Dialogue

I was complimented on my dialogue, or rather conversation amongst characters, on a review for one of my books.

When I was young there was no texting, e-mails or even phones that were not tied to a wire. Passing notes was for elementary school students and though conversations on the telephone were often verbally and grammatically challenged, in person conversation was a completely different matter.

Witticisms, puns, the clever insight and the ability to express a coherent political position were well practiced. An extensive vocabulary impressed and acronyms represented a thought or institute of substance; not how much laughter a vapid mundane spewing of thoughtlessness may have instilled.

Yes, instilled, not inspired, as inspiration would imply the pursuit of some thought greater than one’s own.

How a person speaks to others is very telling of not only their education but of their character or lack there of. It may be driven by deep seeded issues of the past or more immediate situational stresses.

Dialogue is a great method for developing a character, but it needs to be consistent. It need not necessarily be described, but allowed to speak for itself.

Some of my short stories have little to no conversation.

In my novella the characters are few and the environment stressed. Describing one character’s commentary as having the ability to annoy (anyone) I felt was a necessary distinction.

So I was at my market stand the other day, you can find One Family Urban Gardens on Facebook, and I walked up to a guy who helps out a vendor here and there.

“How is the man of the wire?” I asked.

He is an electrician by trade and I enjoy the looks on his face when I razz him a bit.

“The way of the wire is long and narrow.’' I mused, “Shorter for some, wider for others…. The way of the wire is the way of power.”

A pained smile covered his face. He lowered and shook his head with a chuckle.

At least I didn’t call him ‘Sparky’.

Packing up my market stand I found my side view mirrors turned in. I didn’t recall any vehicles passing too close as they left the market, one farm truck is notorious for hitting other vehicles, so I am confused as to what happened.

One mirror actually wasn’t even accessible to vehicular traffic.

Find the way my friends.

You can make good money as an electrician, or in any of the building trades.

Should I keep writing?

I hear ya!

I hope you found my look into the past and my scant ideas on dialogue helpful, if you are trying to be a published writer yourself.

Thank you for reading.

Things I Like

My wife Likes “Samurai Cat” so I like it also. We watch it together.

If my wife isn’t home in the evening I watch the old “Perry Mason” shows because I do not think she is particularly interested in Perry Mason and I really enjoy them.

My wife frowns upon anything in black and white.

A lot of good stuff in black and white.

I enjoy private detective stories, whether on the radio or television. They have a lexicon I find fascinating. They also tend to help others even when it is not their intent.

Anything with Jack Web holds my interest. He did a whole lot in his career on both radio and television. There were only 99 episodes of “Dragnet.” How did that happen? No reruns on broadcast.

I did not like ‘The Who’, but, as I had written before, I like them, really appreciate their work now.

I watched “The Kids are Alright” a while back and was reminded why back in the day I did not like ‘The Who.’ To watch Keith Moon play the drums however delights the soul. He truly was the best. I can think of other images that delight my soul, lift my spirit.

Creativity, in art and the care we give each other in producing food and shelter, is the beauty all aspire for and its pursuit is enough to consume anyone’s life. Let robots do all the rest.

Man and woman should live close to the earth and do real work, not that fake work.

My wife and I watched “Humans” a show about sentient robots. At one point one of the characters is instruct to ‘kill everyone at 2pm’ and my wife made us bin watch from that point on until we finished.

I think it a very good show, mostly.

I really liked that one season wonder “Firefly.” A space western; I mean why do we need high tech to populate other earth like planets. How are you going to transport that stuff. You just need the tech to get people there and people who can build, create, all they need with their own hands.

I enjoy taking analyzing things, particularly the human condition and how people tell it in movies, history etc. …good parodies.

Good movies are a great joy. “Jaws” is a great one.

So I had my laptop at the farmer’s market yesterday and did some writing while make some sales. Getting back into production word wise.

I thought of taking a Master Class on writing screen plays. I had an idea for a movie “WPT the Musical”.

No one has done it yet. I checked on Google.

WPT would be World Poker Tour by the way. The story almost writes itself.

Another something I have written before, I always wanted to work in a place where everyone suddenly broke out in song and dance wearing top hats and tails.

October will be a busy month. May be making several trips to Chicago. A big church event for us though the details sound tentative.

Do not forget the walking sticks.

Thanks for reading. I am writing still.

Almost forgot to get this post out this month though I wrote most of it yesterday; a long day at the farmer’s markets.

Life is Like Driving an Automobile

Writing has come up to the front burner once again. A stove generally has two front burners, so the microgreens business is going strong; not that a stove has anything to do with an automobile.

There is a YouTube Channel I follow that recently posted on a topic I have touched upon before, that is; the crowd you keep and its influence on your life.

So why am I excited about my writing taking off like a rocket ship? (not an automobile) Because of the newest crowd I keep. That would be farmers.

Yes, the influence of good hard working people, fellow vendors, at the farmer’s market has brought much more productivity to my days in every aspect, not that farming has anything to do with automobiles necessarily.

Family and even church, which is a type of extended family, though important are not always the most supportive structures when it comes to being productive. Drama and intense personal relationships can distract one from the bigger picture.

You know, ‘get the big picture’, what they tell you in driver’s education.

Life education I say

Recognize you are part of the whole. ‘Keep your eyes moving’. One’s experience is like so many others and the ability to look outward gives one insight into other’s experiences on the road. It gives one insight into the value of the rules of the road.

Become an educator.

Get one of those cars with two steering wheels I say.

Yes, it is important that you don’t have twelve year olds speeding through red lights in stolen cars. It is important that people do not simply shoot others they feel have slighted them while driving. It is important that millenials actually stop for stop signs rather than looking at their phones. It would be nice to have law enforcement actually enforcing the rules; just a dream I have.

But enough about Milwaukee.

‘Aim high’ and ‘make sure others see you’ may sound like vanity, but it gets one where they want to go and creates a positive influence for others following the rules of the road of life.

The key to creating value is to make one’s victories and tragedies not one’s own, but something shared for the advancement of all.

Growing, becoming a better driver makes one more valuable to the whole; to other drivers.

Life is about creating value. Make people feel safe.

Will creating value get me a nicer automobile?

It better.

One way I create value is by providing a great product at the farmer’s market. Everything brought to the market is fresh and if not sold provides value to the less fortunate.

I hope to create great value with my writing, now that my microgreens production is approaching streamline.

Situational awareness may be one way to frame today’s topic. ‘Leave yourself an out’, another rule of the road, may read as prudence or paranoia.

Do your characters, if you are a fellow writer, have situational awareness?

How do you describe that in your writing?

What details would they notice that others would not?

Would not each of your characters observe the same scene or situation differently?

Seeing through the eyes of others, each a unique perspective; is it the key to adding depth to one’s writing? To providing the utmost value to others?

Does it create appeal for a larger crowd?

So, I was talking at the market with a farmer about a potential trade war with Red China, not Taiwan. I know a lot about China.

My perspective is that as soon as a trade war begins China has lost.

“You have to understand” I said, “that because of Mao’s cultural revolution they killed all the capable cultured people. The whole country is nothing but a bunch of stupid farmers.”

Upon reflection…

Thank you for reading.

I hope I have provided value to your life today.

I have been remiss in my blogging, not fulfilling promised posting goals for my other blogs.

I apologize, especially if this is not my only blog you, my readers, enjoy reading.

Though how would I know, I get no comments, no likes on Facebook, no messages…

Thank you again.

Trials and Tribulations

With the new business developing, for some reason, my mind is always on my books.

At least with weekday farmer's markets I have time to read from time to time. In time, time will tell.

Makes me wonder if I should be writing instead of farming, but as production planning and harvesting efficiency works itself out I will have more time, at least that is what I thought.

Our local Alderman plagued inspectors upon our home, something I may or may not have more to write about.

I guess extruded polycarbonite over my window for security and privacy is called a flexible plastic covering now. It is seriously rigid.

Something is up and I intend to get to the bottom of it. The weekday markets may have to be over in lieu of more than work on my garage (which repairs I have been working on in conjunction with the city for a year) is not the only work the city has dictated, costing me money in more ways than one. But maybe that was the intent.

My success is a threat to a lot of people. Whether in my faith, my chosen profession as architect, as businessman, writer or gentleman farmer of the noblest of fashion.

Forgive me for daring to dream. Or not. I am willing to take on all challengers.

I believe it strange, the recent slew of serious accidents along our expressway. In my world it is a sign of spiritual disruption on a grand scale. We drive that stretch of road every week.

If God is with me, who can stand against me.

And writing is about creating a world, a believable world. Trials and tribulations tied to wisdom and understanding, a world view that works, creates a serious baseline for any world one may dream to create, whether based on fact or imagined.

Material possessions and objectives are important but hardly on the top of my priority list. People have taken more from me in my life than most any could ever imagine, yet I continue.

At least this blog is generally staying on schedule.

I have a lot building up to write. At some point I will have to stop everything and let it flow.

Thanks for reading.

The Psalmist

‘The world is filled with fools, though no one started out that way.

All knew where to find happiness, yet happiness portends sorrow.

Look outward then, at what others equally deceived desire.

Pursue then, objects to be held in the hand, felt in the flesh.

The emptiness of a sallow soul awaits, a garnished grave.

Seek rather what stirs the heart and enlightens the soul.

Project not upon others, clinging to shadows, the darkness that blots out the light.

The light shines from within, it never fades or falters, its’ affections never stray.

Embrace the light, life awaits.’

As a young man, these days you would call youth of similar age children, I didn’t read the Bible much, but when I did, I read Proverbs; …even Psalms.

So I put forth a small reflection of my own; something that formed in my mind as I contemplate life.

The Book of Job is a good one. The Gospels I found tragic and knew them intimately, at least those parts covered in the liturgy, the same year after year after year.

No one values… values anymore.

‘No one honors the upright, victorious, tragic or otherwise.

All look to tear down, declaring themselves victims rather than victors.’

Almost slipped into it again.

Overwhelmed with the enormity of tasks before me and the responsibilities that come with them, I find myself, value based. Or perhaps delusion has gripped my mind. In any state, I am strained, drained of energies.

My stories tug at my soul.

“Hey! what about us?!”

It causes me to wonder if I should have rather simply thrown myself into my writing and nothing else.

Don’t give up on me. I will get there.

‘When it is all said and done, we have only our love and creativity to carry us on.’

Are there any television shows that imbue true value to their viewers. Impossible to know, there are so many.

Television is my rebound time, …or a crutch?

“The Game of Thrones”, nothing but pornography. Stop watching trash. Stop fooling yourselves, it is.

Fools!

Before the Internet took off “Babylon 5”, a show I recently rediscovered on my Roku, may have been the last show of any substantive value propagation.

Perhaps I should listen to Zathras.

“Zathras is used to being beast of burden to other people’s needs. Very sad life. Probably a very sad death, but at least there is symmetry.” :Zathras, 2254.

Or I could read the Bible.

Symmetry is good.

Thanks for reading.