Tag: Creative Writing

In a word: Key

So, as we all know, a key is used to lock or unlock a door, gate, or something else.  It’s either made of shiny metal, brass, or rusty iron, it can be small, or very, very big, as is the key to a dungeon.

We can have one key or we can have many or even a master key that unlocks everything, very handy if you have a house full of locked rooms.

People always seem to want to steal them, especially in crime shows.

There is also an item called a key card.  Not the metal thing, but a plastic thing, that opens doors.  Odd that it’s called keyless entry!

Then there’s what is known as the key to something, i.e. you might have the key to his or her heart, metaphorically speaking.

And in that metaphorical sense, it opens up pandora’s box with a plethora of different meanings.

He had the key to the puzzle.

I wish sometimes I had the key to be able to write better, that that one particular key eludes me.

There are keys on a keyboard, the ones you use on computers and calculators.  They were originally on typewriters.  You can also find keys on a piano, or an accordion, and some other musical instruments.

A key can also be a master index field, or unique identifier, in a database, particularly those kept on computers.

And,

there’s a host of other uses for the word key, such as

roughening a surface

describing the shooting area on a basketball court

a group, or one, of small coral islets

matching words to pictures

or, you’re just too keyed up to sleep.

 

 

 

Camp NaNoWriMo – Day 7

The April version of the November write-a-thon is upon us, well, me actually.  I’m not sure hope many others are trying to resurrect an old piece of writing.

The truth is, I’ve been at this story off and on over the past three years, and every time I get a head of steam, something else comes along.

Now I’ve decided to use the April version of NANOWRIMO to get this thing finished, or at least in a first draft state.

I spent most of the day putting together the words and their chapter numbers, and finally got all of the writing into one file, from chapter one through chapter fifty-three, though in the end, I think it will be fewer chapters.

It also means I have a preliminary number of words, and that comes out at about 74,600.  There will possibly be more in the end, or less, depending on the first edit.

I have also divided the story into five distinct sections.

Progress, at least, of the structural front, leaving little time for editing.

Today’s word count takes me to the end of Chapter 18 and adds another 1,571 words to a total of 24,264 so far.

 

 

 

Sunshine Blogger Award

It appears I have been nominated for a Sunshine Blogger Award.  When I started this blog, it was not with the intention of winning anything, but just to be an outlet for my writing.

I felt it would be better to put it somewhere, and maybe others might like to read it, and, for better or worse, either like it or hate it or be somewhere in between.  MY hope is always that people might get some enjoyment out of the short, long, and serialized stories.

Of course, that expanded into an irreverent look at certain words with many meanings, adding to the confusion that is the English language, bits of my attempts to write, observations of the sometimes crazy world around me, and lately the adventures of being owned by a cantankerous cat.

I guess a lot of us writers have similar owners.

That said, I must thank Debby Winter for nominating me, and at some point, I will nominate another 11 bloggers whom I believe also deserve the award.

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I note that the Sunshine Blogger Award isn’t an official award, but it’s a fun way of spreading motivation and inspiration.

If you read this and like to get involved (and why wouldn’t you?) don’t be shy and consider yourself nominated!!

Nadia D. Mazonis,  Tales from the Neon Beach,  Scarlett79,  Geet,   Stefanie Dibben,  Gwenny,  Shayleene MacReynolds,  marilyn jaye lewis.  balladeer,  Jewels of a Magnolia,  Tessa

 

As for the questions

1) Are you familiar with SEO strategies? Have you optimized your site yourself? Did you do off-site or on-site SEO for your blog or website and are you happy with the results?

The answer to this question is that I have no idea what SEO is, well, I do know a little about it, but not enough to do anything meaningful, especially with my own blog.  I doubt that WordPress will allow me to make whatever modifications that would make it better, unless, of course, I pay them wads of money for the privilege.  So, not being blessed with millions, I’m happy to remain in obscurity.

2) What is the most embarrassing clothing item you have ever worn?

I can’t say that I have anything I’d call embarrassing, but then it has been said that most of my clothes would fit into that category, depending on who you meet.  Everyone seems to have a judgemental streak in them, and I dare anyone to say they haven’t judged someone based on their clothes.  I know I have.

3) Have you ever intentionally broken the law? When? Where? and how?

This is a tricky one.  We often break the law, but whether it’s intentionally or otherwise is a moot point.  I speak of speeding, going through stops signs without stopping, and running traffic lights as they go from yellow to red.  But straight out intentionally?  The thing is, very few of us intentionally break the law.  That’s the way we’re taught, both from our family and from both the church and educational institutions.

4) If you were given $750 to spend on anything you wanted, what would you buy?

To someone who has spent most of their lives struggling to make ends meet, $750 is a lot of money.  We were not exactly poor, but we managed.  There never seemed to be a time when we had a spare $750 because as soon as we managed to get ahead, something would go wrong.  What would I do with it?  Put it aside and wait for the next ‘problem’.

5) If you had enough money that you never needed to work again, what would you do with your time?

Work tirelessly to get people to read.  People who read have less time to get into mischief.

6) If you could start over your life and change one thing, what would you change?

That’s a tricky one, and if we could defy the time/space continuum I’d have to say, my parents.  And, yes, I know, if I changed them, I wouldn’t exist to be asked this question.  It’s the very definition of being on a merry-go-round.

7) What do you consider your greatest strength, your greatest weakness?

Greatest strength:  Being there for my children and grandchildren, even when they say they don’t need me.

Greatest weakness:  Having psioratic arthritis.  With the COVID-19 virus, my odds of surviving it are low.

I know stating your weakness means something else, like drinking too much, or smoking, or easily losing your temper, but those are stress-related and are common weaknesses.  We all have those.

8) What have you tried lately that is new and exciting?

Define lately!  In the life and times of a pandemic, perhaps what is new, but not necessarily for some, exciting, is just staying home.  You either get to reacquaint yourself with your family, or you begin to hate them.  What’s that old saying, familiarity breeds contempt, and children.

If this was not a pandemic, going somewhere I’ve not been before and trying some food that I’ve not tried before.  So far in all my travel experiences, that was a week spent in Tuscany, in Italy.

9) What was the greatest adventure in your life so far?

Taking my grandchildren overseas to see how the other half of the world lives, and seeing their eyes opened to the fact they live in one of the best countries in the world, Australia.  Of course, the rest of the world will disagree with me, but then, we’re all parochial in one way or another.

10) What makes you happiest and when you think about it you cannot help but smile?

That’s probably the most difficult question to ask anyone because there are very few who can say they are ‘happy’ or ‘content’ with their lives.  I don’t think anyone can say there’s been a sustained period where they’ve been happy, but, there may be times when we reflectively smile at an event, like seeing your child being born, the day you bring a puppy home and your children’s faces light up, but, then, as the years, pass, life gets in the way, and those events become distant memories.

Some people will disagree, and I’m glad they can for their sakes.

11) Are some people’s lives worth more than others? Why or why not?

Isn’t that the same as ‘playing God’?

Here’s the thing, no one’s life is more important or less important than another because the moment we start making choices, where does it end?  Like Germany in the 1930s and 1940s?

Watch the movie ‘Soylent Green’, or ‘Logan’s Run’, and then think about whose life you believe is less important.

SunshineBlogger2

THE RULES

* Introduce yourself

* Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link back to their site –> https://aloysius5.com/

* Provide a link to a favourite article on your blog :> http://bit.ly/2TPxxiv

* Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you

* List all rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award in your blog post.

* Nominate 11 new bloggers and their blogs. Leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the reward and ask your nominees 11 questions.

 

Oh, yes, and the 11 questions are:

1)   What do you do for work, and what would you rather be doing, if you were given the opportunity?

2)   Do you read constantly or sporadically, and what is your favourite genre

3)   Boring, I know, but what is your favourite television show, and why?

4)   If you could be anywhere in the world rather than where you are, where would that be and why?

5)   What is the most annoying thing about people you dislike?

6)   How many people can you count on as ‘real’ friends, if your situation turned to the worst-case scenario?

7)   If you are young, where would you like to be in, say, 30 years time, and if you are older, what is one thing you would have done differently?

8)   Do you prefer to travel by car, bus, train, or aeroplane, and why?

9)   If you could retire tomorrow, where would that be, and why?

10)   Is having having wealth or health more important to you?

11)   and the doozie for the last question, if you have a current partner, do you think this is the ‘one’ or do you think the ‘one’ might still be out there?

(You do not need to answer this, but in my case, I have found the ‘one’ and we’ve been together nearly 45 years.)

“The Devil You Don’t”, be careful what you wish for

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John Pennington’s life is in the doldrums. Looking for new opportunities, prevaricating about getting married, the only joy on the horizon was an upcoming visit to his grandmother in Sorrento, Italy.

Suddenly he is left at the check-in counter with a message on his phone telling him the marriage is off, and the relationship is over.

If only he hadn’t promised a friend he would do a favor for him in Rome.

At the first stop, Geneva, he has a chance encounter with Zoe, an intriguing woman who captures his imagination from the moment she boards the Savoire, and his life ventures into uncharted territory in more ways than one.

That ‘favor’ for his friend suddenly becomes a life-changing event, and when Zoe, the woman who he knows is too good to be true, reappears, danger and death follow.

Shot at, lied to, seduced, and drawn into a world where nothing is what it seems, John is dragged into an adrenaline-charged undertaking, where he may have been wiser to stay with the ‘devil you know’ rather than opt for the ‘devil you don’t’.

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A to Z Challenge – F is for: Follow that cab…

F2020

Nothing ever good comes from eavesdropping.

Or, so my mother said, once, with such feeling that I suspect she had some experience of having done so. It might explain the enmity between her and her older sister, the aunt we never saw.

Except all that changed when I received an odd email from a woman who claimed to be that very aunt.

We had all been warned about scams that came from dubious sources online, and this initially struck me as one. I would need more information before I answered.

That meant poking the bear, that is, asking my mother about her sister.

And coming right out with the words she hoped she’d never heard.

“Aunt Guenivere sent me an email, asking if we could meet. It seems she wants to meet the nephew she hasn’t seen since I was born. What happened to you two?”

It brought a look of total hatred in return.

“You would be wise not to respond. That woman is just plain evil.”

“You do realize that a statement like that makes it even more imperative that I should meet her. If you’re not going to tell me what happened, I’m sure she will.”

“Then if you must, you must.”

It wasn’t resignation but suppressed rage. Whatever had happened, it was something she believed no one would believe her, or understand, least of all me.

With that, she stood, and walked out of the room, leaving me with the ominous feeling that it would be the last time I saw her.
After verifying that my so-called aunt was Aunt Guenivere, I arranged a meeting in a public place, a tea room in the next town to where I lived. And it wasn’t going to be hard to recognize her, she would just an older version of my mother.

I knew this because I had found a photograph of my mother and her two sisters, all of who looked very much alike. I’d know about the younger sister, she had died in an accidental car crash many years before, and what my mother regarded as a wasted life.

I saw her about the same time she saw me.

And she just made it to the table when her cell phone rang. She smiled, put a hand up and asked for a moment, and then went back outside. I watched her walk up and down, slowly at first, but I could see the conversation was getting heated.

After a few minutes, I went outside to see if I could be of any assistance.

Apparently not. One look was enough, and I knew what it meant. At least her sister and my mother shared the same facial expressions when angry.

Then the conversation ended. I thought, for a moment, she was going to throw the phone on the ground, and only just managed to stop herself.

Instead, she came over and said. “I’m sorry but something has come up and I have to go. I’ll call you.”

With that, she waved down a taxi, one stopped, and she jumped in.

Another pulled in behind her taxi and on the spur of the moment, and said with a flourish, “Follow that cab.”

The driver turned to look at me, and then said, “You’re kidding.”

I held up a hundred dollar note and said, seriously, “This is yours if you don’t lose them.”

Incentive enough.

It was a lot easier to follow that taxi than I thought. We caught up and the first set of lights and then proceeded to miss every second intersection as if the universe knew I needed to keep her in sight.

All the way to the upper west side and a very expensive apartment block. I paid the cabbie and jumped out, just in time to see a very familiar figure join my aunt.

My father.

And they didn’t look like people who didn’t know each other, or who were at war.

They remained outside the apartment block, and I could see my father had arrived by cab, and it was waiting for him.

I got as close as I could, hidden effectively behind the bushes that lined the building entrance. They were speaking loudly, which surprised me

“What the hell were you thinking,” he said, not angrily, but I could tell he was agitated.

“I was thinking it was time someone told him the truth.”

What truth?

“You know what Evelyn thinks of that, and I do too. You made an agreement.”

“I’ve changed my mind. After all, he is my son, not hers.”

 

© Charles Heath 2020

Conversations with my cat – 93

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This is Chester.  We’re getting by during the ‘stay at home’ order.

I’m doing just that, though it sometimes feels like I’m in jail, on the inside looking out.

“Now you know how I feel”, Chester tells me, after jumping up on the window ledge to look out the window, trying to see what had caught my interest.

I don’t tell him I’m basically staring into space.

Except, a car passes, not fast, not slow, but much like the rest of the traffic that passes by.  Or used to.  With the order to stay at home, and the fact schools are not open, there have been fewer and fewer cars passing by.

“Didn’t that car…” Chester mutters.

He’s right.  The same car just went back the other way.  Slow, but not too slow.

“Perhaps’s he’s looking for a house, a particular address.”

We watch and wait.

Five minutes later the car has returned and stops outside my window.  A man gets out the passenger side, says something to the driver, then closes the door.  He starts walking back up the street from where the car had just come.

The car drives off, then a minute later is back, and parks on the other side of the road.  We can see the driver.  Not the sort of person you’d want to need on a dark night.  Tattoos on his arm, and smoking a cigarette, negligently stopping ask on the road below his window.

“He’s watching,” Chester says.

“He’s a lookout?”

We’re both thinking the same.  A crime is being committed.  They’ve scoped the street for an unattended house, a rarity for obvious reasons, though these days robbers rob the house while you’re still in it.

We wait.  Three minutes later the other man comes running very quickly to the car, jumps in and they drive off very quickly before the man had closed the door.

Seconds later another man appears with a baseball bat in his hand.

“Close call,” Chester says, interest now waning.  He jumps down.  “Pity they didn’t catch the robber.”

Perhaps.  But one thing is for sure, those robbers will not be back.

Diversion over, back to boredom.  Chester has gone back to one of his hiding spots.  I’m going to do another crossword.

Six months is going to be a long, long, long, long time.

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Camp NaNoWriMo – Day 6

The April version of the November write-a-thon is upon us, well, me actually.  I’m not sure hope many others are trying to resurrect an old piece of writing.

The truth is, I’ve been at this story off and on over the past three years, and every time I get a head of steam, something else comes along.

Now I’ve decided to use the April version of NANOWRIMO to get this thing finished, or at least in a first draft state.

My issues with chapters 10 through14 are in the process of being fixed so progress was slow, and I will omit the counts for chapters 14 and 16, as they are still incomplete.

I’ve completely removed two chapters and checked the continuity from Chapters 12 through to 17.  Today’s count comes from edited chapters 13, 15, and 17.

I’ll be working on 14 and 16 so that these are done, so I can continue from chapter 18 onwards tomorrow if it’s possible.

Today’s word count takes me to the end of Chapter 17 and adds another 4,710 words to a total of 22.693 so far.

 

 

 

In a word: Can

Yes, another three letter word with a multitude of meanings, like

I can do this, it’s what we tell ourselves when faced with an impossible mission

You might want to carry a can, perhaps of drink, once made out of steel but now from aluminium.  It can also hold food, like baked beans

You might have a jerry can, which holds petrol, mighty handy if you are driving and run out.  It’s happened to me once

There’s the can-can, but that’s a dance

Can you do this, can I have a drink, you can park over there, it seems we can seek or be given permission

It is an informal name for either prison or a toilet, though it depends on where you are

And in the United States, a ‘tin can’ can also be used to describe a navy vessel

If you get canned from your job, it really means you got fired

In the can means the film has been completed

Of course, there is always a trash can which makes both a mess and a loud noise when they tip over, particularly at night

And, which also make a good set of wickets, painted on, when playing backyard cricket with your friends

 

 

“One Last Look”, nothing is what it seems

A single event can have enormous consequences.

A single event driven by fate, after Ben told his wife Charlotte he would be late home one night, he left early, and by chance discovers his wife having dinner in their favourite restaurant with another man.

A single event where it could be said Ben was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Who was this man? Why was she having dinner with him?

A simple truth to explain the single event was all Ben required. Instead, Charlotte told him a lie.

A single event that forces Ben to question everything he thought he knew about his wife, and the people who are around her.

After a near-death experience and forced retirement into a world he is unfamiliar with, Ben finds himself once again drawn back into that life of lies, violence, and intrigue.

From London to a small village in Tuscany, little by little Ben discovers who the woman he married is, and the real reason why fate had brought them together.

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