук 'Майн Рид: жил отважный капитан'] is the first biography of Mayne Reid.
The book is distinguished by a clarity of presentation, by a huge amount of useful information.
The above thoughts convince us that with a practical approach this book can be considered not only as a biography of Mayne Reid, but also as a short guide for a beginner and a practicing writer (however, this guide was prepared, fulfilled on the basis of data of the mid-19th century).
The book of Andrei Tanaseichuk was published in 2013. Note that in 2016, two books of Vladimir Zalessky "The Textbook on the success of the writer. Part I. Heinrich Schliemann and his lessons" [Владимир Залесский 'Учебник писательского успеха. Часть I. Генрих Шлиман и его уроки'], 180 p. (ISBN 978-5-4483-3250-0), 'The Textbook on the success of the writer. Part II. Heinrich Schliemann, Nikolai Gogol, Maxim Gorky and their lessons" [Владимир Залесский 'Учебник писательского успеха. Часть II. Генрих Шлиман, Николай Гоголь, Максим Горький и их уроки'], 270 p. (ISBN 978-5-4483-3252-4) were published. The book by Andrei Tanaseichuk can be an important source of information for those interested in the topic of a literary success.
April 24, 2020 14:40
Translation from Russian into English: April 25, 2020 00:52.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Как стать и как жить писателем. О биографии Майна Рида, написанной Андреем Танасейчуком. Краткое руководство.'.