Those Good Old Classics by Heidi Chiavaroli

Heidi Chiavaroli

Confession time.

Up until recently I wasn’t much of a fan of classic literature. I read the Spark Notes for A Tale of Two Cities in high school, have forced my way through one Jane Austen novel (please forgive me Austen fans—if it’s any consolation I loved Katherine Reay’s Dear Mr. Knightley), and have been known to steer my kids away from Robinson Crusoe in lieu of Harry Potter. I feared the longer descriptions and smaller amount of dialogue in a classic read might ruin my children’s enthusiasm for books.

I recently picked up a copy of Johnny Tremain in order to immerse myself in the setting of my latest novel (Revolutionary Boston). I decided to give it a shot with the kids as a read-aloud. I ignored the temptation to skim over some of the longer descriptions and plunged in, even throwing in a few voices here and there to keep their attention.

It wasn’t long before I realized I didn’t need the voices. My boys loved the story—more so than other, recently published books, I’ve read to them. I found myself enraptured with the story also. Yes, there are some words I wasn’t certain how to pronounce, there were longer descriptions and the dialogue is not as plentiful as Harry Potter, but something about it drew them—and me—into the characters, the time, and the story.

It’s a beautiful thing when that happens, and I pondered why that was so. I have to admit, I think one of the reasons the story captured their attention was because of the longer narrative and vivid descriptions. We were invested in Johnny, liked him despite his flaws, and cheered for him as he found purpose with a crippled hand.

I wondered if some of these characteristics of classic literature that I often avoid can actually make a story stronger. I wouldn’t have felt such a part of Revolutionary Boston without the detail to setting. I wouldn’t have been invested in the character’s relationships if it wasn’t for the time the author took to draw them out, sometimes in longer narrative.

And so I battled with myself. As a writer in the modern world I’d learned not to get too wordy with description and setting, to have plenty of quick dialogue. And as we all know, show don’t tell.

I’m not arguing with these teachings. They are true and relevant to the modern reader. But reading Johnny Tremain made me think I could also learn something (many things!) from the author. Maybe sometimes I shouldn’t be in such a rush to gloss over setting description. Maybe I don’t have to feel pressured to have so much dialogue on each page. I don’t think it’s a formula, but I am convinced that reading some of the classics will make me a better writer. Because at the end of the day, beautiful writing unfolding an enthralling plot is a pleasure to read.

What are your thoughts? Do you read the classics? What is your favorite? Do you believe you are a better writer by spending time in them?

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Heidi Chiavaroli writes History Woven in Grace. She is a wife, mother, disciple, and grace-clinger. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and has finaled in the Genesis contest and My Book Therapy’s Frasier contest.

Give Us A Villain!

Peter Leavell

Adversity coaxes out a hero’s character. I spend more time devising deviltry for my novels than I do working on morals and quotable lines. Why?

Because a story hinges on villains. Your scalawag, your blackguard, your varlet is just as important as your hero.

Credit: PhotoDune.net

Gone are the days when a Zane Grey, black hatted, thin lipped, beady-eyed man with evil intent carries the role of anti-hero. Readers need the knave’s motives. In a strange twist, they want to see themselves in the bad guy, and when they do, they’re terrified. Can a hero overcome the evil? If the hero can succeed, the reader can. The reader is filled with hope that they can overcome what they see in the desperado.

The hero is only as good as the villain is evil. That’s when the hero’s character is tested. Your hero can be the most amazing person ever known, but if he has nothing to test his limits, then the reader doesn’t know his or her full character.

How evil should the monster be? How about so evil that people call him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, as is Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter series? Can a boy overcome such evil? That level of nastiness makes Harry Potter and his friends look all the more amazing. And many a teacher has heard children say if Harry could overcome evil, so can I.

Does Atticus Finch fight a physical villain in To Kill a Mockingbird?  No. The rapscallion in this case is social injustice that's so overpowering it crushes a small family. And Atticus’s character development comes through, and he teaches generations of readers “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” Without evil, we wouldn’t know Atticus Finch.

In my novel, Gideon’s Call, real life character Laura Towne, a cosmopolitan girl in the Civil War North, gives up everything she owns to teach freed slaves in the South. She battles discouragement and frustration as she weighs whether to stay and continue to teach or return home. Despite the hardships around her, she is her own enemy. Pride and Prejudice carries a similar vein, where each of the characters must overcome themselves and societal norms to find happiness. Both are rascals, and enemies to each other, in a non life-threatening way.

Credit: PhotoDune.net

In Gary Paulsen’s book, Hatchet, a boy crashes in the Alaskan wilderness. What can one boy, alone and hopeless, do to survive? The miscreant in this case is nature. As it attacks, the boy’s character shows. And if the lad can do it, so can we.

Many names for villains abound—because wrongdoers come is many forms. Without a good villain, you can’t coax out the hero’s character. Spend time forming a malefactor, and see what you’re champion can do. Because your reader is looking for hope. And the worse your villain is, the more hope you bring.

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Peter Leavell is an award winning historical fiction author. He and his family research together, creating magnificent adventures. Catch up with him on his website at www.peterleavell.com, or friend him on Facebook: Peter R. Leavell. 

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Coming in April

Philip Anderson keeps his past close to the vest. Haunted by the murder of his parents as they traveled West in their covered wagon, his many unanswered questions about that night still torment him. 

His only desire is to live quietly on his homestead and raise horses. He meets Anna, a beautiful young woman with secrets of her own. Falling in love was not part of his plan. Can Philip tell her how he feels before it’s too late?
With Anna a pawn in the corrupt schemes brewing in the nearby Dakota town, Philip is forced to become a reluctant gunslinger. Will Philip’s uncannily trained horses and unsurpassed sharpshooting skills help him free Anna and find out what really happened to his family in the wilderness? April 2015