It's Author Fun: March 2014

Three tips for creating an effective and intriguing logline or elevator pitch

03/31/2014 The Perfect Elevator Pitch (Also Called a Logline)

I came across this article from "The Write Practice" about creating a perfect logline or elevator pitch. The last place I saw an explanation this simple yet thorough was "Writing Fiction For Dummies", (Affiliate Link). I wanted to archive this information for my later reference. The following is on excerpt from the article.

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The Nitty-Gritty
Final tips for creating an effective and intriguing logline:

Start with your protagonist. Who or what leads the action of the story? In Star Wars, that’s obvious: Luke Skywalker. But what about an ensemble film like Pulp Fiction? IMDB has a great logline for Tarantino’s film: “The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster’s wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.”

With a logline, you really need to think about your verb. Steer clear of the infinitive “to be.” Look at the Lion King example above: tricked—flees—abandons. All verbs that get you thinking more about the how and the why within the main plot.

Finally, that brings us to the basic “what happens” of the plot. What happens in Star Wars? “Luke Skywalker, a spirited farm boy, joins rebel forces to save Princess Leia from the evil Darth Vader, and the galaxy from the Empire’s planet-destroying Death Star.”

Simplified further: “A spirited farm boy joins rebel forces to save a princess from evil forces, and the galaxy from a planet-destroying starship.”

To read the FULL article (Click Here)

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This Longline or Elevator Pitch can be used in nearly any arena where you might have a product, service, idea, book, or story you want to convey to other people in 30 seconds or less.

"I'm Joe. I run Mama Mia's Pizza in downtown Brooklyn, NY. We serve fresh - old world style- pizza daily, just like Mama used to make."

This could become the way this imaginary Joe would explain his business to anyone he meets.

I subscribed to "The Write Practice" and you should too if you want other great tips. I've really enjoyed their articles so far.

Live Long And Prosper, Darrell

Resource:

For more information on writing fiction, this is my favorite book on the subject to date.

Writing Fiction For Dummies", (Affiliate Link).

A complete guide to writing and selling your novel

So you want to write a novel? Great! That’s a worthy goal, no matter what your reason. But don’t settle for just writing a novel. Aim high. Write a novel that you intend to sell to a publisher. Writing Fiction for Dummies is a complete guide designed to coach you every step along the path from beginning writer to royalty-earning author. Here are some things you’ll learn in Writing Fiction for Dummies:

Strategic Planning: Pinpoint where you are on the roadmap to publication; discover what every reader desperately wants from a story; home in on a marketable category; choose from among the four most common creative styles; and learn the self-management methods of professional writers.

Writing Powerful Fiction: Construct a story world that rings true; create believable, unpredictable characters; build a strong plot with all six layers of complexity of a modern novel; and infuse it all with a strong theme.

Self-Editing Your Novel: Psychoanalyze your characters to bring them fully to life; edit your story structure from the top down; fix broken scenes; and polish your action and dialogue.

Finding An Agent and Getting Published: Write a query letter, a synopsis, and a proposal; pitch your work to agents and editors without fear.

Writing Fiction For Dummies takes you from being a writer to being an author. It can happen—if you have the talent and persistence to do what you need to do.

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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to make a community with this project. If you would like to add, comment on, critique, or otherwise participate... that would be great!

Please include any information about yourself, your blog/wesbite/amazon author page that you want to share with the community also.

* I may include "Affiliate Links" which means I earn a commission when you buy products I link to. To see my full about page and disclosures: Click Here

It's Author Fun By Darrell Wolfe

To Subscribe to the RSS: Click Here

For Non-Fiction writing by Darrell G. Wolfe: Click Here

Prodigal Son Returns

03/09/201 Writing Practice

Prodigal Son Story Idea...

Idea Sparked by this Devotional:

https://www.bible.com/users/darrellwolfe/reading-plans/28-joseph-prince?day=117&user_id=darrellwolfe&version=1

My Journal Entry:

What if... What if the prodigal son came home as a son, just like the story goes. Then afterward the Father convinces the brother to treat him as family, as guest, and feed and shelter him, but still all the "things" of the household belong to the older brother. There is no inheritance left for the younger one, his was spent.

What happens next? Could he, having learned from his mistakes, take a job. Not on his families estate because he doesn't want his Brother to feel taken from. From a local estate that knows the family. Maybe he even takes a job in a different form altogether, like in the market. With that job he tried to pay his brother for his keep but "duty" prevents him from accepting anything from younger brother. So he saves, and saves, and invests, eventually becoming even wealthier than his brother, like a Joseph in modern times...

Interesting story idea.

The Original Story

LUKE 15

11And he said, A certain man had two sons:

12And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

13And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

14And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

15And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

16And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

17And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

21And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

22But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

23And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:

30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.

31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.

The New 21st Century Version - According to Darrell Wolfe - Loose Translation

Prologue

Once upon a time, in Laguna Nigel, CA a man had two sons. The youngest son asked the father to split the estate now, rather than waiting until his death many years from now. The father was more than happy to do it. All he lived for was his children. Winston Churchill Montgomery III, The Father, gave to each son his portion of the inheritance.

According to family custom and tradition, the youngest son (Dean) received 1/3 and the oldest (Richard) 2/3 of the estate. When the lawyers verified that the Father was of good health and sound mind, they processed the request.

One day, a few months after the estate was divided, and all the assets belonging to him were liquidated, the youngest son departed to "Find Himself".

The 1/3 that Dean took with him was worth quite a bit. He spent time in Vegas, Paris, New York, and other places. He toured the world, went to concerts, spent time in Dubai. His portion of the estate was large enough that he was gone for years. The occasional post on Facebook told the family all they needed to know about where he was, but he hardly ever bothered even sending a text to his Father, who watched the social feeds with growing concern.

Meanwhile, back at home the eldest Son managed the estate and affairs of the family, doing his duty to keep the family name clean and reputation separate from his youngest brothers debauchery. Often paying news editors to keep headlines down, such as the cover story from two years ago which read:

"Dean Montgomery, youngest son and heir of the Montgomery and Company Estate, a Fortune 500 Company, was seen naked, painted blue, hanging from a hot air balloon last night on March 17th, apparently in staged attempt to bring awareness to Scottish-Irish abuse by England. He had the letters IRA painted on his rear, which he says stands for Irish Republican Army. Some believe this may have had a double entendre, as his family is well known for their investment and stock in financial companies, especially those in majoring in retirement services."

13 Years went by. Then, slowly, the Facebook Posts, News Photo's, and other channels of information on the youngest son dried up. There were less and less posts. "Going to Al's to watch the game..." was the last post on his Facebook account. That was 1.5 Year ago.

Then without warning, Dean shows up this evening, about four hours ago. He arrives on the back of a pick up truck, wearing rags, smelling like a sewer. He obviously hadn't shaved in over a year, and he looked like the worst kind of homeless man, the one you walk far around when you notice him nearby.

Then Father comes out and instead of disowning him, or at least giving a disgusted rebuke and sending him to a rehab center, he hugs him, and throws a last minute party. Of all the nerve.

Richard fumes back and forth as he recounts the activities to his finance' Rebeka.

I had to find out when I drove up to the estate, finding a huge, unplanned, party underway. I wasn't notified to have the guest list checked with security, or anything. I didn't even get a text letting me know anything had happened. The entire event was explained to me by Jose, our night gate guard.

Father had the gall to wonder why I wasn't joining the party. Of all the nerve, the ridiculous reactions to have! Here this kid has been out wasting one third of Father's hard earned fortune, blowing himself up across new channels, creating nightmares of bad press for us, living like a gypsy. Then he shows up, money spent, looking for a hand out and Father throws a party? Unbelievable!

Rebeka nodded. Richard collapsed on the couch, lays across her lap exhausted, as she scratches his back. She quietly pulls out her phone with one hand while she scratches her back with the other. She quietly deletes the invite from her Facebook Page.

***

The Next Day

The embers still dying in the outside fireplace, the household has gone to bed. The elder brother never did come inside. He left, heading back to his finance's house. Father was asleep. The crowds were gone. The only ones left awake were Jose, the night Guard out front, Dean who was still in awe over his Dad's reaction, and Buddy. The old dog was still alive, amazing.

So what now? He still didn't have any money. He'd intended to ask his Dad to let him work for him, but his Dad wouldn't hear of it. He had a place to stay, a warm bed, new clothes, fresh shower, and more good than he knew what to do with. It had been so long since he'd felt this good.

He'd make up with Richard, he always came around. He'd apologize good and proper, let him know he intended to earn his keep and not take anything else from the family. But now what? The "Prodigal Son Returns!", What's next?

Dean would have to figure that out tomorrow. He was just grateful to be alive, warm, clean, and fed. Dad insisted he take a shower and shave before anybody arrived, and arrive they did! Amazing how many people will show up for free food and fun at the Montgomery's!

He was just so amazed at this unexpected welcome... it felt great to be called "son" again.

What's next could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he was going to bask in...Home. Home is a good feeling. It's been far too long.

******

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to make a community with this project. If you would like to add, comment on, critique, or otherwise participate... that would be great!

Please include any information about yourself, your blog/wesbite/amazon author page that you want to share with the community also.

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Dr Leona Tesla PHD Organizational Behavior from Harvard. Case studies that turn the tide in her research.

03/23/2014 Writing Practice

They started cropping up everywhere. It was one thing to have a healing line at a Church and have people healed of unverified things, "feeling better" didn't really account for a miracle in her mind. But this latest phenomenon was something else. She wasn't sure what yet, but it was something else.

Dr. Leona Tesla received her PHD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard.

http://www.hbs.edu/doctoral/areas-of-study/organizational-behavior/Pages/default.aspx
The Organizational Behavior program is presented jointly by the faculty of Harvard Business School and the Department of Sociology in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The program combines training in the theory and methods of psychology and sociology, the study of business administration, and empirical research on organizational phenomena. Students have the choice of focusing their research at either the micro (i.e. psychological, interpersonal) or macro (i.e. sociological, organizational) level.

Dr. Tesla did her Doctoral Thesis on the group dynamics of healing ministries, debunking most as pure fakes and frauds, and others as well intentioned but benign entities.

"I wouldn't say I'm on a mission to debunk them all..." She confided to her friend, "... I am merely on a search for the truth. These people should want truth just as much as I do. After all they are putting their trust, and money, into this stuff."

But now, sitting in her office staring at this new growing trend, she was perplexed. These were no slick suited preachers asking for money in exchange for a laying on of hands. They weren't even holding services. These were, from all outward appearances, every day men and women. They were Doctors, Lawyers, Mechanics, Servers, Cashiers, and Janitors. They came from all back grounds. They came from all over the country.

The stories intrigued even her skeptic mind, if for no other reason than the sheer number of them.

Take for instance the case study of Gwendolyn Manning. She was an 87 year old widow. She'd been brought to the store by her care worker to buy groceries. "My favorite outing of the week" she said.

The grocery clerk that was stocking the shelves stopped to say hello, "Like he does every week" Gwen recounts.
"But this time he's just happier, you know darlin', like he got a pep in his step!" Gwen smiles. "He reaches his hand out to take mine and says,
'Can I pray for anything today Gwen Dear?',
I says to him 'Well, you know it sure would be nice to heal up from these surgeries and walk again... but Doctor says that isn't in the card no mo'.
'Well Gwen, you know anything is possible for God.'
Then he reaches out to touch my hand and says 'Gwen, be healed, and walk again, in Jesus Name', then he smiles really big and nods. He goes back to stocking his shelves. Well I didn't think anything of it. Until a few isles later I saw something I wanted high on the third shelf up and my aide had gone to another isle, and almost like a gut reaction I just stood up to get it myself. I was putting it in my cart and walking with the cart down a few feet to get something else I just had to have when my aide screams from the end of the isle...
"Ms Gwen! You're Walking?!" She looks shocked and happy and scared all at the same time!
"Well, I said, so I am. And I just kep' walking down the isle, and I walked right out that store, and my aide had to bring the electric wheel chair herself and I aint stopped walking since. Honey, I walked three miles yesterday in the rain! Just because I could!"

What an odd encounter. She interviewed the woman's doctors, examined pre and post XRays. The metal that had been installed in the womans hips was completely missing, and brand new bones had replaced it. The metal had vanished. It was the oddest thing she'd ever seen.

But once Dr Tesla put out the article in the classifieds, and put a paid Facebook add out asking for verifiable testimonies of healing, account after account had come in to her office. 85% of them she normally through out, but this week her mail box had exploded. She had to shut down her ads due to overwhelming response.

Gwen was just one such case. In most church cases there is nothing more than a placebo effect on a mass group scale taking place. That was the conclusion of her research. But now... well now some other phenomenon was in play. She wondered to herself for a moment if she'd been watching too many episodes of Alpha's and had lost her skeptic edge?

This would need to be verified more. She was going to need to bring in help. Someone with an even higher degree of skepticism than hers. Maybe even someone with a vendetta to prove them wrong, that might just balance her current situation. Because she found herself being swayed, ever so slightly, by what she was seeing. A stronger skeptic around might not be a bad idea.

It's time to call Aaron Worcheskivitch "Skeptic At Large".

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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to make a community with this project. If you would like to add, comment on, critique, or otherwise participate... that would be great!

Please include any information about yourself, your blog/wesbite/amazon author page that you want to share with the community also.

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Conflict and Plot

How to Develop Your Plot With Three-Dimensional Conflict by Emily Wenstrom

Is an interesting article. She talks about the need for three dimensions of conflict in order to develop plot.

1. External-world conflict
2. External-personal conflict
3. Internal conflict

It was a quick read, but very informative for me as a writer.

You need all three to have a story deep enough to be interesting. To read more click here

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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to make a community with this project. If you would like to add, comment on, critique, or otherwise participate... that would be great!

Please include any information about yourself, your blog/wesbite/amazon author page that you want to share with the community also.

* I may include "Affiliate Links" which means I earn a commission when you buy products I link to. To see my full about page and disclosures: Click Here

It's Author Fun By Darrell Wolfe

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For Non-Fiction writing by Darrell G. Wolfe: Click Here

Notes From: Writing Fiction For Dummies

Writing Fiction For Dummies

Book Lesson Highlights: The following are the highlights of the things I learned reading this book. If you want to become a better fiction writer I STRONGLY suggest you buy this book and put it into your "frequently accessed" library.

Writing Fiction For Dummies

How I found Writing Fiction For Dummies

I found it at the local library. It wasn't even the one I was looking for. As it turned out it was SO much better. The following are notes I took from this book. These notes only scratch the surface of the the book. I'm going to buy it and put it on my shelf to frequently access in my fiction writing.

And now: The Notes

Writing Fiction for Dummies

The Ten Levels of crafting a fiction novel – All of these are needed to publish with traditional publishers.

1. Write your storyline

This is a one paragraph summary of your story.
It should define the primary character and his/her story goal.
Story Goal is that thing that drives the story.

Frodo must take the ring to mount doom.
Neo must find out if he is The One.
Little Red Riding Hood must get to grandmothers house.

2. Write your III Act Structure

Act One: The Conflict.

Takes the first 1/3 of your story
Something upsets his/her normal life and by the end a decision is made to pursue the story goal.

Act Two: (Could also be described as Act 2 and 3 if you thought of it in four acts.)

Half way through the mission started in Act One a setback occurs.
Act Two ends with a major conflict or set back.
Could end with the character looking defeated, gaining resolve in the start of act 3, or gaining resolve and starting act 3 running.

Act Three: The Final Showdown.

The main character goes on a final run to complete his/her story goal.
The character need not obtain the goal, only try to a final conclusion.

Happy Ending: Story Goal Achieved! Yeah!
Tragedy (UnHappy Ending): The Character Fails! “NOOOOO!”
Bittersweet Ending: Goal ends with a “Yes, But…” or a “No, But…”

3. Define your characters

Let Him or Her be able to answer: “Who am I?”
Name, Ambition, Story Goal, Conflict, Epiphany

One Sentence summary of story goal
One Paragraph summary of story goal.

EACH character should have a story goal. Not just the main character. In real life everyone thinks they are the main character of their story.
Each of your characters should think they are the main character and have a goal of their own, often conflicting with your hero’s goal.

The best bad guys think they are the good guys, or at least have a goal and feel like the main character.
It’s flat characters that have no goal of their own and only exist to support the story.

4. Short Synopsis

1 Page Summary.
Expound on the elements of step one, storyline.
Summarize the three act structure.

5. Character Sketches

1-3 Paragraphs.
Cliff notes. Backstory, Ambition, Values, Story Goal.

6. Long Synopsis

4-5 Pages.
High Level Details. Expound on Short Synopsis.

7. Create your character bible

Full Work Up. CIA level knowledge of your character.
Name, DOB, Physical (Hight, Weight, Eye Color, Hair)
Physical, Mental, Emotional, Spiritual Disabilities.
Education, Training, Work Skills, Special Training or Abilities
Fears, Hopes, Dreams, Backstory

8. Scene list (And Clips)

Think MOVIE. A scene isn’t a chapter it’s a scene.

The following is one scene in two clips.
Clip One. Neo runs into the room to answer the phone and gets shot.
Clip Two. Neo comes back and stops bullets, jumps inside the Agent and blows him up from the inside.

9. Analyze Scenes

Do these scenes all make sense?
Does the content within the scene work on it’s own without the others?
Does the scene fit with the whole story? Should it be moved earlier or later?
Does the scene support the story? Or should it be cut?
Directors of movies cut scenes from movies that don’t move it forward. You should too!

10. Write and Edit your story

Assess and ReAsses… write, and rewrite. Using the above 9 things to help you along the way.

You could be a Top Down Writer or a Bottom Up Writer

Bottom Up

Seat of the Pants – Just write what you feel. You can organize it later.
Edit as you go – Write what you feel, but make some minor edits along the way. Gain organization as you go.

Top Down

Snowflake - Make a plan but evolve it
Outline - Thorough Master Outline before a word of story is written.

Components of a Novel

5 Pillars of Fiction

Believable setting

Geography, Races, Historical Context, Politics, Science, Social Stigmas, Sexuality and Sex Roles, Language, Entertainment.

Interesting Characters

Backstory, Ambition, Story Goal.
Inner Conflict. Conflicting Values. May not know the values conflict until they start to play out in the story goal.
NOT a stereo type. But not so outside of his/her norm that they don’t fit anything. People tend to group, and differ from their group. Define these for your characters.
Know MUCH MORE about your characters than you ever put into the story itself. Feel free to write pages and pages of backstory that nobody else will ever read. Then take the best of this, the parts that move your story forward, and bring it into your story in bite sized pieces. Just a fraction of what you know should show up in the novel.

Strong Plot

This was my personal weakness.
Scene Summary. III Act Structure, Scenes and Clips, Story Goal.
Also: Synopsis and Scene List

Meaningful Theme

Could be simple: “Crime Doesn’t Pay”
Could be deep: “Lord of the rings – Good vs Evil”

Style and Personal Flair!

There is only one YOU. If 1,000 people attended an event and all recorded the event in writing, and you were one of those, there would not be a single account exactly like yours. Some would be close, others completely different, some even appear to contradict. That’s why there are four accounts of the life of Jesus and they all have the same things differently.
You are the only you. No one has ever told your story from your perspective. No one has ever covered your topic from your voice. Find that voice that is yours.

7 Tactical Tools for Crafting a Novel

Action
Dialogue
Interior Monologue (Inner Thoughts)
Interior Emotion

Expressed as experience “Sweaty Palms and clammy skin”, not as description “He felt afraid”)

Description

Always from point of view of the character. Help the reader experience what the character experiences.
Five Sense Data. Cool Stone. Hot Asphalt. Taste, Touch, Experience.

Flashback

Use Sparingly, if at all, and ONLY when it moves the story forward.

Narrative Summary

This is when you explain or tell about something, rather than showing.
Use VERY sparingly. Typically you should use the 1-5 to SHOW and not TELL. Only tell when showing would take too long and slow down the story rather than helping move it along.
So then:

“He was afraid” is narrative summary
“His palms were sweaty. Neck hairs standing on end.” Is Interior Emotion

Things to consider

If you do your job right your readers should have the following:

Give your readers a powerful emotional experience!
Conflict + Change = Story

Make life hard on your characters.

Write to one person.

Define your ideal reader, and then write to that person.
“My readers are not disillusioned with religion and dissatisfied with life as it is and desire a life of supernatural good success.”

Define Your Niche

Are you a mystery writer? Fantasy? Science Fiction? Thriller? Romance?
What kind of genre do you write to?
What are the ruled of that genre?

Things you’ll need to publish your novel:

Query Letter
Proposal
COMPLETE Manuscript
Synopsis
Scene List
Storyline (Elevator Pitch)

Should be able to pitch your story in a clear and compelling way in 30 seconds or less, using your story line.
10 seconds would be better.

Ten Reasons Novels are Rejected

The category is wrong for that publisher or novel is miss-categorized.
Bad mechanics and lackluster writing
The target reader isn’t defined.
The storyworld is boring
The storyline is weak
The Characters aren’t unique or interesting
The Author lacks a strong voice
The plot is predictable
The theme is over bearing or preachy.
The book fails to deliver a powerful emotional experience.

Randy Elwood – Sr Audio-Medical Equipment Technician.

***
“Goooood… Did you see that? His blood pressure spiked and he stood up. Eye dilated. Something is starting. We’re almost there…” The voice said. Technician Randy Elwood took note of the time and date.
***
Randy Elwood. Sr Medical Equipment Technician at Briar Psychiatric Center. Randy has three PHD’s.

Audio Physics (Science of Sound) – Just because he could never stop dissecting music. Thought it would be fun to study sound. Turned out to be his favorite degree. Though, he wasn’t sure what he could do with it, other than make great You Tube Video Soundtracks, which is how he paid for most of his training and school.
One in Group Behavior – Maybe he could figure out how to interact with these humans he lived with. He’d never been much good throughout his life. Turns out the degree only made him better able to understand and predict human behavior, not mimic it to any realist believable degree.
Human Anatomy-Biology – Maybe understanding the body better he could understand the mind and social patterns. Not so much. Just made for more awkward conversations are the few parties he tried to attend.

Although incredibly bright, Randy was a perpetual student. His professors advised he leave the comforts of school for the real world. Only so much can be learned in the library. With a few phone calls he was connected to to the Briar Psychiatric Center to assist in the on going study of sound waves on the human mind.
He didn’t mind the gig. He spent most of his time in a lab, by himself, reading and watching monitors. Not bad for $100,000 a year job. Especially not bad for the first paying job he’d had outside of school. Real job anyway, he still made a few sound tracks now and then. This was a great gig for someone with his specialty: “Not interacting with other people.”
Randy checked the monitors one last time before returning to his book. It was assigned reading by his new employer. Supposed to help the workers understand the “culture” of the company.
“Unlocking the Paranormal Mind. A study of how the human mind’s unlocked potential”, By Dr Richard T. Briar.
Couldn’t be worse than doing nothing, or that whole semester he took wasted reading about the breeding behavior of wombats!
***

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Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed this. I'd love to make a community with this project. If you would like to add, comment on, critique, or otherwise participate... that would be great!

Please include any information about yourself, your blog/wesbite/amazon author page that you want to share with the community also.

* I may include "Affiliate Links" which means I earn a commission when you buy products I link to. To see my full about page and disclosures: Click Here

It's Author Fun By Darrell Wolfe

To Subscribe to the RSS: Click Here

For Non-Fiction writing by Darrell G. Wolfe: Click Here

Is Someone There?

Day 10. Ash woke from another nap. It was hard to keep up his physical strength in an enclosed room. He was pushing his work out routine hard. Every morning, and afternoon he would work out different parts of his body, always keeping cardio and core strength training in his daily routine. The hash marks on the cardboard box were divided into days, and muscle groups. Knowing that resting was just as important to muscle training as work outs he took a nap after his morning routine, and rested early each evening. At least, he was thinking it was evening. The lights never dimmed. Food rations were plentiful, but the same each day. So much of the same. If anyone of lesser mind had been kept in this environment he was sure they’d have gone mad.
The voice giving instructions was the only thing he had to hang on to. He re-listened to the iPod over and over the first few days. Trying to get some kind of handle on the situation. Was the any memory of having volunteered for this? Is it even possible he would have? He was quite sure he wouldn’t, unless ordered to. Ash was a go and do person, not a lab rat. But maybe this was the type of person they needed… on and on he thought in circles for those first few days. Now, by day 10, he was over it. Now he would just keep his strength in top shape and get ready for his break out. Sooner or later they would have to open a door, or make a move. He couldn’t stay here forever. Could he?
What was that? There was movement. Just a shadow really. But even a shadow was new in this room.
“Ash… AAAsssshhhhh…” The sound was like a whisper on the wind. Carried from far away. Not near.
What… Who… Nothing. He stood and looked around the room. For several moments he stood still. Barely breathing. Was this a trick. Were they messing with him through the loud speakers? After an eternity he finally assumed he must have been dozing into a dream. Still… that voice sounded familiar. Who was that?

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The Book Of Job in Modern Style.

Job Tell His Story

It was the worst day of anyones life... ever. Ten months ago, without any warning, tragedy struck. My morning was great, got my work out in, prayed for two hours over my family and kids. I turned my phone on, which I keep off at night and during my morning routine.

I was about to send my weekly tithe check in through my bill pay app. The following events happened during that morning, before I had turned my phone on at 9 AM.

I got a voice mail from my vice president of marketing.

Uz Foods, a high end grocery line was under attack. Distribution channels had provided contaminated food and there was a mass lawsuit being filled in conjunction with a full investigation of the matter by the FDA. Stock prices raided as a mass sell off ensued.

A fire broke out in my clothing factory burning down the entire building, all the merchandise, and killing all but one employee who made it out and called 911.

A small band of terrorists attacked an alternative fuel car manufacturing plant killing all but one employee who escaped just before the largest mass suicide bomb ever wiped out the building and an entire city block.

After that news I sat down with my wife to Pray and Thank God for His blessings in our lives, all the good times we had and ask his direction for what to do.

The next morning I had a painful sore on my neck. Over the next nine months a full blown staph infection had taken my entire body over from head to toe. Antibiotics seemed to do no good. My private doctor had been good to me for years and set up a home hospital in one of my spare rooms, despite the fact I was out of money and may never be able to pay him for it.

Despite it all. I learned a valuable lesson. And I'd like to share it with you.

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