And so . . .

In my opinion . . .
too many similes and metaphors can distract a reader from a good story.

When I read fiction, I like to be caught up in a good yarn, whether it is mystery, romance, or a story that could be about my next door neighbor.

I like imagery; a good image can make the words on the page vivid and create a picture in the reader's mind. Some images, however, can be distracting, and cause the reader to stop and wonder what the writer is trying to do.

One of my favorites is a reference to the Washington Monument as the "creamy spike." In the years that I lived in the Washington, DC area, we never failed to refer to that landmark as the "creamy spike" when we saw it.

A prize, yet to be determined, to anyone who identifies the book in which this reference appears.

Another favorite, from a novel whose name I don't recall, but I do remember something of the basic plot, refers to someone who handles things with unnecessary strength as like a "gladiator pitting cherries." Those two images, the gladiator and the cherry pitting action, clash in my mind. The image contributes nothing to the understanding of the story. It simply made me stop and wonder what the author was trying to say.

There will be a prize to whoever finds this reference as well. Although I don't remember the title of the book, I would recognize it.

Day Job

I can't believe I haven't written anything since October. The last time was the day before I started a well-paying but stressful and time-consuming teaching job.
Yes, I want to pay off my bills. Yes, I want to save money. Yes, I want money to travel, buy an i-Pod and just a few of the trappings of modern life.
But ninth graders are demanding little beasts. And school districts struggling to raise test scores and live up to the "standards" of No Child Left Behind put even more depressiing demands on the creative spirit.
I spend most of my time enforcing rules. I am a police officer/prison guard. Maybe it will get better, or maybe I will move.
For now I have ten more glorious days of holiday break. I have time to get my creative life in order, and spend some time staring at the sky and trying to make sense out of my life.