The Craft of Writing

The process of writing does not come easy.  Whether it is a simple paragraph, an essay, a poem or a short story, it has to be planned and plotted.

Story writing is a craft that is not easy to learn, as I just found out.  A story line, characters and their development, the conflict and the resolution: these are the inherent components.

Language is another aspect.  As an author, you need your character to engage with the reader.  The character has to be very compelling so that the reader is hooked and wants to read the book.  So your language has to come alive, to make your characters in the story real and the reader is able to empathize with them.

To a writer, the person’s desire to read his book translates into sales which means money for him.
So you see, your plot has to be interesting, with unexpected twists so that the reader will want to continue reading it.

Once a story is completed, that is not the end of it.  Editing, proof reading and amendments or polishing where called for has to be done and this can be many times before the story finally comes into print.
It is a labor of love and the final copy is the baby you have created, nurtured and delivered, after a painstaking process.

A sense of accomplishment can be very satisfying when you hold a copy of your printed book in your hand.

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Flying Through Turbulent Skies

The end of the year is usually vacation time for many folks who take to the skies for holidays abroad.  There are so many airlines, budget and regular, that travelers are spoilt for choice but of course to stretch the dollar further many would opt for budget airlines and use the extra savings on their holiday.

The news that an aircraft had crashed most likely due to severe bad weather conditions and the delayed approval of a request to ascend to higher altitude in order to avoid the turbulent storms is most distressing.  It is a known fact that air corridors are now congested with planes flying at different altitudes.  There is also the possibility that inadequate equipment at air traffic control centers to handle the demands of high traffic in the air may lead to unforeseen circumstances which could result in accidents.

It doesn’t help that the flights taken towards the end of the year can be very turbulent.  My last experience was quite frightening in view of the very recent air crash which has been confirmed to be due to the bad weather conditions.  Passing through the thick clouds caused the plane to shake and shudder and I could feel my internal organs moving in tandem. I didn’t feel queasy as such but I kept my eyes closed and thought of my belief in God from whom I had asked for journey blessings when I boarded the plane. This kept me cool and calm.

When the flight steadied enough I went back to my crossword puzzles.

The turbulence was off and on throughout the flight but praise the Lord, the captain brought us safely to our destination and we all walked off the plane with thanks in our hearts.

Not only have we come through a turbulent flight but also a year that has seen many calamities and disasters.  It is time to say farewell to this year and to welcome the New Year which is just a few hours away.

 

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How Prepared Are You?

This question is far from the minds of young people though it possibly hovers at the back of the older generation’s minds.

Prepared for what?  For the inevitable of course.  Our time on earth is limited; we are creatures in transit.  Are we prepared for our final destination?  Or are we still thinking that we have lots of time and during the interim, we still continue with what we strive to do, pursuing our dreams.  However, no one knows how much time has been given to him or her. Like it or not we will go.  Here I would like to share my poem with my readers.

       No R.S.V.P.

Young or old, rich or poor
One day, sooner or later,
All will R.I.P.
Pushing up daisies or sealed in
Niches, arranged in concrete rows
In the Garden of Remembrance.
Whatever we can, do it out of kindness;
Wherever we can, help to make
Today a good day for someone.
The invitation without any R.S.V.P.
Comes out of the blue,
Often taking the invitees by surprise;
But all respond without fail,
For choice there is none.

© SeongNgor Lim

The most important thing is of course to leave behind a will disposing of our assets the way we wish.  This will pre-empt any ugly squabbles over the distribution of assets should we die intestate.

The other important thing is to make sure that we will leave behind happy memories for those we love. Spending time with our children and grandchildren, whether in activities, or simple chatter, or whatever we like to do with our family, bonding with them so that when we are no longer with them, they can look back and remember the times we had together.  We can leave behind memories for them to cherish.  Photographs are great for trips down memory lane.

We want our loved ones to remember us with love, not resentment, or worse still, to have them prefer to forget us.  So whatever we do now, we must make sure we spend time with our loved ones and also to provide for them so that they will not be left helpless and destitute when there is no will and no funds for their immediate living expenses.  Whatever we bank accounts we have will be immediately frozen upon our demise. 

So are you prepared?

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Friends

Friends are people we mix around with and I daresay that we have many types of friends whom we could put into various circles.  E.g. work friends, family friends, close friends, casual friends and bosom pals.

Work friends are those whom we meet daily at work and over time have become friends. Casual friends are more of acquaintances whom we meet from time to time and engage in small talk with.  Family friends are friends of the family.  They could be your parents’ friends or friends who have become close to your family and are highly regarded.

Close friends are those with whom you have a very good relationship and you trust and support one another.  Close friends are often friends who go back a long way, e.g. since school days. They may not be many and often can be counted on one hand only. If you’re very lucky, then two hands. As Shakespeare said of good friends in his play "Hamlet", we should should grapple them to our souls with hooks of steel.

Bosom friends are very close friends whom you share confidences with and whom you know will never disclose your secrets.  They are the tried and tested pals who also go back a long way although not necessarily so. The main thing is that you trust your bosom pal and you would stick by each other through thick and thin. Usually your bosom friend is only one or at most two.

Your bosom friend can also be your sibling.

As we grow older we realize how important our friends are, especially close friends. They make the difference to an otherwise lonely existence.  However, know that friendships are like flowers in a garden which need to be nurtured in order to grow.

May your friendships be a lovely garden full of flowers.

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