We're all guilty of it--I'm certainly no exception. Sometimes, while I'm lost in my own thoughts, or simply bored out of my ever-living-mind, I placate myself by engaging in self-deprecating humor. Other times, I rail on about political issues, and still others, I write about my desire to be.....well, a writer.
No matter the reason, contrived or otherwise, most of us spend a significant amount of time on our computers with social media being at the top of our Internet usage. I'm beginning to understand many things specific to the human psyche, most of it learned through my own flawed personality, and some via those "Facebook friends" that we all have.
Before I delve into some of the interesting on-line personas I encounter on a daily basis, let me first say this: my life isn't that exciting. I am well-traveled, but the vast majority of my travel hasn't been personal/vacation/retreat kind-of-travel; on the contrary, it's largely work related. What's the difference? About ten thousand photos taken and hung in my personal "Cloud." That's the difference. When I participate in work travel....I work. Sometimes I get a few hours to sight-see, but mostly, well, I'm in a hotel, or on my computer catching up on work e-mails, or on the phone dealing with some work related issue. So, while I might inadvertently paint a picture of my own redneck refinement, I can assure you I'm just a simple guy who takes his work to other places.
Also, I have many, many interests, as do most of us. I attempt to share some of these with friends and family, but in retrospect, I'm sure they may come off as "look at what I can do," or "I think I'm better than you." Please let me assure you that I don't intend for that to ever be my personal message. In fact, I enjoy sharing experiences with people, telling stories, and generally relish life.
With all that said, let's talk about other people. :)
There are a host of on-line personas that make me laugh. I would venture to guess that these same personas aggravate, or even infuriate, a host of people, but I take everything I read with a grain of salt and shrug off ninety-nine percent of it.
The on-line tough guy/keyboard warrior: This is the guy who creates an imaginary world so full of self-indulgent grandeur that even a Marvel Comics story writer would be impressed. This is especially prevalent in the martial arts world where the vast majority of practitioners have never been in a real fight, and even those who have been are now getting up there in years and have dropped off in their ability.
The internet historian: We've all seen this guy. He's the one who will correct even the most mundane of historical fact. Most of the time he does this without first verifying what he's written on snopes.com or some other credible site.
The drama queen: This man/woman will post every visage of h/her life for the world to read, but get anxious and exceptionally upset when someone says something h/she perceives as negative.
The political guru: Okay, I'm talking about me here......nothing to see....move along.
The grammar Nazi: I've fallen into this one several times, but attempt to curtail my spelling/syntax OCD by counting to ten before responding. It helps...but not always.
The photo blast expert: This person has at h/her disposal the best camera on the market, with some of the best software available. We are subjected to a bevy of floral, insect, tree, children, food and sunset/sunrise shots.
The "I love everybody" person: No matter the issue, no matter the circumstance, this person just wants equality for all, but struggles to define the inequality the person or group has suffered.
The passive-aggressive: Yeah, you'll have to re-read what he said three or four times before you realize he was telling you to piss off.
The sports authority: Look, this guy has every sports channel available in the world and rarely ventures off the sports reservation. What he doesn't know he can google in .1 second.
I know I've missed several, but these are the folks I laugh at regularly. We all take part in the on-line persona game, and to some extent it's fun....just don't let it dominate your life, and stop taking yourself so seriously.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Creating an imaginary world from reality
I recently remarked to someone that I'm passionate about creative writing, and more specifically story telling, because I'm always so anxious to find out how the story ends. In writing circles, people like me are known as "pantsers," or those who write without a predetermined course. Those who create outlines and work within those confines are known as "plotters." I fall somewhere between these two labels, as I generally begin with an outline, drop it, and continue writing based upon research, gut feel, and simple intuition.
Many, if not most, of the places appearing in my first novel I have visited first-hand. When I travel, I try to get a feel for the "vibe" of a place. Are the locals and visitors at ease, laughing, and having a care-free time, or is there a more pessimistic impression that I sense? What is the climate like in that region, and what do people generally wear to help protect them from the elements? Is the air tepid or frigid? The local architecture is as drastically important as the people moving through it when developing "my world." After all, how boring would a story be without envisioning the surroundings? Do the locals commute on mass transit, or via personal vehicle? What kind of vehicle is prevalent in the locale?
I make a concerted effort to take in various smells in a particular area, as I never know when I might attempt to work that place into a scene. As an example, New York City is made up of widely contrasting neighborhoods, ethnicities, foods, high rise apartment and business complexes, smells, and sights. The subterranean world moving passengers beneath New York is a city in and of itself. Sweltering heat, dripping water, the rats, dirty tiled walls, street musicians, and droves of tourists.....all of it......make up a tightly woven conurbation connected by tunnels, trains, and concrete.
Within the reality of a setting comes the dramatic, personified algorithm that becomes my make-believe world. Our nightmares, after all, are made up of self-perpetuated dreamscapes born of reality, fear and anxiety. With that thought in mind, it isn't so far-fetched for a lover of the fictitious to try to bring imagined life into reality.
All of my characters are created with attributes I've personally witnessed in others, or in myself. The good, bad, love, loneliness, feelings of helplessness, and evil (as we've come to define it), are things I've experienced or have seen people experience first-hand. In several cases, I've interviewed people dealing with certain conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to acquire a better understanding of the condition and stress it creates in the human brain.
Finally, I don't sit around attempting to develop a plot for a story. On the contrary, an idea will simply strike me as interesting and I will pursue it. Other times, a story will have to stew in my mind, festering like a boil on infected skin, until it rises to the top finally revealing itself to me.
Like I've told many over the years: I don't fancy myself some linguistic artist struggling to make it in a world wrought with competition. No, I'm just a story-teller who enjoys the craft....and a guy who needs to know how the story ends. :)
Blogger's note:
Photo 1.) Makati, Manila The Philippines
Photo 2.) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Photo 3.) The Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
Photo 4.) Somewhere in NW New Mexico
Many, if not most, of the places appearing in my first novel I have visited first-hand. When I travel, I try to get a feel for the "vibe" of a place. Are the locals and visitors at ease, laughing, and having a care-free time, or is there a more pessimistic impression that I sense? What is the climate like in that region, and what do people generally wear to help protect them from the elements? Is the air tepid or frigid? The local architecture is as drastically important as the people moving through it when developing "my world." After all, how boring would a story be without envisioning the surroundings? Do the locals commute on mass transit, or via personal vehicle? What kind of vehicle is prevalent in the locale? I make a concerted effort to take in various smells in a particular area, as I never know when I might attempt to work that place into a scene. As an example, New York City is made up of widely contrasting neighborhoods, ethnicities, foods, high rise apartment and business complexes, smells, and sights. The subterranean world moving passengers beneath New York is a city in and of itself. Sweltering heat, dripping water, the rats, dirty tiled walls, street musicians, and droves of tourists.....all of it......make up a tightly woven conurbation connected by tunnels, trains, and concrete. Within the reality of a setting comes the dramatic, personified algorithm that becomes my make-believe world. Our nightmares, after all, are made up of self-perpetuated dreamscapes born of reality, fear and anxiety. With that thought in mind, it isn't so far-fetched for a lover of the fictitious to try to bring imagined life into reality.
Finally, I don't sit around attempting to develop a plot for a story. On the contrary, an idea will simply strike me as interesting and I will pursue it. Other times, a story will have to stew in my mind, festering like a boil on infected skin, until it rises to the top finally revealing itself to me. Like I've told many over the years: I don't fancy myself some linguistic artist struggling to make it in a world wrought with competition. No, I'm just a story-teller who enjoys the craft....and a guy who needs to know how the story ends. :)
Blogger's note:
Photo 1.) Makati, Manila The Philippines
Photo 2.) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Photo 3.) The Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, Utah
Photo 4.) Somewhere in NW New Mexico
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