It’s funny how things get remembered and forgotten. When I hear Johnny Cash singing “Sunday Morning Coming Down”, it takes me back to one wet, chilly Sunday morning in Tupelo, Mississippi.
About
Thanks for visiting my Blog.
I post on mental construction (how our brains work), stories that I write, and current events.
Robert HamillWriting
In the Year 2525
The cicadas last appeared in 2004 and return every 17 years. Halley's Comet last appeared in 1986 and returns every 76 years. In what year must man be alive to hear the cicadas and see Halley’s comet in the same year?
Goodbye Charlie
The floating red bar reminded him of long ago, of the altar railing, which regular people weren’t allowed beyond. Charlie set his hands on the red bar, but pulled them back quickly. His palms were blistered.
Short Story Reality
A question that pops up semi-regularly: How is a short story different from reality? First, in a short story all the facts, attitudes, and actions are focused on a single idea. If the idea is that the search for excitement can lead you to dangerous places, then mentioning nice flowers don’t forward the story,...
Natalie’s World
Natalie picked the mail up from below the rectory door slot on Saturday morning in late April. There was a large manila envelope from County High addressed to her.
First Home
"It's crazy to be freezing, out in the wilderness, when we could be at home with hot chocolate." My little brother, just thirteen years old, continued with complaints. The complaints started as soon as Father insisted that I take Joey on his first winter campout.
In the Cool of the Day
"In the Cool of the Day" had several points in common with the “Wasted Promise” story I’ve got percolating, merged with “Age Discrepancy” that I had to watch as much as I had time for.
On Writing Well – William Zinsser
Subtitle: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction Good, solid advice. Now, add more content in Mental Construction. He also discusses writing family history. Example his Writing About Your Life which is part his family story and part technique.
Creative Writing Feedback
Good feedback from teacher last night on a sample beginning I wrote up. He said that it wasn't clear, soon enough who the main character was. I had too many named people for a short story.
Idea to Story
Some people start typing and see how the story develops. I’ve tried that and my writing background is not strong enough to be guided by unspoken rules. I think the English majors got them by osmosis while I was in chemistry lab. I develop a template to build out my stories. I took ideas...