Happy Birthday, Robert A. Heinlein!
“Happiness consists in getting enough sleep.” ~Robert Heinlein, Starship Troopers
Robert A. Heinlein, the “dean of science fiction writers,” was born July 7, 1907 (he passed away in 1988). Brave Writer is celebrating the work of this great author by offering the Boomerang based on his book, Starship Troopers:
Half price for one day only (July 15-16, 2013): $4.95! OFFER HAS EXPIRED
Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1960, Starship Troopers is thought by some to be one of Heinlein’s finest works. It’s a futuristic science fiction story, which contains interesting characters, thrilling action scenes, and an in depth portrayal of military life. Plus its thought-provoking political and social themes make for excellent discussion material!
MR. HEINLEIN’S RULES FOR WRITERS (paraphrased):
RULE ONE: Write! Seems a given, doesn’t it? But, sometimes we need the reminder!
RULE TWO: Finish what you started. Here at Brave Writer we don’t recommend finishing every piece of writing, but from time to time it is important to complete a project, especially if it’s something we’re passionate about.
RULE THREE: Don’t revise…too much. We tweaked this one a bit. After making major changes to a number of his books, Heinlein decided it was wasted effort and his motto became “don’t revise, except to edit.” We believe, though, that revising or “revisioning” one’s writing can be highly productive, and we definitely encourage it. Still, Heinlein has a point. Sometimes enough is enough, and it’s good to know when to move on.
RULE FOUR: Publish your work. For young writers this might simply be reading their story or essay to family and friends. They could also create a cover and illustrations then bind their work and share it that way. Or they might send it off for to a children’s magazine or other publications. There are lots of possibilities.
RULE FIVE: Never give up! When we do want to professionally publish our work then we mustn’t let a few (or a starship-load!) of rejections stop us. Madeleine L’Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle in Time, was turned down over thirty times before finally finding a publisher. And Heinlein’s own Starship Troopers was rejected by Scribner’s before being picked up by Putnam. Published authors keep trying.
So, celebrate Robert Heinlein’s birthday and take advantage of this special Boomerang offer!
The Boomerang is a monthly digital downloadable product that features copywork and dictation passages from a specific read aloud novel. It is the indispensable tool for Brave Writer parents who want to teach language arts in a natural, literature-bathed context.
