tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27910549455523769922024-03-05T07:54:05.249-08:00Anthony David Mitchell's Crime FictionAnthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-30349933368227574972015-08-22T22:44:00.001-07:002015-08-22T22:44:25.602-07:00Character Change in Crime Fiction
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
have read a number of crime fiction novels. I love them so and many
great writers have contributed to the genre. Some of my favorites
are Donald Westlake, Stephen Hunter and David Baldacci. For me,
there is nothing better than a good crime yarn spun from the
criminal's viewpoint. Let's face it. The police have the laws on
their side and the criminals do not. It does not mean the criminals
are right in what they do but it does mean they have more of a
struggle as far as not getting caught. So for suspense, it is hard
to beat.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One
thing I have noticed however is that most crime novels in a series
feature a protagonist who does not change. Book after book, he is
the same. James Bond is a good example. I have read all the Ian
Fleming 007 books and they are excellent. However, the one element
missing is any sort of change in Bond. There is nothing wrong with
this for most fans, including me. It just is not that type of story.
But I will say that I have found a prefer a change in a character
over the course of a story where I can get it.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An
example that sticks out in my mind is in <em>Dirty White Boys</em> by Stephen
Hunter. While most of the characters do not change, one does.
Richard Peed, who has the wimpiest name of just about any criminal I
have read about, does change. He goes from a cowardly,
drawers-soiling pansy into a hardened criminal with a cold quiet
demeanor who gets respect from his peers behind bars. This was quite
fascinating to read and my favorite part of the book. I would love
to shake Mr. Hunter's hand for that alone.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
take <em>The Dark Knight</em>. That movie is my favorite comic book-based
film for many reasons. The story rolls right along and is really
just addictive once it starts. Heath Ledger's Joker is amazing to
watch and just as creepy a version of the clown prince of crime as
can be hoped for. The special effects are kept to a minimum to give
it a gritty, real feel. Christian Bale's Batman pulls off he darker
side of Bruce Wayne while still holding the lighter in place and he
explodes on the screen whenever in the cowl. All these things are
great and make for one hell of a movie.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However,
for me, an added element that helped it resonate was the story of
Harvey Dent. Dent is the center of the film since we have Batman on
one side- incorruptible hero and the Joker on the other side-
corrupting, anarchist villain with Harvey Dent clearly in the middle.
In the beginning, he is the hero that Gotham needs without a mask
and all and appears to be just as ruthless as Batman about getting
it. Yet, as the movie goes on, we see that while he does stand for
good, he has a slightly darker side to him that may be a bit too
ruthless. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the explosion takes his girl away and half his face, we see Dent
transform into a bitter man who leaves everything to chance since
fate did not save him from anything. His entire ideology has changed
for the worse. The Joker did corrupt him. But the change is
fascinating to watch. I believe the Harvey Dent character added
resonance to the film that otherwise would not have been there and
will keep this movie relevant for many more years.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
me, change is fascinating and probably the number one reason I love
to tell stories. Obviously Dickens agreed to a point, given his
characters Ebeneezer Scrooge and Pip. Obviously the positive change
is best I think, but even the negative changes can be intriguing. I
think in change we see true vulnerability and the defeat of internal
fear. I look forward to my own characters changing in my work as
well.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hey.
</span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
can't all be James Bond. </span></span>
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-49552985588118043082015-08-20T23:56:00.004-07:002015-08-20T23:56:46.524-07:00The Caine Mutiny- A Pleasant Surprise
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">If you have yet to watch <em>The Caine Mutiny</em>, I recommend you do so before reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">I
recently watched <em>The Caine Mutiny</em> and I was very impressed. The
acting is top notch, the plot intense and the cast is excellent,
which brings me to the true reason I watched the film- Humphrey
Bogart.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Old
Bogie is definitely one of my favorite actors. He always turned in a
convincing performance in a number of versatile roles. The
introverted tough guy made me feel for him and empathize every time
out. In this film, I knew he would be playing the role of the hell
which he did so well in <em>The Roaring Twenties</em> and my personal
favorite, <em>Treasure of the Sierra Madre</em>.
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">However,
this role required a bit more than just being a villain. It required
something deeper below the surface which Bogie did so well. He made
you understand why he did what he did, with his performance. The
real understanding was spelled out for us by Jose Ferrer in the last
scene.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">While
Bogart did act the brute and showed all the signs of paranoia and
serious authoritarian complex, he did so for a reason. His men
doubted him.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Sure,
he made some mistakes, but when he asked the men if they had anything
to say to him about his behavior or how he was running the ship and
asked genuinely if they could help him, they sat silent.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">Wow.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">The
film took an entirely different direction, showing that those who
choose to sit by and watch the ship go down are indeed guiltier than
the one bringing it down. Bogart played the part masterfully,
rolling the balls back and forth and each little movement displayed
the outward appearance of a man in inner turmoil.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /><span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times, "Times New Roman", serif;">If
you have not seen this movie, you may feel I have ruined it for you,
but trust me. Like any great film, the true weight of the picture is
not in what happens, but why it happens. You will be thinking about
this one for weeks after seeing it. This was one film that truly
held a high purpose and great lesson. Never leave your captain
hanging out to dry, no matter how nasty he is.
</span></div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-24836575175294955342014-10-28T12:28:00.003-07:002014-10-28T12:28:43.193-07:00What's the Biggest Disaster You can Imagine?
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Off
the top of my head, I'd say the earth running out of water would have
to be the biggest. We as a species would be done unless something
drastic happened. However, that is only one. There are so many
possibilities.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Crime
thrillers are my favorite kind of read. The suspense and nail-biting
page turners reel me in and keep me in a another world that I escape
into. While I'm there, I experience terror and chills and thrills,
but the cool thing is I can always bring myself back into the safer
real world (sometimes). </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think the key to a great thriller is the disaster that each one looks
at. They come in all kinds.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
am recently reading a novel where a billionaire sets in motion events
to destroy the current U.S. Economy. Definitely a frightening
thought. Without a total economic collapse of one of the wealthiest
nations in the world, chaos is bound to ensue. Those who are not
fortunate enough to be on the right side of the system will surely be
hit hard and may not even survive.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
have read others about total devastation to this country as well as
nuclear weapons being set off in the middle east and of course,
Cormac McCarthy's <i>The Road</i> paints a very dark picture of the
future where nuclear war has killed virtually everything in the
United States(the plants won't even grow anymore) except a few
fortunate(if you can call them that) survivors.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
these are large scale thrillers with dire stakes for a whole country
or the entire world. Can a thriller have a smaller scale?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Absolutely!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stephen
Hunter's <i>Pale Horse Coming</i> deals with the town of Thebes where
a prison is run by big, brutish racist guards who keep the mostly
black prison population in horrible circumstances. Only that town is
affected but hey, if the protagonist does not stop them, they will
only continue on with their reign of cruelty.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My
own novel <i>Jack Little</i> deals with the stakes being high for
Will Hodge who will lose his house and everything he has worked for
if he does not steal to support his family. While these stakes are
only concerning Hodge primarily, if we put ourselves in his shoes, we
definitely see where his motivation comes from. The down side to it
all is he could lose his family if he keeps up with his cold, distant
mindset.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
what's the secret?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
as the readers, have to care.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Plain
and simple.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
the world is abut to end in a novel and no one cares, then what's the
point? The real substance is in the characters. If the world ends,
well, we don't want that. But we really do not want the characters'
world to end. We have taken a journey with them and we empathize
with them to the point to where if they fail, the world won't just
end. We the readers will be crushed.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
stakes in thrillers must be high but high for the characters
concerned. From what I have read, the world savers are generally in
a line of work that would put them in such a position to save the
world. They could be a spy, a counter-terrorism operative or some
sort of ex-military man/woman. Either way, it's hard for us to see a
mild-mannered newspaper reporter saving the world.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eh.
Bad example, maybe.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
a small scale story, the protagonist does tend to be more normal as
in Donald Westlake's <i>The Ax</i>. Burke Devore is no spy. He is
merely a former manager for a paper company who has decided to start
killing his competition(literally). The funny thing about this type
of story is that we find ourselves rooting for this man is clearly
committing amoral acts. He nearly convinces us he is completely
justified in his actions, citing society as the reason for his type
being pushed out into the wilderness with only one viable solution-
murder. It is small scale and yet, we are drawn in.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Which
ever you prefer, small scale or large, I find it's always fun to
picture the craziest large scale disaster you can imagine. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
what about you?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
is the worst thing that can possible happen? What kind of
protagonist would be required to stop it? Can you think up a problem
so big that you have no idea how it could be solved or if it's even
possible? I'd love to hear your thoughts(and no, I'm not going to
steal them, although I might make an offer on a good one, wink wink).</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-67517520026090606132014-10-22T00:31:00.004-07:002014-10-22T00:31:46.253-07:00Clear View
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Recently
I was driving my truck along when I came to a turn. Being a
responsible driver(sometimes), I turned on my signal which is located
on the same bar as my windshield wiper control and whoops.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
wipers came on and whipped their way across a dry windshield. The
passenger side blade ripped right off.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Needless
to say, I bought new blades a few days later since the local weather
man indicated rain in the five day forecast. I replaced the blades
and problem solved. When the rain hit, if I happened to be on the
road, the new blades would whip the rain from my windshield and I
would be able to see just fine.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However,
in real life, things are always this simple.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
for instance, you are looking to find a new relationship but cannot
get over your ex, you can definitely have a problem seeing clearly.
The new people you date might not ever measure up to the standards
set by your ex or they might even remind you of the ex too much. And
who knows? Maybe they have an ex they are not over either. So the
both of you are more or less wasting each others time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
fiction, this very same thing happens. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
character goes through a series of events that end up blinding their
vision to real opportunities and real threats. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
am sure most of us like to think that we could easily see that Ahab
was crazy and that Moby Dick was best to be let go of, but Ahab
cannot see this. He is blinded by his obsession.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
Dennis Lehane's <i>Mystic River</i>, Jimmy Marcus is blinded by his
own rage over the murder of his daughter that he kills Dave Boyle to
get revenge only to learn that Dave- a man who he'd known since
childhood and once been friends with- is actually innocent.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
my novel <i>Jack Little</i>, Will Hodge is blinded by the idea of
stealing every valuable item he can to the point to where we never
know the names of his wife or son. While he seems like he was
always somewhat closed off, he appears to have his mind in another
place all the time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
suppose these blinders can serve a story and lead characters to make
decisions they otherwise would not just as they do in real life. We
have all done things that, when we look back on them, were very
foolish. And we would never do them again.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Unless
we get blinded...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
about you?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have
you ever had pesky blinders on that led you to make a mistake?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is
it time for you to get new wiper blades?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let
me know. I love your comments!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-31059510051354015532014-08-02T18:44:00.001-07:002014-08-02T18:44:16.614-07:00To be a snob or not?
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been reading
fiction for several years. I have enjoyed many books and short
stories in that time with exceptions which just did not grip me.
However I have to admit, that I have not always been fair.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can admit it. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I have been a snob.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the book was not
by a well-known author with excellent reviews and awards behind it, I
just felt like it was a waste of time to read it. I was not willing
to give anything I had not heard of a chance. Life is short and what
is the point.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Right?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Through most of my
twenties, I even shunned modern books of any kind. Only the
classics- those books which were well established and here to stay-
could get my attention. I went through every classic I could find,
from Dostoyevsky's <i>Crime and Punishment</i> to George Orwell's
<i>1984</i> to J.D. Salinger's <i>Catcher in the Rye</i> to Cormac
McCarthy's <i>Blood Meridian</i>. They were all excellent and very
well-written. However, I must admit, they did not all grip me.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The truth is crime
fiction is really my genre. For the longest time, I could not even
pinpoint my favorite genre to read, much less write. And I could not
even decide on a genre which I wanted to really delve into. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However I did decide
and have since read several books in that genre and while most have
been around for a while and well-established, many of them have
actually been written in this century.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This year, I really
went out of my gourde.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I read a few novels
available on the Amazon Kindle. One had a meager price and the other
was absolutely free. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Can we say
turnaround?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now while I know
that some classics even are available on the Kindle for free, I was
giving an unknown author a chance. While my instincts a few years
ago would have warned me to stay away from such trash, I took a
chance.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I am very glad I
did.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The books were by
authors who are unknown to most, but each one was excellent. They
were well-written and very professional. I found myself immersed in
each one and thought, other than a big name on the cover page, what
was the difference?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There was really
none.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If the author had
been well-known, I would have read the book and totally thought 'Wow.
Another good one. That guy just keeps going.' </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet, I think that my
old attitude comes from an old place. In years past, writers had to
go through the major houses to get published. This brought with it a
certain prestige especially when the author's books sold well. Wow.
What a mountain they climbed. They must b geniuses!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, some of them
were.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However, with the
uprising of self-publishing a lot of things have changed. Now anyone
can publish for very little cost. Now does this mean a lot of bad
books are out there?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It's much different
than the old days with traditional publishing where every published
book was spectacular.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wait a minute.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Actually there were
many less than quality novels back then, too. I don't think the
e-revolution will hurt much of anything. I think it will only open
up more doors for more writers. After all, the editors, agents and
publishers miss talent often just like in any other form of
entertainment. People are human. They make mistakes.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And I now realize I
made a big one. The saying “You can't judge a book by its cover.”
has been around for a long time for a reason. The words inside the
book are black ink on paper. What the author does with them can only
be discovered when we open the book and open our eyes to the fact
that lots of great books are put out every year and may not go on to
be classics but are nonetheless worth a read. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you have been a
snob as I have, I urge you to open up. You could be missing some
truly great stories out there.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What are your
thoughts? Are you a snob? Are you open to anything? Any regrets?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
Be sure and check out my novel <a href="http://tinyurl.com/k5x58me">Jack Little </a>available on the amazon kindle!<br />
<br />
<br />
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-55449575658757552572014-07-15T15:19:00.000-07:002014-07-15T15:19:02.530-07:00Long Enough to Satisfy?
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I just finished
reading <i>The Postman Always Rings Twice</i> by James M. Cain. It
has been given much praise and hailed over the years as a roman noir
classic. Did I think so?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ5LOFXDXIlRbTAPouVyX5aFliaVm9GXqh_gFHNT7HN0DRY8f7q5NLoWmQAiIi8fQzvcUit_I6zsby-paVdipzsRWZf4NoRmVZjY-GQ6JWEb_kqd-rDp8x-067amA9tYedtseDdp6OOY/s1600/ID-10091506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQ5LOFXDXIlRbTAPouVyX5aFliaVm9GXqh_gFHNT7HN0DRY8f7q5NLoWmQAiIi8fQzvcUit_I6zsby-paVdipzsRWZf4NoRmVZjY-GQ6JWEb_kqd-rDp8x-067amA9tYedtseDdp6OOY/s1600/ID-10091506.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="center">
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I really enjoyed it.
The characters were well developed and the story zipped right along.
Also, while at times brutal, it never lost my interest. Now by the
same token, would it sell today?</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Obviously it sold me
since I bought it. However it is hard to say if it would. But let's
look at why.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">IS the story too
slow for the modern reader?</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHEX3-VSOgAIForTMZBaohkviAejhK8XWwR_azOookALkdw8rDc1xmBaUuLRSmqSUUkOfjNSeAV5toJeRELOEwZ5SuSCnsMfw5FWdbjuVwrgEhe_XN-m4IcBYn-15dZ9Tc2Iu2ESxV8w/s1600/ID-10060176.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHEX3-VSOgAIForTMZBaohkviAejhK8XWwR_azOookALkdw8rDc1xmBaUuLRSmqSUUkOfjNSeAV5toJeRELOEwZ5SuSCnsMfw5FWdbjuVwrgEhe_XN-m4IcBYn-15dZ9Tc2Iu2ESxV8w/s1600/ID-10060176.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Image Courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not at all.
Compared to the 1946 film, it moves rapidly. There is suspense
throughout the book and I was never sure where things were going. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is the story too
dated? </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbdpDdX5yYqKod6GdNL4Kg66tZHd5K8_6pYjjaEXROUB2jA_oDxSfFhhvRsuH14dxjbsp0sBa-GBBaSS5C2fyxGsdG9hAxt8Csnn5nU8BGfefOO8hHT-ZdDASEwFe2THjYu0HMbbh9zk/s1600/ID-10025961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbdpDdX5yYqKod6GdNL4Kg66tZHd5K8_6pYjjaEXROUB2jA_oDxSfFhhvRsuH14dxjbsp0sBa-GBBaSS5C2fyxGsdG9hAxt8Csnn5nU8BGfefOO8hHT-ZdDASEwFe2THjYu0HMbbh9zk/s1600/ID-10025961.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
Image courtesy of Nuttakit/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well it could be.
America has changed a bit since 1934 when it was published. The
dialogue is a bit dated and well, I doubt all Californians are making
a living selling hot dogs to one another. Still, I don't see why any
reader could not get what was happening in the story which is all
that matters to hook a reader and keep them hooked.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Really there is only
one thing about the book that might give me pause about it selling
well if it were released today. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Length.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The book is only 116
pages!</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes, betrayal,
scandal and murder all in 116 pages. Now while this sounds good in a
way since there are no subplots to wade through to get the story, I
think in modern day fiction, this is rare and possibly unacceptable.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All the modern day
novels I read have one thing in common- they are at least 250 pages
and usually more. There ARE subplots and while they are good reads,
you have stay with them for a while to finish. I finished <i>The
Postman Always Rings Twice</i> in one day, which brings me to my
point.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most readers want a
journey.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb21tUTeoZg0kHVBnJhnPT7EY-_0O5bRipoxgK95Ig_wTCl29DsQRPEOxQ8ugjKkhkiCqPuOYCH89Mf2_c87dB5ucwKmmYXQJso8iuMVvPnjIeLW9XwR7Aer79RJvmCdrwyaVYK3SKI0/s1600/ID-10065888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmb21tUTeoZg0kHVBnJhnPT7EY-_0O5bRipoxgK95Ig_wTCl29DsQRPEOxQ8ugjKkhkiCqPuOYCH89Mf2_c87dB5ucwKmmYXQJso8iuMVvPnjIeLW9XwR7Aer79RJvmCdrwyaVYK3SKI0/s1600/ID-10065888.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy of Tongdang/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A journey in movie
terms is an hour and a half to two hours or maybe more. However, a
book priced at ten dollars or more better have enough length to
ensure the reader cannot devour the thing standing around the book
store. I re-read books all the time, but a lot of people don't and
see no point to paying for something so short.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And why should they?</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now don't get me
wrong. Some of the best works I have read have been shorter ones.
Ambrose Bierce always thought novels were just stories with two many
pages between the covers and I feel that he is often correct. Some
novels are wonderful but have to throw in subplots that do nothing
for the main plot in order to have a sufficient length to call the
story a novel. And well, it is a business and if we don't sell
books, we don't eat. </span></span>
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My own novel <i>Jack
Little</i>, is a little over 80, 000 words. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI02X2L5HVpDBd5-qyWovachcIaQ-9mx2asadJKCZp3RzSleA4Qf8jEdSssIaYAF9xqgzK37TEYv2vNF9nOJsmEE3qhU8lxvinu2K48DjxrTc0rFXhRNvl05yuXXKf3Ekirl15iDCBpr8/s1600/413uT3D8LvL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI02X2L5HVpDBd5-qyWovachcIaQ-9mx2asadJKCZp3RzSleA4Qf8jEdSssIaYAF9xqgzK37TEYv2vNF9nOJsmEE3qhU8lxvinu2K48DjxrTc0rFXhRNvl05yuXXKf3Ekirl15iDCBpr8/s1600/413uT3D8LvL__BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big,TopRight,0,-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4,BottomRight,1,22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There aren't many
subplots and I think the ones in there are essential to the main
plot. There is a lot to Will Hodge's story he is not aware of yet.
On his journey, you learn that he does not even know himself that
well, but hopefully in the end, he sees more than he did.</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So how do you feel?
Do you think books would be better without a lot of subplots just to
match the length? Or do you want at least 100, 000 words before you
even consider handing over your hard-earned money for a good yarn?</span></span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-79843542909018287392014-07-07T23:40:00.005-07:002014-07-07T23:40:57.327-07:00What does THAT term Mean?<strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">What does <span style="color: blue;">THAT </span><span style="color: black;">mean?!?</span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span></strong><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3QZEIQGvqit5iXGXIpubDwZyck0YhPpKp_XKt9MEe8kihsvi6dGbCJx7rdFEilw6gFnnL-M1BzWVLu9p681n8TlwASLPEv515rLhmaZdc5At0s6OnwZY7AEsfz6Jj2YUBumnnUVt94g/s1600/ID-100266359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL3QZEIQGvqit5iXGXIpubDwZyck0YhPpKp_XKt9MEe8kihsvi6dGbCJx7rdFEilw6gFnnL-M1BzWVLu9p681n8TlwASLPEv515rLhmaZdc5At0s6OnwZY7AEsfz6Jj2YUBumnnUVt94g/s1600/ID-100266359.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div align="center">
Image courtesy of stockimages/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div align="center">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
have read hundreds of novels but to this day, I always read certain
terms of which I am not sure of the definition- no matter how <span style="color: blue;"><strong>clean</strong></span>
or <span style="color: blue;"><strong>simple</strong></span> the prose. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this reason, I am going to discuss a few
terms below you might not be familiar with and well, give you a
little insight into their meanings for future reference. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I hope this
knowledge enhances your reading pleasure.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><u><strong>Horn-Rimmed
Glasses</strong></u></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX-cSoJ3rS14cMKp3_GYQOzXEhWKVVYxCyo1rns8UEoQEFuxyDOECpLHFTKxUIElzTdB1qSJv4x9gE_QnXf5Ga0s2bNrcvj0xFXXa4GOzaZ-MRULmMthPQR2G69SDnVtCml-HEaxm1OU/s1600/ID-10094863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoX-cSoJ3rS14cMKp3_GYQOzXEhWKVVYxCyo1rns8UEoQEFuxyDOECpLHFTKxUIElzTdB1qSJv4x9gE_QnXf5Ga0s2bNrcvj0xFXXa4GOzaZ-MRULmMthPQR2G69SDnVtCml-HEaxm1OU/s1600/ID-10094863.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy of stockimages/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div align="left" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Apparently
this style of glasses were originally made out of actual horn or
tortoise shell. However they have since over the years been
constructed of plastic in an attempt to copy those materials. They
tend to give the wearer's face a <strong><span style="color: blue;">bolder</span></strong> appearance in contrast with
metal frames which appear less pronounced.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
style has been popular throughout different periods of the twentieth
century, including the early years as well as the 1940s-1960s. They
have made a resurgence since the late twentieth century and early
part of the twenty-first which may be due in part to the popular TV
series <i>Mad Men</i> as well as appealing to hipster subculture.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
the next time you read “horn-rimmed glasses” I guess you can
assume the wearer is rather hip perhaps or could be some big
corporate executive.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><u><strong>Fish-eye</strong></u></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While a fish-eye
refers to a particular type of lens that offers a panoramic view for
uses in camera lenses, the lens is often used to indicate a peep hole
in a door.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUW4qn5CX5A4ZAYgrI_q5N9SXNZ95n45OIgmg4BFl-KWmlAAjZ3EqR78SZjT8izp13Nh4fPh52ezCVtADiFxAW_Asoggdryrk6eDNZPa6yCJRlrtOkc66AC6WMSkEmNajPYb4YAo7Y7Q/s1600/ID-10082676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFUW4qn5CX5A4ZAYgrI_q5N9SXNZ95n45OIgmg4BFl-KWmlAAjZ3EqR78SZjT8izp13Nh4fPh52ezCVtADiFxAW_Asoggdryrk6eDNZPa6yCJRlrtOkc66AC6WMSkEmNajPYb4YAo7Y7Q/s1600/ID-10082676.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy of adamr/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When I first saw the
term used in the peephole context, I had a good idea what it meant,
but well, I still felt a need to look it up. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So when a character
is said to go to the door to look through the fish-eye, it's a modern
word for peep hole. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Go check your fish-eye. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You might have company.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><u><strong>Credenza</strong></u></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In modern times,
this term refers to a sideboard in a home or office. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8X3pNtkROpthAgxapj3cJSlDIv7VgRYy8LlBXlSTcwIwLKGv7N5tg0AMXtdM4ggNF5ApfslOhbPR7gSTB7ftXBc-iZafyQMaTFbDZySpxr8vG83NjNvPpjmljthq2_u6Ncv4mcx4mpM/s1600/ID-10068845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis8X3pNtkROpthAgxapj3cJSlDIv7VgRYy8LlBXlSTcwIwLKGv7N5tg0AMXtdM4ggNF5ApfslOhbPR7gSTB7ftXBc-iZafyQMaTFbDZySpxr8vG83NjNvPpjmljthq2_u6Ncv4mcx4mpM/s1600/ID-10068845.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong/Freedigitalphotos.net<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can't count <span style="color: blue;"><strong>how
many times</strong></span> I have read this term in several crime thrillers when
describing some corporate executive or big time attorney's office
furniture. It pretty much means a sideboard for their office.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The next time you
read about a hot shot with an office on the fortieth floor, a bear
skin rug and a credenza, you'll know the author means a <span style="color: blue;"><strong>sideboard</strong></span>. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><u><strong>Burner</strong></u></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now this one can get
interesting. From what I have read, the term sometimes refers to a
handgun or a gun used to commit a murder. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It can also mean a
pot head. I guess the idea is that he has smoked so much he has
“burned” himself out.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It can also mean a
person engaged in the act of burning property.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However, for the
most part I have seen it used to mean one thing- <span style="color: blue;"><strong>a pre-paid,
disposable cell phone.</strong></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<strong><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In the modern world
of crime, pay phones just don't cut it anymore. There are few of
them and well, they can most likely be tracked when you get down to
it. However pre-paid cell phones generally cannot be tracked which
is why most criminals use them. You can't always discuss criminal
activity the best way- face-to-face. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So the next time a
scumbag or a guy who just needs to talk business where no one can
listen, he might use a burner and you'll know what that is.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoVcSR16qpi9YUQshpyNdyugz0jXP_MatYyRgyUhSKjARScFhenIErV3H8TxZ4pwgOtHkaTroHkljPV-CETfixLlqiL-XNjcZV5m3v9dL_PEhOpV14bWqwX32pxg5IC8h1sffADv_waM/s1600/ID-100183938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUoVcSR16qpi9YUQshpyNdyugz0jXP_MatYyRgyUhSKjARScFhenIErV3H8TxZ4pwgOtHkaTroHkljPV-CETfixLlqiL-XNjcZV5m3v9dL_PEhOpV14bWqwX32pxg5IC8h1sffADv_waM/s1600/ID-100183938.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
Image courtesy of stockimages/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: medium;"><u><strong>Shiv</strong></u></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><u><span style="color: blue; font-family: Courier New; font-size: medium;"></span></u></strong> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This term refers to
a knife or blade but it is typically a home-made version, often made
out of plastic.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
Not nearly as scary as, well, <strong><span style="color: blue;">THIS!</span></strong></div>
<span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfgF3zNIRnKyK_VpsMh5kxuVefLt_RTRSSwa105Ep2GwB0ihYMF-U0dXjBkU6DeLwzFppa9CJVTwS7hFVvW-4MsSCwNOzf0wgsuK1dzpweTV_nYzrLFVDBpPrnR88-4la6xcrADqXGag/s1600/ID-10097883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfgF3zNIRnKyK_VpsMh5kxuVefLt_RTRSSwa105Ep2GwB0ihYMF-U0dXjBkU6DeLwzFppa9CJVTwS7hFVvW-4MsSCwNOzf0wgsuK1dzpweTV_nYzrLFVDBpPrnR88-4la6xcrADqXGag/s1600/ID-10097883.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic/Freedigitalphotos.net</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">These are very
common in prisons where regular knives are hard to come by. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So the next time a
character has a shiv on their person, you can expect <span style="color: blue;"><strong>bad</strong></span> <strong><span style="color: blue;">intentions</span></strong>
and a <span style="color: red;"><strong>heated</strong></span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>action</strong></span> <span style="color: red;"><strong>scene</strong></span> are on the way.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Well, there you go.
I hope this clears up a few terms you might come across when taking
in crime novels. I have seen all five of these used numerous times
and understanding them definitely increases understanding of the
story. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span> </div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have a great day and keep reading!</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;">
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-14502758112955745752014-06-30T20:37:00.003-07:002014-07-07T21:03:19.137-07:00Mystery or Thriller?<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Edgar
Allan Poe introduced the world to the mystery detective stories with
“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “The Mystery of Marie Roget”
and “The Purloined Letter” which all featured his detective C.
Auguste Dupin.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alexandre
Dumas gave the world <i>The Count of Monte Cristo</i> which has been
considered by many to be the first true thriller book.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Of
course, thousands of novels could be considered mystery, thriller or
something in between. The question is which would you prefer?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
I was younger, I think for me, mystery was the biggest appeal.
Following the detective on his journey through the crime world until
finally at the very end, the killer or guilty party is revealed.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh
the possibilities.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I
thought it was that guy!</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Man,
I had no idea!</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>I
have to read it again to see the set-up. It totally fooled me!</i></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes,
the mystery novel is truly remarkable. After all, every novel is a
mystery until you read it all the way through based on the idea that
it must be a mystery since you have no idea what happens. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
then, there is the thriller. Thrillers all seem to have an element
of mystery but unlike mysteries where the criminal or perpetrator of
a crime is not revealed until the ending, the the thriller also gives
you insight into the criminal world. In this way, we see the
detective or hero in action, but we also get to see the juicy details
of the plotting and scheming of the criminal as well.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nowadays
in my writing and reading, I must say I like the thriller much
better. I don't get as much of a bang as I once did out of seeing
who the killer is in the end. It can be interesting and surprising
but eh. I don't feel like I know the killer that well really.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">However
with the thriller, I feel like I know protagonist and antagonist very
well and this I very much enjoy. My own book </span><i>Jack Little</i><span style="font-style: normal;">,
is definitely more of a thriller. Will Hodge loses his business at
the hands of a conman but he also finds the conman dead along with
all of his merchandise he lost to the man and lots of other
merchandise as well. He sells the goods off but starts looking
around for other things to steal...at a five fingered discount. </span></span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As
you can guess, the book is more about the situations Will finds
himself getting into when he is stealing the items and of course his
own wrestling match with the moral implications of what he's doing.
So I believe it is definitely a thriller. And I just have to love
this type of suspenseful writing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
thriller can even put you on the side of the antagonist and hope he
pulls off his wrong deed. It's funny and almost kind of sick but it
just appeals to human nature. Even if the perpetrator's crime is
horrible, we still hope they get through whatever problem they are
having because we all hate problems and have to work through them on
a daily basis. So in a sense, we have been there even if for
different reasons. So a thriller can give us a much better look at
both sides and of the story as a whole. Perhaps even the villain had
a good reason for doing what he did even if he is a bit...off.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
don't get me wrong. I still enjoy a good mystery. I have not lost
my love for the genre. It's just that the crime thriller is my
favorite. I still have plenty of mysteries on my shelf and they will
remain there. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
writing a mystery?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
cannot say I have ever really written a straight up mystery. My book
certainly is not one and I doubt if any of my short stories could be
called that either. I love writing about crime and well, criminals.
Law enforcement is always out there as a threat to them, but many
times they appear to the criminals as little more than interrupters.
The criminals would much rather rip each other off and steal from one
another than bring the law in at any cost. They have their own
little seedy world and as a writer I have to appreciate that by
proxy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Will
I ever write a mystery? Maybe. I never rule anything out. But I
read a long time ago that if a writer wants to be successful, they
must pick their favorite genre and explore that for most of their
career. I can always branch out later. And I must say it has
helped. I picked thriller at first and eventually made my way around
to crime thriller. I find it so much more interesting than a lot of
other types of thrillers although I like most of the others, too. I
feel that I chose correctly.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
what do you think?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mystery?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Or
Thriller?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-28930809897639472312014-06-23T20:24:00.001-07:002014-06-23T20:24:13.103-07:00Bad Actions Lead to Worse Thoughts
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Soldiers
often have nightmares about what they have done. Even though they
were usually just serving their country and doing what they had to
do, the violent actions still weigh on their minds.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do
criminals who have committed violent crimes go through the same
thing?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
believe SOME do. Any person that takes another life has blood on
their hands and that can never be changed or taken back. It is done
and that is the reality. I would say most of them have nightmares,
possibly panic attacks and maybe even worse conditions.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
are there some who feel nothing over what they have done?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think there are.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Some
people just have the right kind of mind for it. They feel little to
no empathy. They have justified their actions in their own minds to
the point to where they were right for committing the violence.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
in some cases, they could be right. If they were attempting to steal
a car, the owner caught them and started firing a gun at them, well
what choice do you have but to fire back? Of course, they should not
have been stealing the car to begin with, but does a criminal really
think that way?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Definitely
not.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
must say it is fascinating to think about. I know I definitely do
not have a criminal mind to the point that I could justify violence
for any reason other than a criminal coming into my home to kill or
rob me and I had to defend myself. Even then, I'm sure the act would
haunt me. I have never been a real violent person. By that, I mean
that yes, I have enjoyed gun fights in books and movies as much as
anybody else. However, to actually go through with it would be
another matter.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
I was younger, I boxed with some friends. We were in a back yard
with gloves and head gear. Having a little tournament. Well, I hit
one friend pretty hard a few times but only after he hit me in the
face. I have that revenge type complex I think. Until I get hit, I
have trouble hitting the opponent. This told me long ago I should
never pursue a career in boxing. If you wait to get hit first, most
times it ends with just you getting hit if you can't take the other
guy's punch.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Either
way, after our little brawl, I apologized to my friend immediately.
After all this was a good friend who even went to the trouble of
buying me a Scottish flag license plate for my truck. I am of
Scottish descent and I love the movie and book <i>Braveheart</i>. So
I really hated that I did hit him like that. I have thought about it
since and I may not really regret it all that much, but I can see
that to hurt another person can definitely weigh on you.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
maybe I just don't have the criminal mind.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
a way, it could be looked at as a bad thing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
don't have a criminal mind. How could I ever expect to WRITE about
criminals or cops or soldiers who have ever been in such a situation?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Simple.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most
authors who write about violent situations have been involved in few
themselves. It takes two things for me-</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Other
people's stories and imagination.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
are message boards about everything as well as people I personally
know in real life who can offer insight. I add a dose of my own
imagination in and I'm set. I can write about sociopaths and
psychopaths and any other path all day long.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However,
these criminal minds who justify what they do but have no real
empathy must be the scariest type of individual.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
remember when I was a kid, an older boy came to our house. We had a
bunch of cats running around. We were never mean to them, but this
kid took one and dunked it in a bucket of water. My brother and I
were appalled and got him inside away from the cats in a hurry. I am
not sure what ever became of the boy, but those were not encouraging
early signs. My brother and I felt so bad for the poor cat, but he
seemed to feel nothing except fr maybe amusement.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">That
type of thinking is not too amusing in fiction but it's down right
sick in real life. Of course, things could have went a lot further,
but still. I never understood how a person would think that was
funny. Oh but I can write about people who do as I am doing so now.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
about you? What are your own experiences with people who may have
been less than sympathetic when you thought they should be? Have you
ever known a person that seemed to be mean to the core with no
empathy for any living being? Are they in jail now? I would love to
hear your thoughts!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span><span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-19837534403596562822014-06-16T18:38:00.005-07:002014-07-06T19:50:04.667-07:00Jack Little Excerpt<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
this week, I would like to offer an excerpt from my novel, <i>Jack
Little</i>.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the Saturday following his flea market trip, he and his wife drove to
a friend’s house in the Germantown section of the city. The friend
was Tim Broderick. Tim’s father knew Will’s father and often the
two dads hung out over at the Hodge’s when Will was a boy.
Naturally Will and Tim played together while their dads played pool
and talked about current events. They were never best friends, but
they had stayed in contact over the years. Will did not know one
single classmate from high school besides Tim. The others had
disappeared from his life as old acquaintances often do.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The
fireplace roared. Tim loved the crackle in his study. Tim was not
considered rich, but he never really went without much of anything
either. His father was in the construction business. Now his
business was not the biggest outfit around, but his dad made quite a
bit of money over the years. Tim sought the less laborious work of
architecture. When he returned from college, he helped to design
many of the structures his father oversaw building. Since his father
died, Tim sold off the business and now only worked once in a while
on contract. He had been married but was now a widow with no
children. He was more than happy for any attention he received. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Will
and his wife sat at the long oak table in Tim’s study. Two book
cases held at least four hundred books. And knowing Tim he had read
every single one of them. Tim returned to them after a few minutes
with fresh coffee. Will thanked him and took a sip from his cup.
His wife declined. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Are
you sure, honey? You haven’t had any coffee today.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “It’s
fine, dear. So, Tim. How have you been getting along?”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Tim
sat in the recliner next to the table. He took a drink from his own
cup and warmed his hands by the fire. The house was very warm, but
it was more of a ritual for Tim. The rubbing of the hands together.
An act man had done since his creation. Tim loved traditions. He
enjoyed many with his wife before she passed on. Now in the presence
of others, Tim came alive again. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “I’ve
been reading mostly. I have a lot of time on my hands. It’s
almost crazy how much time I have these days. My dad always said he
never had enough time for anything, but me? Well I do.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “But
maybe you should get out of this house. Maybe go meet somebody.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Will’s
wife hated to think of anybody being unhappy or lonely. She had
mentioned lots of her friends and relatives to Tim in the two years
since his wife passed. He didn’t appear too interested. Will
figured the man just loved one woman his whole life and wanted to
keep it that way, but his wife persisted.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Oh.
I don’t know. Maybe.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Sure.
There’s my friend who works at the salon. A really sweet girl.
And just around your age.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> His
wife continued talking up her friend from the salon. Will nodded
along. The girl was quite a looker. Maybe she could help bring Tim
out a bit. Perhaps his wife was right. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The
flash caught his eye.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Will
had to look twice to make sure. In the corner of Tim’s study sat a
pitcher. But not just any pitcher. Will had been looking at nothing
but antiques guides for weeks. He knew that pitcher was no ordinary
pitcher but it was Depression era glassware. The antique show in
Crossville would scoop it right up for quite a price. He should let
his friend know about this great chance for profit.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> After
the coffee was done, they moved into the living room. Tim turned on
the TV. He went into the kitchen where he and Will’s wife began
preparing cocktail weenies. Will sat on the sofa and watched the
football game on TV. Actually his eyes were on the screen but his
mind remained fixated on the pitcher. Yes. After the cocktail
weenies and a few beers, he would let his good friend Tim know that
he had a special gem in his house worth a good bit of money. Will
was on fairly easy street now with the money from the flea market.
And he was developing an eye for antiques. Lots of treasure sat
around on the shelves and in the attics and basements of thousands of
men across the nation. Men who were too ignorant to know what they
had and too lazy to try to find out. Will would capitalize on their
folly. But not on his friend. Tim was too good a man for that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> An
hour later, the three ate the cocktail weenies. Tim and Will drank a
few beers while the wife read part of the book she had with her. She
usually carried a book with her, but whenever they came to Tim’s
she made sure to. She knew boys would watch their game and drink
their beer, but she wasn’t going to be part of that. Will and Tim
shared a few laughs and night fell. Around nine o’clock, Will and
his wife left his friend’s house.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Over
the next three days, Will told himself he would call Tim to tell him
about the pitcher. That antique show was coming up in February. He
started to call his friend. He flipped his phone open. He punched
in the number. But then he closed it back. He threw on his jacket
and went to his wife.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Honey,
I’m stepping out a minute. I think I might go see if I can’t
find a new rake.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> She
paused.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Well
I think all the leaves are gone for the year.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Yeah.
But that one is old and just about done. I’d really like to
replace it for next year. You know I like to stay ahead of things.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> She
nodded.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> He
leaned in to kiss her.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Want
me to go?”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> He
told her that would be fine, but once again he slipped. There was a
half-second delay. Her eyes told him she was not pleased although
she said she was. She pecked him on the mouth and returned to her
reading. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> As
he reached the front door, he turned back to her.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Maybe
we could go out to dinner tonight.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> She
smiled to him.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Sure.
Where?”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Anywhere
you like, honey. Just think about it while I get us a new rake.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> She
winked at him.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> “Will
do.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> He
left his house and cruised around a while. He figured to pick up the
rake first. He entered the Home Depot. He picked up the rake. Not
a bad price. The quality was decent although they didn’t seem to
make tools like they used to. But that was how things went. The
best made things are usually hard to find. As hard to find as the
pitcher in Tim’s house.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> He
pulled into Tim’s driveway. Tim had a two car garage and rarely
left. Will figured him to be home. He walked to his front door and
gave it two knocks. He peered around. The day was quiet. Very
little traffic around. He gave it two additional knocks. Nothing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> From
his earlier visits, he knew Tim had no security system. He tried the
front door even though he figured it was locked. Tim was a careful
guy. He would have locked it. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Wrong.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The
door eased forward. Will stood there for a moment. He knew this was
wrong. No. It wasn’t. He would see if his friend was home.
Fairly likely considering the door was left open. He stepped inside.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The
house was entirely quiet. No TV going. No radio. The central
heating might be working but it was not running. Just dead silence.
He stepped into the house with caution. Surely something hadn’t
happened to his friend. He called out his name. No answer. He
walked into the study. He thought maybe Tim would be curled up with
a book at his fireplace. Maybe he fell asleep. He checked but found
no sign of Tim and the fireplace sat cold and dormant. He stepped
into the hallway. Called to his friend again. He checked the
bathroom. He even pulled back the shower curtain. Nothing. He
stepped back into the hallway. There were two bedrooms. He checked
the first. Nothing out of the ordinary. He walked down to the
second bedroom. He knocked lightly and called to his friend.
Nothing. He entered the master bedroom.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> The
room was much darker than the rest of the house. Will literally
could not see much of anything. He called to Tim again but got no
answer. He flipped the light switch. Nothing but darkness. The
bulb must have blown. He moved to the window. He drew back the
curtains and turned to look. Just an empty bed. He checked the
bathroom connected to the bedroom. Nothing. Once again he pulled
back the curtain. Nothing. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Will
figured to call his friend. After all he needed to let him know
about this. He also felt some concern. It wasn’t like Tim to just
go off and leave the house un-locked. Or he figured it was not
typical behavior for him. He pulled out his cell phone and returned
to the study. As he punched in the number he stared at the pitcher.
Closing the phone, he walked to the pitcher and examined it. As he
guessed it was in immaculate condition. It was real Depression era
glassware and it would bring a great price. He stood holding the
pitcher. Then the thought occurred to him.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> On
the drive back to his house, he figured Tim needed some cheering up.
Will would take the pitcher to the antiques show and sell it himself.
He would surprise Tim with the profits. Add a little cheer to his
life. Besides Will would know the right price to get. Tim did not
know about such matters. To Tim, the pitcher was covered with black
enamel like that old falcon. Will made sure to leave the house
unlocked. He returned to his house and placed the pitcher in the
basement later that night while his wife slept.</span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">For more, check out <em>Jack Little</em> here.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Little-Anthony-David-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00JK6NWC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397207232&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+little+by+anthony+david+mitchell">http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Little-Anthony-David-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B00JK6NWC8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397207232&sr=8-1&keywords=jack+little+by+anthony+david+mitchell</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-25815761673035002372014-06-07T22:29:00.000-07:002014-06-07T22:29:20.825-07:00More than Entertainment...secondly
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One
of my favorite books is <i>Pale Horse Coming</i> by Stephen Hunter.
It has lots of action, two terrific protagonists in Sam Vincent and
ex-Marine Earl Swagger and a group of bad guys as brutal and
dangerous as any I can think of. From cover to cover it is filled
with intensity and lots of surprises.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
the real reason I like it?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Because
justice is handed out.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Often
times in life- not just in what we read in the papers or well on the
internet since printed things disappear in droves every day- we just
don't things go fairly. I mean, I think it's not right that gas
prices are so high, much less that a crime as described in the book
is being pulled off and gotten away with.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
any time when things do get set right as they often do in Westerns,
but not as much in modern fiction, I feel that good does exist in the
world. Even if it is fiction...and sometimes because of it.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When
justice is handed out in the real world, that is truly worth
rejoicing over. If in the case of a murder victim, the friends and
family want justice but I think they have the bigger problems on
their hands of how they're going to move on without their loved one
in their lives anymore. Whether the killer gets justice or not,
their loved one is gone forever in this life. However for the rest
of us not as close, we do feel great that the perpetrator did get
punished since they took so much away from somebody else.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
in fiction?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
difference does it make?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
me it makes a big difference. It means that someone else feels the
same way about justice as I do. And that's a great feeling. Any
time others are in agreement with me, I feel a little better about
it. I think I can't help it. It solidifies my argument to an
extent. It's only human nature. But I think it's more than that.
It means that what I believe in is not crazy by any means. Even in
the face of those who seem to never care about the victims and ONLY
the rights of the killer, I can feel that I am right. And that
counts.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fiction
can serve to more than entertain. In fact it often does for us
deeper thinkers. Are we deep thinkers special? I don't think so.
Sometimes I wish I did not think so deeply. Lots of people who do
not seem to be very happy and content and often never seem to worry
about much of anything. I love to be like that but it's pretty
difficult when I wonder about how my words can help the world on some
level? What I usually end up getting back to is...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Don't
think. Write.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
don't get me wrong. The main purpose of fiction is to entertain.
Some classics I have had to literally strain to turn another page of
the monstrous thing to finish it- just to say I did it. It was a
test of endurance. Would I do it again? Maybe it I ever end up in
prison. But most likely no. Those older works are not meant to be
that entertaining to us now. So out they go as far as I'm concerned.
I'm happy that I read them, but when I really want to delve into
some entertaining fiction, it has to be from this century or the last
one. Just the way it is.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
if fiction is mainly meant to entertain, then why is it important to
know the writer or characters in the story agree with you or your
sense of justice?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">To
the writer, I don't think it is important. Ever really. But I think
it makes us bigger fans of that writer since they were able to create
a character that got to us. And because of that we remember that
writer's name and we try another book. Then maybe another and
another.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
any time fiction can not only entertain me, but also offer up a view
point where I agree or even don't but then have my eyes opened a bit,
that makes the experience that much better.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How
about you?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do
you like it when the characters or events of a fictional book
reiterate your own views and opinions?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-38514500619885647162014-05-30T03:06:00.000-07:002014-05-30T03:06:13.422-07:00I'm a Thorn in Your Side...But I'm Not Your Enemy
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think all too often we think of the antagonists of a story as the
villain.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not
always true.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
fact, many times in stories, the protagonist is friends with, related
to or even married to the antagonist. The antagonist is just the
character making things difficult for the protagonist. These
characters stand in the way of the protagonist reaching his/her goal.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
<i>A Simple Plan</i> by Scott Smith, protagonist Hank finds over four
millions dollars on a plane. The big problem is his older brother
Jacob and Jacob's friend Lou find it with him. Now while there is no
real villain in this book, there are definitely antagonists. Several
are minor characters who appear for the sole purpose of getting in
the way of Hank keeping the money or more importantly keeping all the
secrets he must keep under wraps once things start to go crazy. But
the true antagonists are Jacob and Lou.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While
Jacob is Hank's brother, he is more a brother to Lou. They drink and
hunt and hang out a lot together since they are both habitually
unemployed while Hank has a full-time job, a wife and a baby on the
way. When they find the money, Lou thinks they should keep every
penny and celebrate the find as does Jacob. However Hank thinks they
should turn it right over. Of course, Hank agrees to keep it but he
wants to be smart about it. So they all decide that Hank will keep
the money until the spring and then they will split the money and all
leave town.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However,
it just can't be that easy.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lou
continually antagonizes Hank by trying to get the money earlier than
intended. Jacob is torn between his brother and his friend often
going back and forth. These two men get in Hank's way of ruining
everything by acting foolish and threatening to get them all caught.
They are getting in the way of what Hank- the protagonist- wants.
Therefore they are the antagonists, but certainly not villains. The
real villain of this book is greed.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sometimes
the antagonist is not a friend, but not the villain either.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
John Connolly's <i>The Unquiet</i>, Charlie Parker seeks to find out
just what happened to missing psychiatrist Daniel Clay. He discovers
a much deeper, darker secret but he also had to deal with a man named
Merrick. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Merrick
the avenger.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Merrick
is on the hunt like Parker, but he looks to do one thing to wrong
doers- kill. Parker meets him early on and they have more
interactions none of which are friendly. They are very different,
but you can clearly see that Merrick is not all bad, either.
Especially considering the people he is after. So in this case, the
antagonist is not what you'd call a hero by any means, but he is
definitely not the villain either.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
my novel <i>Jack Little</i>, Will Hodge loses his jewelry store and
family business to a con man but also to tough economic times. His
goal at first is to keep the store running when the con man shows up
and takes that dream away- a dream he was losing anyway. So this con
man would be an antagonist who actually wins- until Will finds him
dead with all the jewelry he took. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Will
takes all the jewelry but does not re-open his store. Instead he
sells the merchandise at flea markets. And then he starts to take
other things from strangers and even friends. So every person he
takes from is an antagonist since they would definitely go against
his new goal of stealing. Yet they are all innocent and many are
strangers. So in this case, they are not villains nor have any close
connection to Will. Yet they do pose a threat.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
when you read the word antagonist, do not always assume that is the
villain. Often times, it's more likely to be a friend.</span></span></div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-87778389719866472782014-05-23T11:28:00.004-07:002014-05-23T11:28:36.354-07:00What are you talking about? I'm NOT MAD!
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Anger
is something I don't care for.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Who
does. Right?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
I must say, it does get things done many times. It's funny. I think
nowadays many of us want to avoid ever getting angry about anything
since we want to think we live happy lives which cannot ever include
anger.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
come on.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
the real world, we will get angry.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
fiction world works much the same way. What would fiction be without
raw emotion? And anger is very essential.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
makes you angry in real life?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
me, it could be many things. When my laptop stops working when I'm
on a new story, watch out. There will be a string of obscenities
followed by more obscenities and most likely small small object will
be hurled across the room. Or Windows 8? </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hold
up.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I'm
getting angry now.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Besides
the obvious laptop problem, I guess I usually get angry in the most
base way- when I'm inconvenienced. It's not when things don't go my
way. I can handle defeat as good as most. I have hardly ever felt
anything but a tad disappointed at rejections on my stories or books.
I can take a hit and come back without anger.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
let the deck covering (held on by duct tape at the moment) come off
when I start to mow and yes. Chaos ensues. The last time I beat the
poor cover against the mower on three separate occasions. The good
news is that plastic does not feel pain (that we know of) and so I
wasn't hurting anybody with my actions.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
in fiction (and unfortunately in real life), people do get hurt by
other angry people. In <i>Misery</i>, Annie Wilkes' anger boils over
into some very painful moments for poor Paul Sheldon. Hamlet was
awfully angry with his mother which led to chaos. Sonny Corleone
allowed his anger to blind him to the point where he got taken out.
So often in fiction when anger is fired up, somebody will likely go
down.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
not all anger is bad. When we see red, that is bad in the moment but
often times I think we see more clearly afterward. Life is not so
physically strenuous as it used to be with technology and so many of
us get used to being comfortable most of the time and becoming angry
seems like something we shouldn't do. But human nature does not
change and so now and then, it's good to get your blood up a little
if nothing else to know you're still alive.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
never be too hard on yourself for getting angry. It's going to
happen. Life just has a way of getting to any of us. So let it
happen, but just try not to stay that way all the time. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Besides,
you never know. You might just see what's holding you back and break
through it. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And
obviously, it makes for great stories. </span></span>
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-66388362921373384742014-05-14T18:12:00.001-07:002014-05-17T23:19:15.212-07:00Hop Hop HopMy good friend Belinda Bekkers has included me in a blog hop and so here goes. You can find Belinda's blog at <a href="http://belindabekkers.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/where-ive-been-and-a-blog-hop/">http://belindabekkers.wordpress.com/2014/05/06/where-ive-been-and-a-blog-hop/</a> Hope y'all enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>What am I working on?</strong><br />
<br />
I am currently working on a collection of short stories which I plan on releasing in the fall. They are crime stories and there will be twelve of them total. A few might be considered novelettes due to length, but they are definitely shorter than a novel or novella. I have written over sixty short stories and have seven of them published but I really wanted to share these as I think they offer lots of suspense with a wide diversity of plots and characters.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>How does my work differ from others of its genre?</strong><br />
<br />
As a crime fiction writer, I am always on the lookout for new types of crimes and criminals. The mustache-twirling totally evil criminal does not work anymore and I'm not sure that it ever did work on any plausible level. I try to construct characters that are pretty well-rounded. I also don't go into graphic detail about violence although there are violent scenes sometimes in my stories. I also do not enjoy police procedurals. So I don't ten to write them. I am a bit of a rascal at heart. I'm much more interested in how these criminals get away with crimes since they are automatically on the defensive with the law against them. It's much more of a challenge for them to do what they do, especially when they have fewer resources. So I guess in a nutshell, I tend to write about bad guys and gals.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Why do I write what I do?</strong><br />
<br />
I have always been interested in the criminal world which many of us know nothing about. If a guy's a career thief, how does he go about it? What are his fears and concerns and what problems does he encounter along his way? While some may say "Who cares? He's just a thief" I say that any character can become interesting no matter what they do for a living. Anyone remember Robin Hood? Seems like he was a thief too.<br />
<br />
I suppose in the end, I am simply drawn to it and I HAVE to do it. If I did not write about these things, I would spend my time reading about them or maybe even trying to live them out(And the idea of jail does not sound fun to me).<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>How does my writing process work?</strong><br />
<br />
To be honest, each story can start in different ways. Ultimately, it comes down to a first line. I really want that first line to hook a reader. If it wouldn't hook me, it wouldn't hook them. So the first line is of the utmost importance. <br />
<br />
From there, I start following these characters along to see what happens. I take breaks, but I always go over what I have already written when I come back to it. This way earlier details about the story that I want to change, I can do so or if I want to reinforce them, I can do that as well. Either way, I keep a firm grip on things.<br />
<br />
As far as endings, I usually have a really good idea in mind about them. Every now and then, they just sort of happen. But either way, I go over it a few times to make sure I write it the best way I know how to blow the reader away. And hopefully they will come back for more.<br />
<br />
<strong>What is the current project I am working on?</strong><br />
<br />
I am putting the final touches on a book of short stories. There are twelve of them. They all deal with criminal activity and offer plenty of nail-biting suspense. They range in length and differ a good deal in character in plot. There are also connections between some of the characters in different stories. I guess I like to think my whole fictional world is connected since it all comes from the same wacky source- my brain. I hope to release this title in the fall.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So there is my blog hop. It's been fun and I would love to do another one. But give all the credit to Ms. Bekkers and check out her page!Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-17938809670147070752014-05-13T22:02:00.000-07:002014-05-13T22:02:01.691-07:00Desperation
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Desperation
= Interest</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not
all protagonists are what you'd call “nice.”</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Certainly
many books have been written about characters who definitely delve
into darker things than most of us do. Most thriller protagonists
kill other people. One of the protagonists of David Baldacci's
thriller <i>Absolute Power</i> is a thief. The protagonists of James
Ellroy's <i>L.A. Confidential</i> are certainly far from good, honest
cops. Yet these books have been read by millions.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
why follow these characters?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Surely
most of us don't kill or steal or sell drugs or tamper with evidence.
I mean, if they would do these things, should we even care about
what happens to them?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ah,
but we do.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
does this say about us?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
says we are human. Most of us don't go as far as these characters
do. However we all do things we should not in the best interest for
our well-being. Our actions often lead to us finding ourselves in
some terrible situations. So we empathize with these characters when
they are...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Desperate.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Desperation
leads to all sorts of reactions but there is ALWAYS a reaction. The
characters have no choice but to do something rash in order to save
themselves or others in their lives. And well, we all can relate,
even if it's not on the same scale.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How
many of us have had a friend or relative who was rather comfortable
outside the law?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More
of us have than willing to admit, I would guess.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have
we helped them out when we maybe should not have? Yes. We remember
the times we had with them before they got us into this horrible
mess. We have ties to them and so we rise up to help them as we
believe they would do for us. And there's nothing wrong with where
our hearts are at even if the friend/relative might lead us into some
trouble.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
fiction, desperation causes characters to make tough choices. Make
money an illegal way or let your family starve? Sacrifice yourself
or your best friend? Get revenge even though it will cost you
everything? </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This
is the stuff that great plots are made of and it is also what reveals
great characters to us. Without the three ghosts visiting him,
Ebeneezer Scrooge would have remained the same old miser he is in the
beginning. Without the horrible betrayal against Edmond Dantes, he
would never have become the Count of Monte Cristo. If Burke Devore
had not been put out of work, he would have not become the
competition killing sociopath in <i>The Ax</i>.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
of these characters are placed in desperate situations. And they
react in ways most of us would not. Most misers would write off the
ghosts as just dreams or nightmares. Most people set up like Edmond
would have accepted their fate and wasted away in prison. Most
people put out of work deal with it and try to find another job
without killing people in competition with them. But these three
characters react in much more drastic ways. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
you corner any animal, the animal will fight you. There is no doubt
about that. Maybe it will take abuse from an owner for a while, but
keep going and it will attack and it will be savage. People are much
the same way but there is one little difference.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Civilization.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
are very far removed from caveman times or the Vikings or even the
American Wild West. No. Today most people are civilized to a point
and even if they have a savagery inside them, it is usually buried
deep or maybe to put it more accurately, it is very well hidden. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
most people will react if backed into a corner- eventually. However
you really have to grind them up to do so these days. Most of us
want to live happy lives with little conflict. I know I do.
Confrontation is not my thing. I tend to walk away. I'm getting
better at it since I have grown a little wiser to know that every
argument won't end in deadly blows to the head. Many times, a stern
stand-off ends in a hurry since one person is very willing to back
off. And sometimes I can be the stern one which is something I never
pictured myself being.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
still, I would have to be pushed pretty hard. I generally go with
the flow. So I realize it is my job to put a character in a
situation where he cannot run. Confrontation is the only choice. We
have all read stories where the author seem to let their characters
off the hook a bit early before we could see what the character was
REALLY all about. And then there's been others where the author
butchers his characters to the point where we turn away in horror. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dang.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Don't
be too nice but don't be that brutal. You must be a loner if this is
how you treat people.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think the best way is right in the middle where you push the
character far enough to get out of them what the author is trying to
reveal. And I believe desperation is the best way to accomplish
that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
think about it. Take some time to think about how you would react in
these scenarios. I'm sure you will some interesting thoughts. Feel
free to leave a comment with your answers!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How
would you react if:</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
are trapped in an elevator with your ex.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Your
house burns down.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Your
best friend enters your house with a gun and fires at you but
misses.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
are told that you can keep your job if you sleep with your boss.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
find a barrel filled with millions of dollars in the woods and want
to keep it but your friend does not.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
witness your spouse robbing a convenience store.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
break your leg and develop gang green. Cut if off and live or
refuse and die in one piece?</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
find your child killing a small innocent animal.</span></span></div>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
are diagnosed with a terminal disease and given two months to live.</span></span></div>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">10)You
see a ghost in your house. Do you tell?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-43973086996607949522014-05-07T12:31:00.001-07:002014-05-07T12:31:14.700-07:00Dangerous Impulses
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
open up your laptop. You click on Internet Explorer (or maybe
Firefox). You go to your homepage and then head on over to your
email where you are expecting an important message.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wait
a minute.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
decided to go on over to Facebook instead to see who commented on
your post. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
have fifteen comments.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most
are positive, but that one negative comment really grinds your gears.
In a fit of rage, you type out an angry answer to the negative
commenter.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
take a deep breath and calm down.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
now it's back over to the email.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh
wait.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What
about that cool old vinyl record you bid for on Ebay?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
you head on over to Ebay and check the status. A few minutes later,
you find yourself shopping for another item on Ebay and then you look
up to see an hour has now been used up without you ever having
checked your email. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
you head back on over and open it up to find your very important
message, but you're late in replying. You make a good reply and
return to check on it later on but no luck. Your potential client is
gone to someone else who acted more quickly.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why
did this happen?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is
it all the internet's fault?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Should
you just get rid of Facebook and Ebay altogether? </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is
the universe just not treating you fairly?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">No.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like
most of our problems in life, this is an internal problem. The
problem is that you acted on impulse. Instead of checking the email
to get yourself a new client and move forward in your career and make
money to pay your bills, you gave up a valuable hour to see a comment
on Facebook which you could have easily postponed for later.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
there's good news.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
lost one client.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
will be others and hey. Are you going to be living in the street
without that client? Nah. You'll make ends meet either way. So no
big deal.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
impulses can drive us to do much worse and more costly things. I
believe a lot of crime stems from impulsive behavior.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Does
every robber think his plan through before striking?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Obviously
not.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Does
every murderer come up with the perfect way to get away with his
crime before firing the gun?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Definitely
not.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet,
these crimes happen whether in what appears to be a smart manner or a
stupid one. I think usually it is impulse.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just
as an impulse can steer you in the direction of buying a new pair of
shoes when you need to use the money to pay your phone bill and when
you decide to slum off studying to go grab a drink with friends, it
can also make certain people snap and go outside the law.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
once read about a man who stabbed his wife of ten years in the head
with an icepick for changing the channel on TV. Now I would hope
this was an impulse kill. Apparently, stress had mounted up in this
man for long enough and then one day the wife turns the channel from
the game to a Lifetime movie and...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just
like that.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
many stories impulses play a big role. Stephen King's <i>Misery</i>,
Annie Wilkes rescues Paul Sheldon from certain death in a car
accident only to torture him to near madness . Yet when she rescued
him initially I believe she had no real plans for him just right
then. You could even say her impulsive behavior was a good thing for
Paul since he did get to live. But more often than not, impulsive
behavior leads to destruction like in Truman Capote's <i>In Cold
Blood </i>where Perry's impulsive reaction spells the demise of the
Clutter family. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
my book <i>Jack Little</i>, I believe Will Hodge has never done much
of anything on impulse in his entire life. However, once he sees
that van parked in the rundown motel, he sure starts to. He is one
character who can no longer be trusted to do right by himself and his
family. To put it simply, the man becomes full of impulses and every
one of them is bad. When he goes to Home Depot to get the rake, did
he really intend all along to go steal the pitcher from Tim? When he
picks up Ted Mills on the side of the road, does he really have any
good intentions other than taking the watch or was it an impulse? </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
think it's fair to say that Will lost a good bit of his mind along
with the business. And who can blame him? His initial impulse to
see all his merchandise to a stranger was certainly a bad one. And
his impulse to take back more than what was his was as well. Surely
he takes a dark journey and just remember it all started with one
impulse.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Watch
your own impulses my friend and stay safe.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-30370538728037670622014-04-30T15:54:00.001-07:002014-04-30T15:54:30.968-07:00Revenge Therapy
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Revenge
Therapy</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>The
Count of Monte Cristo</i><span style="font-style: normal;"> can be
called the ultimate revenge story and it has sold well for centuries.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Revenge
stories always work.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have
you ever been in a long line at a store? You wait patiently,
checking your watch/cell phone, just waiting...and waiting. You look
up to see five people in front of you...four...two...zero. You reach
the front of the line and then whoops.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
cashier turns off the helping sign and it's on to the next line for
more...</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Waiting.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eventually
you either set your items down and leave or you may go as far as to
hurl the items in air. You might even try to run out of the store
WITH the items. Either way, there is plenty of cause for chaos at
this point.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
that's just for starters.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's
say you have a relationship that goes fine at first but the
significant other takes steps to cut things off with no real reason.
Not too bad. We've all been there.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
let's say that things go much further before the other decides this
is not for them. Let's say an engagement. Now they've met your
relatives and friends and you can see your future and have a good
idea of where you're going and then they just drop the ball out of
nowhere and call everything off.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Wow.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Time
to erase the plans you had.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hold
on.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's
say you are married to this person. A few months down the road after
vows have been exchanged before your friends and family, NOW the ball
drops. You thought you had everything in order but no. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Just
kidding.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
have to go through the painful process of divorce which consumes
plenty of your time and money which most of us never have enough of.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's
step it up a bit.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">You
have been married for five years. You and your partner are the proud
parents of two children. NOW everything is in order and your daily
routines are how you want them to be. Nothing could be better than
being content on your choices and where you're headed.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And
then the ball drops.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ah,
man.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are
you kidding me?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
you have to go through a divorce which with children involved will be
messy to say the least. You have to explain to them why mommy and
daddy don't want to be together anymore and on and on. Then there's
custody and visitations and all those lovely things.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yes.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chaos.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
why stop there?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Let's
say that your partner has decided to do more than drop the ball on
you that they don't want to be together anymore. Let's say they are
planning on murdering you.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now
on the one hand, if they planned on killing you and they pulled it
off, well, end of story.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
if you figured out their plans, now we have a good story going.
Let's say you manage to get away from them and cannot prove their
intentions. The law would help but the law has to have proof. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Still
the former partner hounds you and hassles you and still tries to find
a way to do you in and you know all about it. Along with all the
other stresses in your daily life like work, paying bills and keeping
up with the kids, you have this threat looming over you. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sure.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
are restraining orders and lots of legal ways to keep an enemy at bay
but well they don't always protect you. You know it's coming but you
don't know when and where. Let's say now that the ex-partner
acquires full custody of the kids. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">And
you are left with nothing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
the planning out and working and struggling has left you alone with
nothing to show for it besides two children whose minds will be
twisted by whatever their psychopathic parent is filling their
innocent little heads with.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are
you ready for revenge yet?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">All
too often in our normal lives, we incur difficulties as the result of
another and many times, we wish in our darkest moments that we could
make that person go away.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
believe revenge stories hone in on that desire some of us have and
while they may be focusing on our darker elements simply for
entertainment I do believe that maybe living out our revenge
fantasies through a work of fiction is much better than actually
carrying out any sort of plan ourselves.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
here's to revenge fiction and how therapeutic it can be!!</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-6087968508625896722014-04-21T21:20:00.001-07:002014-04-21T21:20:31.339-07:00Crossing the Line
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Jack
Little </i><span style="font-style: normal;">is a story about Will
Hodge- a jewelry store owner in Memphis, TN who loses his business
because he falls for a conman's game. However he gets the chance to
get his store back and then some. He not only takes back his own
merchandise but also merchandise from the conman's other victims.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okay.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Not
the worse crime in the world.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
by taking what is not his he opens up a door into taking more than
what it is. He is opening up the door to stealing. And yes. Caught
or not, stealing is a crime and not justifiable for the most part.
We all agree it is not moral to take from somebody else.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet
I wonder how many of us would have made the same decision? </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
cannot swear that I would not. After all getting his own merchandise
back could be seen as a crime by many. The hardcore law abiding
person would have called the police without a second thought. Yet,
what would have happened?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Most
likely the police would have confiscated the merchandise and locked
it away in an evidence room. Sure. Will might get it back
eventually but bill collectors don't wait around to be paid. He
needed the money right then and there. So taking it back himself is
something I would most certainly take advantage of. I believe in God
and would feel like the lord had blessed me in spite of the conman's
efforts at my downfall. I see nothing immoral about reclaiming your
own property.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
I cannot say I would have taken the rest. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
cannot say I would not have either.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
the best fiction one primary ingredient is desperation. Will Hodge
feels that. His bills are piling up. His wife has just lost the
only woman who was ever a parent to her. His son is away at college
and we all know college costs money. He sees the business his father
built up his whole life and passed on to Will who in turn dedicated
his own life to running it, is going under. He is drowning.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So
he take the rest of the merchandise. If we had the same worries(as
many of us might have), we might go ahead and take a page from old
Will's book. And while it is a crime, how big or bad of a crime is
it?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Surely
when a man kills a child rapist, he is a criminal for taking the law
into his hands. However what if the child rapist would have hurt
another child if he hadn't killed him? The man prevented others from
being hurt. So while a crime, it is forgivable. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Is
Will's crime forgivable?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
believe it is although I know if I were in the shoes of the other
stores, I would not think so. The honorable thing to do would be to
return their merchandise and if nothing else, do so anonymously.
Either way you did not take what was not yours. You sleep well.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
of course Will gets plenty of sleep himself. Clearly he does not
look at it as such a bad thing and obviously forgivable. As a
reader, I think that I don't stand too much against him since the
other stores were bigger and most likely had great insurance that
came through anyway. So maybe in his shoes I would have done the
same thing.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
this did open up the door for more stealing. Any criminal finds
committing his crimes much easier the more he goes along. From here
Will starts taking other things and he's pretty darn good at it. So
here's the real question.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
he had not taken more than was his, would he have ended up stealing
anything else at all?</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
my opinion I don't think he would have. Despite his desperation, he
would have found another way. Crossing that line changes a person
forever.</span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2791054945552376992.post-4982021678484171252014-04-10T16:43:00.001-07:002014-04-10T16:43:32.018-07:00What is it about Crime Fiction?
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Why
do you like to read crime fiction? Is it the suspense of wondering
if the perpetrator will get caught? Can you see yourself in the same
situation? Is it vicarious living through the characters?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
read crime fiction because I love the suspense it brings. I also
read it because I believe we all have criminal tendencies somewhere
inside of us. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have
you ever thought 'You know, the bank does not need all that money.
There are lots of people who have money there who never earned it.
They don't work as hard as I do for what I get and they get by
without effort while I work hard every day. Why shouldn't I have a
bigger piece of the pie?'</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If
you haven't I would say you are in the minority. The truth is the
majority of us all <i>consider</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
committing a crime at some time in our lives. I know I have on many
occasions. But of course the majority of us do not follow through
with the idea. Most of us have morals and more importantly a
tremendous fear of jail.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Prison
time?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Oh
just shoot me instead!</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Yet
we can all pick up a crime novel and read about criminals and the law
enforcement officers who hunt them without any real solid risk to our
involvement. Sure. There are crimes happening and the hunt is on
but are we really involved? Will we be put in jail for reading?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-style: normal;">As
far as I know, we will not. I don't think any country supports that
law just yet.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">But
you never know.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
point is that we love to go on a thrill ride with characters who have
a lot to lose and a lot at stake. I know I do. We want our own
lives to go as smoothly as possible. Yet in fiction we want to see
characters put through the ringer. It's called identification. When
we identify with a character it's like making a new friend. And who
couldn't use more friends?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In
the end I believe every person has the potential to be a criminal or
at least think like one. Have you ever stolen a pen from work? Have
ever been really clever and stolen it with full intentions and then
told others you never meant to do that? Have you went even farther
and acted shocked to discover the stolen object and burst into a mad
frenzy of tears of shame?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We
read about criminals and crime because a little part of us thinks
that certain crime at times can be justified. A black and white
world is wonderful to dream about but our world just is not that
simple. Some laws are crazy to us and for good reason. However to
break that law and be caught officially makes you a criminal. And we
all are potential lawbreakers when it comes to certain laws. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">However
since most of us are not going to go as far as breaking the law we do
enjoy reading about people who do. Oh yes. Even the nastiest
murderers are fun to read about or they would not sell. If nothing
else seeing them go down at the end is enjoyable as well. Those
times when they do go down.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are
we all criminals?</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the record absolutely not.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Off
the record, I think we all have a bit of mischief in us. Thank God
for crime fiction. It saves a lot of money and time.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, monospace;"><span style="font-size: medium;">More
time to read!!</span></span></div>
Anthony David Mitchellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09167935662849743623noreply@blogger.com0