Roland Yeomans's Blog, page 62

WHAT RAY BRADBURY HAS TO SAY TO US TODAY

“There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.”
― Ray Bradbury 

Ray Bradbury was acutely aware that human society can easily become oppressive and regimented.

His Fahrenheit 451 (the temperature at which paper burns) seems a precursor to today's Cancel Culture.

If I dislike a shirt you wear, I try to get you fired, kicked from whatever medium you speak upon.  

In essence, I try to erase, to burn you from existence.


The ability to reason is what sets humans apart from animals and technology; 

we must not squander this evolutionary advantage!

I do not see much evidence of reason in mobs that pull down statues that offend them.  

The rule of law says that we seek legislation to remove those statues without vigilante storming,


How can Gov. Cuomo or Mayor Bill de Blasio, justify penalizing anyone for drinking or dining in the streets, when they all but cheer people protesting?

If it is all right to protest, how can you ban funerals?

It is 1984's DOUBLE SPEAK but this time in reality.



What would Ray Bradbury urge us?
 “Don't ask for guarantees. And don't look to be saved in any one thing, person, machine, or library. 

Do your own bit of saving, and if you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore.”
 
 "But you can't make people listen. 

They have to come round in their own time, wondering what happened 

and why the world blew up around them. It can't last.”

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 

WRITERS IN A CAGE

“To be what we are, and to become what we are capable of becoming, is the only end of life.” 
~ Robert Louis Stevenson


Are you a writer in a cage, a cage of your design?
Often we are our own worst enemy, 

denying that we are capable of achieving more than we give ourselves credit for.

We are tempted to give up on our dreams because the road to them is arduous and slow.

Our behavior, our attitude, our bad habits are all within our ability to change for the better 

but we prefer the comfort of the familiar. 

We choose the path of least resistance, of a way of life that neuters the potential of success within us.


WHINING OR WINNING?

Have you pulled over on the side of the road to success, declaring defeat before you have even given it your all?

A well-functioning adult who puts in sufficient time, focused brain-storming, and quality effort can succeed in most endeavors.

You may not become the next J K Rowling, 

but how will you know if you do not rally everything within you and at your disposal in the attempt?


LAW OF LIFE

With a positive mind-set, willingness to learn, courage to change, and an iron resolve to work hard daily, you can ONLY get better.


DISCIPLINE NOT DESIRE

Great writers like Stevenson wrote daily, not when the desire struck them.  

You must, too.  How can you expect the water to flow if you do not turn on the faucet?

Stevenson spent long years of dying slowly, painfully each day, but he wrote classics each of those days. 


IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU

You are an adult, capable of becoming a professional.  

A great archer does not think of himself before he fires his arrow.  He thinks of his target.

Your target is not you -- it is the reader.

How can you write a book whose every page will excite the reader?  

That is your goal each moment in the chair before the computer screen.


WISHFUL THINKING NEVER WROTE A SINGLE WORD

Daydreaming is a pleasant haven from the hard work of putting evocative words on paper.  

But wishful thinking of impressing your co-workers or becoming the next Neil Gaiman will only leave you with what you put into your dream:  

Nothing.


PLAYING IT SAFE NEVER SCORED A TOUCH DOWN

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg all have a few things in common:

They dropped out of college to pursue their dreams.  

They dropped activities that drained their time and spirit to focus on working on their goals.

They continually re-invented themselves and their work, growing better with each painful transformation.


PIMP-SLAPPING YOURSELF IS NOT GOING TO GET YOU THERE

 Why talk to yourself in ways that you would never talk to a friend?  

You are your best friend.  And if you are not, that is one problem to tackle first off.

Jettison the "I can't."  

Speak truth to yourself.  

Making a mistake does not make YOU a mistake.  It makes you human.

If you tell yourself "I'm nobody.  No one will buy this," you hamper your imagination.

Stop listening to your fears.  You are not psychic.  The future is up for grabs. 

 Look at the headlines:  

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Life may be less than pleasant right now.  That is now.  

Tomorrow is a land of endless opportunities.

Be a pioneer of that unknown territory.  

Take those reasoned steps that will bring you closer to your dreams each day.


YOU CAN  SUCCEEDBECAUSE OTHER UNKNOWNS HAVE DONE IT BEFORE YOU. 
What bars have you erectedin your own cage?

GEORGE CARLIN was a prophet

Take that protester critically injuredafter the statue he was helping to topplefell on him.

Or take Chaz.
"The homeless stole our food! Bring us Vegan Pizza!"
I have no words.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said, 
 "It’s too soon to link a sharp uptick  in coronavirus hospitalizations  to the massive George Floyd  protests taking place  across the city  over the last week."
Meanwhile,Covid-19 is on the upswingin 20+ states. 
All those congested protestshad no harmful effects, right? 

 Elmer Fudd had his gun taken away, because a scythe is so much less violent?


I'm sure you have your own examples of  "The Emperor has No Clothes"  you could point out.



WHAT DO YOU THINK? Protester critically injured after statue he was helping topple landed on his head

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/11/protes...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/Prot... critically injured after statue he was helping topple landed on his head

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/11/protes...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/Prot... critically injured after statue he was helping topple landed on his head

Read more: https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/11/protes...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MetroUK | Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MetroUK/

HOW TO KEEP ON WITH YOUR NOVEL

HAS IT ALL CAUGHT UP WITH YOU?

You're in good company:


Mark Twain  Mark Twain's brilliant authorship of American classics such as Huckleberry Finn 

might have had its roots in his tendency to depression. 


But this famous depressed writer also lived with a lot of family drama 


that could have contributed to his STRESS
 and depression. 

Depression's role with creative writing will also be a function of the individual writers,


 their personal history, their circumstances, and the nature of their depressions.

 Stephen King  Stephen King, a modern master of suspense and terror, has quite a body of work to his name. 

Yet his fame and talent didn't forestall the devastating effects of the drugs and alcohol 


he allegedly had been using to cope with ongoing unhappiness.

Substance abuse and alcohol use 


often play roles as people struggling with depression attempt to self-medicate. 


During those years, this famous depressed writer also produced some of his best-known works, such as The Shining, Pet Cematary, and Carrie.

 F. Scott Fitzgerald  F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda were known for their glamorous and tumultuous lifestyle, 

full of wild parties, travel, and larger-than-life characters. 

The Great Gatsby remains his best-known work, 


but other novels such as The Beautiful and the Damned detail a lot of the same ground. 


Their glittering life had a dark side, punctuated by alcoholism and depression for both of them, 


and their legacy includes being famous depressed writers. 


HOW DO YOU KEEP ON WRITING DESPITE FEAR, DOUBT, & SELF-CRITICISM?
1.) ASK YOURSELF WHAT YOU WOULD DO IF YOU'RE WEREN'T AFRAID OR DOUBTFUL.

The mere act of doing usually makes the fear recede in just a few minutes.” 


Pretend, just for a moment, that rejection or failure isn’t the end of life as you know it.


2.) STOP INDULGING YOUR FEARS, DISCOURAGEMENTS, REJECTIONS, & DASHED DREAMS.

Much as we’re driven to write, we feel we must be in the mood – 


as if the clouds should part, the sun should shine and every possible interruption should be silenced

.None of that matters. Write anyway. 

Don’t think about how you feel or if it’s a perfect time to write 

or that you have a thousand other things to do. 


Write anyway. 

You have nothing to share and nothing to sell if there are no words on the page.



3.) REMEMBER THAT REJECTION ISN'T NECESSARILY ABOUT YOUR WRITING. 

You have to be totally dedicated to your writing. 


Forget about rejections – they’re a mandatory part of any career. 

A writer writes. 
If you feel you’ll keep writing even if you never get published, then you’re a real writer.

The markets want they want.  


Tastes will change.  You will grow as a writer if you do not give up.


4.) SEE PAST YOUR EXCUSES TO YOUR REAL FEARS

Writers need to look at their fears directly.


 Recognize them for what they are, 


and be honest with yourself about why you’re not moving forward with your writing goals.

This can be difficult because we give excuses rather than facing our fears.


5.) SET SMALL GOALS

Long-term goals are great for inspiration, but keep a list of small, attainable goals, too, 


and allow yourself to feel proud when you achieve them. 

Reward yourself for finishing a chapter or short story. 

Recognize that sending a few query letters to agents takes time, thought, and effort, 


and don’t discount the success.

GOD CAN'T BREATHE

Proving fiction can be prophetic, I wrote this 4 years ago, birthed from a news photo.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NCUTAG

Ten days before a Katrina-bruised Christmas, 

and here I was out on the streets once more.  Alice had told me she never wanted to see me again.

Don't ask why.  

I'm Victor Standish. 

I always find a way to snatch defeat out of the mouth of victory.  It is my curse to be always alone.




It was night and cold for once in New Orleans.  A little black and white puppy, starved down to a walking set of ribs, shivered in the alley to my right.




I took the stale croissant from my lips.  I bent down and held it out to the poor little guy.  

"C'mon, Lucky. Good groceries."

I jerked as a black man appeared as if out of nowhere.  "You call him Lucky?"

"Yeah," I smiled.  "He's got a new friend ... me."

I petted Lucky's tiny head. "And he'll never be hungry or alone again."

The man looked ripped as if he pumped iron, and he laughed at me. 

"Not iron ... wood.  Plane a tree into planks, and it builds muscle."

He sighed as he saw Lucky hesitantly nuzzle my hand. 

 “No one's life should be rooted in fear. We are born for wonder, for joy, for hope, for love, to marvel at the mystery of existence, 

to be stunned by the beauty of the world, to seek truth and meaning, to acquire wisdom, and by our treatment of others to brighten the corner where we are.”

He squeezed my shoulder.  "Name's Joshua.  Yours?"

"Victor.  Victor Standish."

"Heard of you."

"I'm nobody.  Just a street punk living out another nothing day."

Joshua shook his head.   

“No day is without profound meaning, no matter how nothing it might seem, no matter whether you are a street kid or a movie star."

He nodded to Lucky.  

"Because in every day of your life, there are opportunities to perform little kindnesses for others. 

Each smallest act of kindness reverberates across great distances and spans of time, 

affecting lives unknown to the one whose generous spirit was the source of this good echo, 

because kindness is passed on and grows each time it’s passed, 

until a simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage years later and far away."

As Lucky ducked back into the alley, Joshua looked at a roving band of police heading our way, malice in their eyes and guns on their hips. 

(A really sucky combination.)

" Likewise, each small meanness, each thoughtless expression of hatred, each envious and bitter act,  

can inspire others, and is therefore the seed that ultimately produces evil fruit, 

poisoning people whom you have never met and never will."

Joshua pushed me behind him and into the alley with Lucky.  

"All human lives are so profoundly and intricately entwined—those dead, those living, those generations yet to come—

that the fate of all is the fate of each, and the hope of humanity rests in every heart and in every pair of hands."

 As the cops spotted Joshua and started to laugh like wolves, he said softly, 

"Every hour in every life contains such often-unrecognized potential to affect the world 

that great days and thrilling possibilities are combined in this precious gift called the present.” 



He slipped to his knees, putting his hands atop his head.  It wouldn't do him any good.  

What few cops were left in New Orleans were pretty much stressed-out, walking time bombs.  

I faded into the shadows.  Not that I was deserting Joshua.  My name wasn't Peter.  

You never leave a friend behind.  Friends are the only true wealth you can expect in this life and the only treasure you can hope to find in the next.

Lucky growled as the bully boys whacked Joshua with their night sticks to get him back on his feet.

"Hey!" yelled one.  "He's attacking!"

Another grabbed Joshua by the throat, fingers closing in on his wind-pipe.  

"Can't ... breathe," Joshua gasped out.

"Hey, Ass-Wipes!" I snarled with three ball bearings between the fingers of each hand.  

"God can't breathe!"

"What?" snarled the closest to me.

I said low, "In as much as you did it unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me."

"Knee cap him, Jim!" spat the officer to his right.

I slung two ball bearings each into their open mouths.  

Hey, when your life depends on your aim for years, you learn not to miss.

Suddenly, they were the ones on the ground not being able to breathe. 

Joshua got up.  "How did you know?"

With His words giving proof to my guess, I felt a great weight lift off my chest.  

While all these rough years I felt as if no one saw, no one cared.


Someone always had. 

"Well, you replied to my thought about you being pumped.  And I read a lot.  Jesus is just Greek for Joshua.  And it is your time of the year."

Joshua shook his head at me.  

"Every day is my time of the year.  Now, come help me with these officers."

"Aw, man!  I am not gonna do mouth-to-mouth on them.  I mean I might kiss a ghoul, and all, but even I have standards!"

"Victor!"

"Uh, can we at least wait until they're deprived of oxygen long enough to be brain-damaged?"

"Victor!!"

"Oh, yeah, that would be kinda redundant, wouldn't it?"

But it wasn't a total loss. Lucky peed on them.

WRONG THINKING IS NOW RIGHT?

As the long, hot summer of 2020 begins, the facts suggest that the U.S. is not going to beat the coronavirus. 

 Several states, Arizona, North Carolina, and California, 

are now seeing their highest numbers of known cases.

 Image by UnratedStudio from Pixabay

 These numbers all reflect infections that likely began before this week of protest. 

An even larger spike now seems likely.
 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  It is a bitter cruelty that the people who might suffer most are 

also fighting for justice in a way that almost certainly increases their risk of being infected ...

And so in turn, 

lead to hundreds of deaths of those they infect by protesting the horrific murder of George Floyd.

 Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

Because there are some undeniably racist, violent police, 

the extreme chant of ABOLISH THE POLICE is not only being screamed by protestors, 

but city, state, and Federal authorities are loathe to be on the vote-stealing side of a Hot Topic.


Ever hear of  the REIGN OF TERROR?
It began with the overthrow of the Girondins and the ascendancy of the Jacobins under Robespierre. 

Against a background of foreign invasion and civil war, 

opponents were ruthlessly persecuted and  1400 executed by the guillotine ...

including Robespierre who had by that time become dictator of France.


Image by SamWilliamsPhoto from Pixabay


No Police? 
Who do you think  will cheer the most?

It Is In Our Nature To Destroy Ourselves

On this day in 1968 Robert Kennedy was assassinated.  

Martin Luther King had been murdered in the spring.


The times are not a'changing, for we are not.  Not really.

But each act of forgiveness, of kindness helps slow our descent.

That is something to remember in times like these.

WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL_IWSG post

With pandemics, riots, 
senseless violence,  

What we can control in our lives
Seems non-existent.

[image error]
What you can control as a writer  these days  seems to amount to very little,  too, doesn't it?

You cannot control being knocked down,but you can control getting upone more time than they knock you down.

There is no secret formula to become a best sellerelse we would all be Stephen King.

The common concept of Social Media Marketingis NOT the answer

How tired are you of reading BUY ME! novel tweets?
How frustrated are you of FB requests to like a Book Page?


It is like selling a kiss.
Even if you make a sale,there is no satisfaction to it. 
It is like kissing your sister.
So what control do we have?

We can choose to grow as a writer, as a human being.
Each story we write we strive to make better than the last.

We do not market an individual book.
We market ourselves. We are the Brand that will sell.

If each blog post we write is evocative or funny or touching,then, our readers will feel those qualitieswill be in any new novel we write.

Take   The HAUNTING of Hill House.

Based on the evocative book by Shirley Jackson,the series will inspire you to rise above theordinary limits of whatever genre you are writing.

How do you make each new story, new novel better?
You start with the hearts of your characters.Make them people to root for, to like, to mourn when life extracts its tuition from them.

Hill House is filled with decent, charming peoplein an originally crafted series of dangerswhose explanation at the end will have you crying.

Each of your characters,like each character in Hill House,should have have a scene
where they come alive in the minds of the readers,giving them an  "Yes, I've been there" moment.


What do you control?  What are your chances of success?
You are like a WWII fighter pilot.
All you can do is your best.Fly the heart out of your dream.
You may be shot out of the sky.But before then,you will have flown!

Thoughts For Today

“A thought, even a possibility,  can shatter and transform us.”
― Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche 


PUT EVERY THOUGHT WHERE IT BELONGS



WHAT REALLY ELEVATES MANKIND? 

SOMETIME "SMALLEST" CARRIES THE MOST WEIGHT 

STAY SAFE, STAY HEALTHY,MY FRIENDS!

DRACULA was born today!

The first copies of  DRACULA went on sale on this day in London in 1897.

An invalid most of his childhood, Bram became a soccer star at Trinity College in Dublin.

Image by AnnRos from Pixabay
From writing drama reviews for THE DUBLIN MAIL he went to being the secretary for the noted stage actor, Sir Henry Irving.

 It is a unique horror story, told from a variety of diaries and journals of its cast of characters 
(no one having the complete story), 
it is a precursor of sorts for the "found footage" genre of cinema.
In my own END OF DAYS,

Samuel McCord and Father Renfield, the father of THAT Renfield, 

teach a class of troubled preternatural teens how to piece together the truth of what they see from DRACULA.


On this day in 1891, EDITH WHARTON's first short story, Mrs. Manstey's View, was published by Scribner's Magazine.

She did not come from the write what you know school.  

She was 29, brought up in wealth and high society, and was recently married to a prominent banker. And she was quite opposite to her destitute heroine. 


Samuel Pepys died this day in 1703, aged 70. 
The detailed private diary that Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century 
and is one of the most important primary sources for that period ...
It holds first hand accounts of 
the Great London Fire, the Second Dutch War, and the Great Fire of London.

Just think of the great events you have seen in the past 20 years.  

What a thrilling memoir for later generations you could write of them.  

Do you have the time now?