Hello and welcome to my writing blog. I am excited to get this started and toss out daily suggestions that will help you along your writing journey.
Who am I? I am a writer. I was a teacher. I was a business owner and holder of twenty other jobs….but today I am a writer.
I am the husband of Bev and the father of Tyler and I love life.
I am also passionate about writing and I want other writers to enjoy the same passion, and so I will toss out ideas and if you like them then use them; if not, leave them for the next person to come along.
Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.
Graham Greene
A fiction writer is, first and foremost, a teller of stories, and it’s crucial that writers remember that fact. Of equal importance, however, is that fiction writers must tell a story in such a way that the readers will live vicariously in the story. My job, as the storyteller, is to put you inside my characters and scenes. I want you to feel what they feel and understand what they are thinking as they face adversity.
I want your reading experience to be visceral in nature, and I do that with my choice of words and with the rhythm I establish with those words. If I’ve done my job well, you will finish one of my novels or novellas and you will feel fulfilled, completely satiated after a banquet of literary images.
I learned from the best. Long ago, Harper Lee took me on a tour of Maycomb, and I was forever changed. Long ago, John Steinbeck alloweed me to ride along with the Joad family, and I was touched to the core of my being.
I do not aspire to be the next Harper Lee or John Steinbeck. I simply want to be the best writer I can be….it would be enough to be the Greatest Unknown Author.
That pretty much sums it up for me. Enjoy!
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
From your very popular and prolific work on HubPages, I know you have the experience and skill and genuine care for others to really make a difference in the writing world….because you already have. I am looking forward to following this blog and highly recommend that other writers take the time to follow your work too! 🙂
Awww, thank you Lurana! I love to write and I think that shows in the amount of work I have compiled. I have new avenues to follow in the near future, and I am excited about the possibilities. God I love writing. 🙂
Bill, very happy to be following you here and learning from you. It is so nice to travel along the writer’s path with someone who has so much passion and sincerity. You are changing the world one word at a time.
Catherine, thank you so much for following along. I appreciate it and I appreciate you very much. Have a great day my friend.
Hi billy I always learn something new from your work . You are truly inspiring and thank you for your support in hubpages 🙂 God bless you!
rd, that is a lovely comment to begin my day with. Thank you very much.
My writing skills were constrained to financial / technical writing prior to my retirement. Now, I would like to redirect my writing toward the travel industry. Any suggestions to get started?
toomanythings….thanks for stopping by. The travel industry? Are you talking about travel articles, or doing copywriting for a travel business? If article, then narrow down to a specific niche….like popular sites in Ohio or whatever…become an expert in that particular niche. Start small and start local, and build from there. You want to build your platform one step at a time. Many writers make the mistake of aiming too high and they fall flat with every query letter. Establish your credibility by getting small, local publications to publish you, and then you can aim higher. Good luck!
Hello Bill,
I’m here at your request (on your Hub-pages) to impart some wisdom on writing.
I’d been angling for something in the way of a lead and I found on buried in the columns of of a Sunday tabloid. An interview with a singer, James Blunt who said one of his ancestors was a Dane with 11th Century Danish royal connections.
Hey presto! Here was my key to the door. All I needed was a title. I used the images from the banners of two of the 1066 protagonists, Harald ‘Hardradi’, his ‘Hrafnsmerki’ also known as ‘Land Oda’ (Land Ravager) and Duke William’s raven banner would have had a similar name.
The characters. Ivar was the name of one of the Danes who came raiding East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria after their father Ragnar ‘Lothbrok’ (Leather breeks) was torn apart.by Aella’s hounds in the pit. Harold Godwinson, Duke William, nicknamed ‘the Bastard’ and ‘the Tanner’s grandson’, Harald Sigurdsson, Earl Morkere, Eadgar ‘the aetheling’. These were all very real people, Eadgytha ‘Swan-neck’ was Harold’s common law wife, Earl Tostig his brother, Gytha was sister to the Danish Jarl Ulf and so on.
Research, research, research, otherwise it doesn’t ring true. Ficton – aside from fantasy – is based on real life. A number of fictional characters had to be created to fit around Ivar, his friends and foes, and some love interest. Braenda – full name Braendeswitha – is a witch (spay-wife in the old parlance), and shape-changer. She also gives him a son he names after the man he thinks is his father, Jarl Ulf.
If you want to read the story behind the story, read my ‘Hunding’s Saga’ in Hub-pages (see my Twitter or LinkedIn profile). A lot can be understood from reading this saga, but not reading it doesn’t really spoil your enjoyment of reading the RAVENFEAST saga series, beginning with the eponymous ‘RAVENFEAST – Farewell to Legend’.
Enjoy the read!
Alan, thank you so much. I appreciate the feedback and references. I need to do some reading of your work. Time always seems to be a factor with me, but now that I have finished this one book perhaps I’ll allow myself to settle down for a good read.
I don’t have the saccharine words but just want to say i love your writting. I also want to be what you are today…a passionate writter.
Alayana, thank you so much for your kindness. If I can ever help you, feel free to drop me an email at holland1145@yahoo.com.
I don’t know much about you Billy, but from what I got when I first hit your “about” and started reading, I concluded that you are a brilliant artist and writer. To me, a successful writer not only creates images through words, but uses raw images, as well, as vehicles to convey unwritten thoughts and messages. Stay “cool” Billy!
Dana A.
Dana, thank you for the kind words. I doubt I’ll ever consider myself a brilliant writer, but it gives me something to aim for. Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate it.
I follow you on HubPages and would like to follow you on Niumi, but I can’t find you. Which name do you use there? How would I search for you?
Barbara, thanks for searching for me. That is a quirk in the NIUME system. You can’t search for authors. Try searching travel, “My Love Affair with Mount Rainier.” You might find me that way.
Hi blogger, i’ve been reading your posts for some time and I really like coming back here.
I can see that you probably don’t make money on your blog.
I know one interesting method of earning money, I think
you will like it. Search google for: dracko’s tricks
Thanks a bunch,but that’s not why I write.
Quote all you want, Sarah, and thanks for giving it a try.
I look forward to your haiku attempt…you are braver than I am, my friend. 🙂
Thank you Sarah! You’re a gem!