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June Ramble

It's always a surprise when June arrives. The world is light at 0430 and it seems ungrateful not to get up.

 This week I finished Phill Featherstone's Aftershocks and am currently reading the companion volume, Paradise Girl. While probably aimed at the YA market, this OAP thought they are very good stories. The characters are credible and refrain from doing too many stupid things. The dialogue of the young people rings true as do their attitudes. Featherstone is a teacher and he knows how to keep young people interested without indulging them too much as he tells the story he wants to tell.

 I am hoping that my collection of stories Undivulged Crimes will appear later this month.

 Today, I began writing a story without an idea of where it will go. It was stimulated by a mysterious occurrence my father told me about. Unfortunately, its the sort of front-ended story where all the impact is at the beginning and everything that comes after is an anti-climax.

A good example of this type of tale is the legendary Mary Celeste. A ship is discovered in the middle of the ocean with food on the table and everything seeming to be in good order, but no one is on board.

 It's a compelling image, but once made, all there is left to do is to explain it, which is cumbersome at best. All the impact is in the opening scene.

 Alfred Hitchcock looked at directing The Wreck of the Mary Deere (1959)but decided there was nothing interesting to be done with the story.

 I doubt my story will see the light of day, but as writers know, sometimes you just have to go for the walk.

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