Writing Update: Vices

  It seems like each day I move three steps forward, I have to take one stride back. The manuscript is almost in full swing and ready to be sent in, I read online on writer's digest that most writers are most comfortable and in their best writing form when they are alone. Ahh, it seems like the one thing I need most is also the one thing I cannot have access to. This thesis makes me wonder if when I can write in solitude whether or not my writing would take this long. All I need to do is get a desk and a writing area down in the basement, I would like to plaster up the walls and paint it, but that is a while off. (I'll also need for my amazing mother to buy me a coffeemaker which I could set up down there so it won't take a toll on my legs going up and down the steps for another cup of coffee.

  This brings me to my next point, vices. Drinking coffee or tea, gnawing on pen caps, smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, or whatever your grip may be, this is an essential tool which can help writers. I read in on vices in the writing process and you would be suprised how many great writers have something which they are doing while they are writing, Ken Kesey (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Sometimes a Great Notion, Sailor Song), one of the more extreme examples, was a writer who abused LSD and cites how essential his LSD trips were in his creative process. To aspiring writers, know that I am not telling you to get hooked on hallucinogenics, instead I am trying to advocate that if there is something you do once in a while which can keep your focus, then do it. It doesn't have to be anything that messes with your senses, instead like I said, if you find yourself clicking a pen, chewing on pencils, or tapping your foot when you work, then don't hold back when you are writng. Personally, if I don't always have a cup of coffee or tea while I'm writing my consistency skews, and I find that my writing can fall a bit flat. So whatever it may be, embrace it.

  As far as reading goes, I started reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton last night. It is a quick read that only chalks up 188 pages hardcover, and I have read it before. I thought it would be a good article to write, considering the book doesn't have the same popularity it did in the 70's and 80's, and it displays values which I find most people have lost. Also I want to read the book and get a full understanding of it with a pair of adult eyes as opposed to those of a Seventh Grader. Thank you for reading, my pageviews jumped a bit last night, (from 2 to 31) not a huge amount, but anyone on facebook who read my post I just wanted to thank you, and if you have a google account, follow my blog! Thank you, and have a great day.

First Post: The Shining by Stephen King

   A book which actually makes me shiver, jump with fear at the sound of a grandfather clock's chime, or run down the hallway in my own house out of fear that something is chasing me is quite a rarity. Most horror movies don't give me the same skin curdling fear which this book did. I finished the last page of the epilogue just earlier this evening, and I must admit that even though the book was finished, the images which Stephen King painted with blood and premonitions scattered throughout the novel still stand unfaltered in my head.

  The book starts out a bit slow (I find this common throughout King's works) after the characters have been established, and the scene was set, the King of Horror (pun intended) had my hairs raised on end from climax to resolution. The way Danny's visions are written out with wordplay used to try and present it in hazy imagery, or the way you see Jack's struggle against dark spirits throughout the hotel was enough to keep my interest for easily 100-200 pages a day. I found at points in the book that King actually had me sympathizing with Jack (who was trying to keep the family together through supporting them, and stopping at nothing to do so) over Wendy (who finds that the family would be better off leaving the Overlook, and taking care of what she believes are Danny's mental issues). The book scared me, and that is an experience which I can cherish. I will most likely read the book again just to get a good scare. I found that most of my fear was actually coming from the spirits, such as the masquerade party guests, or the dog man dripping in blood threatening to eat Danny if he didn't turn back as opposed to the physical violence Jack displays later on in the story. The ending was fulfilling, and something which still is making me wonder about what will come of Danny and Wendy. I would recommend this book to anyone who hasn't read it, or those who are feeble enough to actually find enjoyment in the Kubrick film.

Side Note: This book absolutely kills the movie, and before reading the book I liked the movie. The story is better paced, more well rounded in structure, and brought me closer to the characters. 

  So if you are looking for a good scare, and you haven't read this book yet, I would recommend to buy it if possible. If you aren't the type to re read, then I would recommend checking it out of your local library.