A two-year-old girl was strangled to death by a 12-foot python.  The snake belonged to her mother’s boyfriend.  Also living in the house was a boa constrictor.  Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I belong to the generation that installed stairway gates, moved dangerous objects out of reach, and basically “baby-proofed” the house.  I find it hard to believe that any parent would allow such large snakes to live in the same house with their young children.  What happened to the “good old days”?

In other news, one town used their stimulus money to hire a full-time person whose full job was to manage the money they received and to get more stimulus funds.  Another town used their money to renovate an antique train.  These are probably the same people who complained that the car dealership execs arrived in private jets to beg the government for money.  What was that old saying about casting the first stone????

Well, enough of the downers. On to the brighter news.

The Fourth of July is almost here!  Cookouts, parties, fireworks, friends, family, and booze.  The best part is that it falls on a weekend this year.  Holiday weekends always turn into a two- or three-day partyfest.  I, on the other hand, will be working on my writing - locked away from society in my apartment.  Don’t feel sorry for me - I actually love being alone on my computer.  I’m really looking forward to immersing myself into my storylines and discovering what will happen next in my characters lives.

It is really amazing to me when I write.  I start with my main characters and a basic idea for a storyline.  However, as I start writing the story, it goes off on its own.  Many of the secondary characters become full personalities which demand their own stories.  And my idea generally branches off in a direction I never expected it to take.  So, writing is always an experience I enjoy.  It’s like watching a movie unfold on my PC.

When I started writing Tufor, the main characters were Virginia Mae and her brother, Jason.  By the end of the third chapter, Jason’s roommate became my focus character.  I couldn’t allow him to take over the story, but it did allow me to develop a sequel which focused on his life.

Ms. Carmichael was my first memorable character (in my opinion).  She was the subject of the story and she held her own as a character.  Her neighbors were introduced simply to move the story forward, but they developed into much more and will appear in future short stories.

Davey was the main character of Spy-In-Training.  Mrs. Kingman was intended to provide Davey with a “mystery” to solve.  She handled her task admirably and became more of a mentor to Davey than I originally planned.  She became another personality that appears in the sequel and in a story of her own.

Marlon is the best example of secondary characters coming to life.  A middle-aged couple that runs a combination diner/motel were written simply as an introduction to the town.  However, their witty banter and eccentric attitudes made them more memorable.  They “took over” the story, becoming more intricately involved in the plot.

Many writers plan their script ahead of time.  They outline, draw charts, and plan their entire story before they begin to write.  I write from my imagination.  The outlines and background information is completed only after the story is finished.  Then, I may have to re-write certain parts to incorporate the changes needed.  After everything is finalized for the story, I’ll go back to the beginning and make changes in grammar and format.

These “self-developing characters” became so entwined in my head that I utilize them in other stories.  One of my favorite writers (Stephen King) crosses his characters and towns between his books.  Mentioning the connections adds another level of enjoyment to those readers who recognize the connection, but it does not detract from the story for those who don’t “catch” it.  That is the ultimate goal with all of my writing - to develop not just a story, but an entire inter-connected world where characters overlap and merge with each other.

Fantastic situations occur in my stories, but they are generally restricted to the awareness of the characters involved.  Just like in real life.  Aliens are among us?  There are many who believe it is true but have no proof.  Alternate realities?  Again, no proof.  Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, witchcraft, fairies, superpowers, time travel - why is there no evidence of these?  Maybe it is a coverup to protect those involved.  Maybe they don’t really exist.  Maybe the next person you see is a telepath.  Or a werewolf.  Who’s to say that it’s not true?

Think about it the next time you are around a group of people.  Watch them.  Everyone has their own agenda.

Paranoia can be healthy if THEY really are out to get you!

Writing is fun.  And writing fiction is an amazing experience.  Just remember that approximately 10% of everything you read is true.  What if that 10% was the “doorway through time” or the mind-reading child?

Food for thought.

Until next time,

Xander Riley - your portal to the unexpected and unknown.

Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but when you offer “improvements” to your product, you should make sure that it is free from bugs.  My personal opinion is that Microsoft (along with many other corporations) has become “too big for its britches” - they no longer care about the end user of their products.  Part of the reason I feel this way is their customer support system - you can never get an answer to your questions, even after wading through twelve people over four hours on the phone.  (And is it too much to ask that their customer support staff uses English as their primary language when the call comes from the U.S.???)

On that topic, I have another personal pet peeve: We’re in America.  When in Rome, do as the Romans do.  When in America, speak English.  Why do I have to wait through “for Spanish press 1, for French press 2, for English press 3″???  I highly support the idea that everyone should speak more than one language, but when you’re in the U.S., you should attempt to adapt to our culture and language.  I know that many Americans do not “practice what I preach” when they are overseas and that makes the rest of us look bad.  Don’t get me wrong - I strongly support cultural diversity and integration.  What I don’t like is having it forced down our throats.  Too many people migrate to the U.S. to escape conditions in their own country and start a new life in America - yet they do not try to “fit in”.  Instead, they continue living the same lifestyle they left behind and expect America to change for them.

Sorry about the soapbox ranting, but this has become a sore spot with me recently.  I know that somebody who reads this will have comments.  They have every right to defend their views - just as I have every right to express my own views.

One last comment on my pet peeve: Not everyone falls into the category I described above - the majority try to “fit in”.  Lately, however, I have encountered too many of the other kind.  I apologize in advance to anyone I may have offended with this topic, but a blog is a place to express your thoughts and ramble on about your life.

Now, for the main subjects:

Funny Bone:
Once upon a time, there were two Chinamen.

Now look how many.

(joke originally told on The Benny Hill Show)

Story Prompt:
What would the world be like today if the New World had not been discovered for another 400 years?  Did the native Americans advance technologically, or did they maintain their sedate lifestyle?  Did the rest of the world develop technology at the same rate?

Television:
Recommended TV shows that I look forward to watching each week - Burn Notice, Southland (currently on hiatus), True Blood, Lost (on hiatus), Primeval, and Chuck (on hiatus).  I’m also looking forward to seeing the premier of Hung (a new show starting on HBO this month).

Movies:
There is only one new movie that I really want to see - The Proposal.  How could it possibly go wrong with Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds, and Betty White???

I finally saw The Hangover and highly recommend it to everyone.  It was one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.

Funny Bone:
An earthquake hits a ranch, knocking all of the cows off their feet. However, the bulls remain standing - they simply sway back and forth. When the aftershock hits, once again the cows fall to the ground and the bulls sway. Finally, one of the cows approaches the lead bull and asks him how they stay on their feet during such a shake-up. The bull glances at her (as she were a pest) and says, “We bulls wobble, but we don’t fall down!”
(I know, it’s a groaner!)

Story Prompt:
You stop for the night at a motel to rest before continuing your cross-country drive. In the room, you discover something shocking in the nightstand drawer. What is it? Who left it there?

Television:
Recommended TV shows that I look forward to watching each week - Burn Notice, Southland, True Blood, Lost, Primeval, and Chuck.

Movies:
There are a few new movies that I really want to see - The Proposal, The Hangover, and Land of the Lost.

Obviously, Carol was very insulted the first time it happened, but she ignored the bird and continued on her way. The next day, the parrot waited until she was near and said, “You’re ugly!” When the parrot called her “ugly” every day for a week, she eventually reached her limit. Carol marched into the shop to complain to the owner about his bird.

The following Monday, Carol hesitated as she approached the shop. That bird was still sitting on its perch outside! She felt as if her tirade to the manager had been useless. Resigned to the inevitable, she marched up to the shop with her head held high.

Unbelievably, the parrot did not speak to her. Carol was perplexed. Maybe the owner had heard her plea and done something about it. This was the first time the parrot had not called her “ugly”.

Carol turned to look at the parrot, almost expecting to see a muzzle on his beak. The parrot simply flapped his wings as he stared straight at Carol. Then he spoke:

“You know!”

Story-Prompt-of-the-Day:
Imagine that you cannot speak. One day, you wake up and can’t make a sound. How do you communicate with other people? Come up with inventive ways to communicate. Many times, this will lead to a good story idea.

Website-of-the-Day:
Free-Ebooks.net provides free literature on a variety of subjects, including fiction. You have to register before downloading, but it is free.
http://www.free-ebooks.net

What’s the difference between a snowman and a snow-woman?
Snowballs.

Story-Prompt-of-the-Day:
While digging in your garden, you discover an old bone buried a few feet beneath the surface. What kind of bone is it? Human? Animal? Why was it buried on your property? Did a dog simply bury it’s bone there? Or, was it something more sinister? You decide which direction the story goes.

Website-of-the-Day:
http://brainden.com/optical-illusions.htm
BrainDen.com is an interesting website with optical illusions, brain teasers, jokes and more.