Metaphor Monday “Canvas of Scars”

There were cuts and nicks sprinkled all over, like a canvas of scars. He looked down at his hands and then his arms, turning them around and realizing how many had piled up over time. His fingers were the worst. Scars reopened and scabs barely had time to heal. Fresh wounds lined the creases and the wrinkles. Even his knuckles were slashed. His skin had grown tough and thick, but it was not enough. There was no place on his hands that hadn’t bled before.

He looked up and saw a thick forest of roses illuminated by sheets of light from a golden sun. They stood perfectly still, entrancing him with their beauty. He reached out and slowly ran his finger on a rose petal, feeling the soft, smooth surface of its red seduction. And then his hand flinched back, as he reached a tall and outgoing thorn. He turned his hand around and saw a fine, thin cut at the tip of his finger. Blood slowly built and dripped from it. He pinched his fingers and smeared the blood between them.

The cuts are so small, he’d tell himself. They barely hurt.

But he’d look at his arms and see how they had compiled through the years.

Its time, he accepted.

He turned around and saw that he was standing at the edge of what was illuminated in that forest. There was nothing but dimly-lit thickness ahead of him. A shadow bearing silence.

Its time, he accepted.

He blew a kiss to the roses and held back a tear. I will miss you, he told them.

And then he stepped into the shadow. On the path to that great unknown. And towards the journey to heal those scars that just want to be scars.

Writing as a Superpower

I always make it abundantly clear why I write when people ask me. I write with messages, I write to move people, I write for change. Stories are just the vessels we use to capture people’s attention. The message is what that vessel has inside. Great post.

Coffee. Write. Repeat.

Superhero movies are everywhere right now. Spiderman, Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, you name it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to watch stories about often ordinary people becoming larger than life and saving the world? They capture our inner child, and the part in every one of us that wants to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.

Which superpower would you want to have? Flying, super strength, x-ray vision? I’ve always thought that flying would be the best superpower. I could go anywhere I wanted in the world, anytime. Not to mention I’d never have to deal with traffic again.

But while those are all great superpowers and would be so super cool to have, I think we have a pretty great superpower of our own.

Writing.

How could writing be a superpower? You couldn’t stand in Godzilla’s path of destruction, hold up your pen, and command him to stop…

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Being The Rock

“You’re my rock.” “You’re always there for me.” “I lean on you.” “You’re the shoulder I can cry on.”

If you’re the rock for your friends, I’m sure you’ve heard these a lot before. You’re are that steadfast strength in times of hardship, in times of sorrow and fear. Being the rock for your loved ones is a responsibility you carry proudly, an ability you’re not completely sure is real. At least that’s how it is for me.

WeWriWa November 16 2014

Weekend Writing Warriors/8Sunday

Excerpt from Into The Night

“It is the pain you cannot feel that hurts the most.

Pain that stings, that burns, that afflicts the flesh is always fleeting and treatable.

We can itch it, rub it, cure it, relieve ourselves of it.

But there is one pain you cannot itch, that you cannot rub, cannot cure.

It is the pain in which only time and endurance heals, the pain in which only humans can inflict on each other…

And that is pain of the heart.

It does not itch, it does not burn, it does not afflict your flesh, nor does it demand you to physically feel it.

But indeed, it is the pain you cannot feel that hurts the most.”

 

www.wewriwa.com

How Much Of Yourself Do You Put Into Your Writing?

I get asked this question a lot. How much of yourself do you put into your writing?

It’s not an easy question to answer. The simple answer is a lot. But the long answer is a lot more complicated.

On one side, It’s easy to detail my own experiences, my own quirks and mannerisms, my flaws and my insecurities. That’s all easy to draw from and make a believable character from. But at the same time, I usually hone in and emphasize one part of me, exaggerate and dramatize one internal struggle of mine. This also largely depends on the current state of my life when I’m writing. If everything’s going smoothly, I usually separate myself from my characters and create from my imagination. If I’m writing a funny, jolly scene, I’ll draw from myself.

On the flip side, if I’m going through a struggle, I pour myself into my characters. I might be weird, so it might not work for everyone. But from what I enjoy, damaged, struggling characters create good drama. Protagonists need things to overcome. On the outside and the inside. So if I’m going through some hurt or some rough times, I put a lot of myself into my writing.

First Review on my Short Story!

Wow…

Got my first review for Alternate.

Got five stars and a lofty comparison to Stephen King!! Definitely nowhere near his caliber, but I appreciate the compliment! Thanks so much Aimee!

Here’s the review:

“There is a future where we have learned to manipulate time. Of course, mankind uses this power for their own greedy ends. The story revolves around a man shattered by grief, holding on to the hope that this power can give him back what he has lost.

The story makes one wonder if mankind should be attempting to control such a crucial and powerful force. Whether is be for selfish or altruistic reasons. The question arises; just because we can do something, does that mean we should?

I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s short stories. Ernie Luis is honestly of that caliber. Immediately, you want to know more about the brooding protagonist. You can almost taste the whiskey on his tongue and feel the pain in his heart.

The author quickly draws the reader into this fantastic story of a not so distant future. I was caught up in anticipation, wanting to know more. The story quickly thickens and then twists at the end with a eye opening climax.

My only criticism. I wanted to keep reading.”

 

Here’s the link if you wanna check it out on Amazon.

WeWriWa November 2 2014

Weekend Writing Warriors/#8Sunday

Excerpt from “Into The Night”.

“Dude,” I say, barely awake and far too cranky, “I’m exhausted, please just go to the gym by yourself.”

“Why are you so exhausted?” he asks.

“I’ve been up for the past twenty-four hours doing this goddamn project and studying for that test I just took, and all I want to do right now is go up to our dorm and nap!”

“Calm down,” he says, and all I want to do right then is punch him square in the jaw.

“Just come to the gym with me,” he continues his begging, “we’ll get our swolle time in, you’ll shower, we’ll eat, and then you’ll have the greatest nap you’ve ever had… whaddya say?”

I roll my eyes and look over at the elevators, where an athletic, ponytailed, blonde haired girl in a sports bra and yoga pants is waiting for one to arrive. She looks over at me with her brown eyes and gives me a shy smile.

“Fine,” I say, “let’s go to the gym.”

www.wewriwa.com

My Short Story is on Amazon!

My short story is live!

Alternate, a time travel sci-fi story about an assassin who travels back in time to track down a fellow assassin gone rogue, before she alters the past and forever changes the future, is live on Amazon.

You can check it out here.

I’m pretty excited to finally have it up there. Hope you guys like it. I’ll be back soon with another post on the resources I used. Time to get back to writing 🙂

 

WeWriWa October 26 2014

Weekend Writing Warriors/#8Sunday

Excerpt from “The Mars Tournament”

My last WeWriWa was also an excerpt from The Mars Tournament, so I decided to do another. In this scene the narrator of the story is pleading his case to the owner of the tournament to allow his human fighter to participate in the next tournament.

 

“Why do you believe in this human so much, Warrick? What do you see in him?”

“A lot,” I whispered. “A lot of things that I don’t see in other species, let alone fighters.”

Zwart nodded his head and took a deep breath.

“And you think he can win a few fights in the tournament?”

“No,” I said. “I think he can win them all.”

 

www.wewriwa.com

 

My 8 Goals as an aspiring Indie Author

My short story, Alternate, will be ready to publish in a few weeks.

I’m getting very excited and anxious to have a finished product out there, finally. And now I’m facing the daunting reality of something all writers face in the final stages of publishing: hopes and expectations.

To start off, I’d just like to say I’m a very optimistic guy. I believe the term”realist” is just another word for pessimist. I try to stray away from negativity or people who constantly go out of their way to just be negative. That’s not the type of person I am. I believe in happiness and positivity, even if times are bad or the chances of success are low. It might just be fool’s wishing, but I believe in believing in the good in people and the good of any situation.

With writing, it’s good to be cautious about your expectations. You don’t want to start hoping for bestseller lists if you’re just starting out. That’s where people get hurt, get disappointed, have doubts about themselves. At a time so close to publishing, I have to remind myself to be humble. The simple fact that my friends and family will download and read my story is amazing in itself. Anything else is bonus.

So I thought I’d remind myself of the goals by putting them out there in a list. You’re welcome to use it:

Short Term:

1) Finish a manuscript in a month. (Check)

2) Get professional editing, formatting, and cover design. (Check)

3) Publish! (Coming in November)

4) Win NaNoWriMo

Long Term:

5) Finish 5 manuscripts, including one novel, within a year (Wish me luck)

6) Publish the novel within a year

7) Have 100 people read your stories

8) Take a nice, long break, perhaps a month or two. Then repeat the process.

The bonus goal is to enjoy the ride. Celebrate everything. Even the little things.

And the last one, maybe my most important one, is to keep your eyes on the dreams. Those earth shaking, universe shattering, life changing dreams that only you can see. Those fools’ wishes that the realists say can’t be done. But that’s for another list and another post. Stay tuned.