8 Incredible Stories To Inspire Writers - The Writers For Hire

8 INCREDIBLE STORIES TO INSPIRE WRITERS Anyone who has ever tried to publish a book knows that being an author is not for the faint of heart. Getting a reputable publisher to even look at your book can be a challenge; and finding one to represent you can seem impossible. Unless you are an A-list celebrity, or a millionaire heiress, getting your book published takes a lot of hard work and a good amount of pure luck. There are some authors, though, who manage to start at the very bottom and work their way up to mega-star status, without relying on fame or family connections. Take J.K. Rowling, for example. Before her Harry Potter series made her a household name (and a billionaire, I might add), she was a single mother, living on welfare. And before Charles Dickens became one of the most famous authors of all time, he was forced to leave school and, at the age of twelve, work 10-hour days in a boot-blacking warehouse to help support his family. Rowling and Dickens are not the only well-known authors to have come from modest beginnings. This fascinating article from Bustle.com tells the success stories of 8 authors who have worked their way up from poverty, violence, and abuse to literary fame. These stories are not only amazing, but are incredibly inspiring. So, the next time you feel like throwing in the towel and giving up on your writing dreams, just think of these amazing authors and find strength in their success.

Free Essays on What Does Buddhism Teach

What Does Buddhism Teach, and How Does It Differ From Christianity? Legend tells us that Buddha was a powerful young prince who gave up his earthly position and possessions in order to seek enlightenment and salvation. Buddha lived in India approximately 600 years before Christ. He was concerned with the terrible things that were being done within the Hindu tradition, so he developed his own religious system. Buddha taught that the question of God’s existence is meaningless. His conception of salvation is radically different than that taught by Christianity. Buddha believed in reincarnation. He taught that every evil thing we do ties us more tightly to the cycle of rebirth. Buddha taught that a person can escape the cycle of reincarnation and enter nirvana only by following the "Noble Eight-fold Path", a strict ethical system. Buddhist teachings include dedication to meditation. Meditation involves emptying one’s mind of all content and learning to drift away from a consciousness of this world. Thus, it is part of the process by which a Buddhist frees himself from the attachments to this world and the cycle of reincarnation. We should not confuse nirvana with heaven, however. For the Buddhist, nirvana is simply an escape from the world of suffering. It is like a candle that had been burning with a hot flame (representing our suffering in the cycle of reincarnation) being suddenly extinguished. Once a flame is out, there is no point in questioning where it went. To the classical Buddhist, to attain nirvana is simply to be out of existence. Buddhism is clearly a very different religion from Christianity. It offers no personal salvation. It stands against sin and immorality, but it ignores the issue of God’s existence and our need for redemption. At its root, Buddhism is a form of agnosticism (the belief that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists) or at least practical atheism. It provides no answers about the... Free Essays on What Does Buddhism Teach Free Essays on What Does Buddhism Teach What Does Buddhism Teach, and How Does It Differ From Christianity? Legend tells us that Buddha was a powerful young prince who gave up his earthly position and possessions in order to seek enlightenment and salvation. Buddha lived in India approximately 600 years before Christ. He was concerned with the terrible things that were being done within the Hindu tradition, so he developed his own religious system. Buddha taught that the question of God’s existence is meaningless. His conception of salvation is radically different than that taught by Christianity. Buddha believed in reincarnation. He taught that every evil thing we do ties us more tightly to the cycle of rebirth. Buddha taught that a person can escape the cycle of reincarnation and enter nirvana only by following the "Noble Eight-fold Path", a strict ethical system. Buddhist teachings include dedication to meditation. Meditation involves emptying one’s mind of all content and learning to drift away from a consciousness of this world. Thus, it is part of the process by which a Buddhist frees himself from the attachments to this world and the cycle of reincarnation. We should not confuse nirvana with heaven, however. For the Buddhist, nirvana is simply an escape from the world of suffering. It is like a candle that had been burning with a hot flame (representing our suffering in the cycle of reincarnation) being suddenly extinguished. Once a flame is out, there is no point in questioning where it went. To the classical Buddhist, to attain nirvana is simply to be out of existence. Buddhism is clearly a very different religion from Christianity. It offers no personal salvation. It stands against sin and immorality, but it ignores the issue of God’s existence and our need for redemption. At its root, Buddhism is a form of agnosticism (the belief that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists) or at least practical atheism. It provides no answers about the...

American Exceptionalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Exceptionalism - Essay Example Throughout the history, American political leaders have been "relatively autonomous" from political pressures and are able to use their autonomy to solve problems confronting the state. During the Cold War, the international policy challenged Truman administration and national security planners. In the early Cold War period was the problematic nature of life in the "atomic age," which explicitly connected public with national security policy. The battle against the Soviet Union and communism marked a new period in American political agenda. In contrast to other states, the USA followed exceptionalist policies based on the idea of the American way of life and liberty. During this period of time, America joined anti-internationalist streak and opposed participation in international institutions. These international relations led to changes on the national level. Parliamentary systems of government abound elsewhere in the world and can be divided into various categories; no other advanced industrialized democracy has emulated the American system. American institutions are exceptional. The battle against communism and anti-internationalist streak caused new worldviews help by most Americans. ... Americans expect less of government in services, particularly in the provision of social welfare, than do citizens of zither democracies; they strongly support civil liberties such as freedom of the press; and they are of course strongly in favor of a democratic form of government. Chief among the political traditions that have been strong elsewhere but almost absent from American politics has been social democracy. The United States is unique among industrialized democracies in never having had a social democratic movement with a strong popular following. After the Cold war, Americans continued their international expansion and were involved in the Gild War. Nuclear weapons revolutionized how the U.S. military was actually used, in, for example, Korea, Vietnam, or the Gulf War (Spanos 89).The argument here is first an existential claim that nuclear weapons changed the way Americans understood its place in a world. Truman administration planners charged with managing postwar national security policy did conceive of nuclear weapons as revolutionary in the sense that they believed doctrinal changes tied to the integration of nuclear weapons into the armed forces did have consequences for the state and society. The Vietnam War and the Gulf war changed national values and traditions of the nation. Exceptionalism was codified in the Weinberger Doctrine (1984) and the Powell Doctrine (1990=1991). A new period in international politics was marked by new international policies introduced by Bill Clinton. The politics of exceptionalism was embodied in Clinton's politics of enlargement and engagement, his vision of Iraqi leader and nuclear weapon (Ignatieff 94). Both Congress and the media (the presidency much less so) have