Artistry With Words

I am fascinated by human beings.

I love to people-watch. Being an introvert, I’m quite good at it. I have no problem sitting in a corner, in a social gathering, and just observing.  You might not even know I’m there, so unobtrusive I am, coffee in hand, kicked back and relaxed, watching the players of life act out their parts.

Some, who do not know me, think I am sitting in quiet judgment, but that is in no way the truth.  Who am I, with the life I’ve lived, and the mistakes I’ve made, to judge others?  No, I am simply soaking up the marvelous nuances of the human species.  I love to watch people in different scenarios and see how they adjust and handle it all. Why does one person handle a crisis so effortlessly while another freezes in fear and indecision?  Why do some show so much self-confidence while others shrink from any position of responsibility? Why are some so demonstrative with their feelings while others resemble the Sphinx?

I observe . . . take mental notes . . . practice conjecture . . . role-play with me in similar situations . . . wonder about what-ifs and what-nots.

What is the goal of it all?  I don’t know that I have one.  I’ve always been that way, since my youngest days, the face in the shadows, the quiet kid with the active mind, blink and you’d miss him, that sort of person. I do  not want attention;  I shrink from it as a matter of fact.  I am comfortable with solitude and I abhor small-talk.  I’m a meat and potatoes kind of guy, skip the appetizers, I can’t be bothered with the hi, how are you, what’s new, nice to see you sort of sugarcoated nonsense that passes for conversation in most social settings.  It’s just the way I am and I’m fine with it.

And perhaps it has all led to me being a writer, a profession which allows me to thrive as an introvert, an opportunity for me to converse about important issues without ever opening my mouth in public.

My old man used to tell me a man must demand respect, that it is not given freely but is earned. It seems to me that the act of “demanding” is not so much a vocal order as it is the way you act towards others.  If I treat you with respect I will receive the same in return.  If I treat you with love, love will flow back in my direction.  I can do both without being vocal or invasive or obnoxiously self-serving. I can quietly embrace my fellow man. I can try to understand him.  I can show that I care, and if I do those things respect will be earned.

I am fascinated by human beings.

I am a writer.

I observe and I chronicle that which I observe.

Life is good!

Bill

Tags: writing tips

One of the common themes in all of my novels is friendship.  I’m not talking about acquaintances, or the casual friendships we all have, or the instant friendships on social media, but rather the “I would do anything for that person” friendships which are so rare in our lives.

How many such friendships do you have?  Not counting family I can count two.  It’s a small number, for sure, and I’m not sure what that says about a man who is now seventy years old and literally knows hundreds of people, but there you have it.

In “Resurrecting Tobias” it was the Three Amigos, Toby, Maria, and Pete.  In the “Shadow Series” it is the group of Eli, Liz, Lyle, and Striker.  They are inseparable, they would die for each other, and, well, that’s how I feel toward my two dear friends.

It is such an important part of being human, those deep connections where warts are shown, truth is mandatory, and small talk is for someone else.  The bond is so strong . . . thoughts are shared without being spoken . . . almost like a silent language is shared that no one else can hear. It is at the core of what it means to be human, a bond like no other, and if you experience it you don’t want to ever lose it.

Am I happy with just two?  An odd question, that one . . . I am thrilled by the two I have . . . I wish I had more. I have tried, at times, but for a variety of reasons they have not worked out. So I am satisfied for having two, and wishful for more.

Anyway, you’ll find it in most of my writings . . . certainly in my novels . . . friendship and love, the only two ingredients of life I absolutely must have to happily survive.

And I wish those for you, as well . . . happiness and love to you all!

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips

I was talking to our barista the other day, and somehow the conversation came around to bucket lists.  One of the items on her list is to see a herd of wild horses running across a field.  I don’t know why, but that just seemed so random to me.  Never in a million years would I have thought of that as a bucket list item.

Then last night I watched a news special report on the BTK Killer, who, to all who knew him, just appeared to be the most normal neighbor and co-worker.  It was as though he was a random selection by nature to be this ghastly serial killer.

Now the reason I mentioned those two “random” thoughts is because, as a creative writer, I am always creating characters, giving them personalities, making them come alive in some sort of realistic fashion, and those two examples remind me that truth is often stranger than fiction, and I really do have the freedom to expand my thinking when I’m creating a “person” in a book.

I’m not sure if it is terribly important that a character be “believable” compared to my logical world; what I do believe is that we make that character someone we can invest emotional currency in.  In my Shadow series I have a character named Striker, who is a stone-cold killer, really completely unlike anyone you and I would ever meet in real life.  My job, then, is to transcend logic and make Striker so interesting that you, the reader, look forward to every scene Striker appears in, and forget that Striker is almost totally removed from our realities.

Does that make sense?

I think what I’m saying is don’t let logic stop you when creating characters.  Make the character interesting and people will accept the fact that reality has been suspended.

It is, after all, fiction we’re talking about.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips