Giving and Government OR Selfless and...well, I'm just saying

No, this is not a political post. I'll actually talk about a BOOK! :)

But first, giving. There are amazing displays of selflessness happening every minute across the world. Altruism is far from dead, people. Whether it's money or time or food or clothing or a warm bed, people are helping people (and animals and the planet) because human beings, at their very cores, are GOOD. Hey, another 'G' word. Neat.

Now, this is just my opinion. You may not agree, and that's cool. Takes all kinds.

Here are a few things happening (or very recently ended) in the writerly community that show how awesome people can be when others need help. Crits for Water, Write Hope, Books for Japan.

Sound familiar? :) And I'll bet there are tons of others I don't know about. Post the link to any you're following/have heard of/are putting on, and I'll pop around to see more proof that people are good, great even, at giving.

My other 'G' is government. Still not a political post even with the shadow of the cranky government shutdown looming. I want to talk about government/politics/power in books. Those things may drive potential readers away quicker than you can say 'holy hot dog,' but others embrace them. That's why a certain former prez and former Alaskan Governor hit the top ten of every nonfiction list the first day/week/month their books hit the shelves.

Beyond that, though, government themes in fiction are prevalent. One of my favorites is Atlas Shrugged. Okay, bear with me. It's a huge book with a couple very (very) long speeches that make the eyes droop. But it's a beautiful tale about one woman's search for the self-made man of her dreams in a corrupted world where bad deeds are rewarded and hard work is punished. There are, however, strong and loud political opinions, and Ayn Rand wanted it that way. So, yeah, whatever. Try to see past that, because it's about the story. Dagny Taggart and Hank Rearden (catch that? huh? *wink*) stand firmly in my top ten list of favorite characters of all time. Oh, and Francisco d'Anconia is pretty darn close.

Even Harry Potter has some quiet political messages, The Hunger Games too.

HA! Thank you, Cheetah Obvious. Of course The Hung-well, we'll talk more about that 'H' tomorrow.

Time to wrap up. Do you have a subtle (or loud) message in your WIP, political or otherwise? Did you intend for it to happen, or did the characters force it on you? They'll do that, you know. Mine decide things, but don't tell me until the fifth draft. Makes me want to Homer-style strangle them sometimes!

Enjoy the sun, give when others need it, and don't let worries about tomorrow keep you from enjoying every moment of life. Thanks for stopping by!

-Marie