Life Is Too Important To Be Taken Seriously.

This is one of my favourite quotes. I have it on my wall and use it to remind myself that I need to live the life I have been given. Oscar Wilde meticulous ordered words to form this slice of inspiration. He was also a great wordsmith and could influence words to release humour which transcends the years or sculpt them to build a monster that haunts you long after the book has been returned to the shelf. 

I am currently reading ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ a tale of vanity, lust, decadence, and all those other lovely traits that make life interesting; not always good for us but a little like that last piece of chocolate – fine so long as no-one else knows. Each time I have read Dorian I have seen new issues in the telling. Age, I think, is the difference. I was still at an all-girls private catholic college, and a good god-fear young lady (my mother would argue with this but it is my tale) and to be quite honest I was perplexed at some of the behaviour within the story. Years later at University I read it again and loved it. Why? Oscar captures the worst of human nature and makes it appear ok to act as you wish, given that there is no reckoning. The catch interestingly enough and the bit I missed at school, is that you are your own moral compass. Yes, people are flawed but most of us do try to do better, to forgive and to be superior to what we were yesterday. I like to think Oscar had it right, that given true freedom without fear of retribution, we would choose well.  

This then lead to my thinking of the intricacy of writing! How often do we stop to ponder over that quote that gets us though the darkness or that one book that is never any further away that one arm’s length?

I am new to blogging so I am still learning. I am enjoying the experience but not sure what should or should not be shared. I am not sure what my readers like or want. I know why I sign up to certain blog pages and connect to a particular social networking site. Sometimes it is the humour the author weaves into their storytelling. Others it is because I get a point of view that is different to my own. I enjoy these pages because I can rant all I like at the screen, without it yelling back at me or it getting up a leaving the room mid-debate. 

It is the same with reading novels. I know that I like a captivating crime story; stimulating sci-fi; mortal mystery; honest history and of course a raunchy romance. I really do not stop to think about how the writer imprisonments my interest and keeps me turning the 300 odd pages to reach the close.

I had one of the people who is reading my blog ask me today how I get my ideas and make it work. My answer was simple “I don’t know.”  I see or hear something that catches my imagination and I sit at my keyboard and write” Does it work? Sometimes I say yes and am very happy with the end results but am I honest? I would like to think so but the blogs that have been viewed the most are not the ones that I liked the best. 

So that leads to another question, how does a writer know what the reader wants? I write because of the way you can manipulate the English language. I write because I feel more at ease expressing emotion on paper than having to deal with people. I write because I love words. I prefer the term wordsmith to writer. A wordsmith is a master of his trade, whereas a writer does just that.

Life is full of rules and regulation, and writing is no different. Remember school; learning the rules of grammar, what punctuation was for and of course that mortal enemy of any student of true creativity – syntax. This is great if you have a news story to cover or are assembling a company report but to reach the heart and soul ensuing your reader spills tears either from heartbreak or laughter requires breaking the rules or at the very least , bending them.  I have read a book and been so immersed in the telling, I have seen the breaking dawn, heard the breeze, felt the chilling winter frost, wiped the plum juice from my hands or squatted with seconds to spare as the sword slashed. Others are just words joined together to tell of some happening. Interesting maybe, but this is not really storytelling. Words are meant to tell their story and in the hands of a master that is just what they will do. Words have started revolutions, destroyed governments, made heroes of fools, and created causes from nothing more than an idea. I guess the point I started out to make, was I enjoy my writing and sitting at my keyboard to shape words into a picture, hoping that when I share with others they may feel, but it is more for me then my reader. 

And this brings us back to the main focus of today’s blog. The reason for Oscar’s quote “life is too important to be taken seriously”. It makes no difference if anyone else likes your choices, what you want to do, the way you create, your dress style, your image, shape, hair and the list is endless. It is your life the only one you get to live. You do what you want. Write, paint, and sing, it really makes no difference if others see or understand. All that matters is that you are fulfilled.

And what of Dorian well, even after all the life that Dorian lived, love turned out to be his downfall. He could not bear to see himself through the eyes of the one he loved and so destroyed himself!

Me, I like to think I am my most critical admirer (again my mother would argue) so for me it translates into if I like me and what I am doing than that is all that should really matter. I know no-one could ever accuse me of taking life to seriously, including my mother but I do appreciate the importance of it to ME.

These are sites where you can access information about Oscar Wilde. The last link is to Goodreads and is a site for readers. Click on it and join us. We read and if you want to you can add a review of the book. I love the site because other readers or groups will introduce you to genres you may not normally experience. We are a friendly lot and welcome all newcomers.

http://www.cmgww.com/historic/wilde/  
http://www.biography.com/people/oscar-wilde-9531078
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3565.Oscar_Wilde

WORDS ARE ALL I HAVE…

Writing, writer, such simple words but without these two insignificant little words our world would indeed be desolate. There would be no books. Nothing would ever have been recorded on Science, Physics, Astronomy, Astrology, Biology, and History. There would be no theatre, movies, television shows or the local school performances.  We would never have heard of Mozart, Beethoven, Led Zeppelin or Tenacious D. The immortal words of Plato, Shakespeare, Tolkien, Douglas Adams or Markus Zusak would not exist. “I have a dream” would be just that, a dream and not the speech that defines a generation.  No painting would ever have made it to a canvas. Without those who weave magic from words thus creating our realm, our loves, and our hates, life would be devoid of all knowledge, expression and beauty. Wordsmiths simply create.

Valentine’s Day is on Thursday and the lovers of the world will ponder over those special words that express the level of devotion and adoration they feel for their mate. Florist cards will be scribbled on, crumpled and new ones started until the verses are flawless. For this one day the world is filled with poets, writers all needful of words.  It is not until such an occasion does the average person have any idea of what the life of a writer is like. It is not all glamour, book-signing, movie deals and the high life. It is brutal discovering just the exact word, the proper turn of phrase, and attaining it can be murderous. Most of those who penned that book you just finished gave up a considerable portion of their life to bring you that tale. Words require love and passion but also dedication. What fashioned the very words you use to win your fair love? Let us look at the late, great Mr W Shakespeare of England.

William Shakespeare was most probably our greatest wordsmith and the English language owes a great debt to him. Will invented over 1700 of our common words by connecting words never before used together or  devising words wholly unique. Below is a list of a few of these words. At the end of this blog I have added a link if you would like to see the full list.

Monumental	Addiction	Savagery	Amazement	Arouse
Assassination	Bedroom	Tranquil	Bloodstained	Barefaced
Blushing	Champion	Cold-Blooded	Compromise	Discontent
Dishearten	Courtship	Hobnob	Deafening	Lacklustre
Fashionable	Gossip	Madcap	Undress	Moonbeam

William Shakespeare not content with adding words he also devised numerous phrases, still in everyday use. The Barb was a genius, and even though every English student the world over cringers at the mention of his name, the rest of us should thank him daily. These are just a sample and as with the words, I have selected ones that I think are the most commonly used. We all have heard, read or used more than one of these expressions.

• A fool's paradise
• A foregone conclusion
• A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse
• A sea change
• A sorry sight
• All corners of the world
• All of a sudden
• All that glitters is not gold
• All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players
• All's well that ends well
• And thereby hangs a tale
• As cold as any stone
• As dead as a doornail
• As pure as the driven snow
• Beware the ides of March
• Come what come may
• Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
• Discretion is the better part of valour
• Eaten out of house and home
• Et tu, Brute
• Even at the turning of the tide
• Exceedingly well read
• Fair play
• Fancy free
• Fie, foh, and fum, I smell the blood of a British man
• Fight fire with fire
• Foul play
• Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears
• Good riddance
• Green eyed monster
• He will give the Devil his due
• Heart's content
• High time
• Hot-blooded
• I have not slept one wink
• I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
• In a pickle
• In stitches
• In the twinkling of an eye
• Is this a dagger which I see before me?
• Lie low
• Lily-livered
• Love is blind
• Make your hair stand on end
• Milk of human kindness
• More fool you
• Neither a borrower nor a lender be
• Night owl
• Off with his head
• Star crossed lovers
• The course of true love never did run smooth
• The game is up
• Thereby hangs a tale
• This is the short and the long of it
• To be or not to be, that is the question
• Too much of a good thing
• Truth will out
• Up in arms
• Vanish into thin air
• We have seen better days
• Wear your heart on your sleeve
• Wild goose chase
• Woe is me
• Out of the jaws of death            
• Pound of flesh
• Rhyme nor reason
• Shuffle off this mortal coil
• Send him packing
• Set your teeth on edge

Yes, our language would be very mediocre were it not for the imagination and creativity of Shakespeare.

Now while many of those wretched fools who have selected words as their love and passion, will never lay claim to aspire to the greatness of Shakespeare (believe me, we all do) we endeavour to create the same magic that he did. Next time you are at the movies, spare a moment for the script-writer; as you giggle your way through a humorous piece in the Sunday paper, think of the reporter; when you loan that book to you friend to read, mention the brilliance of the author.

Writers and words create our world and can construct any realm. 

Without words there is no learning, communication, and beauty. 

Words are the corner stone of any and all civilisations.

Image: Power of Words by Antonio Litterio.jpg

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/phrases-sayings-shakespeare.html

http://www.shakespeare-online.com/biography/wordsinvented.html

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GROWING OLDER AND GROWING UP!

I initially decided to write this blog purely because I enjoy writting, and usually have a belief about most topics. Yes, I grew up with the ‘hippy’ ideology that we should all be able to live in peace and harmony with the planet and each other. Yes, I still wear rose-clouded glasses that I refuse to remove for anyone. On the odd occasion I do allow them to slide slightly down the bridge of my nose…not to far as the ‘real’ world terrifies the bejesus out of me. Today’s blog will thankfully be short because I do have something to say from the heart that does not require data to be included.

The past few blogs have been a mammoth task as I had to research the information that was included, however today will simply be personal observations. I have spent the past 20 odd years raising my children to adulthood with the main message being that they need to grow up, gain an education that would enable them to get a job, maybe travel, get hitched and have a child or two. After all this is what life is about – right? NO, wrong, so very wrong.

Stephen Covey maintained that “you should leave this world a better place than when you got here”. To achieve this you need to be happy, not just smiling but truly happy. To achieve this end you should do the things that make you jubilant. Many of my kid’s friends are marvellously creative. Some create whole worlds of people complete with personalities, lives, families and discourses, to share with like-minded and talented youth. Some take remarkable photos of the everyday to create the enthralling. While others write tales of magic and fantasy that rivals anything that you buy at the local bookstore. As a society we have taught them that these are not worthwhile pursuits, and they are uncomfortable to admit to their miraculous gifts.

I love the internet, the world really is at your fingertips, but sadly my generation opt to play mindless games, pay their bills and shop online. We opened our Facebook accounts to check that our kids were not into anything that could be deemed harmful. We do not go anywhere near the really interesting sites; we do not see the astoundingly clever and creative concepts our youth put together and share with each other. Our youth are aware of so many current issues that most of the Adults in the room have no idea about. The youth HAVE got it and it is us who have become apathetic to the world and its possibilities.

This week courtesy of one of these sites I have learned of an 87 Year Old College Student Named Rose who share with the Uni students this wonderful summary of life ~

“We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving success. You have to laugh and find humour every day. You’ve got to have a dream. When you lose your dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it! There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up. If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn eighty-eight. Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change.  Have no regrets. The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with regrets.”  (Many thanks to michiamocristina from tumblr for sharing this).

Rose is right and so are many of our children; despite our best efforts to crush this seemingly intuitive knowledge from them. Remember to live your life without regret, if your friends are constantly trying to change you or worse belittling every idea you have, then it is time to change friends. It is your life and you need to live it how you want to. Have no regrets! Find the positive in life and lose the negative. Mimic the behaviour of our youth and pursue those creative outlets.  And in closing I will leave you with this lovely Irish Proverb to ponder. 

Dance as if no-one were watching,

Sing as if no-one were listening,

Love as if you’ve never been hurt,

 Live every day as if it were your last!

Carpe diem

I write for pleasure, relaxation and because I believe that I have a story to tell. Mainly I write for me, and yes it would be divine to a prosperous novelist, but not at the cost of a pleasure I have that services my sanity.

Life is short and too often I talk to people who do not have time to ‘smell the roses’. I feel distressed by this as you only get the one shot, why waste it trying to be ‘successful’ but miserable as a person. If you are not content or doing things that make you happy then take a long hard look at your life choices and modify what does not make you happy.

Will it work? I do not know, I do not have a crystal ball but I can state that you will feel happier within yourself.  I have read so many books that write this a theme and we all read them (or watch the movie) and promise to change our own life but that is it. My New Year’s Resolution for 2013 was to take control and live the life I promised myself when I graduated from High School in the 1970s.

It is not easy. This blog is part of my ‘seize the moment’, I have created a blueprint, I have a list of achievements I want to do. It is really remarkable when you look at what you want to achieve and, then match it to what you actually do.  

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Make your plan, add your comments. If you like what I have written then tell you friends. If you don’t like it use the comment box and let me know.

Greetings and Felicitation

I am a writer working on my first novel. It has been a work-in-progress since I was seven, and won a national writing competition. I have had a couple of poems published, and am currently building a collection of rejection letters.

I have decided to start a blog as I am very passionate about countless things. I do as many others do when frustrated; break into a tirade on Facebook. However, I have started to connect with several people who have blog pages. I have found them fascinating and find that I have been inspired to change things in my life as a result.

Hence my desire to start my own blog. I would like to be able to give a definite framework for this page, but I am not sure which direction it will take. So join me, reply when you like my topic and let me know when you think I have squandered your precious time.