Writing posts
Bobbing For Lobsters An odd thought, to be sure, but bobbing for lobsters is the one that popped into my head. Since it isn’t something on my bucket list, I hesitate to say that partaking of this activity tempts me. I am mildly curious about which would cause the greater discomfort; the pinching claws or the boiling water. When placing adversity in the path of your character, you have to consider the ramifications. Will your character be dealing with them…
Immortality (Life Well Past The Age Of Retirement) “The only thing wrong with immortality is that it tends to go on forever.”–Herb Caen (1916-1997) So, here’s what is going on. I was recently invited to contribute to an anthology of superhero stories which should be available by year’s end. In choosing characters, I decided to create a couple gifted with immortality. When writing about super-humans, I enjoy focusing more on the “human” than the “super.” Regardless of how outrageous the…
Hip Replacement Several months ago, the hip replacement fairy paid a visit to a friend of mine; let’s call him “Dan” for reference sake. Dan is a fellow writer and sometime collaborator on some of fan fiction’s greatest tales. During his younger years, Dan was rather active in sports and as he matured—as many athletes discover—body parts began to wear out. He finally reached the point where he had to start replacing them. Now, I am not sure how…
When In The Course Of Human Events “When in the Course of human events…” These seven words are the beginning of one of the greatest American documents ever written, The Declaration of Independence. In and of themselves, they hold an eloquence and a power that changed the world. They helped start a war and birth a nation. But not everything in life (or writing) needs to be an event. If our lives were filled with one event after another, exhaustion…
You, Me, Or Someone Else (Choosing A View Point) It is time to decide if it is you, me, or someone else. Now, we aren’t here to assign blame; it is time to pick a point of view. In a recent post (Delving Into The Black Abyss,) I mentioned that I was considering trying my hand at writing horror. To get an idea on ambiance, I have been reading tales from Ambrose Bierce, H.P. Lovecraft, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and, yes, Edgar…
Delving Into The Black Abyss “The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination”–H.P. Lovecraft My mind truly is filled with a tempest of thoughts most of my waking hours. I am like a frenzied butterfly going from one flower of ideas to the other, and it makes getting any long-term writing projects finished close to impossible. In recent weeks, my mind has been circling the idea of attempting a horror story. I…
Humanity In War…Stories War is not glamorous. War is not something to be used as a first response, but rather as a last resort. War does not create heroes, but it does bring out the hero in certain men and women. Believe it or not, humanity can still exist in the midst of war. For example, as I write this, I am looking at pictures taken during wartime. In one, World War One British and German soldiers are tending to…
Lessons From My Grandson I have been blessed with a couple grandsons—one of which still has that new baby smell—and they mean more to me than almost anything in the world. The oldest is close to 3 years-old and he amazes me every single day. He can work the DVD player, find videos on the smart TV, and pull up his games and apps on an iPhone. He knows his colors, his shapes, and can identify the letters of the…
The Big 5-0 In just over a week, I will hit the half-century mark, the BIG 5-0, 50 years-old. Anytime anyone or anything survives that long, people see it as a major milestone and, on most occasions, feel the need to celebrate the event. In my case, it was done with a surprise birthday party. The key word is “surprise.” I grew up on a healthy diet of Sherlock Holmes and Batman, so when things are not quite the way…
There’s A Space Vampire Under My Bed I am getting old, which is fine by me, but along with getting older, I find myself getting more nostalgic. As I write this post, I am on the couch with my feet propped up and an episode of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” in the DVD player. The plot to this particular episode is space vampire is chasing Buck and Wilma around a space station. It is corny, I know, but…