Climbing Mount Olympus
Sunday
January 12, 2014
Steven King has written a ton of novels, some I really like, others not so much.
For example, "The Stand" took me by the hand to a world where maybe 1% of the earth's population survive a flu pandemic. At first the survivors have to make a way to live from one day to the next; take care of basic needs with no water or electricity, etc. Eventually the story becomes one of the ultimate fight between good and evil; which side do the characters choose. So riveting ( to me) I couldn't put it down.
I finally convinced the husband to read it.
He could hardly pick it up! Took him ages to read it--I don't think he finished it--then the movie came out and he caught the ending that way.
I still cannot believe anyone that reads "The Stand" would not be transported to this other world....
And again, not all of King's novels take me away. Some I won't read because I don't like the title; such as "Pet Sematary". I really cannot read a book with a title word misspelled even if it is purposeful. Then the story surrounding that title...well I am just not going to read it.
King also wrote a non-fiction book (with a great title) called "On Writing", that gives a (wanna be) writer some really valuable info on how to write. And write well. How to get the characters out of your head that keep demanding breath and onto the page.
I have been working hard on a novel for the past few months. One I started many years ago. I didn't remember how much I had written until I pulled out the piles of stories, story outlines, character profiles, short stories, poems, children's stories, and sonnets packed away in boxes and notebooks I had shoved into various closets around the house.
Then I found my "On Writing" book over at my daughter's house. I had lent it to my son-in-law, Roberto, a while back and figured he had had it long enough and stole it back.
Kind of gave me a kick to get started again.
Roberto is quite a prolific and successful self-published writer selling a lot of his books on Amazon. He has been very encouraging to me, getting me back to the story that so badly wants life.
I think we encourage each other as we travel up the mountain.
I think that is amazing to be prolific, knocking out the stories so quickly, one after the other. With people BUYING them!
I have been researching traditional publishing, not sure of the self-publishing game; I am not a sales person by any stretch of the imagination.
Publishing this book seems like climbing Mt. Olympus to me.
But I am the turtle in the race with the hare.
I am the dark horse.
I am the underdog.
A Parkinson's gimpy mountain climber.
Watching the news the other night I heard about the heartbroken skier who re-injured her knee/leg/something that subsequently kept her off this year's American Winter Olympics team.
Winter Olympics always means figure skating to me. It gets intense with the pissy back-biting and unfair biased judging.
What fun!
The skaters try to pull down the mountain climbers that are ahead of them.
I remember watching the 1992 Olympics, figure skating of course, the men's finals.
The husband and I watched the most beautiful skater we had seen or ever have since then skate his last amateur event.
The American team had put him in their roster with some trepidation. He had not been a hugely successful skater at the top world competitive level.
But there he was on the T.V.
So we sat there and watched as the most beautiful, joyful, skilled routine unfolded before us.
What a treasure!
I have never forgotten the beauty of that routine, he will always be #1 in my heart and mind.
Maybe he was happy to be finally at the top of Mt. Olympus, relieved that this was his last competition.
But certainly he was at the top smiling all the way, very relaxed, confident.
He had reached the summit of Mount Olympus.
His name?
And he won a Olympic Silver medal that day.
He deserved the Gold.
But he reached the pinnacle of success discovering joy that comes at the summit of a goal.
I couldn't help but be sooo happy for him.
Now I want to breach my own summit. And I will.
(Maybe a little help from Stephen King).
No more vicarious living.
This is a good year--an Olympic year.
Although I still may take a peek at the figure skating.
If you are interested the link below should get you to that Paul Wiley1992 Men's Finals program.
Enjoy!
Until the next...
Peace and love
January 12, 2014
Steven King has written a ton of novels, some I really like, others not so much.
For example, "The Stand" took me by the hand to a world where maybe 1% of the earth's population survive a flu pandemic. At first the survivors have to make a way to live from one day to the next; take care of basic needs with no water or electricity, etc. Eventually the story becomes one of the ultimate fight between good and evil; which side do the characters choose. So riveting ( to me) I couldn't put it down.
I finally convinced the husband to read it.
He could hardly pick it up! Took him ages to read it--I don't think he finished it--then the movie came out and he caught the ending that way.
I still cannot believe anyone that reads "The Stand" would not be transported to this other world....
And again, not all of King's novels take me away. Some I won't read because I don't like the title; such as "Pet Sematary". I really cannot read a book with a title word misspelled even if it is purposeful. Then the story surrounding that title...well I am just not going to read it.
King also wrote a non-fiction book (with a great title) called "On Writing", that gives a (wanna be) writer some really valuable info on how to write. And write well. How to get the characters out of your head that keep demanding breath and onto the page.
I have been working hard on a novel for the past few months. One I started many years ago. I didn't remember how much I had written until I pulled out the piles of stories, story outlines, character profiles, short stories, poems, children's stories, and sonnets packed away in boxes and notebooks I had shoved into various closets around the house.
Then I found my "On Writing" book over at my daughter's house. I had lent it to my son-in-law, Roberto, a while back and figured he had had it long enough and stole it back.
Kind of gave me a kick to get started again.
Roberto is quite a prolific and successful self-published writer selling a lot of his books on Amazon. He has been very encouraging to me, getting me back to the story that so badly wants life.
I think we encourage each other as we travel up the mountain.
I think that is amazing to be prolific, knocking out the stories so quickly, one after the other. With people BUYING them!
I have been researching traditional publishing, not sure of the self-publishing game; I am not a sales person by any stretch of the imagination.
Publishing this book seems like climbing Mt. Olympus to me.
But I am the turtle in the race with the hare.
I am the dark horse.
I am the underdog.
A Parkinson's gimpy mountain climber.
Watching the news the other night I heard about the heartbroken skier who re-injured her knee/leg/something that subsequently kept her off this year's American Winter Olympics team.
Winter Olympics always means figure skating to me. It gets intense with the pissy back-biting and unfair biased judging.
What fun!
The skaters try to pull down the mountain climbers that are ahead of them.
I remember watching the 1992 Olympics, figure skating of course, the men's finals.
The husband and I watched the most beautiful skater we had seen or ever have since then skate his last amateur event.
The American team had put him in their roster with some trepidation. He had not been a hugely successful skater at the top world competitive level.
But there he was on the T.V.
So we sat there and watched as the most beautiful, joyful, skilled routine unfolded before us.
What a treasure!
I have never forgotten the beauty of that routine, he will always be #1 in my heart and mind.
Maybe he was happy to be finally at the top of Mt. Olympus, relieved that this was his last competition.
But certainly he was at the top smiling all the way, very relaxed, confident.
He had reached the summit of Mount Olympus.
His name?
*Paul Wiley*
And he won a Olympic Silver medal that day.
He deserved the Gold.
But he reached the pinnacle of success discovering joy that comes at the summit of a goal.
I couldn't help but be sooo happy for him.
Now I want to breach my own summit. And I will.
(Maybe a little help from Stephen King).
No more vicarious living.
This is a good year--an Olympic year.
Although I still may take a peek at the figure skating.
If you are interested the link below should get you to that Paul Wiley1992 Men's Finals program.
Enjoy!
Until the next...
Peace and love
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