The Power of ‘What if’

Two words in writing have so much power.  ‘What if’.  These crystallize and encapsulate all that is possible, might be possible, or already is happening.  It’s the impetus to see what follows the question.  For me, they are my favorite words to start a story in my mind.

Another favorite thing is ‘And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street’.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_to_Think_That_I_Saw_It_on_Mulberry_Street

If there is any story or poem that displays the imagination so thoroughly about writing, I’m not certain what it is.  It is boundless imagination starting with a simple beginning, and it builds, and builds until a horse … [READ MORE]

Skid Style

Charlie ‘Skid’ Moore sat on the edge of the warehouse roof. To the north of Pier 17, a few areas were still unloading containers for transport. Boston Harbor never stopped, it just slowed down in the evenings. Charlie, in his bright red and blue costume, was impatient for something to happen, yet oddly comforted that nothing had.

I don’t think I’d have ever thought I’d be here. Charlie had always been fast. Fastest in his grade school, then in middle school, then in high school. There was talk of scholarships for college. Even though he was still a junior, recruiters … [READ MORE]

Back Again

It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to add to this.  There have been a number of family related troubles that have dominated my time since the last post.  I won’t go into them, other than to say that as family ages, crises become more intense and heartbreaking.  I hope to get on a regular, or semi-regular posts once again.  We’ll get back to talking writing, ideas, and snippets from stories.  Those of you who still visit, I can’t apologize enough for leaving you hanging.  And I want to say thank you for sticking with this site.… [READ MORE]

Saying Goodbye Part 4

The back window was actually a sliding glass door. It had stacks of paper all the way across the bottom that were as tall as my chin when I looked out. The curtains were a old brown color that reminded me of mom and dad’s linoleum floor back home. I could part the curtains and look out into a cement back yard with a strip of ground that was an amazing green color. All the grass in that strip was the same height, and a lush texture that didn’t look at all like the ground around mom and dad’s trailer. … [READ MORE]

Saying Goodbye – Part 3

Mom and Dad started going out camping together. Both came back happy. Both gave me attention that made me happy. It was exciting. Neither of them were fighting any more. The bad old days had disappeared with the visit by the scary man. I got things. Toys. Clothes. Not just new clothes, but new clothes so stiff they itched me. They had funny tags on them. The food was sweeter, and more of everything.

Mom and Dad would go out camping a lot over the next year, according to Uncle Soap. He would take care of me while they were … [READ MORE]

Saying Goodbye part 2

I took the hint and leaned silently against the door with him. I barely came to his waist as I pushed to hold the door closed. Dad grinned lopsidedly at me. Mom would pound on the door until she got tired, then go into their room and lock the door. Then dad would open my door, and go back to watching TV, or make some crummy sandwich from whatever was in the fridge.

Other times it was mom who ran into the room. She’d lock the door like dad, then push my bed against the door. My bed being the … [READ MORE]

Saying Goodbye part 1

Discography
Everlast – ‘What it’s like’
Kid Rock – ‘Only God Knows’
Uncle Kracker/Dobie Gray – ‘Drift Away’

Do you know how you’re going to say goodbye to someone? Is it going to be a loving embrace and a soft caress of their cheek before they go to the great beyond? Or, is it going to be heated words and a pistol stuck in their belly as they try to argue, or to plead with you, not to pull the trigger? Or is it simply a call in the night? A quick stop at the mortuary to look at a … [READ MORE]

Redleg – part 2

A rumpled green t-shirt was next. he pulled it over his head, then stuck his arms through the sleeves. He looked down at the car-toon on the front. It was a coffin with a raised back, with two large tires on the rear and two small ones up front. The cab was black except for two yellow eyes and a toothy smile from inside the cab. A cigar clamped between the teeth, and the words ‘Coughin’ Coffin’ were spelled out in smoke behind it. Standing up, he clumped awkardly to the small storage drawers that served as his dresser. Next … [READ MORE]

The benefits of background noise

When I’m writing, I like it quiet generally.  however, this is not always the case.  While I was working on ‘Beguiling Words’, I found that instrumental music really helped me focus. Oddly enough, or perhaps, in keeping with my desire for quiet while I imagine and write, instrumental jam tracks really gave me enough background noise that I could shout out the noise of street repair and traffic.  Regular music doesn’t work very well for me, as I think it’s that I pay more attention to the singers.  I hear a voice and want to answer back, even if it … [READ MORE]

Redleg part 1

Archer ‘Archie’ Gunnison woke that morning to the strident buzzing of his watch. The cicada-like screech jolted him from sleep and his hands flailed about, seeking the offending noisemaker. His right hand finally caught up with his left and pressed the delay button, giving him a ten minute window to wake up and turn the alarm off for the day. Archie sat up in bed, letting the beige comforter droop into a pile on his lap. The dark blue curtains over the small bedroom window were closed, but the sharp, crisp air of autumn swirled through the open window, ruffling … [READ MORE]