THE TALES I TELL

TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING

To better understand who I am as a writer, you need to know the tales I tell.  By nature, I am a short story writer; a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, and Mark Twain, among others.  Twain, famous for his books, was an excellent short story writer.  These are authors I aspire to write like.  Poe taught me to look into the human mind; where there is a fine-line between sanity and insanity.  He taught me people cross back and forth between the two, never realizing this.  All three taught me irony, which can be humorous, jolting, or twisted.  This offers many possibilities to a writer.  O. Henry was a master at using irony. 

If anything, Mark Twain taught me, I am not a natural story-teller.  He is one of the greatest story-tellers of all time.  Aside from revealing my writing faults, he taught me humor is a great thing!  Humor enhances a story and makes life less dull for the reader.  ANYONE, of any consequence in my life, has taught me, laughing at life keeps you sane and alive.  Humor is one reason I want to be a writer.  Humor, is needed to survive blog bugs too.

ON PUBLICATIONS



I have and haven't been published.  As a kid, I wrote short stories for my Junior High School newspaper, achieved a co-byline for a story once, and worst of all, I gathered school gossip that was sometimes published.  Almost forgot song dedications, which was more fun.  Yes, I was a school reporter.  This must alarm Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olson--some of my favorite fictional reporters. 

My next published work was in HEARTBEAT, the singer / entertainer Peter Noone's newsletter.  (For those too young, he is the famous lead singer in the Sixties band Herman's Hermits.  He remains internationally popular.)  My 2006 review of a concert he did in my area was published in his fan club newsletter.  A couple of minor writings were also published in the newsletter.  Speaking of irony, my review in the HEARTBEAT fan club newsletter, may have had a larger and wider audience, than any fiction writing I may ever see published. 

For a year, I wrote a column appearing in the newsletter where I once worked.  This was from early 2006 through a time in 2007, when the newsletter ceased publication.  (Died for budget reasons, not my writing; in case you are wondering.)  My first article in the newsletter was an e-mail interview with an occasional radio personality.  I consider this interview a key moment in my writing life. 

Otherwise, I have never been "published" in a literary magazine or in any sense you think of as "published."  Hope I achieve that too!

BLOGGING

Blogging affords me the opportunity to find a reading public, so I may acquire a writing platform, as publishers call it.  I began Blogging with Yahoo in December of 2005, ending when they closed their Blogging platform in 2010.  I have been Blogging with Blogger since some time in 2009.  Building my interview skills, I have interviewed 6 people for two blogs.  Three writers, one unpublished; three musical entertainers, with two being famous stars of the Sixties.  Through Blogging, my writing life has taken the interesting turn of interviewing people.  This leaves me half scared to death and half delighted. Interviewing is a strange animal emotionally, until you get used to it.  You do get used to it, don't you?  Moving along!

SHORT STORIES

I prefer to publish fictional short stories.  My readings tell me this leads to the poorhouse, plus obscurity.  Books sell---if any writing sells---if you want to eat and live.  So...I have my work cut out for me, which I admit, is depressing at times.  Then too, there is all the wonderful writing platforms open to me today, if only I understood them all; even some of them!  (Like, self-publishing, e-books, etc.)  Writing is not for the faint of heart.  IT'S FOR THE TOTALLY INSANE, like me. 

On my old Yahoo Blog I posted a few of my writings, thinking that was okay.  Then I read, no publisher wants anything that's been online.  They say it's published, therefore virtually unpublishable.  Well, except for all the people who have succeeded in doing just that!   Dare not, believe publishers are more sane than writers!  I may...just may...with that insanity in mind, revive a few Yahoo short stories here.  People do need to see I write.  Even how bad I write; thus, encourage you to write.

POETRY

:-) I have such a lousy understanding of poetry, I took up writing poetry.  I hope to learn poetry by writing poetry.  Also, some of my short stories have poetry-like rhyming.  This baffles me, but I like it.  I may share a few of my old Yahoo blog poems.  Afterall, it's virtually impossible for my poetry to qualify as publishable.  Too many truly excellent poets out there, going unpublished, to believe I am in their league.  However, I do write poetry, with this nagging Walter Mitty hope, it's better than it really is.  As I said above, humor is important in life.

CONFUSED YET?

Hope I have not confused you.  Writing is my final major goal in life to achieve success.  I will always write.  I am that strange person, who set very high goals in life; unachievable goals, it turns out.  Odds are against me in this goal too.  That's putting it mildly.  Yet, each of my 3 major goals in life taught me things.  If I stopped writing today, I accomplished totally unexpected things in my writing pursuit, which I am proud of.  There you have it!  A small understanding that I will never ask too much of you.  Read a little; join me in writing, if you like; maybe a comment, when you have something to say.  The tales I tell are the humble tales of a poor boy born with stories in his head.  Thank you for joining me.