“The MineFields” by Steven Eisner is a book that tells the story of Sam Spiegel, a driven and successful entrepreneur who built a small ad agency into a regional powerhouse with aspirations of national success. Throughout his career, Sam relentlessly pursued his goals and became the agency’s key rainmaker, consistently striving for more achievements.
However, as Sam reaches a pivotal point in his life, he realizes that he has one final ambition left: to attract an international advertising conglomerate and cash out, consolidating his gains. Unfortunately, just as Sam is on the verge of achieving this last goal, a national tragedy strikes, causing him to reevaluate his life and accomplishments.
In the midst of this personal and professional crisis, Sam finds himself growing weary of the relentless pursuit of success. He begins to question the state of his marriage, feeling unsatisfied and dissatisfied. The challenges he faces put everything he has achieved at risk, and he must confront his own desires, priorities, and the impact of his choices.
“The MineFields” appears to delve into themes of ambition, personal fulfillment, and the sacrifices often made in the pursuit of success. It explores the complexities of relationships, both personal and professional, and the toll that single-minded focus on goals can take on one’s life.
Please note that the information provided above is a fictional summary based on the details you provided. If “The MineFields” by Steven Eisner is a real book, it might have different plot points and themes.
Welcome to stop #11 on the The Minefields Blog Tour!
Excerpt:
“You know, I don’t…um…really like chicken, Sam. Now if …um… the ‘heavyweight’ had one that cooks a goose, that would be an entirely different story.” He gave me a weak smile for which I grinned broadly.
Using personal stories in writing: do or don’t?
While THE MINEFIELDS is most definitely a novel, it draws heavily on stories I know, understand and have experienced, in part both in my business life as well as my personal. And as these stories evolve in my writing, there is no question they take on a life of their own. My tales become more interesting, often more vivid, at times more provocative and generally, speaking, more imaginative when they gain new rhythm, speed and texture.
So often, real life can bog down on us. And then meander back on itself as if to slow the forces of good storytelling to a crawl. I’ve learned that readers don’t take to languishing in the details all that much unless it is in the details that the reader learns more important things about the story. I think the author’s “ job one” is to keep the story flowing, connecting all the dots concisely and to wander little. You wander only when the overriding theme is about wandering. A writer, certainly this one, needs to curb the inclination to become overly indulgent about back story, unless, of course, the back story is the primary driver. I keep finding myself repeating as I write “less is more.”
As for real life nourishing new stories, this is absolutely a truism And there is nothing like reliving a moment in your head that pecks away at you… so as to capture it just as you’re recalling it with what you see, hearing, smelling and feeling. One of the greatest joys for me as a writer is to get what I remember down … from head to paper with authenticity.
Steven C. Eisner is the author of The MineFields. Before writing his novel and after learning the ropes at Doyle Dane Bernbach, New York, Steven C. Eisner built and led Eisner Communications, a Baltimore-based advertising agency, for more than two decades, creating hundreds of effective ad and PR campaigns for leading corporations and associations including Black & Decker, Marriot, McCormick Spices, PhRMA, US Airways, Lenox China, the Maryland Lottery, the Nature Conservancy, and the United Way. Eisner Communications won numerous industry awards including CLIOs, ADDYs, and EFFIEs, and the O’Toole for creative excellence across its entire client roster. THE MINEFIELDS is Steven C. Eisner’s first novel.
Visit the author’s website at: StevenC.Eisner.com