Why it’s so difficult for me to Punctuate?
First, let’s look at something that has plagued me ever since I started writing for print. The following is a small excerpt from my first novel:
“I broke out of the woods and into a swirling fog behind the Agriculture Building. I heard a siren in the distance, and as it got closer, the pitch lowered, but the volume increased to an ear-splitting scream, and an SIU police car careened into view. It looked as if it was going to miss the curve and crash into the trees ahead—but it faded away. And it didn‘t drive off into the distance, either. No, it faded into invisibility, and I felt the physical sensation of fading along with it, though I was standing rigid with fear at the crosswalk.”
Notice the punctuation is all correct. That’s because I had an editor clean-it-up for me. I know, you’re asking yourself, “He wrote a novel, but doesn’t know how to punctuate?!!??” Well…ummm…we’ll put it this way. For years I have been writing broadcast copy for both radio and television, like this:
SOON…I BROKE OUT OF THE WOODS…. AND INTO A SWIRLING FOG BEHIND THE AGRICULTURE BUILDING….
I HEARD A SIREN IN THE DISTANCE…AND AS IT GOT CLOSER.. THE PITCH LOWERED BUT THE VOLUME INCREASED TO AN EAR SPLITTING SCREAM.. AND AN SIU POLICE CAR CAREENED INTO VIEW.
IT LOOKED AS IF IT WAS GOING TO MISS THE CURVE AND CRASH INTO THE TREES AHEAD…BUT IT FADED AWAY…
AND IT DIDN’T DRIVE OFF INTO THE DISTANCE EITHER. NO! IT FADED INTO INVISIBILITY…. AND I FELT THE PHYSICAL SENSATION OF FADING ALONG WITH IT..THOUGH I WAS STANDING RIGID WITH FEAR AT THE CROSSWALK.
……………………………………I WAS HALLUCINATING..
This is what that bit sounds like. At the 15-second mark you can read along as I talk.
Because I have spent more time writing for the ear than for the eye, I have a tendency to use short, simple sentences, in all caps, with dots as punctuation. Therefore, conforming to standard English conventions is challenging.
Case in point: The time I discovered the semi-colon. For a while, in Saluki Marooned, they were on every page, until my editor got to them.
Story Ideas
There is a gauge in the cockpits of most aircraft that pilots use for navigation. If the needle is centered, and a “TO” shows in the instrument window, the aircraft is heading toward the navigation station. But when the aircraft passes directly over the station, the needle swings back and forth. This is:
The Cone of Confusion
And that’s where I am right now with my new novel-deep inside the cone of confusion. But instead of heading to the station, I’m flying in circles, inside the cone, which is fine for me because I’m not going any place. As a writer, the cone of confusion is within my mind.
So, lets fly into the cone and see what is floating around in there.
I’m thinking of mad romp starting in Morris library on the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale campus. The protagonist is mistaken for someone else, and is chased from the library, through the steam tunnels, around Campus Lake, and down the railroad tracks past Brush Towers. Then Our Hero runs up the tracks, and catches an Amtrak train to Chicago.
The grand chase ends-up again at Morris library.
As for characters?
The big question is, should I use characters from my first novel? They would all be in their 60’s, and I would have to figure out a way to explain the time travel to 1971. (Click on the sidebar with the pretty sunset to read about the plot)
Details
Somewhere in the mad romp, I’ll address the present-day problems that SIU is facing, including the budget, and declining student enrollment. Also, I intend to work-in something about the decline of coal mining jobs in southern Illinois, and the decline in the middle class due to automation.
And that’s were I am now. But a month from now? It might take several months of piecing things together or, it might come all at once, so stay tuned.
Next Time Around
There was a classical composer named Scriabin who composed music based on color. Each tone had its own color.
My favority composer is Frederick Chopin. I’d like to cut across the senses like Scriabin, and write like Chopin composed his music. And that will be next week, along with an update on my new book.
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