Assignment: Write a post that builds on one of the comments you left yesterday.
After visiting several blogs, one really stood out for me. Spiritual Dragonfly shared a post called The Beauty of the Abandoned and Forgotten. She opened with this quote (and I liked it):
“What can I say, I’m a sucker for abandoned stuff, misplaced stuff, forgotten stuff, any old stuff which despite the light of progress and all that, still vanishes every day like shadows at noon, goings unheralded, passings unourned, well, you get the drift.” ~Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves~
The title, The Beauty of the Abandoned and Forgotten, initially caught my attention but the photos stirred my imagination. I love abandoned things and forgotten places. It’s like they are waiting to be found, wanting to share their stories. When I saw the first picture, an ivy covered door, the beginnings of a story tickled my brain:
Theodore Harding was tired – tired of eating beans, of sweeping the mill floors, and wearing a thread-bare coat…
When we think of courage, we often think of people doing extraordinary things in dangerous situations. While that is certainly true, courage is also daring to follow your dreams, to face your fears and persevere.
Many of us (writers) are introverts by nature. We are most comfortable in smaller groups and quite content being alone. In fact, alone time isn’t just nice, it’s a necessity. We seek out an empty room, sit behind our computer and type our hearts out.
This is where courage comes in. Whether we are blogging or working on a novel, we have to release our words, our thoughts, and ideas to the world. We are literally exposing our inner-selves.
That is scary. There’s no invisible shield to protect us from the scrutiny of our readers. Unfortunately, some of those readers aren’t going to like what we have to say – and that’s okay. What’s important is our reaction. We must refuse to be intimidated. We must be tenacious. Writing is our art. It is the way we express ourselves. It is as important as the air we breathe.
I don’t even want to admit how many books I’ve tried to read lately only to close the cover/shutdown the Kindle. As I walked around Barnes and Noble, I wasn’t holding out much hope of finding anything intriguing. And then I stumbled across There Will Come a Time by Carrie Arcos.
This isn’t your typical young adult novel. The main character, Mark Santos, is struggling with the death of his twin sister.
Arcos delivers a solid, character-driven story. She delves into the emotional depths of grief – presenting an all too believable tale of the anguish survivors often feel. There are times, your heart breaks for Mark; other times, you want to smack him. But through it all, you’re pulling for him. You want him to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I loved the author’s writing style. I loved the characters as they were well-developed and had distinctive voices.
I loved the cover – particularly the lights. A light in the darkness represents hope and ultimately, that’s what this book is about.
5 stars
In the summer of 1985, Back to the Future was released. I loved that movie – still do. So, it’s probably no surprise that I’ve considered the possibilities of time travel. And I have to answer the question:
What would I do if a time traveling DeLorean landed in my front yard?
I’d climb in, shut the door and press the gas!
My first stop would be in 1977. I’d talk to a much younger me. I’d explain that those bumps in the night were products of a very active imagination – something that will serve me well in the future. I’d also explain that yes, Darth Vader did look scary, but he would become a favorite character as I grew older.
My next stop would be 1983.
Every Breath You Take by The Police would probably be playing on MTV. I don’t even want to think about my feathered hair and tight stonewashed jeans. I’d explain that big changes were about to happen – but I’d be okay. I’d advise myself to embrace opportunities, to have faith in my abilities – that my teenage dream of writing wasn’t unrealistic. It’s achievable but only if I have the courage to pursue it.
If you stumbled across a time machine, when would be your destination?
dsmcknight.com 
