Writing Made Them Rich #2: Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born in Portsea, England, in1812. His father was a clerk in the Navy Pay Office,stationed at Portsmouth. Although his job was wellpaid, his father had a weakness for spending money andspent much of his life in chronic bankruptcy.

In 1824, when Charles was just 12 years old, hisfather was sent to debtor's jail. Charles Dickens wassent to a boarding house and given a 12 hour-a-day jobpreparing bottles of shoe polish in a blackingfactory.

But Dickens' fortunes improved: a sudden inheritanceallowed his father to pay off his debts and he sentCharles to school.

At age fifteen Charles was placed as a clerk in theoffice of an attorney, a friend of his father's. In hisspare time he studied hard to become a Parliamentaryreporter.

At age nineteen he entered the parliamentary gallery asa reporter for The Mirror. It was a well paid job and hesoon became known as one of the best shorthandreporters in London.

Dickens began writing fiction at age 21, under the nomde plume of 'Boz'. In 1836, when Dickens was 23, hebegan writing a series of short stories (ThePosthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club) which appearedin cheap monthly installments. By the age of 24 he hadbecome internationally famous.

Charles Dickens burst onto the literary scene at aunique moment in English history

Until the end of the 18th century, England had been amainly rural society. But from the late 1700's onwards,land holders started forcing people off their land tomake way for sheep farming.

At the same time the Industrial Revolution wascreating new towns and cities with belching smokestacks and factories that needed workers - the Englishcountryside was emptying and a new urban working classwas emerging.

The concentration of people in towns and citiescreated something that had never existed before - amass audience. Newspapers, Magazines and Newsletterssprang up to cater for this new and growing demand.

Books were being serialized in Newspapers andMagazines - those who couldn't afford to buy a bookcould read it in weekly installments. Dickens wrote andpublished most of his novels in this fashion - a chapterat a time.

Between 1837 and 1839, Dickens wrote three of his mostfamous novels Pickwick Papers, Oliver Twist, andNicholas Nickleby.

In the first ten years of his writing career, themanic part of Dickens' manic depression had given himan endless source of energy and inspiration, but nowhe began to succumb to depression.

In the 1840's he started to experience writer's block.He would spend days locked up in a room, unable to putwords on paper. He wrote: "Men have been chained tohideous walls and other strange anchors but few haveknown such suffering and bitterness...as those whohave been bound to Pens."

Dickens was an extremely energetic man and a compulsivetraveler. He traveled the length and breadth of England,Scotland and Wales and also made frequent trips toFrance and Italy. In 1842 he spent six months in America,where he was given the kind of reception reserved formodern day rock stars.

In 1856 Dickens purchased a large residence in Kent,the kind of house he had always dreamed of owning.

Although Dickens became wealthy, he never forgothis origins. Throughout his life he visited thefactories, the slums, the jails and the poor houses.Indeed, his novels were a social commentary on theappalling conditions of 19th century England. He waswell known for his generosity and received requestsfor money wherever he went.

He is considered by many to have been a genius andthe greatest English writer of the 19th century.

When Dickens died in June 1870, he left an estatevalued at over $US6.5 million (2001 value).

------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Southon has been writing for the Internet for over 3
years. He has shown hundreds of webmasters how to use this
simple technique to build a successful online business. Click
here to find out more: http://ezine-writer.com/
------------------------------------------------------------

---

Writing Requires Self-Control

The only way to become a writer is to write.... Read More

How to Write a Holiday Tale that Isn?t a Turkey

When we write stories, with the purpose of sharing them... Read More

The Iniquitous Slip

All the famous writers I heard of could paper the... Read More

Documenting Everything: Your Journal is Your Logbook

Sailors had it for years. Great explorers had it as... Read More

Using Technology to Improve Your Final Draft

One Saturday afternoon, I sat in a packed conference room... Read More

The Writers Identity: Exploring the Writer Within

Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More

Get Published: The Nuts and Bolts of Good English, and How to Impress a Publisher (1)

Not all writers write good grammar. That's a fact. It's... Read More

Creative Problem-Solving: Following Your Stream of Consciousness

Having trouble finding a solution to a nagging problem? Try... Read More

Cheap Therapy

I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More

Writer?s Web Resources

The Internet has truly revolutionized the careers of writers worldwide.... Read More

Writers can Grow to be Comfortable with Criticism

On my first newspaper assignment as a critic, I was... Read More

Use These 3 Editing Tips to Ensure Your Writing Hits the Bull?s-Eye

The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More

Dig Deeper to Reveal Character

He ran up the steps and knocked on the door.... Read More

Writing New Ideas

Someone once commented that there were no new ideas to... Read More

Writing Help

Whether you are working for a small business, large corporation,... Read More

Writing Styles for Fiction: Which Voice to Use

I recently set up a website to promote a new... Read More

Format Each eBook Chapter Before you Write It

Do you have a problem creating a focus in your... Read More

Write On! - Key Components of Successful Business Communication

Written communication is often the first impression you make on... Read More

How Three Publishing Myths Kill the Author

Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More

Freewriting: A Strategy That Will Bring Your Writing To Life

Freewriting is a release from the prison of rules. It... Read More

Review of A Classic: Finneys Invasion of The Body Snatchers

To keep it simple and basic: Jack Finney's Invasion of... Read More

Dreading the Writing Assignment? Outlines to the Rescue

Writing technical articles is a challenge. There you sit, surrounded... Read More

Create Confidence With Your Writing

Whether you are writing a magazine article, composing a press... Read More

Why Manners Maketh the Freelance Writer

Lately I've been noticing an odd trend amongst the freelance... Read More

The Unwritten World Of The Reality Of Letterwriting

You may wonder why I have chosen this title of... Read More

Review In 29 Steps Plus One

I just finished to read a book. A story for... Read More

Masquerading As Novel ~ Can Author?s Work Convey Important Perceptions?

While novels do not usually attempt to convey concepts about... Read More

How to Write Funny -- Its All About Timing

My Dad has this old joke that goes, "What's the... Read More

Should You Hire a Ghostwriter?

Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More

Become an Instant Author by Playing Well with Others

You wrote a tips booklet. Maybe more than one. Oh... Read More

Writers Block - Melting the Ice

What does one do as a writer who loves writing... Read More

Write Possibilities

We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More

An Inside Look at Proofreading

This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More