Victoria Ray's Blog, page 15

The Story of Harmless Bullet

Day 8 The more, the merrier /absurdist comedy/ How do you find a way out when you are surrounded by madness? There’s no clear answer to this question unless you are prepared for tremendous actions. I wasn’t ready. My way ‘out’ was still the same – ‘in’ or ‘with’. Sweet Ms. Amblycorypha Oblongifolia, the Sobekneferu of my dreams, the one I saved from the dirty paws of Mr. Domination, in...

Seize the moments of ‘bookish’ happiness

I recently received a package of books (through the post), and I was instantly in awe at what delicately tumbled out – an old green cover with a picture of the boat with a red roof: A House-Boat on the Styx, written by John Kendrick Bangs. It was published in 1895 by Harper & Brothers. There’s also a stamp with the name there, perhaps from the library: Jean Ross Bennett,...

I have to find the place to hide…

Sharing chapter 1 (the beginning only ☝️- 1500 words) from my upcoming thriller ALMOST FAITHFULL – ebook and paperback ready in June 2021. Chapter 1 There’s something pathetically childish in running away from problems. Margo knew that better than anyone. How could she not? She, the New York Times bestselling author of many self-help books, who encouraged countless people to transform their personal and professional lives via her seminars, workshops,...

ALL WORDS ARE MASKS

What difference does it make if you live in a picturesque little outhouse surrounded by 300 feeble-minded goats and your faithful dog? The question is: can you write? Ernest Hemingway Let’s start with the book recommendations for April: The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves — for the lovers of crime. I finished it last week, and I had never read any of Ann Cleeves’s books before. Why did I pick it?...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

/absurdist comedy/ Day 7  A Never-Ending Race My soul soared like a heartless falcon over a wild rabbit, circling nearer and lower to the ground, to the food of its dreams. I opened my eyes — a monstrous horn grew bigger in all possible dimensions, sticking to the legs of Ms. Amblycorypha Oblongifolia eighty-one times, clockwise. After that strength-consuming procedure, she asked me to repeat the same process with her...

The Magic in Operation

#takeaway keys from the book “BECOMING a WRITER” by Dorothea Brande (first published in 1934, currently republished) Dorothea Brande was teaching a creative writing course. Her focus was: a) the imaginative power of the writer’s mind; b) the belief that “genius can be taught.”  PART II #1 On Imitation You can imitate but you should not adopt the philosophies, the ideas, the dramatic notions of other writers. Always go back...

Writers only use words, as even parrots do…

#takeaway keys from the book “BECOMING a WRITER” by Dorothea Brande (first published in 1934, currently republished) Dorothea Brande was teaching a creative writing course. Her focus was: a) the imaginative power of the writer’s mind; b) the belief that “genius can be taught.” John Gardner wrote a foreword for this book. I used his humorous phrase as the title for this post.  PART I  #1 The Four Difficulties No...

The Story of Harmless Bullet

/absurdist comedy/ Day 6 The Terrace  The last suspect on my list was the glorious Mrs. Vegas, but I decided to let things slide because: a) I found my real Sobekneferu-queen, b) my job as a private investigator was done, and c) I had to rush back to secure my money. I went to inspect the stone mentioned by Arcadio because I promised myself to check each clue before announcing...

The Criminal Brain or The Reality of Crime

We need criminals. Before you grab a fistful of rocks to haul at me, hear me out first. I’m not one and have never willingly partaken in crime… (Well, apart from that one time as a little kid, when mum caught me stealing some ice cream from the refrigerator). Why fridge doors choose to creak so loudly at night, I’ll never quite understand. Might as well use a loudspeaker while...

A fly also lives…

Today’s post is about Chaim Potok’s book, The Chosen, which I consider an excellent read as well as great studying material – for all of us: writers, booklovers, nerdy teenagers, religious folks, even conscious non-believers. I have to admit, I fell in love with this novel when I read an introduction by Shalom Auslander, where he said (the very first words before you open chapter 1): Dear God, I hated...