Seraphin has another draft toward an article for Ithaka happening and this makes for a swell, even if a tad cumbersome, way to give him some tips. After I see whatever he has written, I can go to Facebook to send him thoughts in the clear ... or the Facebook clear at least since you won't be able to see them out here.
Note: actually you could see those Facebook messages out here on the open Web but it requires you to create an FB account. I see that as an egregiously unethical business practice and I won't push anyone toward it even when it's indirect. While that has been my policy, Seraphin may opt to change it
Revealing the content of Seraphin's draft is unethical as well so that must remain a mystery until he chooses to reveal it. I made a suggestion to write another type of article about his Trip to the Rockhouse next week or so ... or even Pilgrimage to the Rockhouse (wow). Nothing is any kind of an order to him as he is in no way an apprentice. Right now he's the Prince and the Rightful Heir to the Throne of Ithaka. You don't want to treat such people as apprentices or at least I don't.
I declare by virtue of his birthright and his blood Seraphin is the Rightful Heir to the Throne.
Zen Yogi: wow
Oh, you like that one? (takes a humble bow)
There are some things I've been doing for so long I don't even notice anymore and using parentheses to indicate a stage cue regarding some otherwise invisible action is one of them.
Another is to give some serious thought to the article titles since a good one will attract reads while a bad title (i.e. too clever) can repel them.
Note to Seraphin: I made a few small changes to your draft to show how to easily add emphasis since judicious use of bold text can do a fine job of that and I rarely use the capability but you can change the color of your text as well.
I also tagged a couple of lines with the name of the speaker since I've found that to be an almost effortless way to present dialog. The general form I've used is dialog from anyone else is presented in italics while anything from Silas will be done as normal text. Regardless of the style you choose in that way, the most important thing is the consistency in the presentation.
Zen Yogi has become a favorite and, assuming I've done a good job with him, you know generally what to expect from him.
Zen Yogi: so that's it? You use me for your purposes and then throw me away? (sob)
Take it easy, Yogi. I still love you, buddy.
I've already been writing of being so chuffed that Seraphin shows a growing passion for writing. The other part is why. I'm not aware of writing as a driving force in him while at uni so it must have popped out of space for him such that he decided, yep, I want to do this. I'm no parent but I have been aware to some extent of the wonderfulness for parents when a kid hits the point of some type of epiphany to decides this is The Path.
Note: I don't mean to patronize in talking of kids as the time perspective is from almost forty years further down the road.
The choice may not be whatever the parents imagined but then the kid hits this point and it's clear he or she will do this quite contentedly for life. The passion is most unlikely to diminish since anything others may perceive as a failure becomes a challenge to the kid to do it better so it's self-correcting in a way.
Zen Yogi: that's the nature of making art
I submit it's the way of everything, mate. Maybe the kid's passion turns out to be to person to see for outlandish taxidermy. We will be wondering what mad cosmic ray brought out the unusual interest while the kid is wondering about different projects to try.
Zen Yogi: we may not like the art but that owl who was stuffed with the idea of making the bird look like it's delivering a telegram for Western Union
What if it's true and I don't like the art?
Zen Yogi: that may happen but there's also a pride in helping the kid get to this flash point in life
I do take some pride in helping Seraphin with this but it's not so difficult relative to that which I perceive as the really tough stuff and that's cleaning the kids up while they're still infants.
For me this is like seeing a a bud turn into a bloom and I don't want to get too much into mush but it is that and he is becoming.
Zen Yogi: what is he becoming?
A writer, mate, but how that will reveal itself creates the intrigue since we won't know in advance which way he will go.
Note: actually you could see those Facebook messages out here on the open Web but it requires you to create an FB account. I see that as an egregiously unethical business practice and I won't push anyone toward it even when it's indirect. While that has been my policy, Seraphin may opt to change it
Revealing the content of Seraphin's draft is unethical as well so that must remain a mystery until he chooses to reveal it. I made a suggestion to write another type of article about his Trip to the Rockhouse next week or so ... or even Pilgrimage to the Rockhouse (wow). Nothing is any kind of an order to him as he is in no way an apprentice. Right now he's the Prince and the Rightful Heir to the Throne of Ithaka. You don't want to treat such people as apprentices or at least I don't.
I declare by virtue of his birthright and his blood Seraphin is the Rightful Heir to the Throne.
Zen Yogi: wow
Oh, you like that one? (takes a humble bow)
There are some things I've been doing for so long I don't even notice anymore and using parentheses to indicate a stage cue regarding some otherwise invisible action is one of them.
Another is to give some serious thought to the article titles since a good one will attract reads while a bad title (i.e. too clever) can repel them.
Note to Seraphin: I made a few small changes to your draft to show how to easily add emphasis since judicious use of bold text can do a fine job of that and I rarely use the capability but you can change the color of your text as well.
I also tagged a couple of lines with the name of the speaker since I've found that to be an almost effortless way to present dialog. The general form I've used is dialog from anyone else is presented in italics while anything from Silas will be done as normal text. Regardless of the style you choose in that way, the most important thing is the consistency in the presentation.
Zen Yogi has become a favorite and, assuming I've done a good job with him, you know generally what to expect from him.
Zen Yogi: so that's it? You use me for your purposes and then throw me away? (sob)
Take it easy, Yogi. I still love you, buddy.
I've already been writing of being so chuffed that Seraphin shows a growing passion for writing. The other part is why. I'm not aware of writing as a driving force in him while at uni so it must have popped out of space for him such that he decided, yep, I want to do this. I'm no parent but I have been aware to some extent of the wonderfulness for parents when a kid hits the point of some type of epiphany to decides this is The Path.
Note: I don't mean to patronize in talking of kids as the time perspective is from almost forty years further down the road.
The choice may not be whatever the parents imagined but then the kid hits this point and it's clear he or she will do this quite contentedly for life. The passion is most unlikely to diminish since anything others may perceive as a failure becomes a challenge to the kid to do it better so it's self-correcting in a way.
Zen Yogi: that's the nature of making art
I submit it's the way of everything, mate. Maybe the kid's passion turns out to be to person to see for outlandish taxidermy. We will be wondering what mad cosmic ray brought out the unusual interest while the kid is wondering about different projects to try.
Zen Yogi: we may not like the art but that owl who was stuffed with the idea of making the bird look like it's delivering a telegram for Western Union
What if it's true and I don't like the art?
Zen Yogi: that may happen but there's also a pride in helping the kid get to this flash point in life
I do take some pride in helping Seraphin with this but it's not so difficult relative to that which I perceive as the really tough stuff and that's cleaning the kids up while they're still infants.
For me this is like seeing a a bud turn into a bloom and I don't want to get too much into mush but it is that and he is becoming.
Zen Yogi: what is he becoming?
A writer, mate, but how that will reveal itself creates the intrigue since we won't know in advance which way he will go.
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