Living up to 'an inner image of yourself'

 

“Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will.” – John D. MacDonald

Born on this date in 1916, crime/suspense novelist and short story writer MacDonald achieved the highest accolade in his genre, Grandmaster from the Mystery Writers of America shortly before his death in 1986.   A self-proclaimed “accidental writer,” he also was the winner of a National Book Award and is perhaps best known for his popular, critically acclaimed Travis McGee series. 

 

MacDonald began writing in 1945 while in the Army.  Waiting in the Pacific for his ship home, he wrote a short story and mailed it to his wife Dorothy.  She loved it and submitted it to Esquire – which promptly rejected it.  So, she sent it to Story magazine, which accepted it for $25, pretty good pay for the time.

 

MacDonald decided to give writing a further try and after hundreds of rejection slips he finally got an acceptance from Dime Detective, which paid him $40. Ultimately, he would sell more than 500 stories to detective, mystery and adventure magazines.                       

 

His 1957 novel The Executioners put him on the writing map, selling continuously ever since and being the basis of two successful movies.   His character McGee’s first appearance was in The Deep Blue Good-bye, starting a run of 21 bestsellers featuring him and with each title in the series including a color.   

 

“Every day, no matter how you fight it, you learn a little more about yourself,” MacDonald had his character say.  “And all most of it does is teach us humility.”