Mark Twain vs. the Internet

"Write what you know."

If we were to follow this famous quote attributed to Mark Twain coupled with the role model of Louisa May Alcott's Jo March who found success when she shifted her writing to the subjects around her, there would be none of the genres you and I see published today. Who really has lived in first-century Rome, or set out on a journey to defeat a dragon to take back his cronies' home, or navigated through the vastness of space? And then there's the murder mystery category... which I sincerely hope the authors have no actual experience in poisoning, stabbing, or by any other means dispatching, their victims.

This doesn't mean I discount the masterful hands of experience which craft a story in stunning realism. Rather, for this post, I want to point out the incredible knowledge literally at our fingertips that morphs Twain’s perspective to encompass an entirely larger world. But before I do, I must insist on the disclaimer that with this 'gift' there is a host of goblins feasting on our society as well. In some instances, I feel strongly that we would be a lot freer and better off without technology to drain our time or steal our attention from things that may more readily deserve it.

As a fiction writer, the invention of the internet has been my dearest companion. At earlier stages, I could research subjects but only by using specific phrases and keywords to glean the answers I sought. Now the technology has so rapidly improved that the information no longer hides behind locked doors where you fumble with several keys before you find the right one yet are still limited to spectating through the keyhole. You can be immersed, albeit virtually.

For instance, I may write about objects I have not actually handled but need a clear understanding of, such as a certain type of firearm, or in the case of the current novel I am writing, a wheelchair. With the aid of Google Images, I now can see where every element is situated so I'm not mistakenly omitting a detail or writing something that couldn’t realistically take place with said object.

Does your fiction character live in some part of the world you’ve not actually set foot on? Are they visiting the palm-lined avenues of LA? Available satellite imagery gives the lay of the land, while Street View immerses you in the thick of it, even going inside the businesses themselves. You can know street names and where the nearest grocery store or fast food chain is without leaving the comfort of your couch!

But sometimes still-frames don't cut it. And if a picture is worth a thousand words, a video from a 3d perspective is gold. Youtube offers an array of videos where others do the driving and walkarounds of the city or landscape for you with sights, sounds, and ambiance included. Going back to the above example of something as simple as objects, I like having a video tour, say of a particular vehicle interior, just so I have a complete visual on what my character is sitting inside and shifting gears in while driving through those foreign terrains.

Oh, I am sure there will still be slip-ups, little idiosyncrasies that you might only discover if you lived and talked with the locals. But in this day and age with the abundance of information, you and I as writers can know and describe things that Mark Twain could never have had the opportunity to observe. Fascinating, isn't it?

One closing remark. Did you know Scripture has prophesied this in Daniel 12:4 way back in 6th century BC?

"But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase.”

It only takes a quick glance around you to see the landslide of improvement technology has taken just over the last two decades! From the offending screeching of logging onto the 'world wide web' to ceaseless connection on cellular telephones that can do everything but make you a sandwich. This fact joins the list of being just one of the many indications we are living in the last days. Scary thought, huh? But it doesn’t have to be. We can have peace and security by surrendering to Jesus Christ and acknowledging Him as the Savior of the world and the Giver of eternal life.

What do you think? Do the pros of the internet outweigh the cons? How has it impacted your life as a tool for learning? I’d love to hear in the comments!

Alissa