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Tue, Oct 7, 2025

2:01pm EDT

Members: 779

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Seven Degrees Left of Center

by Dale Ricky

Rated: 13+ · Book · Personal · #2276168

Each day feels new, and my memory of the one before is faint. I’m learning to adapt.

In September 2019, a seizure revealed a lime-sized meningioma pressed against my hippocampus—the part of the brain that governs memory and language. The doctors said it was benign, but benign didn’t mean harmless.

Surgery removed the tumor, and three days later I opened my eyes to a new reality. I could walk, I could talk, but when I looked at my wife, her name was gone. I called her Precious—the only word I could find. A failure of memory, yet perhaps the truest name of all.

Recovery has been less cure than re-calibration. Memory gaps are frequent. Conversations vanish. I had to relearn how to write, letter by halting letter. My days are scaffold by alarms, notes, and calendars.

When people ask how I am, I don’t list symptoms or struggles. I simply say, “Seven Degrees Left of Center.” It’s not an answer—it’s who I’ve become.

Show Recent Comments

10 Most Recent Blog Comments:

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Oct 3, 2025 at 8:35am
In response to "Learning Curves: Then and Now"

Wow, that's news to be excited about

Sending prayers for continued improvement and recovery

Scary_Soldier_Mike

Sep 27, 2025 at 10:16am
In response to "Instant Coffee: Freeze-Dried Disappointment"

I completely understand the recalcitrant coffee pot situation and I, too, have swilled my share of hotel-based caffeine. That being said, don't let {suser:lilli_in_fl} catch you drinking it.

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Sep 25, 2025 at 10:51am
In response to "Rewired"

I have the same type of problem, Dale. My mind abounds with beautiful, emotional, action packed scenes, but I have no idea how to shape them together into a coherent story. It's like having bits of five different movies all chopped up and scrambled and missing the in-between parts. Just keep doing it

1 Like

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Sep 9, 2025 at 8:13am
In response to "Up too early"

I used to love waking up early in the morning when I was a kid... I'd sit up and greet the sunrise with the robins and recite poetry I'd memorized... Ahh, those were some peaceful times.

All the best!

1 Like

AmyJo-home sweet home

Aug 31, 2025 at 1:33pm
In response to "At some point, you call it done"

I enjoyed reading both versions. I did like the limited version more, and now I am hooked! So many questions now...

Sandralynn

Aug 30, 2025 at 11:21am
In response to "A good story gone wrong"

Writing is a process, isn't it? I believe the starts and stops happen for a reason. I hope those words reappear and behave this time.

Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

Aug 28, 2025 at 9:11am
In response to "Yesterday is gone"

Point of view, kind of like Rome, isn't learned in a day. It takes even longer for it to become second nature as you transcribe the internal movie that's playing your head to the page. I still catch myself sticking in little summary bits instead of staying in the character's head.

To answer Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

's question, modern novels do indeed more often than not have more than one point-of-view character. Romance novels will often alternate between the romantic leads, for example. SciFi, thriller, and mysteries often use multiple points-of-view--Lucifer's Hammer by Niven and Pournelle comes to mind. Mystery novels sometimes focus on just the detective, but other times use multiple characters. My own novel, Seeking Hyde, uses at least four POV characters. It even switches from 3rd person limited in one chracter's head to first person in a different character's head. Hemingway does something similar in To Have and Have Not.

Readers are delicate critters, and easy to confuse. Too many points of view, or poorly executed transitions from one point of view to the next, can be confusing. If you use more than one point of view--in a story or a novel--it's important that you use other tools to be sure that your reader doesn't get lost in the dust.

The most common "rules" are, first, one point of view per scene; and, second, only one point of view per short story. But...I have a little rock I keep on my desk with the word "nothing" engraved on it to remind me that "nothing is engraved in stone." Everything depends on context. The second rule, for example, depends on the story. "A Rose for Emily," by Faulkner, uses more than one point of view.

Point of view is a tool--a big tool, to be sure--but it's just a tool. It's one of the most powerful tools you can deploy in bringing your fictional world to life in the readers' imaginations. In doing that, it keeps your reader enmeshed in the here-and-now of your story. It also takes time and practice to deploy consistently and effectively.

Ok, I'll shut up now.

1 Like

Amethyst SkellyBones Angel

Aug 28, 2025 at 8:18am
In response to "Yesterday is gone"

Best wishes for getting it to stick! 3rd person limited is my favorite PoV, taught by my mentor, Max Griffin 🏳️‍🌈

. It's quite useful for most situations, although I question the single-minded perspective for an entire novel. I'll have to ask him about that... Do modern novels work with several different characters, all in their own 3rd person limited chapters? Or what?

Take care

bobaturn

Aug 25, 2025 at 10:17am
In response to "Influence and Encouragement"

A powerful life story reflecting strength and courage offering an intimacy with challenge. Admiration can be a way of distancing myself from taking the action I must to deal with my own. Hopefully, writing about them will help me connect and take action. Take care and thank you for reflecting back what it takes.

bobaturn

Aug 25, 2025 at 10:17am
In response to "Influence and Encouragement"

#85. The Book Emptied My Brain - Now What?
ID #1098746 entered on October 6, 2025 at 12:01pm

#84. Learning Curves: Then and Now
ID #1098532 entered on October 3, 2025 at 8:32am

#83. Instant Coffee: Freeze-Dried Disappointment
ID #1098134 entered on September 27, 2025 at 10:06am

#82. Rewired
ID #1098029 entered on September 25, 2025 at 9:41am

#81. It's Just Another Scar
ID #1097849 entered on September 22, 2025 at 8:20am

#80. The Things That Never Change — Yet They Do
ID #1097785 entered on September 21, 2025 at 9:44am

#79. What have I written for me today?
ID #1097416 entered on September 15, 2025 at 10:10am

#78. Getting lost in the story
ID #1097112 entered on September 11, 2025 at 9:42am

#77. Up too early
ID #1096990 entered on September 9, 2025 at 8:09am

#76. A Dream Without Courage Is Just Decaf
ID #1096759 entered on September 6, 2025 at 12:29am

#75. Morning Coffee
ID #1096693 entered on September 5, 2025 at 7:49am

#74. At some point, you call it done
ID #1096212 entered on August 31, 2025 at 12:47am

#73. A good story gone wrong
ID #1096171 entered on August 30, 2025 at 9:41am

#72. Yesterday is gone
ID #1096040 entered on August 28, 2025 at 6:49am

#71. My Mechanical Keyboard Clicks On
ID #1095954 entered on August 26, 2025 at 8:28am

#70. The fight between "complexity vs. simplicity"
ID #1095793 entered on August 23, 2025 at 10:04am

#69. A note about AI and breandammage
ID #1095709 entered on August 25, 2025 at 11:11am

#68. My morning
ID #1095500 entered on August 18, 2025 at 10:58am

#67. Writing a Blog Post with AI: A Meta Experience
ID #1095405 entered on August 16, 2025 at 3:14pm

#66. A finished project
ID #1095278 entered on August 14, 2025 at 9:24am

#65. What if they like it?
ID #1094897 entered on August 7, 2025 at 9:43pm

#64. Influence and Encouragement
ID #1094442 entered on July 31, 2025 at 11:43am

#63. By the 7's
ID #1094327 entered on July 29, 2025 at 2:35pm

#62. Good Ole Snail Mail
ID #1094090 entered on July 25, 2025 at 4:49pm

#61. Increases the odds
ID #1093485 entered on July 15, 2025 at 2:03pm

#60. A poor steward of time
ID #1093311 entered on July 12, 2025 at 8:19pm

#59. That's Fire
ID #1093096 entered on July 9, 2025 at 10:21am

#58. The Forgotten Friend and Missed Opportunity
ID #1092147 entered on June 24, 2025 at 10:37am

#57. Laundry Day or Killing My Darlings
ID #1091809 entered on June 19, 2025 at 11:25am

#56. Alas, vacation is over
ID #1091250 entered on June 11, 2025 at 1:24pm

#55. I thought I could stay away during my vacation.
ID #1090578 entered on June 3, 2025 at 11:26am

#54. Story Dice
ID #1090320 entered on May 31, 2025 at 8:45am

#53. The great pretender.
ID #1090120 entered on May 27, 2025 at 9:55pm

#52. Change
ID #1089934 entered on May 24, 2025 at 12:05pm

#51. Stop dwelling on yesterday.
ID #1088995 entered on May 9, 2025 at 11:30am

#50. Regenerating follow-through
ID #1087793 entered on April 22, 2025 at 11:15am

#49. Never give up on the process
ID #1087054 entered on April 11, 2025 at 9:39pm

#48. What about today?
ID #1086970 entered on April 10, 2025 at 10:51am

#47. A late bloomer
ID #1086747 entered on April 7, 2025 at 9:42am

#46. The art of writing crap
ID #1086534 entered on April 4, 2025 at 12:09am

#45. Interrupted by Writing Errors
ID #1086337 entered on April 1, 2025 at 9:51am

#44. Embracing the fear of writing
ID #1086100 entered on March 27, 2025 at 10:38pm

#43. "Brain, what are you going to do for me today?"
ID #1085968 entered on March 25, 2025 at 9:26am

#42. Stop Living in the Past
ID #1085794 entered on March 21, 2025 at 2:09pm

#41. No Tootsie Rolls ... ?
ID #1085626 entered on March 18, 2025 at 10:33am

#40. Yesterdays are gone
ID #1085393 entered on March 14, 2025 at 10:56am

#39. Making Time
ID #1085221 entered on March 11, 2025 at 4:45pm

#38. New do-overs
ID #1084959 entered on March 7, 2025 at 12:37pm

#37. Time Travel
ID #1084577 entered on March 5, 2025 at 10:02pm

#36. Timing is everything
ID #1084404 entered on February 26, 2025 at 10:24am

#35. Technical Details
ID #1084214 entered on February 21, 2025 at 9:56pm

#34. An Ansered Question
ID #1084038 entered on February 18, 2025 at 11:52am

#33. AI?
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#32. Random Prompts
ID #1083904 entered on February 15, 2025 at 4:09pm

#31. About WdC each new day
ID #1083642 entered on February 10, 2025 at 11:26am

#30. Writing when there is nothing to write ...
ID #1083478 entered on February 7, 2025 at 11:39am

#29. Word Power
ID #1083055 entered on January 31, 2025 at 12:02pm

#28. The rising fog
ID #1082784 entered on January 25, 2025 at 2:51pm

#27. Self Dignity
ID #1082471 entered on January 17, 2025 at 5:44pm

#26. I miss him too
ID #1082172 entered on January 9, 2025 at 12:36pm

#25. A night away from home
ID #1081759 entered on December 31, 2024 at 12:18pm

#24. Merry Christmas 2024
ID #1081502 entered on December 27, 2024 at 10:33am

#23. A Short Story Reviewed
ID #1080472 entered on November 25, 2024 at 10:29am

#22. It's a matter of time
ID #1080429 entered on November 24, 2024 at 10:53am

#21. Lost Thoughts
ID #1079936 entered on November 14, 2024 at 11:55am

#20. Losing the good thoughts
ID #1079672 entered on November 8, 2024 at 12:40pm

#19. Scare around my ear
ID #1079300 entered on November 1, 2024 at 10:54am

#18. Changing my mind
ID #1070644 entered on May 7, 2024 at 8:10am

#17. Chocolate Toast
ID #1069795 entered on April 26, 2024 at 12:42pm

#16. Free Writing
ID #1069556 entered on April 24, 2024 at 7:06am

#15. Looping
ID #1066766 entered on March 23, 2024 at 10:08am

#14. Acedia
ID #1066416 entered on March 17, 2024 at 10:04am

#13. A truth
ID #1064588 entered on February 21, 2024 at 7:23am

#12. Hello Again
ID #1059445 entered on November 13, 2023 at 5:49pm

#11. Trust in Hope
ID #1042457 entered on January 1, 2023 at 4:29pm

#10. Writerhood
ID #1038475 entered on September 8, 2024 at 8:10am

#9. Vulnerable and Violated
ID #1038126 entered on November 17, 2024 at 6:46pm

#8. 70+ First Dates
ID #1037833 entered on July 7, 2025 at 10:56am

#7. An anniversary
ID #1037667 entered on September 13, 2022 at 2:14pm

#6. A defragmenting brain
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#5. Emotional Gray Scale
ID #1036418 entered on August 22, 2022 at 3:44pm

#4. A notion of time
ID #1035963 entered on August 1, 2022 at 11:27am

#3. Exploring the past
ID #1035628 entered on July 24, 2022 at 12:37pm

#2. Embarrassment and Disappointment
ID #1035317 entered on July 17, 2022 at 1:24pm

#1. Reasonable Suspicion with Plausible Deniability
ID #1034980 entered on July 10, 2022 at 1:43pm

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