Tag: Story

photo[journey]

On By theisswriterIn Experience, Life, Photography2 Comments

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A Portrait of the Artist as a [Middle-Aged] Man
When I began this journey, or blog, back in 2016 I didn’t really know where it would take me. At that time, I was amidst a period of immense growth and felt compelled to write about it. I’d always loved to write; I just didn’t write enough. Therefore, I sought this site as an outlet to do just that: type for me; type for you. If you’re one of the handful that have visited and read, thank you–I hope I’ve been able to offer you back something useful.

In the interim, this site has changed its name (i.e., theroadkindoftraveled to theisswriter), and augmented its content (e.g., poetry and the odd grammar tip), but the purpose has remained the same: typing things; for me; for you. Well, now it’s changing, again. Late last summer, I purchased my first camera that wasn’t either disposable (remember those?) or a phone: a Nikon D3400. I coupled that with a Tamron SP AF17-50mm lens, and then recently added a Tamron SP 70-200mm. Neither the camera itself or the lenses are considered (at all) the best in their respective categories, but the equipment is solid enough to offer me a great starting point for this part of my creative journey.

Cameras 50 75
Former peak camera technology.

I’ve always enjoyed photography–both viewing and taking–but my understanding of anything more complex than what my iPhone, or Android before it, offered me in that realm was beyond me. It was all, “iPhone added the ability to zoom with the camera OMG!,” megapixels, and auto-settings. Now it’s f-stops, ISO’s, and shutter speeds. What? But I’m learning–slowly, but more quickly than I anticipated, thanks to the tutelage of friend and professional photographer Hoss McBain. He answers innumerable questions, often more than once, and always with the same jovial smile and demeanor as the first time. His passion for the craft has been infectious: I’M INFECTED.

The interplay of the arts with our mood, thoughts,
and behavior matters…because it’s real.

Anyhoo, you’ll notice I’ve recently begun adding photos to blog posts (well, not the ones of me as a shirtless or robot-costumed kid, etc.), as well as a “photography” page. My hope is to not only be able to share my progress with you, but to literally add color to my posts. Photos, like music and writing, are evocative–especially to me, and often the idea for a post or poem stems from one, or vice-versa. Personally, it became too banal to simply post mere words. I want you to know what I’m seeing, listening to, or reading about when I write, because the interplay of the arts with our mood, thoughts, and behavior matters…because it’s real. And if I’ve done anything since taking the first step of this journey back in 2016, I hope I’ve been real (to you).

I hope you enjoy the photography.
Thank you for reading (and now viewing).

Best,
-j

cloudy

On By theisswriterIn Daily Exercise, Daydreaming, Experience, Free Verse, Life, Poem, Poetry, Story, TimeLeave a comment

clouds smaller 2

I like to let my poems speak for themselves, therefore I’m not particularly keen on prefacing them with any sort of context such as this. However, I feel it necessary to break that wall now so that I’m clear on one thing: I’m not depressed. If you’ve read within this space before, you’re aware that I enjoy writing about mental health–particularly my experiences with it.  This is one such occasion. As always, thanks for reading:

A thought is lurking

Inside me

I'm aware of its 

Existence

But I've chosen to 

Ignore it

Not so much ignore

As push it

Beyond other thoughts

Repressing

Defending myself
From its pain

This is unhealthy

I know this

What else shall I do

To forestall?



Away, away please

Go away

Past the clouds into 

Deepest blue

I'm certain we will

Meet again

Until then, away

Away you.

 

Highland TER

On By theisswriterIn Daily Exercise, Daydreaming, Experience, Free Verse, Life, Poem, Poetry, Story, Time1 Comment

 

My life in vintage colors
Memories of simpler times
Silver robots; red wagons
Silly neighbors; street parades

A life of unhinged laughter
Amens before the altar
Real Santa’s; make-believe friends
Rabbit-like cars; in-car phones

Within the Heights of Richmond
On a Terrace named Highland
Dreams wake; reality sleeps
The imagined; magic reigns.

(my)our day

On By theisswriterIn Experience, Free Verse, Life, Music, Poem, Poetry, Story, TimeLeave a comment

Paul & Josh 75%

Havin’ my second party
You came

Cryin’ when she had to leave
Mom shame

Sittin’ with my grandparents
No blame

Openin’ my next present
New game

Quittin’ on the party NO
Dad claimed

Headin’ back here as soon as
Paul named

Eight Fourteen: The Theiss B-Day
Bro frame

 

Happy birthday, bro.
Stop crashing my party.

-j

(writing) tip 1: reading

On By theisswriterIn Experience, Fiction, Reading, Story, Time, Writing TipsLeave a comment
image1
Author Stephen King is known to read at baseball games.

One of the reasons I began this blog is because I have a passion for writing, grammar, linguistics, and the hope to improve your own writing–however little or much that encompasses your life. Whether we like it or not, and fairly or unfairly, people will judge us based on our grammar and spelling in something as simple as an email. So, books, blogs, and that company memo aside, it’s best that we’re wary of our writing even during the most mundane task. And there’s no better way to do that than empowering ourselves with the greatest tool of all: vocabulary.

Recently, I was reading linguist David Crystal’s book The English Language and came across a passage about William Shakespeare’s estimated vocabulary versus the average person’s, but now I can’t find it, and am essentially rereading the book in search of it (that’s what I get for not bookmarking it–lesson learned). Therefore, instead I found some useful sites opining on the very subject, including this one, which estimates Shakespeare knew approximately 66,534 words; and this one, citing that the typical person has a spoken vocabulary of about 5,000, a written vocabulary of roughly 10,000, and that the average fourteen-year-old’s vocabulary decreased from 25,000 in 1950 to a mere 10,000 in 1999. Now, Shakespeare is more than the sum of his words, and you may not aspire to be him, but this comparison should at the very least point to the correlation between a good vocabulary and good writing.

OK, great–so, how do you get there? Well, you can either open up a dictionary daily (not a bad thing, albeit mundane–unless you’re a grammar geek such as myself), or you can read. And, no, your social media site of choice doesn’t count. I’m talking about something substantial, exhibiting many (new) words, and the way they coalesce with one another. You know: books. We live in a world where information is at our fingertips; one where we likely don’t go into any decision blindly, so why should we go into our daily lives of text messages, emails, and social media posts with the shades drawn? The only way one can truly improve their vocabulary is to interact with different words regularly, and there’s no better way to do so than reading a good book.

I frequently hear people say, “I don’t like to read.” And a 2014 study by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows they’re not lying, as the average American spends only nineteen minutes a day reading, with Americans ages twenty-five to thirty-four (eight minutes) and teenagers (four) reading even less. Compare that to the three hours per day that the average American watches TV, and it’s no surprise there’s so much bad writing and grammar out there. As someone who, too, likes his particular TV shows, my take from this is that we’d do well to watch TV a little less, and read a little more. Personally, I like to read at least three books a month, but merely reading one will offer improvement. And that one book per month (approximately ten pages per day) could be enough to set one apart–especially in a professional setting–by improving one’s ability at written communications.

Don’t know what book to start with? No problem; my book club has gone through plenty of good reads over the past year and I’m happy to suggest a few of my favorites:

All are fiction, and while I also read plenty of non-fiction, these were strictly the best written books I’ve read in the past twelve months. Not only are they all great stories, but the breadth of language used, and the artful way they’re each composed, makes them the great novels they are. What’s more, each compelled me to have my dictionary app available at all times, though if you’re struggling to get into reading I’d start with a notepad and a pencil (and look up the words when you’re finished) so you don’t interrupt your enjoyment, because books are meant to be enjoyed. And that’s the point: to actively enjoy doing something, while passively improving your vocabulary, and ultimately your writing.

Want to test your vocabulary? Check out this cool vocabulary test.
Questions? Contact me offline, or in the comments below.

And as always, thanks for reading.

 

Best,

-j

house

On By theisswriterIn Daily Exercise, Fiction, Free Verse, Poem, Poetry, Science Fiction, Story, UnfinishedLeave a comment

In the middle of nowhere,
That was a somewhere
In a different when,
Sat the sullenly grey,
Wooden-shingled house.

It sat in the middle of a field,
That was formerly a farm
In that other when,
Where the skies were gray,
Which forebode a storm.

In the middle of the house,
There sheltered a family
Who weren’t always a family.
When The Gray came,
A family they became.

Atop the cellar stairs,
There remained two barriers,
While the rest were barren.
And as the storm began,
To the cellar the family retreated.

When blue skies departed,
The Gray was imparted
Upon this part of a different when.
She came with the storms,
Which came with The Gray.

And as this storm now came,
The family knew She was coming.
Down the stairs they descended,
As the doom She impended
Trended downward from the sky.

She was like the storm,
Until in the window She took form;
And a tangible blue She became.
As She peered through the damp glass,
The family huddled amidst the cool stone.

Thanks for reading.

-j