On the mini series Brides of Christ getting to know oneself was likened to peeling an onion, one layer at a time. For me writing is like building a house one brick at a time or one sentence at a time. I cherish, and at times not so, my two writing groups since they challenge me with ideas that I would not even think about writing, asking me to think about new and different writing styles each time I sit down to write their tasks for the month.
Until next time,
Debbie
I wrote this short narrative a couple of years ago when the topic was very personal.
Billy the Bull
They called Billy ‘The Bull’ since Billy silently made his move on his prey–the other kids. No kid was singled out, they all were pinched, bitten, scratched, tugged or licked. The Bull soared through the day, biting, shouting, tugging, tearing – ripping carefully ironed pants, exposing bodily parts meant to be hidden. This day The Bull lay broken. His face scarred with red indentations of teeth. Teeth dug deep into bare flesh. Swallow, spat, lick–the pain stayed. Billy grinded his teeth, snorting rage like a real bull. Rage, brokenness, silence whirled. The Bull’s prey–the other kids, are no longer. The kids prey is now The Bull.
Until next time Debbie.
To be an accomplished writer one needs to learn from the best. Shakespeare was the best, and even he used other writer’s words to develop his own style. A style that would become so good that he’s been labelled as one of the best writers of our time.
I am currently reading Oliver Sacks The Man who Thought His Wife was a Hat. I cannot flaw his writing style. Sacks takes us on a journey, a very personal journey, of rare neurological deficits, affects and disorders and the way they manifest or show up in his patients.
The Man who Thought His Wife was a Hat, is the favourite book, of author Lisa Genova. Her book Still Alice, recently adapted into a film and skilfully written, is the story of a fifty year old university professor who starts to have memory problems.
Larry’s Party by Carol Shields is also a surperbly wriiten book. The books I have mentioned, look at words and how they fit into sentences. It is the sentence structure, which is the basis of a well written book. The other parts, the building blocks, come next. As a writer, please remember the necessity of a good foundation. With it, your writing will stand. Without it, your writing will crumble. Until next time, Debbie.
Debbie Bayliss 