Michael Crichton was born today in writing history, October 23. Celebrate the writer’s birthday by learning more about his life and contributions to the literary world. Aspiring writers should also use this opportunity as a writing exercise. Look for inspiration today in writing history.

Writing Prompts for Today In Writing: October 23

Please take this opportunity to learn more about Michael Crichton and his contributions to science fiction. The author’s work remains in the public eye, seeding blockbuster franchises and reimagined adaptations. Crichton’s novels have sold hundreds of millions of copies across the world.

What led Michael Crichton to write? Where did the inspiration for his ideas come from? And what helped the author create his writing style? Find inspiration about Crichton, learn more details about his life, and write!

Michael Crichton Biography

John Michael Crichton was born in Chicago, Illinois, on October 23, 1942. His father, John Henderson Crichton, was a journalist, and his mother, Zula Miller Crichton, was a homemaker. Michael Crichton grew up on Long Island in New York, claiming he had a free and idyllic childhood.

An Early Interest in Writing

Crichton was an aspiring writer from a young age and quickly found success in his writing abilities. At 14, an article he wrote about Sunset Crater ran in The New York Times. In 1960, Michael Crichton enrolled at Harvard College for literature but was quickly disillusioned with the program. Crichton believed that one of his professors was intentionally giving him low marks. He submitted a paper by George Orwell as his own work to prove his point. The paper was returned with a B-minus. He would eventually leave the program and enroll in Harvard’s Medical School.

Crichton’s Early Writing Career

Crichton planned to be a doctor but wrote to pay his bills. In 1965, he wrote his first novel, Odds On, the story about an attempted robbery planned with the aid of a computer. It would be published the following year under the pen name John Lange. Still planning to be a doctor, Michael Crichton did not want to use his name and risk his patients thinking he was writing about them. He would author several other novels during his time in medical school.

By 1969, Crichton was having doubts about becoming a doctor. At the same time, his writing career was taking off. While Michael Crichton graduated from Harvard and obtained his MD, he would never get his medical license and practice medicine. 

Instead, he published The Andromeda Strain in 1969. The novel propelled Michael Crichton to literary stardom. The book, published under Crichton’s actual name, became an instant best-seller. The success allowed him to focus on his writing career. The author would publish several additional novels, eventually phasing out his pen names.

A Flourishing Writing Career

Michael Crichton became a well-known writer. As he continued to write novels, many of them were picked up for television or film. His 1972 novel, The Terminal Man, would be adapted to film two years later. Binary and Extreme Close-up would receive similar treatments. In addition to authoring best-selling novels, Crichton also wrote screenplays and scripts. Westworld, a movie about rampant robots in the Wild West, and ER, a medical series for TV, were both created by Michael Crichton and are beloved properties. 

Michael Crichton, Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton published Jurassic Park in 1990. It was an idea he had since medical school, and it went through changes from its original concept. Using the ‘fiction as fact’ writing style he utilized in previous novels, Jurassic Park was instantly popular. Movie studios would bid for the rights to his book, with Universal Studios ultimately acquiring them. Steven Spielberg directed the movie adaptation of Jurassic Park, which was released in 1993. Crichton would pen a sequel to his classic, and the movie would spawn a blockbusting franchise.

Death

Crichton was diagnosed with lymphoma early in 2008. It was a diagnosis he kept private as he sought treatment. Although both his family and doctors were expecting his recovery, Michael Crichton died on November 4, 2008. He was 66.

10 Michael Crichton Quotes

1. I am certain there is too much certainty in the world.

2. I am now very interested in computer technology as it is used currently to make games. I think this technology is very powerful and could be used in new ways.

3. We are stubborn, self-destructive conformists. Any other view of our species is just a self-congratulatory delusion.

4. They are focused on whether they can do something. They never think whether they should do something.

5. Books aren’t written – they’re rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn’t quite done it.

6. We all live every day in virtual environments, defined by our ideas.

7. I’d rather see artificial intelligence than no intelligence.

8. Instead of writing thrillers to pay for my train bills, I was actually now going to medical school in order to have something to write about.

9. The belief that there are other life forms in the universe is a matter of faith. There is not a single shred of evidence for any other life forms, and in forty years of searching, none has been discovered. There is absolutely no evidentiary reason to maintain this belief.

10. In the information society, nobody thinks. We expect to banish paper, but we actually banish thought.

Notable Michael Crichton Books

The Andromeda Strain (1969)

Binary (1972)

The Terminal Man (1972)

The Great Train Robbery (1975)

Congo (1980)

Sphere (1987)

Jurassic Park (1990)

Disclosure (1994)

The Lost World (1995)

Airframe (1996)

Timeline (1999)

Prey (2002)

State of Fear (2004)

Next (2006)

Pirate Latitudes (2009)

Dragon Teeth (2017)

Today in Writing: October 23 – Daily Writing Exercise

Now that you have done some reading, it is time to write. Aspiring writers should look to the stories from Today in Writing: October 23 and Michael Crichton’s life. Read his quotes and study his novels to understand the author’s writing style. 

Find a topic and freewrite for 10 minutes. Michael Crichton wanted to be a writer from a young age. Despite his difficulties with collegiate literature, the author still pursued his passion. Crichton’s writing would create a cultural phenomenon. Aspiring writers should pay homage to his love for writing and innovativeness and start writing.

Don’t let any opportunity to write go to waste. Aspiring writers: Practice your writing today. Celebrate Today in Writing History October 23.