A Recent Dream

Chapter Four, A Fiend Is No Friend

"Just write. Get it down. Yet why does it irk when no ink is spilled. It is said that every man thinks of the Roman Empire, but why do I blurt myself in laughter as I reveal these romantics to him?"

'Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.'

"'The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.'"

'Writing is about resilience and faith. Writing is hard for every last one of us – straight white men included. Coal mining is harder. Do you think miners stand around all day talking about how hard it is to mine coal? They do not. They simply dig.'

"'A good story is a dream shared by the author and the reader. Anything that wakes the reader from the dream is a mortal sin.'"

'Whatever in a work of art is not used, is doing harm.'

"My doubt, I want my child to be a light to this world. Not confusing."

'The problems of the human heart in conflict with itself... alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat.'

"'The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.'"

'A good novel tells us the truth about its hero; but a bad novel tells us the truth about its author.'

"But why must I write alone?"

'A lack of narrative structure, as you know, will cause anxiety.'

"The Lord has been our exultation..."

'...plot, the absolute line between two points which I've always despised. Not for literary reasons, but because it takes all hope away. Everyone, real or invented, deserves the open destiny of life.'

"'I've found the best way to revise your own work is to pretend that somebody else wrote it and then to rip the living [redacted] out of it.'"

'It cannot read that thought.'

"'Put down everything that comes into your head and then you're a writer. But an author is one who can judge his own stuff's worth, without pity, and destroy most of it.'"

One day you may, but wait until the server is reset. 'Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.'

"'No iron can pierce the human heart as chillingly as a full stop placed at the right time.'"

'Write what should not be forgotten.'

"'You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.'"

'Never ever forget that you enlisted in the ranks – you weren't press ganged or drafted. Nobody owes you anything – least of all respect for your work – until you've earned it with what you put on the page.'

"'We have a riddler.'"

Boys, always wanting to play war. What glory is there? What is there to reap from a blemished kingdom, the girl questioned in thought. She then wet herself, and proceeded through the corridor. Upon entrée, she was already called out for her insolence, just from the way she entered. "Are you still angry with me for the assignment Joslin? You were the best for the task," the mastermind behind it all exclaimed. "Lucian, I am just tired of being needed but not wanted," blurted the lass. It was a very obvious hint. "It appears my name has been going around, caught from the brass. Now, I had called to personally hear a debrief from you," the lad professionally hinted. "Yes, yes, but all I'll say is we have a problem on our hands. Kiva forces are using the navigator, and have sent a troupe of men through the Mikachukin, and if we don't stop them, we risk jeopardizing Elress. Although, I'd suppose they are just scouts, as they haven't established a supply line while I was there. It would be too daring of them to live off the land, as that would alert the army. They did leave an inscription line through their way. They have some cards we had not expected. A sort of flying machine was used at night to get passed the border guard." I wonder how fond of another the lovebirds were, had it been genuine or busyness?