Fact, Faith, Feeling, Fiction

I admit, I added the last one and I never could before. I tried to write a book when I was young, maybe in eighth or ninth grade. I only got halfway down the first page–

Sidenote: A ways back I had made a post and somehow that got to the topic of being a human author. At the time I was contrasting myself to AI after seeing a number of automatic blog post generators. Certainly, there are good uses for AI yet I am not sure I am comfortable with some of them, especially if the content generated is for entertainment purposes. Somehow, I think humanity is required. However, what about spell check? Or Grammarly? Maybe I am using a bit of AI after all? Really, I know when this writing starting, this is #ChatTBI.

The book started with a main character, a Sultan. I really have no idea what the story was going to be about, there was a paragraph or two just about him and what he was wearing. After a while I couldn’t think of much more about him, he just didn’t seem very interesting, or really very real at all. I probably thought of story elements and I couldn’t figure out how to get my Sultan from here to there or who or why he would do anything at all. As I said, I only made it halfway down the first page.

So Fact, Faith, and Feeling are three men walking down a very tall and narrow wall. Feeling is nearly blind and lightning fast. Faith has great aim, yet is far-fetching and will shoot for the stars. Fact is a rather boringly slow cautious man, his eyes poised devoutly on the path ahead. Often times they tried other ways and found only one they could all stay up on the wall.

Facts must lead, Faith must follow Facts, and Feelings must follow Faith. Must is a hard word and some things just won’t fit in, that is Fiction. That is what must be allowed to fall away so that the other three can stay safely on their path of the straight and narrow.

For each of these four, have you noticed the capital words? This really is my secret to writing, I’m not worried about making something up, having to stop and wonder what is best. Then only accepting that answer when it comes. I would have stopped a long time ago, as I waited for the right thing to say next. Rather, I must type, and finishing sooner is better than finishing later, I just type whatever is on my mind. I pull references from everywhere, movies, music, and literature, and just try to make a good story of today while I try to figure out what is next.

Mostly, I don’t want to forget about anything, ever. I just need to leave a few breadcrumbs, so that when I find my way back here from wherever I go, I will remember what I was thinking of today.   Some of the words just help me remember what was on my mind today. Today I write and tomorrow I sort my thoughts and words into four categories. YOU will have to do the same. Just like you with everything else that you see or read today.

I barely slept last night, I was up at all hours to respond to a message or two here and there, then roll back over for another hour or two. I woke up for good bit earlier than I wanted and made myself stay in bed until 8:30, I’m trying to stay regular on the morning pills. A few more messages once I came downstairs, and then one from an admin of USFJ, letting me know that I had hit the maximum saturation allowed.

It had taken one more post, to get the crowd’s attention, as after my “beautiful apology” was announced, 90% percent of people stopped trying to read it: the traffic and average read time dipped significantly, leaving them to guess (or think they knew) what an “apology” meant. I do need to work on my writing– especially the pieces I choose to share more publically- not everyone speaks the same language.

Also, interesting to see more than a few people deleting or restricting my ability to reply to their comments. I was also impressed with many of the memers that have adjusted to reading full-length articles. I’m also oddly satisfied to produce something worthy of some people’s morning ‘devotional’ time. And, one especially I think realized that sometimes, the less you say is more. Better sometimes, a single confident letter: k.

I think the Table of Contents will be a good start, maybe all the “books” can stay here in the same place, and maybe even share some of the same parts for their stories.

Whatever this is.. a book, a blog, or a series, the audience is important and me learning the right-sized chunks of data is important to be able to establish a steady stream of communication. Some people read every day, and some people have since the beginning. Others don’t read at all and might only see the headlines and the first paragraph, or a picture. Mostly, anything I say might not make as much sense taking it out of context of whatever I said before or say next. Some others let Feelings lead, instead of Fact when they write something down. I think I’m on the right idea, every day a new attempt to teach, to write something good down, even if it’s just a work of fiction.

The order of things is important, causes have effects. When we allow the Facts to walk a straight path first, our Faith will be compelled to follow. And Feelings hate to be left alone, so they will always follow wherever the others go first. And if anything else gets in the way, I’ll just write it down until I figure it out.

Had a friend reach out today and come over to share a few beers. I hadn’t known, yet he is an author too. He’s been writing for a long time, a masterpiece work, set in a land before time. It was an interesting discussion to see the goals of writing from another’s eye. This makes me think of another author friend I’ve been invited to visit, as soon as I can make it north of town. I’m a little worried I think of my first published work to come. It is expected to be a “finished” production.

As I write right now, this post right now, it was the best I could come up with for today and I’ll confidently push publish my best effort and proudly accept that I failed again, as soon I begin to read and start my day for the story that will come for tomorrow.

Time to rest.