Did I mention it was Friday?
And one more thing: Happy Oneth of December.
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humor
A Simple Life
As we head into the traditional (at least around my neck of the woods) month of Winter Holiday gift-giving, I want a simple life–free to use my imagination and creativity without the hustle and bustle of early rising to write, edit, create artwork, run my online business, keep up with my blog and social media posts, and attempt to otherwise stay sane. So, my “Wishful Christmas Card to Santa” will read something like this:
Please visit my online shop for some great, unique gifts.
https://cotner-artworks.com/product/writing-keeps-me-sane-mug/
A Modern Reader’s Lament
Japanese Choka Poetry Room
A Modern Reader’s Lament
In tales of old, we find a timeless theme,
Of stories bogged down in backstory’s stream,
The pandemic’s weight, a heavy narrative load,
Drowning the plot where the mysteries flowed.
In pages filled with words, the past unveiled,
Characters’ histories, endlessly detailed,
But where’s the heart of the story’s core?
Lost in the depths of exposition galore.
Oh, for the days of MacDonald and Hammett’s pen,
When plots were crisp, and prose was lean,
Elmore and Chandler, masters of their craft,
Knew when to let character depth take a backdraft.
Hillerman’s landscapes painted vivid and grand,
Yet never did he lose the reader’s hand,
Parker’s Spenser, sharp as a knife’s keen blade,
Intrigue and action, the focus never swayed.
So let us return to the art of the tale,
Where words and plots set our hearts to sail,
For character development, a spice, not the stew,
During a pandemic, the story must break through.
No more septic tank woes and rose gardens fair,
Let the plot’s heartbeat lead us from despair,
In the realm of storytelling, let’s find our way,
And leave the irrelevant backstory’s dismay.
In the echoes of these literary greats, we’ll thrive,
With stories that captivate, and narrative alive,
No more drowning in a sea of character past,
In the heart of the plot, our adventure will last.
While you are here, take a moment to shop my online store. Thank you!
Chickens And Dinosaurs
Way back in ancient times, sometime after the age of dinosaurs and before the invention of the computer and internet, and about the time I received an A+ grade for creative writing in 5th grade, I mean long, long-ago 65+ years ago, I raised chickens—laying hens, to be precise—and sold their eggs. Back then, I don’t remember ever thinking of chickens as being related to dinosaurs, much less the T-Rex. Although my brother did have a rather large and bad-tempered rooster with sharp, three-inch spurs that enjoyed making life miserable for any human who ventured out to the chicken yard and nests to gather eggs. He—the rooster, not my brother—I would have no trouble believing was related to the ancient dinosaur carnivores. No doubt this old rooster could recognize faces. He never attacked my father but came after me and my siblings at every opportunity and then boasted about it with exuberant strutting and crowing.
Enjoy these chicken facts.
Attribution: texasexoticanimalsinc.org
How To Avoid Excessive Heat!
What Is A Writer?
April Fool’s Day
“Work? Why, cert’nly it would work, like rats a-fighting. But it’s too blame’ simple; there ain’t nothing to it. What’s the good of a plan that ain’t no more trouble than that? It’s as mild as goose-milk. Why, Huck, it wouldn’t make no more talk than breaking into a soap factory.” Huck Finn’s friend, Tom, trying to convince him to work for him by painting a fence on April Fool’s Day.
No one seems to know the origin of April Fool’s Day. Some believe it started in ancient Rome, where people celebrated the festival of Hilaria on March 25th, a day of merrymaking and pranks. Other sources suggest it may have originated from the spring equinox, a time of rebirth and renewal, when people would play pranks to celebrate the changing season.
The most popular theory, however, is that April Fool’s Day originated in France in the 16th century. In 1582, King Charles IX of France adopted the Gregorian calendar, which shifted the start of the new year from April 1st to January 1st. Some people resisted this change and continued to celebrate the new year on April 1st. These people were mocked and tricked by others, and the tradition of playing pranks on April 1st became widespread.
As in Huck Finn’s day, modern April Fool’s Day is celebrated around the world, with people playing practical jokes on each other and the media often publishing fake news stories for the occasion.
Here are three popular novels that mention the April Fool’s Day celebration in case you’d like to check them out:
“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain, a classic novel.
“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee: In one scene of this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the Finch children play an April Fools’ Day prank on their reclusive neighbor, Boo Radley.
“The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown: This bestselling thriller features an April Fools’ Day prank played by the antagonist, who uses a fake phone call to lure the protagonist, Robert Langdon, into a trap.
Welcome March!
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March is a month of transition, a time when winter starts to give way to spring in the Northern Hemisphere. March is typically drier than February where I live, which is good news for anyone who may have grown tired of winter’s rain and cold. It isn’t all clear sailing, however; March isn’t without its share of stormy weather. Not even close. Blustery winds can whip through the state, sometimes bringing thunder and lightning and the ever-present danger of destructive tornadoes along with them. And while the daffodil may mark the impending arrival of spring, the early blooming flowers can fall victim to late season wintry weather. In fact, in my 76 years, Mother Nature has never failed to drop either frost, hail, ice, or snow (and sometimes all four) on those early blooming beauties.
Despite that, or perhaps because of that, the daffodil remains a symbol of hope and renewal in March. The bright yellow flowers’ emergence from the ground is a welcome sight and a sure sign warmer weather is on the way, fingers crossed.
In the Northern Hemisphere where I live, March marks the return of the spring equinox. The month derives its name from the ancient Roman calendar and is named after the Roman god of war and Martius, the first month of the original Roman calendar. Then, it was a month of celebration and new beginnings. Today, March is still a time of new beginnings, as clocks are turned forward for daylight saving time. Many enjoy longer days and more time outdoors, although personally I’d prefer it if the practice of daylight savings time was cast aside.
Just as the arrival of the daffodils and the start of spring bring hope and renewal, March reminds us that change is inevitable and there’s always something to look forward to, no matter what the weather.
Elmore Had It Right.
Slogging along on a manuscript or other piece of writing? Taking longer to finish than you expected? Exhausted trying to complete that description, paragraph, sentence, scene, dialogue, or other story element? Mr. Leonard just might have been on to something when it comes to writing.
Elmore Leonard (October 11th, 1925 – August 20th, 2013) was a novelist, short-story writer, and screenwriter. His earliest novels were westerns but he didn’t limit his work to that genre. Among his best-known works are “Get Shorty,” “Out of Sight,” “Hombre,” “Mr. Majestyk,” “Rum Punch” (adapted as the film “Jackie Brown”), and short stories that became the films “3:10 to Yuma” and “The Tall T,” as well as the FX television series, “Justified.”
