Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/notebook/holttaylor
Good morning, friends, and I hope it finds you writing! This is going to be long, and I apologize, but it's important to me, so here goes:
I promoted this story yesterday, and I'm doing it again today for reasons that will become apparent. I wrote this story about the denizens of an isolated watering hole over two years ago, chuffed with the notion of travelers bringing them stories, and to no small degree, the notion that I would soon be immersed in writing again. Alas, the muse returned to her coma, taking my grandiose plans with her.
Don't think less of me; I understand that the "muse" is merely a way of shifting my own shortcomings to an outside agency — "The muse has left me today." — and that there's really no such thing as a gilded lady, or in my case a crotchety old man, who lives in my head to think up stories and present them for completion. I'm glad there isn't. That would render all my creativity the work of an outside agent and relegate my writing to being a simple typist. But when you've been frustrated for as long as I have despite having these flashes of brilliance that come and go with no regard for your own wishes, the temptation is great to blame some supernatural demon for your problems.
I looked at making this a romance, but that would have negated the unusual setting and just meant that the principals had little to do for excitement beyond watching the cactus grow. Action? What action? Suspense is possible, I guess, with someone lost in the desert in every story. I looked at the supernatural, wendigos and such, and the door was open due to Christine's card reading, but I didn't see a future in that. Likewise with sci-fi. A UFO could float past the town and settle in the desert, but once the denizens explore that, where does it go from there?
But I love this concept, that of an isolated inn on a road to nowhere, and I plan to keep it at the forefront of my many hopeful projects. Perhaps my StoryMatic card deck can help. I'll certainly be trying it on for size. But a big hope that I have is that a few folks will read the story and comment on what paths might be exciting to explore; get me launched on a promising thread and there'll be an acknowledgement with link to your port in it for you. Lord knows my ideas haven't panned out. Maybe someone will drop one that I can run with. At least, I hope so. 5600 carefully curated words. Here's your invitation:
Taylor...  |
Good evening, friends. On my port's intro, I stated that "the muse emerges from her coma on occasion to spout a few lines of gibberish before retreating back into oblivion..." or words to that effect. I've decided to share a story that came from a few lines of said gibberish. This almost wrote itself and I had high hopes of it being the start of a glorious series, but like so many of my efforts over the last few years, it just died. But I'm going to put it out here, sharply in focus in the center of my radar, and see whether, with the help of some comments, I can define a direction and get it underway. Something has to work, it can't be over... can it?
Taylor...  |
Good morning, friends. On the blog today, I've added the second entry in my series about the authors who most influenced my own writing. Stop by when you have a few moments and meet "The Misogynist"  ... |
Good morning, friends. To showcase a genre that has captured my full attention recently, I've established a new folder, "Police Stories" , which will be the home of my various cops and robbers stories going forward. To celebrate its launch, I have posted a short that I wrote a couple of years ago that I believe might be the best story I've ever written. Of course, readers will be the only true judges of that. If I've piqued your curiosity, it can be found at
Taylor...  |
Good morning friends, acquaintances, and good folks I haven't met yet. Just a line to let you know that I've cobbled together a new blog entry. Come see what you think of "The Historian"
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Good morning, friends, and I hope it finds you well! It's mid-month, and I've decided to promote one of my works. Unlike everything else in my port, this one is a full-length novel, so I'm not going to request reviews, either here or on the Please Review page, as I know most readers here don't get into that. I'm simply offering awareness to anyone who might find this sort of thing interesting.
This is a police procedural set in 1985 as the Cold War is winding down and some of the more perceptive spooks are contemplating new careers. If anyone's up for taking on a 65,000-word (more or less) book, here's the link:
| | | Broken English (18+)
What could turn a quiet housewife into a killer? Perhaps a few words in Broken English... |
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| I've added a new blog entry, and it's a darn site more positive than my last one! Curious? Then join me to answer the burning question, "What's the Big Idea?" ... |
| There's a new blog entry making the rounds... "Joss" |
Good morning, all. Last Saturday of March, and I've celebrated by posting another spooky story in my Icy Fingers anthology. Here's your ticket...
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| Wednesday seems to have become my default "blog day," and today is no exception. I've added a new entry to "The Darktale Tavern" Drop by when you've a moment (it's actually one of my longer posts) to see what you can accomplish with "A Dash of Salt" ... |
Good morning, all. Just a note to let anyone still listening that I've redesigned my blog yet again. I'm fiddling with this and that while I wait for the log jam in my brain to break loose. Soon, I hope. In the meantime, I'll try to at least put a blog post together. Maybe I can think of something clever to shake the cobwebs away, but at least I'll maintain a presence, yes?
| | | The Darktale Tavern (18+)
The door is open but the lights are dark. You're welcome nonetheless; mind the cobwebs... |
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| Sorry, guys, I've got my daughter's birthday to prep, a physical therapist coming in an hour, a house to get ready for all those festivities, and a blistering headache to keep me focused. It's likely today's motto will be "See you tomorrow." There has to be an end to this circus somewhere... |
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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/profile/notebook/holttaylor
- Whoa, now here's one I hadn't thought of. This still leaves me with a concern about where to go after that. What I need is something that will continue; maybe I'm more talking genre. Fantasy, sci-fi, straightforward drama... Can't nail that down. But I thank you for your time and effort. I'll put it in the pressure cooker and see if it leads me to something big. Have a great week! ... 
Reply
- Thank you so very much! Here's hoping you find it worth continuing after you've read a chapter or two... 
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