Lies, Lies, Lies

by Cynthia on April 11, 2012

Mr. Rogers died. Then came the story about how he was a Navy Seal and a sniper in Vietnam with 25 confirmed kills to his credit. And . . . the reason he always wore a sweater was to cover up his tattoos.

I was shocked. I always saw him as a sort of bland man who had lots of goodness to teach. I remember thinking, “Ah. There’s so much more to all of us.” It never occurred to me that I should check the story out. Why would someone take the time to concoct a story like that if it wasn’t true?

Well hell, I’m a novelist and playwright. I concoct stories all the time.

So, I checked Rambo Mr. Rogers. According to truthorfiction.com, Fred Rogers never served in the military. Lies . . .

And although margarine has many negative characteristics (including, but not limited to, taste), it was not originally created to fatten turkeys. Nor did it kill those turkeys it was not created to fatten. It was invented by some French guy in 1869 as a substitute for butter.  Lies.

Tonight, when my sister checked into her cabin on the lake and found a “Mosquito Eater,” she asked, “Have you ever seen one eat a mosquito?”

I haven’t. I decided to look them up, hoping to find evidence of the gore. But, guess what? Mosquito Eaters are really Crane Flies and they don’t eat mosquitoes. In fact, the adult Crane Fly doesn’t eat at all. Throughout my life I have felt safe from mosquitoes with them in the room. More lies!!!

Will they never stop? I suppose, as a writer, I can dish it out but I can’t take it.

 

Share

{ 0 comments }

We must believe

by Cynthia on April 7, 2012

Marie Curie said:

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all, confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.”

So . . . that’s why I spend my spare time writing, editing and, alas, writing some more.

My stories may never open doors to medical or scientific discovery, solve financial crises, end war, or stop poverty.

As a writer, I feed you characters and situations, hoping to deepen your understanding, broaden your empathy.

That, I believe, is my gift–and my responsibility.

Thanks for reading Symphony of Dreams.

 

 

 

Share

{ 0 comments }

Going places

October 31, 2011

Mama used to tell this story about how I came home from first grade in hysterics. The teacher said we were going to read the next day and I was horrified. How was I supposed to read? I didn’t know how. I insisted Mama teach me that very night so I’d be ready. She tried [...]

Share
Read the full article →

No pain, no gain?

October 27, 2011

Generally, I’m not the girly type. I don’t wear makeup on a daily basis. In fact, I’m sure I’ve gone years without mascara. I don’t own a pair of heels. I wear my hair goopless, shiny, and straight. I’m not opposed to showing a little cleavage now and then, but my breasts occurred naturally. They [...]

Share
Read the full article →

On this day, I write

October 26, 2011

Robert Dugoni opened the Surrey conference I just attended. “On this day, I write,” was the ending phrase of his speech. If you’d like to hear it, please click here. It is inspirational. Thanks to Robert Dugoni, I began the conference reminded of why I write. Thanks to Robert McCammon, and Robynn Sheahan, and Russell [...]

Share
Read the full article →

I have my reasons and you have yours.

September 16, 2011

We all do what we feel we have to at any given moment and those actions we cannot justify, we rationalize. Notice I didn’t say we always do what we feel is right. There’s a big difference. BESIDES . . . what’s right for you could easily wrong someone else (see my post  What’s your [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Mares do eat oats, right?

September 12, 2011

Mare-zee dotes and doe-zee dotes and little lam-zee diveys.  A diddly divey doo, wouldn’t you? Wouldn’t you what??? I never understood this song. I sang it anyway – as it is written above. It has such a catchy tune . . .but the words? Oh well, I figured. Nothing is perfect. But I could never [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Checking on the sisters

September 9, 2011

The Himalayas The twins, the ladies, the girls, the sisters, the Himalayas: Whatever you call them, you want to keep them as safe as possible. I went for a mammogram on Wednesday morning. First thing I did was sit down with the intake person. I had to fill out some forms, answer a few questions. [...]

Share
Read the full article →

For the good of us all

September 7, 2011

I was in the mall the other day looking for back to school clothes for an eight-year-old. I’m surprised they haven’t added a make-up counter in the girl’s section. Do they make spike heels for children? The dresses I’ve posted can be found right now in back to school sections in malls across the country. [...]

Share
Read the full article →

The last night of summer

September 5, 2011

The door squeaked opened. Footsteps approached. “Someone else is in here,” I thought, scrambling up from the cool tile, clunking my head against the bottom of the stall wall. Mama would have been mortified had she seen my pale face resting against that bathroom floor. But where else could I calm my stomach? I wasn’t [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Where does the dream stop and the story begin?

August 30, 2011

I awoke this morning in the middle of a dream. I had been re-hired by a firm I worked for fifteen years ago. It was my first day back. Scrambled eggs, sausage links, and hash browns were being served on the over-polished, walnut conference table. Hmmm. Family breakfasts weren’t company policy when I worked there [...]

Share
Read the full article →

What’s your point . . . of view?

August 27, 2011

Nothing is black and white… really. All things are shaded by point of view. Most of us have experienced this by the time we’re out of diapers.  You think you should have a toy, another baby is sure they need it, and whoever ends up with the prize ultimately believes they deserved it. By the [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Arghhhhhhhhh!

August 16, 2011

Remember the 1978 version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers? Well, you know how the clones screamed when they spotted a human? That’s exactly how I sound when I catch my new puppy, Sadie,squatting to relieve herself in an inappropriate place. And where-for the love of God-does all that poop come from, anyway? She really doesn’t [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Itching away

August 14, 2011

Ralph, a homeless man who lives in my novel, The Courier, has head lice. At one point, he explains how lice can sometimes be advantageous. That doesn’t stop him from using an unconventional method to rid himself of them. I won’t tell you what Ralph feels the upside is, you’ll have to read the book [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Busy signal

August 11, 2011

The days are busy. So are the nights. You work. You write. It’s what you do. You walk around with a notepad and pen all the time, a blue tooth attached to your ear, and a cell phone in your pocket. Your phone is almost always on. If you’re not in the car, you’re, most [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Knowing your characters

August 8, 2011

Some of my writer friends listen to music while they write. Not me. The tune, the words, the meaning, the associated emotions–too much of a distraction. See, to me, each song is a story in itself. That story pulls me away from the one I’m working on. But . . . on occasion, I’ll hear [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Sisterdog Sadie

August 4, 2011

I just found out my new puppy is coming tomorrow. I’m thrilled. But I’m also nervous. I’ve had Creo since she was a eight weeks old–three years now.                   She’s Dachshund, Corgi, and Cairn Terrier.             Earlier this month, one of the [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Would you like some dignity with that?

August 2, 2011

The daytime temperatures had been in the 90s. At 9:45 pm, I was still too hot. I needed something really cold. An ice cream cone. Vanilla. Yum. With a bedroll on his back, Traveler entered the fast food restaurant from another door, arriving at the counter just ahead of me. He was wearing a quilted [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Dreaming of Cyrus

July 30, 2011

When I sat down to write The Courier, I knew who I wanted Cyrus Driskoll to be at the beginning of the the book. I knew who I wanted him to be at the end. I had a rough idea of how I might get him from A to Z.   To me, the most important [...]

Share
Read the full article →

Don’t let me look

July 28, 2011

My cousin, Ken, has a favorite story about our Granny. He says when he was little, he used to sneak up on her to scare her. One day, my aunt caught him. “Don’t scare your Granny like that!” she scolded. Now, you and I both know that my aunt was afraid Granny’s old heart couldn’t [...]

Share
Read the full article →