Artistry With Words

More naps these days

I’m tired of talking about COVID-19.  I don’t even like that name.  Whoever thought of it lacked imagination in my humble opinion.  Lol

How about a writing exercise?  You don’t have to do a thing.  I’m just going to play with words and see what happens.  It’s kind of nice to have all this extra time to hone my craft.

Should I go dark or upbeat? Let’s see what happens!

Uncensored and unedited, here we go . . .

A WRITING EXERCISE

I figured I had seen pretty much all there was to see on these mean streets.

I was wrong!

Nighttime arrives early on these streets, not so much an act of nature as a shadowing of evil.  Humanity changes when the light ebbs and the obsidian darkness blankets us all in West Oakland.

They call me Professor, a reference to a former life, a life derailed by black tar and a weakness of the soul.

Walk with me any night and you will see a new species shuffling among the detritus and waste of the forgotten.  Mules and pimps, snorters and sniffers, AB’s and ballers, gang bangers and peckerwoods, flying the colors, ridin’ the rails, strapped and ranked, all leading to tear drops and ten toes down in the Wild, Wild West of Peralta Street.

You want it, you got the cash, you can buy it, simple as that, my friend, angel dust to fallen angels, and a twenty will get you both when there’s a downturn to the market, a market run by the 98 Crew, the 500 Locos, and a dozen other affiliates looking to cash in on the two-headed cash cow, drugs and sex, as old a story as time itself, and lead flies often, bodies tumble in the gutter, rats feast, and the cops continue a hands-off policy for self-preservation.

In the middle of it all, one night, July 8^th, so damned hot that night, stood Sister Hope, swear to God that’s what she called herself, right there on the street corner, wearing a flowing white dress, as pure as the snow sold in dime bags ten feet from where she stood, Sister Hope, smiling at all who passed her, greeting them with “Blessings and peace to you all,” and the locals giving her space, thinking maybe the crazies could be transmitted by breathing her air.

Late twenties, early thirties, golden hair flowing over her shoulders, an unblemished face, maybe five-four, one-ten at most, intimidating in her vulnerability, you know, none of the soldiers knowing what to make of her, and not willing to be the first to find out.  One, two, three, four nights in a row she appeared,  origin unknown, same corner, the whores standing aside, making room for her, and “Blessings and peace to you all” coming forth to all, a smile which could melt butter, bringing light to the darkness, and I’ll be damned, man, but for four nights the drive-bys ended, the rapes ended,  the muggings and beatings and degradation ended, and it was like a new universe, you know, like we were all beamed down into, what do the mystics call it, Nirvana, yes, some state of inner peace, strangest damned thing I’ve ever seen.  It was on the news, check it out if you don’t believe my chatter, four nights, four days, all quiet on the west side, cops totally baffled, not sure what to make of it.

On the fifth day, Sister Hope was gone.

That’s all I’ve got for now.  Hope you enjoyed it!  Remember, if you need a writing coach, I’m available.

Be safe and happy!

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips

I hate lemons!

I love lemonade!

It’s weird, I know, but I never claimed to be a “normal” guy.

I hate tomatoes but love tomato soup.

I could go on and on, but I really do have to get to the point.

More naps these days

I’m not a panic kind of guy.  It’s all about upbringing.  My dad simply looked at obstacles as challenges and nothing more.  Landing at Anzio and being pinned down by German guns for a couple months?  A challenge!  Broken back in a car accident?  A challenge! No education beyond 10^th Grade and in need of a job?  A challenge!  He simply would not allow his only son to shrink in the face of adversity, not after all he faced in his life.

We are definitely facing adversity right now, aren’t we?

I hate pandemics!

I love a challenge!

If my dad was alive today, he would face COVID-19 the same way he faced every other challenge in his life:  Head-on, bring it on, always move forward and never let the bastards know you are concerned.

I laugh as I write that, but it’s the truth, it’s how I was raised, and it is how I’ll get through this pandemic stuff.

I cleaned the garage last week.  I worked in the garden this past weekend.  I have increased my writing since the pandemic occurred and, interestingly, my freelance writing business has increased.  My to-do list around the house is longer than my arm and I now have no external excuses to keep me from tackling it.

And, of course, I have four books which need to be written!

Instant attraction

Meanwhile, Bev is home, laid-off for six weeks, and she is working on herself.  She’s working on time-management and a healthier lifestyle in an attempt to lessen her natural stress levels and also to reduce her asthma problems.  She stays busy!

We are being productive!  We are not hiding under the covers hoping the Big Bad Wolf will go away.  There are things to do, things which can be done while practicing social-distancing, and we are doing them.

“The marvelous richness of human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there were no dark valleys to traverse.”

Helen Keller

Lemonade from lemons!

I am not delusional nor am I hiding from reality.  I just see no reason to panic.  We were not created to live in fear. We were created to fly with the angels and, by God, that’s what I’m trying to do.

I wish you all good health and happiness.

If you are in need of a writing coach, email me at holland1145@yahoo.com.  I charge $50 per month, no minimums, and if I can’t help you with your particular problem I’ll let you know.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips

Our home in the 60’s

A letter out of the blue, which I already shared on Facebook:

Bill — I know this is totally out of the blue, and I have no clue whether or not you’d even remember me, but I was that little kid a block up from you on North 18th…the one who was obsessed with baseball and moved away from the neighborhood when my dad went back into the Service in 1966 during the Vietnam days. While only 11 when we moved, your kindness and patience with me has remained a positive memory for all these years. It seems you would always be kind and play catch with me even though you were older and your skills were far beyond mine. I thank you for being such a positive role model during those early days. One never realizes the impact they have on someone else as life goes by, but we don’t live forever. So I wanted you to know you and your mom and dad are remembered fondly. Hope this finds you well. Warmest regards – Mike

I was touched, to say the least.  We are talking fifty-four years ago, the last time I saw little Mikey Todd, one block west of our home, a constant presence in those days, his baseball glove attached to the handle bars of his bike, knocking on our front door, “hey, Bill, could you come out and play some catch,” and more often than not I would, me being six years his senior but always willing to play baseball.

You just never know, do you?  An act of kindness; a warm gesture to someone in need of attention; it all matters, my friends, and that’s my message on this Tuesday – it all matters!

I’ve lived a long time, and I’ve known many people, and it’s a bit overwhelming and yet gratifying to know that I made a difference in the lives of some of those people.  And the thing is, we all do this. We have all done it.  We will all do it in the future.   We all make a difference in the lives of others.

In a time when it seems every single news story is negative, I think it is vital to keep in mind that humans, at their best, are incredibly loving and caring people.

I know all of you are!

Just a random thought for today.  Stay safe and healthy today and beyond.  Now I have a yard to work in and spring cleaning to do.  This social distancing thing is a piece of cake for an old recluse like me.

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips

So Bev and I were watching our latest sinful pleasure last night, Poldark, and we got into conversation about what makes a show a great show.

Certainly the writing plays a big part in it.  Without great scripts I’m afraid any movie or tv series is not long for this world.

And the other thing we mentioned is the fact that we have to become invested in the characters.  If I can’t relate to the characters in some way, I lose interest very quickly.  I was reminded of the show Madmen, which aired for seven seasons a few years back.  I don’t think there was a single character in that show I would like as a real human being, but I found them all fascinating and so I watched that show religiously.

I try to remember that when I write a short story or a novel.  My characters don’t necessarily have to be believable, but they do have to be interesting and captivating.  Their personalities must demand your attention or I have not done my job as a writer.  In my Shadow series, the main characters are not people you would want over for a cup of tea, but damn I’d love to meet Striker.  LOL

Just something to think about!

Bill

“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”

Tags: writing tips