Courtneyyyy

What is John Steinbeck's inspiration to writing?  John Steinbeck, a writer we will all remember from his books and other pieces. There were a few things that really inspired Steinbeck as a writer from what I have researched. Steinbeck started writing at an early age and fell in love with it. In high school he became the associate editor for his school's newspaper. He also traveled throughout the Salinas Valley and studied marine life in Monterey Bay. //Of Mice and Men// was published in 1937; Steinbeck originally wanted it to be a play. The book seemed to do well even though it did not turn out to be a play like he had hoped. //Of Mice and Men // involved two people, working on farms and ranches just like when Steinbeck worked on farms in his high school years. The scene of the story takes place in Salinas Valley, where Steinbeck lived. Steinbeck seemed to use his life as a basis for the book //Of Mice and Men// because of the many similarities with the setting and how everything was written.

Steinbeck used his experiences from traveling and constantly on the move to write //Sea of Cortez//, which was published in 1942, //Travels with Charley in Search of America//, published in 1962, and //A Russian Journal//, published in 1948. He seemed to be on the move a lot, whether it was travelling or moving from place to place.

His wife noticed that he never took any notes and wrote straight from what he was thinking about.

Different objects seemed to inspire John Steinbeck to write a novel as well. //The Grapes of Wrath//, published in 1939, was inspired by needles. Steinbeck went on later to receive a Pulitzer Prize for the novel. He went on to write one of his best books, //Cannery Row//, during World War II while working for the New York Herald Tribune. John Steinbeck not only had many inspirations when it came to writing but is an inspiration for many authors. He accomplished many things in his life and gave the world a different outlook on experiences and what to do with them.

Works Cited:
 * Steinbeck, John. //Of Mice and Men //. New York: Penguin, 1993. Print.


 * "John Steinbeck (1902-1968): A Brief Literary Biography." //California // //State University //// Stanislaus | Home //. Web. 2 June 2010. <[]>.


 * 1937, April. "//Of Mice and Men Summary and Study Guide - John Steinbeck - ENotes.com."// ENotes-Literature Study Guides, Lesson Plans, and More. Web. 4 June 2010. [].