Stephen King says I can’t write!

Stephen King said it!  The master himself told me directly!  You can’t write!  Well, not really directly but somewhat indirectly.  

Mr. King laughing at me!

After countless recommendations I finally broke down and purchased Mr. King’s book “On Writing”.  I have always admired King though I have not read much of his work.  I know he has written outside the horror genre, but generally his writing is not for me.  With that said, he has written two stories that I absolutely love!  That being Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption (not this again!) and The Body.  Anyways, back to “On Writing”.  It has been a great read.  He is a very amusing gentleman.  He makes so many valid points as you would expect from such an accomplished writer.  It seems what he got out of his early life was determination.  He found his niche early in life and worked to refine his craft into a monstrous career.  

Now the main message I took from “On Writing” is Stephen King telling me I can’t write.   If I can’t make time to read lots of books and to write, then writing is not for me!  That was his message!  Is it true? Now I understand Mr. King’s success has given him time to read seventy plus books a year.  It has given him the time to write two thousand words a day.  Even before he had the financial stability to have writing as his full-time job, he found time. Hell, he wrote “Carrie” with a kid on his lap most of the days.  Or so he states.  

But Stevie, come on man!  Give a guy a break!  I have to read that many books?  Outside the genre I enjoy?  Really?  Damn!  You are breaking my heart!  Smashing my dreams.  You are tearing down my poster of Raquel before I finished my tunnel.  You are excluding me from my outing with my three buddies!  You know the one.  Running from the train!  Leaches!  Bullies!  Well, “suck my big one you rich, successful author”!  Work and kids cut into any precious time I have to write.  I know the lap thing worked for you.  I get that!  But I am different.  I will be “The Shining” example of someone who may not had much free time and struggled to read many books but found a way to write successfully!  

Your book “On Writing” is brilliant.  Although at this moment I am not at it’s end, I have learned lots.  My highlighter is yelling at me to give “It” a break!  It’s original bright yellow has given way to faint peach on the pages!  And though I learned lots, I probably made most of the mistakes you mentioned in your book in this little ten minute writing prompt!

So give me my fast food and set my alarm for four in the morning.  I’ll make time dammit!   And I’ll prove you wrong Mr. King.  And before you die, I’ll give you a copy of my first book!  Or invite you to the opening night of the first script that makes it to the big screen! Or both!  I’ll have that opening in Bangor and give you a signed copy.  If you have the time.

This was written for “Daily Prompt: Ready, Set, Go even though I have NO clue how to get my link on the page!

Till we meet again.  Good Day!

Mind of Shoo

Daily Prompt: Ready, Set Go.

At the Ocean’s Edge

This week’s image comes to us from Renee Homan Heath:

WELCOME TO FRIDAY FICTIONEERS WHERE EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY

We are a growing community of blogging writers who come together each week from all parts of the globe to share individual flash fictions from a single photo prompt (above). The prompt goes up early Wednesday morning  CST to give each writer time to compose a story by Friday. Some use the photo as a mere inspiration while others use it as an illustration. Use your imagination and think outside the box.

I stared at this picture for what seemed like hours.  While I could have wrote of beauty or love, my mind kept going towards a graduation speech as a metaphor for life.  The word limit kinda hurt what wanted to come out.  So here is what escaped the cutting room floor.  I call it :  At the Ocean’s Edge

 

Mike closes his eyes as his toes touch the ocean.  He hears the speech he gave at graduation twenty years ago:

 “Fellow classmates, we have walked the path of knowledge and arrived at the ocean’s edge.  Today is our new beginning.  With our feet in the water, we must now cross the ocean.  The method we each choose to cross this vastness will be different.  Understand the challenge is not just crossing the ocean but enjoying the journey.  Embrace this challenge.”  

A curve in the road, too much alcohol and an innocent life taken landed him to prison.  He now stares beyond prison walls at the ocean.  His journey finally begins.