Three Part Story: Part Two

Henry James follows a strict "philosophy of truth" as he calls it. He proudly announces wherever he goes that he has never told a lie - that it is better to tell the truth at any cost. Henry James likes to tell everyone he meets that he was named after the famous author. He believes himself to be a connoisseur of knowledge and from a heritage of nobility. He was not just named after Henry James - he is related to him, or at least that is what he tells everyone. While he does not have any direct proof that he is related to Henry James - he does not have any proof to the contrary and he feels fairly reasonable in asserting this claim. The proof is in his demeanor and wit, which he claims are naturally on par with that of the famous author - that and his appearance is vaguely similar to Henry James. And so, he can truthfully say he is of relation to him.

In Henry's imagination he is a world traveler - a patron of the world. He has visited Italy, Greece, England, and France in his mind and so he freely shares his worldly experiences with all - tidbits of knowledge he picked up from each country and fragments of the languages. When it is brought to his attention that he has never physically visited any of these locations - in fact, he has never ventured outside of the United States he simply replies that it is insignificant. To him, his visits have been as real as any physical realm and thus equivalent in experience and insight. Thus, the philosophy of truth remains intact.

Henry also fancies himself a wine connoisseur. He has had his fair share of Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot - the grocery store always has an ample supply, and so he openly provides his opinion on the best wines - the right taste, "you must always smell the cork" he says, "when there is one available." Certainly the quantity of wine he consumes allows him to speak with such authority.

Once he has parted his knowledge on the unsuspecting recipients he proclaims, "indeed - telling the truth at all times is done with ease, you would be wise to take heed of my example." And with that he nods and takes his leave. Tomorrow he will return and share his experience as a doctor - he has read quite a few medical texts in his day and it is such a noble, romantic profession.

Three Part Story: Part One

This is part one of three. I had a starting concept - a line from a song: "I will take the truth at any cost." This got me thinking and so I wrote a short dialogue and from there decided to write three "stories" based on this line.

"I will take the truth at any cost."
"Is there no cost too high?"
"No - none."
"Death?"
"Whose?"
"Yours"
"Mine? Well, one."

The Casual Writer

I suppose I fall into the category of "casual" in many things I do in life: I am a casual writer, gamer, guitar player (just started, but it will fall under this category), and snowboarder. I like to draw and use online social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and Blogger. None of these activities are taken too seriously and ultimately I do them all for the same reason: they entertain and engage me. And so, this too is why I write, because it entertains me. I can write ideas and stories that I fantasize about anyway and it provides a break from my busy life. I do not claim to be all that good at it, nor that anyone outside my immediate family will look forward to reading my new stuff, but I do enjoy it.

As I am writing my story on Twitter and working on other random musings on the side I began to think about what type of writers were out there - especially those that are not published. Twitter is a wonderful medium for writing and discussion of writing. I am following several types of stories and I am sure there are many more I have missed. When I am reading them I wonder if they are casual writers like me, engaging in an activity that is enjoyable, or are hoping to be published and become well known authors. Maybe somewhere in between. I suppose I became a causal writer because I am a hardcore reader. I decided to add this blog because in the midst of writing a longer, serialized story on Twitter - I had other ideas I wanted to put out there, but it would interrupt the flow if I did so on Twitter and so, I now how this blog to complement the Prelude to Chaos story on Twitter. Mostly for my own amusement, but that is not to say I do not hope in my own amusement someone else might find enjoyment as well. Please feel free to comment, especially on ideas of writing and stories - it is always fun to discuss these things with other writers and interested readers.