You've Been Summoned

What is your first thought when you get that notice in the mail? How can I get out of this? Maybe I won’t get picked? In any event, you most likely will have to report to the court at least one day to go through the selection procedure. Now, the purpose of this blog is to not debate what is our civic duty. No, I am thinking of this from a writer’s point of view.

As a writer you should be thinking…there is a story here, somewhere in this experience.

When I arrived in the jury assembly room on a recent summons, I made it a point to look around the room and observe the people gathering to answer their “civic” duty. Most, that is to say, almost all of them were staring at their phones. What was their life stories, I thought.

Upstairs in the courtroom I watched each person as they were called up to the judges’ bench to be interviewed by her as to their ability to render an unbiased verdict based on the facts of the case. I studied the hand gestures and facial expressions of each person, including the judge, and wondered what their story was. As each person turned from the bench they either walked to the jury box, or the coveted freedom walk back to the assembly room. I wondered why one was chosen, but not the other.

There were probably the makings of a thousand stories to be written from that experience. As a writer, always be looking for a tale to tell.

Eight Billion Teachers, and You're One of the Faculty

In 2022 the world population was estimated to be 8 billion people. As a writer you should consider each person in the world to be your teacher. If you observe their actions and behaviors, you will learn human nature. It’s a great study in human character, and the character of humans.

If you are writing fiction, know your characters intimately. What is their human nature? How will they respond to the different situations that you place them in?

Know too, that you are a teacher in this world. A member of the faculty of 8 billion. Tell your story. Write your story.

Figure out who you are.

Have you given that much thought? I didn’t, until later in life. Once you figure out who you are, you will feel more confident and content with your actions and your decisions, assuming of course you are seeking a life of virtue. Strive to be the calm, wise person in the room. Being a student of: philosophy, human behavior, religion, and history will certainly help you to cope with the ups and downs of daily life, and it will also help you in your writing. Know human nature, but more importantly, know who you are and what you believe in. If you’re supposed to be a reader, read. If you are supposed to be a writer, write.

Thought for the Day

Seek discomfort. The modern world is working to degrade our ability to endure even the slightest difficulty. Keep in mind that there are groups and individuals out there who look to gain from your dependency. As a young boy I grew up without air conditioning. Not in the apartment and not in our family car. I played hard outside with the neighborhood kids. We had simple mechanical toys. I went camping in all types of conditions. I learned from my father how to light a campfire, and we ate beef stew from a can. Later in my adult life I certainly enjoy the modern conveniences, however, I still like to seek discomfort on occasion. I’ll attend a football game and sit in the pouring rain. I chose the coldest day of the winter and take a walk on the boardwalk. After retiring from the fire department, I ran a full marathon, 26.2 miles. So, what did I gain from all of that? Some resiliency, I hope. Some courage to face and overcome the difficulties that I have faced and will face in my life. Enjoy our modern comforts, but from time to time, seek discomfort. Keep writing.

Do Good Anyway

In today’s world I like to reread these Paradoxical Commandments and remind myself to do good anyway. I believe these were created by Kent M. Keith:

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.

If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.

People favor underdogs, but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.

Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the best you have anyway.

Poetry? Really?

Yes. Reading poetry will help you with your descriptive writing even if your story has nothing to do with roses and violets.

Reading poetry improved my descriptive writing abilities beyond just writing: The fire truck was red. And, in the process of reading poetry I discovered some great poems that will go right to your soul. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Robert Frost, Walt Witman, Max Ehrman, and William Ernest Henley just to name a few, wrote some pretty powerful stuff.

Here are some comparisons that I’m talking about where you can improve on your writing.

“You should appreciate getting old. Think of all you’ve learned.” Max Ehrman describes it this way in Desiderata: “Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.”

Instead of: “He looked off to the horizon.” try, “He scanned the vast ocean to where the clouds floated on the water.”

One last example: “Fair weather clouds so high in the sky kissed orange by a sun still hidden to my eye.” EB Rogers

So, poetry for sure will change the way you incorporate descriptive writing into your story, so you dont have to write, “The sky is blue.”

Keep writing.