Wandering Through Words

    I absolutely love the dictionary app on my phone. I've been using it all the time to look up words lately. I'm not sure if I want to attempt song writing or not but that's where it looks like these words are headed. I was listening to my regular music the other day. It was slow, dreary, very interesting genre I guess. Some would say it's just plain depressing but I like it. What I realized though was that the lyrics didn't make a whole lot of sense. It sounded like the artist just put weird words together to make sound all modern. If I were to write a song I would most definitely not jumble weird words together. You have to try and make sense of all the jumbled words.

Here are many nouns and such I'd been working into phrases:

       Rain
       Glass
       Dark
       Rainfall
       Shower
       Midnight
       Twilight (Overdone)
       Raven
       Shadows
       Breath
       Haze
       Vestige
       Black
       Slick
       Slithery
       Relic
       Crawl
       Grovel
       Loiter
       Slide
       Square
       Teutonic pair
       Dead of night
       New Beginning
       Trudging Through
       Pain for a beautiful outcome
       Rebirth

    Whatever. It's a work in progress. I'm constantly thinking of a selection in a road after it rains. i think it's beautiful at night with maybe a neon sign's reflection making the road a colorful mural. This painting doesn't even come close to what I had imagined but it's the closest I could come to when painting such words.

Prosthetic Reportings - Part 2

    Jack shoved Justin to the corner of the newsroom showing him two cluttered desks. Atop one of the many mounds of papers laid a camera. "That's Greg," Jack said gesturing to a man peering behind said mountain of papers. "He's our photographer on our team. Across from him we have Monte-the man who blames everything on aliens or the government. Back there with the typewriter sleeping is Henry. He's past retirement age and shares various details about World War II-mostly when no one asks."
    Jack cleared some papers off a broken stool and pointed, "This here is your office-hope it's comfortable."
    Henry snored loudly as Justin set his bag down and he took a moment to asses his small working area. He jumped up and asked, "Wait! Sir, as a part of the team, what's my first assignment?"
    A woman rushed in between Justin and Jack, handing Jack a fresh cup of coffee, but quickly moved on. "You're first Assignment?" Jack contemplated and looked around for a moment. Follow Hilary Cane." He slurped his coffee slow as not to burn his tongue.
    "The actress? I thought we were a newspaper, not a tabloid."
    "Aw, he already thinks he's one of us." Greg said snapping a photo.
   Jack stepped closer handing Justin his coffee mug. "It's your first story. I'm giving you a light task." Jack swiped his coat from his desk chair and headed into the chaos of the newsroom. "Enjoy it while it lasts!" He yelled with slightly crazed eyes.

Prosthetic Reportings - Part 1

Technically I wrote this in my creative writing class last fall but, the character was a lot of fun to work with. It started out with having to create a story based on magazine clippings. The first picture I picked up was of a bunch of older guys and one young guy all looking at something out of view. Another was of an older gentlemen watching what looked like a race hoarse, and the third picture was of prosthetic legs and arms.

Here be Part 1

     "Here is your payment." Said the older man as he passed a thick envelope. "Make sure you keep your word. I can't have any information spreading across the front page of the Kenton Times. Lives could be at stake, as well as my reputation." The man straightened his tie and buttoned is vest.
      Footsteps echoed in the distance and the younger man made sure of the amount, both men cautious of their surroundings. "Don't work about anything, Mr. Senator. Everything will be taken care of discretely."
      The senator shrugged and left for home. As he sauntered through his front door his wife met him, "How was your day at the office?" She asked.
       He set his key on a coffee table and hung his coat saying, "Well, very well, my darling Anita."
       "Splendid." She replied, "Oh, don't forget we are going to the race track tomorrow." With a kiss on the cheek, Anita rushed happily out the door.


       The ringing of phones filled the room as Justin entered through the double doors of the newsroom. Clerks and secretaries rushed in every direction nearly knocking Justin off his feet. he climbed his way through to the editor's office and seeming knocked over a cup of coffee on one of the reporter's desks.
     "Aw shoot. What'd you do that for?" said the repeater loudly as he stood from his desk and towered over Justin. "Now I gotta get new coffee." He leaned forward and put both his hands flat on his desk. "You got a lot a nerve."
      "I apologize sir," Justin said gripping his cap off his head "my intention was not to ruin your coffee, or your work. It's my first day and I only wanted to get to the editor. I'm a reporter and I want to get started right away." He put his cap back on his head and held out his hand, "Vos, Mr. Justin Vos."
       "The reporter looked Justin up and down in disappointment of the scrawny, no talent kid. "Reporter, eh? Well the editor is out to lunch. Won't be back till three o'clock."
       Justin's shoulder fell but the reported came around and patted him on the back holding his other hand up to his chest. "I'm Jack. Welcome to the Kenton Times. I'll be your tour guide while the editor is out. Let me show you around.".....

Latest Read: Syd Field-3.The Creation of Character

Tonight I read a chapter of Syd Field's Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. I've really been enjoying this book. Field has express so far how the basic outline of a script is written. The chapter I read tonight has been most interesting and it's been all about character. Character is something I struggle with. Sure I have the name, the background, the family, the history but even with all of these things, I struggle to know what the character will do in certain situations. I think what I struggle with is that I try and relate to the character, "If I were in that guy's situation," or "If I had that kid's childhood," "If I had those people for family," etc. But what I really want to accomplish is not what I would want to do, but what would the character do. Sure I can move forward in my story no problem, but I still feel I'm relating to the character too much. A little is okay, but too much and you have the same story people have been writing for hundreds of years. Some will come a long and say "Oh, I have seen that character before!" because humans can only do so many things before it get's predictable. The goal is erase predictability and create spontaneity. Experimenting with characters is what I plan to do in my future posts. I need to create a character with a deep history and an intense future.

Oh, how I love writing. There is anything much more exciting then pulling out my laptop and typing away the chapters to my book or putting a pen to my journal and recording down the many idea's I have for short stories. Oh how I lack the discipline to actually complete any of them. I've been working on that... discipline. Maybe by the time I have my own family I'll finally have some.

Fairy Tale

The little elf is dressed in a floppy cap

and he has a big rosy nose and flaring white eyebrows

with short legs and a jaunty step, though sometimes

he glides across an invisible pond with a bonfire glow on his cheeks:

it is northern Europe in the nineteenth century and people

are strolling around Copenhagen in the late afternoon,

mostly townspeople on their way somewhere,

perhaps to an early collation of smoked fish, rye bread, and cheese,

washed down with a dark beer: ha ha, I have eaten this excellent meal

and now I will smoke a little bit and sit back and stare down

at the golden gleam of my watch fob against the coarse dark wool of my vest,

and I will smile with a hideous contentment, because I am an evil man,

and tonight I will do something evil in this city!

Ron Padgett



This poem, though short is very interesting. You think it's all happy and joyful until you read toward the end. It has a dark twist that completely unexpected. My creative writing class enjoyed this as a choice of poem's to bring in and it wasn't until after I had that class what a treat it was to come across such a unique poem.

Matter

What things know what they are,

how do things differentiate?

Sure.

Things will go and things will remain.

Like water and Oil:

Water on the surface, oil settling to the bottom.

It’s only nature

The oil is slippery,

It’s used for cooking.

That’s when it get’s burned

Oil is tossed, meals wasted, water useless.

Children try and cook with knowledge

This is the only result of fools

But how can oil know?

How can children know?

The Spies

It started with a fight, the exchange of

punches between the clones. All love

had left the room, now blood dripped

from the words they lipped

each other. Jon pushed Greigh

down the hill running to Bear Bay.

He began his new life

finishing high school in the cold ice

of winter.  Jon then was

approached by some agents revealed by doves

flying through the park. They asked

him to join their mission, a task

that only he could do. When he

said ‘yes’ he knew it would be

a risk but with his brother

now gone he had nothing further

to live for.  A new morning began

with breakfast for man.

Walking into the office, Jon sighed

ready for debriefing but it was a lie

he witnessed when seeing his

face on the screen. “The mission is

for you to impersonate Greigh

something you can do on the way

to Berlin.” Said the director with command

as he asked everyone to stand

up. Jon went on his mission to

Berlin becoming the very person he thought to

be dead. But chaos intervened and

Jon saw Greigh’s face through the demand

of his job. Greigh couldn’t believe the sight

of Jon and they ran for cover with fright.

When madness was over and guns

stopped firing, they were free to use their lungs

to breath. The mission had failed but

Jon promised to make amends and shut

the door of the past. Together Greigh

and Jon became a team, fighting away

for the country they were livin’

for knowing they were forgiven.

Enticed...A change in View

  

          The fight was messy. I killed the hunter sent to find the girl but I knew more would come. I headed her direction. Amanda was moving but I could feel her coming closer. I put my hood over my head so the blood on my face would be hidden. The lights flashed through the forest trees as her car approached. I tried to keep my walk steady but the limp in my leg wouldn’t cooperate with me. To my luck she saw me and pulled over.

            “Do you need a ride?” She asked.

            I propped myself against the car to keep myself from falling. “I need help. Please help me.” I said. I thought it would be the only way she would let me near her. It was how I could keep her safe. She only looked scared gripping her steering wheel. After a moment she finally relaxed and walked over to me. The pain in my leg seemed to pull me to the ground.

            She kneeled down beside me and pulled back my hood revealing my face and showed sympathy on her own. “Let’s get you in the car. Don’t worry, I’ll get you to a hospital.”

            I tried to utter the words, tell her I didn’t need to, but she was prettier then I imagined. Her golden hair fell around me and she buckled the seat belt.

            The phrases of danger began to enter my head. “Alcatraz.” I said uncontrollably. I knew that could only mean one thing. The Sinist was near and she would be the second hunter. “Spiders crawl and teddy bears fall, the man is on to you.” My best shot at warning Amanda and all I could say were phrases that further frightened her.

            Her voice shook as she asked, “Can you tell me what happened?”

            I only wanted to tell her that the Sinist is after her along with the man she works for. I wanted to tell her the man would die himself if he knew it would mean Amanda’s death. But all that came out was “His soul unseen, the blood we bleed, out-weighs his will to die.” Suddenly the Sinist came into view, dressed as an innocent girl.  Amanda slammed on her brakes afraid to harm her. “Remain quiet and you’ll be safe.” I tried to tell her, not sure what really was coming from my lips.

            The door to her suburban was locked and I couldn’t find how to unlock it. “MURDER HER” the Sinist yelled in my head. I covered my ears in attempt to block out the loud ringing but it didn’t help. I looked up to her holding the knife I used on the first hunter.

            I needed Amanda to let me out of the car so I grabbed a hold of her. “Let me out I can save her from the Sinist, I can save her!” I tried to say. “She is doomed for eternity but I can save her. Let me save her. I need to save!”

            Amanda, terrified, ran from the car. “Somebody help!” I heard her cry. I finally broke the window and jumped out stepping into the Sinist’s path.

            Her power grew stronger as she lit up the road with her glow. “You sir cannot save her.” She told me, “Amanda and the girl will die.”

            I took the amulet around my neck and slapped it against her and her power disappeared. “It’s my job to save her, witch!” The wind had blown through her and she faded to nothing. I fell to the ground to catch my breath.

            “Amanda!” I yelled. “Mandy!? Amanda!” I limped through the forest looking for her, hoping she was all right. If anyone needed to go the hospital, it might be her. I found her laying against a rock with no will to move. I picked her up and carried her back to the suburban.

            “Don’t kill…” she murmured. “I’m just starting.” I laid her down in the back seat and drover to her home. It may have been safer for her with me around her, but it also made her a target when all the hunters look for me.

            I took her to my house, laying her on the hammock on my front porch. I lightly brushed the blond strands from out of her face noticing the blood on my own hands. I went inside and washed my face and hands and changed into clean clothes. After I wrapped my leg and cleaned up my paper work from my desk the sun had risen so I opened my fridge to decide what to make Amanda breakfast.

            “Good morning,” I said as she opened her eyes from the smell of bacon. I poured orange juice, “Hope you like blueberry waffles.”

            The breeze flowed through her beautiful hair as she sat up. “Who are you?”

            Right then I wanted to tell her everything. But this wasn’t an option. I set my orange juice down and replied, “Carl.”

            I could tell last night was still on her mind. She inspected my face, looking for wounds I imagine. “The blood last night, was that even yours?”

            “No, I’m sorry. I must have sounded crazy last night.” I scratched my head and thought about the mind hold the Sinist had on me. “I wasn’t myself.”

            Amanda stood up, weak from the little sleep. “What tin the world happened last night?” she asked and held her hand to her head.

            I wanted to tell her. But was it too soon? I had to keep it limited. The less she figured out the better. I could tell her what she knew. “That girl,” I explained, “wanted to kill your daughter.”

            The shock on her face hurt. I didn’t want to see her confused, but my orders were specific. She placed her hand on her tummy and said, “I don’t have any children.” I smiled in hopes of lightening the mood. She grabbed her keys and rushed to her suburban, mumbling something only dogs could hear.

            She hopped in her car but only sat there. Do you know how important she is? I wanted to ask her. Does she realize how great her daughter really is? “Is there something stopping you from leaving?” I asked.

            The look she gave me was unpleasant. “I just found out I was pregnant yesterday. I haven’t even told the father yet. I haven’t told anyone yet.”

            I smiled as I thought back. “I know.” If only you knew how he was going to take it, I thought to myself.

            “What’s going on?”

            I chuckled slightly then headed back inside.

            “Wait!” she ran after me, “tell me what that was last night?”

            “All you need to know is that you’re safe and sound if you stay here with me.”

            “But what does that mean? And how do you know I’m pregnant? And how do you know my name?”

            “Look” I tried to stop her when we reached my living room. “I know you have all these questions but there isn’t a whole lot I can tell you.” I handed her my phone. “Here, why don’t you call him.”

            “Call who?”

            “Tobey, the father.”

             I sat down and watched as she paced, nearly pulling her hair out.  “I haven’t seen him in three weeks. This probably isn’t the best idea.”

            I knew she wouldn’t do it. She isn’t supposed to until after the child is even born. “Don’t worry about it.” I took the phone from her. “I’m sure you will tell him you’re ready.”

            She plopped herself on my couch. “So, creepy Carl knows I’m pregnant, with a girl apparently, and saved me from a knife murderer that glows. Are you sure you can’t explain any of that?”

            I walked over to my desk and pulled out my papers. I searched through looking for the picture. I found it, slightly wrinkled. I knew I couldn’t tell her anything, but if I showed her, she might trust me. I handed the picture to her.

            “What’s this?” she asked before closely examining the photo.  It was of her and her daughter on top of a boat both smiling. Her daughter was sixteen in the picture. “This can’t be me, is it?”

            “All I can tell you is I am here to protect you. This was a happy moment in your life. I only hope you can reach it.” I kneeled before her. “Say you’ll trust me.”

            Without hesitation she whispered, “I trust you.”

            I stood up and gathered a few of my things. “You better get to work. I’ll be around if you need me.” Then I walked out the door.

Enticed

            Driving home from work, Amanda saw a figure walking on the side of the road. She pulled over and rolled down her window, “Do you need a ride?”

            The hooded man stepped up to the window and set his blood cover hand on the mirror of the suburban. “I need help.”

            Amanda froze in her seat.

            “Please help me.” He moaned.

            Amanda slowly stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the other sized where the man and fallen in weakness. She pulled back his hood to reveal the young man in pain. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you to a hospital.”

            After placing him in the front seat of the suburban she shut the driver door and started the engine, heading down the road that slithered through the forest.

            “Alcatraz.” The man mumbled, “Spiders crawl and teddy bears fall, the man is on to you.”

            Amanda’s breath slowed as he continued rambling. She became aware of every swallow in her throat. “Can you tell me what happened?”

            “His soul unseen, the blood we bleed, out weighs his will to die.”

            Her eyes remained on the road ahead only to halt. Her shoulders and neck tensed when a young girl stepped into her path. The tires shrieked and the young man yelled. “We will not die if we will not cry! We will not die if we will not cry!”

            Amanda, frozen once more, stared into the girl’s cold eyes. The girl lipped the words ‘murder her’ as she held up a knife covered in blood. The man gripped Amanda’s shoulders and held her close to his face. “She is doomed for eternity but I can save her. Let me save her. I need to save!”

            Amanda released herself from the man’s grip and snatched her cellphone from the center consul running from the scene.  She ran through the pines dialing with struggle. “Somebody help, somebody help.” She said, “I can’t die alone out her-“. Amanda tripped on the log, her head colliding with rock.

            The young man kneeled on the pavement crying and moaning. The young girl stepped up and placed her hand on his head. The glow from her clothing brought his head up. “You sir, cannot save her. Amanda and the girl will die.”

            The young man slapped the amulet hanging from his chest against the girl’s forehead and her glow faded. “It’s my job to save her, witch!” The girl fell to the ground and withered to ash, blowing away in the wind.

            “Mandy!” he yelled walking through the mulch, “Amanda!”

            Amanda sat holding her head. She watched the tree’s sway as the familiar figure picked her up and carried her to the suburban.  “Don’t kill me,” she said faintly. “My life is just starting.”

            The man laid her down and drove her to his home. She later awoke in a hammock with breakfast set in front of her and the man sat in a chair beside her. “Good morning,” he said, pouring orange juice, “Hope you like blueberry waffles.”

            The wind in the high mountain air filled the silence between them as she observed the man. “Who are you?”

            “Carl.” The man replied.

            “The blood last night, was that even yours?” she asked.

            “No, I’m sorry. I must have sounded crazy last night. I wasn’t myself.”

            Amanda stood up and paced across the porch, “What in the world happened last night?”

            “That girl,” Carl explained, “wanted to kill your daughter.”

            Amanda put her hand to her belly. “I don’t have children.”

            Carl smiled in response. Amanda snatched up the keys off the coffee table and rushed to the suburban. After starting the engine she rested her head on the steering wheel. Carl took his time walking up to the vehicle and leaned in the window sipping his coffee. “Is there something stopping you from leaving?”

            Amanda groaned and forced her head up. “I just found out I was pregnant yesterday. I haven’t even told the father yet. I haven’t told anyone yet.”

            “I know.” He smiled again.

            Amanda squinted her eyes as she turned the engine off. “So then, what’s going on?”

            Carl lightly kicked his foot against the tire and turned away.

            “Wait!” she said hopping out of the suburban, “tell me what that was last night?”

            “All you need to know is that you’re safe and sound if you stay here with me.”