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Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Wednesday, January 4, 2017
Monday, January 2, 2017
Write from the Gut with No Fear
Because I Had To starts with a
punch. No wimpy description here, the reader sees the young lady's
pain from the first pages. I can't help it, I'm engaged in this
story.
The author shows this story from points
of view of different first person narratives. The story of adoption,
rejection and finding peace comes to life in present and flashback
tales of the two characters. I see a daughter's pain; and middle age
search for relevance and return to the joy of a career. As with many
stories sometimes, I feel I have walked down these streets on my
journey, too, and maybe feel them a little too deeply. This novel has
that sign of good fiction, when truth is told.
As with life's journeys, no cozy
tidying up at the end. If this novel starts with a punch, it ends
with an upward kick into my sternum. I was glad to get a hug from my
husband when I closed the book and turned out the light.
I recommend this novel to anyone with
children, anyone doubting their choice of careers, anyone with
parents as well as close older friends like an aunt or uncle, or
anyone with a heart. This novel helped me process some memories,
putting to words feelings I suppressed. I felt David Bulitt wrote
from his gut with no fear. We often made choices because we had to.
My review on Goodreads and Amazon for David Bulitt's second novel.
I found this author on the Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes fan page. His first novel, Card Game, caught my attention. The story was about guys my same age and he loves Jukes music. Sounded like a great combination and it was. I enjoyed this first book. Sometimes, I thought, he didn't go there, but he did. But under the raucousness, a deep thread of human struggle wove the words. The main character, JB, deals with the first of his buddies dying, the second novel takes up a year after the friend, Tom, dies, with JB and Jess, Tom's troubled adoptive daughter.
These books don't follow how I write in the faith department. Yet under all the drinking, swearing, and sex, the rawness of human nature pulses in these novels. I believe fiction that connects the writer and reader in some way moves the soul. This author and I have much in common I found through his writing, on the level of parenting, long marriage, dealing with depression in others, and writing; as well as love for some great music.
I push this year to write more from the gut. I protect sometimes, imaging people will think they see themselves in my characters. I want to write this year without fear. I want to explore areas I shied from before. Since the beginning I desire to touch people's souls, reaching an area where a writer and reader share in imagination.
The best way to do this is to continue to write. I pray for reviews. I see my words hanging in the air, wondering are they touching anyone? Even negative reviews help me sharpen thoughts. This past year especially has been the proverbial roller coaster year.
About this time of six o'clock in the evening, a year ago, I told my husband, he needs to take me to urgi care, the doctor promptly sent me to ER. By nine thirty that night, January Second, 2016, I peered at people in OR masks with a black mask covering my mouth and nose, as emergency surgery commenced. I vowed a week later, as I realized how close Death stalked me that night, 2016 would be a year of fun.
Tiredness and responsibilities kept me many times from that vow. As I filled in constantly for quitting staff, I never knew when a day off would be. Then the old school that housed my office had no air conditioning in a relentlessly hot summer. I struggled through this new role and never felt my footing. It wasn't a good fit and they told me good bye the week before Christmas. I was relieved and I still am.
The tiredness of recovery and work, also seemed to keep me from writing. In my search for a new job, I plan to write as much as I can, too. The rawness of this past year and the many twists in history we couldn't foresee seemed to write a novel. I have a few scenes written, but not sure, yet, how they will work together into something. Being a worker and not a quitter, though, I will finish Walking With Eternity, first.
I still toy with putting together my poems in a small book. I will use pictures I took where they seem to fit. This also takes time and planning. I dream for 2017 and the work awaits, writing from a deeper place.
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