Writing is tuff (Duh)

It's a challenge. It's the final frontier. My photography is still on an extended vacation. I stopped drawing when my photography took off. Now I've come full circle and have returned to writing. I suppose I could say returned. I wrote way back when I was in high school, it was junk, but I had enthusiasm and imagination. That's always a good start.

Now I'm taking a far more thoughtful approach. Learning the craft, re-learning english, (when I do that, I think of co-workers who complain about those not native to the USA who don't speak the lingo very well, and I see myself asking my co-workers, "Do you know a gerund from a verbal? No? Then shut up.") I've forgotten a lot.

I once heard someone say that you had better read a hundred words for every one you write. I agree with this, and I would raise that value. Either way I'm behind. With the day off and the rainy weather, I have time to finish two books.

One is The Wayfarer Redemption by Sara Douglass. I stopped reading it for a long time, as it bogged down when one of the characters waited and waited to find out if she would be accepted into a clan of the Avar. The prose there is peppered with 'dear child' and 'my child', and I needed a potion of anti-puke. I seem to be out of it. Though it was tough to wade through, we're back on track, and the ancient evil from the north is getting ready to do some dastardly stuff. It's about time.

The other book is A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway. I'm the only one I know who reads Hemingway. While reading about the author on the internet, I accidently spoiled the ending of the book, but I still don't know how the tragedy happens, so I have that to look forward to. This may be my last Hemingway book, as he is tough at times. His style is so abrupt, but it can be the best I've read. I love The Sun Also Rises, and perservered through The Old Man and The Sea. The Old Man and The Sea was the greatest challenge. My first attempt at Hemingway, I thought I would take it easy and start with the short novel. It felt longer. The old man fished. I was tired. I was in the boat with the old man. Together we fished in the boat. We were not in the good place.

So far you can only find my work here at Thoughts From The Alley. There is another site underway, but it will be a while before the grand opening.