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We have already discussed how Hans Christian Andersen wrote about what he knew, managed to keep both children and their parents entertained by his stories, how he harnessed his passion for writing and the power of self-publishing to launch his career and how his inspirations gave him the strength to challenge conformity. In the fourth and final part of this AuthorHouse Writing Master Class we will look at how Andersen continually strove to become a better writer and how he achieved his goal. He Strove to be a Better Writer and Knew How to go About it.
A lifestyle coach told a story about a successful businessman who asked, “I’m a multi-millionaire, but I want to be a billionaire. How do I make the jump?” The lifestyle coach told him to associate with billionaires more regularly. And so the businessman did. He started playing golf with billionaires, dining with them and socializing with them as much as he possibly could. Within a year he was a billionaire himself. “So what does this story have to do with what Hans Christian Andersen can teach me about writing?” you ask. Well, the lifestyle coach’s advice to the businessman was founded in two methods Andersen employed to help himself make the transition from good writer to great writer and from great writer to one of the most beloved writers of children’s stories in history. Here are the two methods both Andersen and the businessman practised to make their desired transitions. 1.Expand Your Horizons
The first quality we identified in this article is that Andersen wrote about what he knew. To become a better writer he was always striving to learn and experience new ideas and cultures. The more he could learn, the more he had to write about. In order to do this he traveled extensively, which was unusual for a Dane at that time. In fact he was passionate about travel and wrote a number of books on the subject. His travels took him to Sweden, Spain, Italy, Portugal, England and the Middle East and Africa. Richard Hébert, AuthorHouse author of MindWarp, one of Kirkus Reviews’ best indie books of 2011, explains he also traveled extensively to help him gain more knowledge and experience, thus improving his writing. Hébert was the featured author in our February edition of Bookends. 2.Associate with Those You Wish to Emulate
So now you are benefitting from the billionaire’s experience, you need to know how to implement what you have learnt. By associating with your superiors, they become your mentors. Observe and adopt the mannerism, behaviours and habits that produce success as you view the world through their eyes. Hans Christian Andersen actively sought meetings with as many of the great writers of his time as he possibly could. His associates included Charles Dickens, Wilhelm Grimm, Victor Hugo, Heinrich Heine, Balzac, Alexandre Dumas and Norwegian writer Björnson. We hope the seven qualities we have identified that made Hans Christian Andersen such a remarkable writer will help you in your writing goals. No matter how good he already was, Andersen always wanted to learn and become a better writer. That is probably the underlying moral to this particular tale. This concludes our AuthorHouse Writing Master Class based on the “Father of the Modern Fairy Tale,” Hans Christian Andersen. Hopefully AuthorHouse has highlighted some insights into Andersen’s career that will help you with your writing.
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