“I’d follow you anywhere,” said the dog, who wanted to feel loved. “I’d probably lose you,” said the man, who spoke truth. “Down the road, you will need each other,” said the hawk, with a long view. “I believe you,” said the man, the only time he listened.
Tag: life
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A Loud Banging Drum
Read more: A Loud Banging DrumShe heard a loud drum beating a muffled beat above her head and she felt the mallet strike the soft spot on the crown. She tried to reach it, but the drum seemed so far away. Then she awoke. A water drop splashed a puddle over her eyes. She tried to wipe away the water but her hands were stuck below her.
She panicked and kicked her legs. They failed to touch bottom and she realized she was dangling in a hole with her arms below her wedged into the rock. She was helpless and alone in the dark. Her helmet was behind her head. She must have fallen somehow. The moment she didn’t remember.
She screamed for help. Her voice echoed against the walls of her prison until it faded. No light reached her. The lantern on her helmet started to flicker and went out. She now hung in the dark, the water dripping in a slow rhythm. She closed her eyes. The loud banging drum returned.
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Plan for World Domination
Read more: Plan for World DominationA Conversation
“That’s interesting.”
“What is?”
“This video on stem cells.”
“How so?”
“It says we can convert fat cells into stem cells and rebuild our bodies.”
“Figures.”
“You sound like you already knew this.”
“No. But it all makes sense now.”
[bctt tweet=”The plan for world domination. It all started in the 50s with Americans eating too much.”]“How so?”
“The plan for world domination. It all started in the 50s with Americans eating too much.”
“Okay. I still don’t follow.”
“Fatten up the populace until they can’t walk and then rebuild them into lean fighting machines.”
“I hardly think Uncle Rick will be turned into a fighting machine.”
“Just look at him. Paunchy, big ol belly. He’s perfect for fat cell conversion.”
“Yeah, but still. He lacks motivation.”
“That’s the genius behind this plan. They can suck out Uncle Rick’s fat cells when he’s sleeping and when he wakes up he’ll be a marine!”
“World domination huh?”
“Yep. Just another reason for the world to hate us.”
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March 3, 2017 Scribble
Read more: March 3, 2017 ScribbleYou can read this if you wish although it consists of thoughts and fragments as I attempt to free write 750 words every day. Some of this may end up in a Story or a Conversation. Anyway, this is how one learn and shapes up The Craft.
America is divided. The Hatfield vs. the McCoys. #BLM vs #BLM. Of course, it is nowhere near the biggest mix up as The Orange and the Green. At least not yet. (more…)
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Joann Jett Joined The Stage Band
[aesop_image imgwidth=”825″ img=”https://wordsmithholler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/jazz-1263988_1920.jpg” credit=”Pixabay” align=”left” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”]Read more: Joann Jett Joined The Stage BandBehind the library, between the quad and the band room, the Stoners smoke packs of red Marlboro’s. For all practical purposes, this might as well be no man’s land. Only sand dirt seems to grow and the green soccer field starts 80 yards farther away. I imagine the area remained hidden before the school added the soccer field and a football arena. The area is the perfect place to hide and smoke.
I have never been back there. I only see it when I sprint over to the band room. I doubt I would ever hang out there. It is the end of April and school is winding down. Spring fever grabbed us a few weeks ago. The weekly ski trips to Mammoth ended in March, so we all need something to take our minds off school. Boredom fails to describe the feeling; I guess the warm days make us want to play hooky.
I am late for stage band. As I rush past the Stoners, a girl with punk black hair, torn jeans with a hole in her knee, and a bandanna around her neck carries a bass guitar case toward me. I swear she is Joann Jett come to life. She walks my way with attitude. I switch my trumpet case to my other hand and hold the door open for her. She smells like cigarettes as she slides into the band room.
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Other Worlds
[aesop_image imgwidth=”300px” img=”https://wordsmithholler.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/planet-519937_1280.jpg” credit=”Pixabay” align=”left” lightbox=”on” captionposition=”left” revealfx=”off”]Read more: Other WorldsImagine Earth waits for a comet hit. Three days and all life dies. Meanwhile, Elon Musk announces a space ark capable of traveling vast distances at light speed. People rush to fill the spaceship with everything important for a last ditch escape. The ark takes off for a distant planet identical to Earth in every way. Scientists believe the trip will save life and make humans a multi-planet species. The comet hits and Earth explodes.
The spaceship spends months getting to its destination and when it arrives, the planet is dead.
Now what?
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Finding the Character’s Pain
Read more: Finding the Character’s PainSunshine and rainbows. We all would like to have a life free of stress and full of sunshine and rainbows. A life of bliss only leads to trouble. There is no excitement, no drama, no life.
Writers need to run as quick as they can from sunshine and rainbows. At least when developing a story everyone will want to read. Can the main character end up in a land of beauty and peace? Sure. Just don’t plan on writing a sequel.
Courtesy Pixabay Pain, wounds and disaster are what we need to strive for when writing a good main character. Give a character pain and a past full of strife, trouble, and challenges. Allow them to triumph. And then smack them again.
Wounds provide the best motivation to overcome an obstacle and move the story forward. Give your characters a reason to fulfill a basic need for love, faith, understanding, and belonging. Make this character pain so intense they must do something to overcome it.
Pain and suffering also suggests your character has a basic flaw that leads them to more pain. A character weakness that they must hide or tackle in order to move the story forward. Allow the character to show they have the strength to overcome their weakness.
The whole goal is to make the story move from scene to scene. The best way to do this is by finding the pain.
[plain]What are your thoughts about character development? Post your comments below.[/plain]
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Character Introductions: Backstrom
Read more: Character Introductions: BackstromBones is one of my favorite police procedurals, although not as dark as the richly-disturbing Criminal Minds, with humor, well-written characters, and charm.
Last night, Bones writer-producer Hart Hanson brought to life Detective Everett Backstrom, a Fox-TV series titled Backstrom based on a Swedish book series by Leif G.W. Persson.
Backstrom has a bit of a House feel to it, with the lead character, played marvelously by Rainn Wilson (The Office), and full of wonderful writing. For instance, we immediately understand Det. Backstrom has problems, quirks, and a biting humor. (more…)
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Pantser Plotter
Read more: Pantser PlotterThere are two camps of thought: the people who listen to the muse and write by the seat of their pants and the people who write an entire book-length outline prior to starting to write.
I prefer to combine the two, without writing an entire book-length outline. Let me explain my thoughts on this debate.
Pantsers argue they are free to listen to the story and the characters. It is a muse-centric approach, with the characters exploring the milieu and wandering about discovering the story. All fine and well. It is interesting how a story can take on a life and allow a writer to document scenes and fill in the story.
Plotters say there is no way a story can take shape without a road map: it requires a structure to allow the characters to face their inner and external conflicts. The characters are forced to face their fears. Plotters like to know where the story is headed.
Here is my take: Pantsers need to outline and Plotters need to be open to just writing.
In my experience, without an outline I have twice been abandoned by my characters in the second act. They exhibit attention deficit disorder and climb out of the book. The characters say “well, that’s all I got,” and the story sort of fizzles out. I’m rewriting “Fish Tacos: Or How I Went To Mexico to Save My Soul” because the main character started bitching about his past and failed to get off his butt. Sure, I’m the writer, it is my story, but I let the character dictate where he would go and when he would get there. Believe me, if left to his designs, the main character would still be sitting in the desert waiting to move.
So now I plot everything: short stories; novels; non-fiction; and, screenplays. I give the viewpoint characters a purpose and a timeline to meet. I challenge them to face their demons. I gift them happy successes. By the time the story ends, they see their doubts, obstacles, challenges, and growth.
In some ways this is the perfect way to write by the seat of your pants: the story structure lets them wander about, as long as they meet their deadlines. So I guess I’m a Pantser Plotter . It seems to be working.
[plain]How do you plan your projects? Do you outline or just let it flow? Leave a comment below.[/plain]
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