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Ego by Ramkumar Menon How Ego can affect you? How could you communicate to avoid ego clashes? [2,617 words]
Turning To Him by Randall Barfield No description. [354 words]
The Death Of My Mom by Randall Barfield A short reflection on a lack of tears for my mom. [565 words]
World Cubanization--Afghanization by Randall Barfield A brief essay about some things we cannot change in this world and the dreari... [775 words]
Blubber, Blubber, Armchair Lubber by Randall Barfield A short essay about the REAL truth behind dieting, etc. [870 words]
Let's Legalize Pot! by James Cartwright Just an essay I was proud of. You probobly won't be. That's life. Some credit goes to Andre... [810 words]
Everything's Routine by Pearl S The frightening realization that people live their entire lives like gerbils running in th... [662 words]
Why We Should Not Invade Iraq by James Cartwright This is just an essay I wrote, that I thought was particularly well written. I li... [725 words]
The Hopeless Cynic: Let's Get Typical by Robert G Hagans It's been forever, but I thought it was time to make a comeback. My lates... [2,288 words]
Rape Of Maya's Singing Caged Bird by Samantha Carter About nothing in particular; discussing an awful event that happened a really... [1,079 words]
The Adventure Of Human Freedom by Jeffrey (George) Winter As title indicates. [1,149 words]
What We Say, What They Hear by John Sheirer Humorous look at the ways people in romantic relationships misunderstand each other... [1,721 words]
Jeffrey Dahmers In Suits by Mike Schilller The truth about the corporate creeps who are promoting war for oil and personal profit... [923 words]
A Candle Still Burning: An Excerpt From My Memoir by Vianne-Marie Fortier This is a piece I am doing for my memoir about growing up and... [864 words]
Strength's Illusion by Jeffrey (George) Winter A visit with a disabled friend: How our understandings of strength affect our relationships... [1,696 words]
Revisiting Myself by Charles Cotterman I went back to the old essays, and I have some new philosophies. [357 words]
The Best Friend by Kylan Masters I wrote this essay because so many guys came to me and said that they had these best friends th... [1,429 words]
Mac-Man by Kylan Masters A humerous essay written on how to pick-up women. [990 words]
The Immigrant Story by David Soriano Elaboration on the Led Zeppelin's "The Immigrant Song". [979 words]
The Evil Eye by Norman A Rubin The evil eye is paranoia whose victims are diagnosed on the basis that they see plots everywhere a... [1,440 words]
Reflective Essay On Classroom Discipline by Randall Barfield This essay was written as part of the requirements for a course in ele... [2,676 words]
Lapine Roles by Vianne-Marie Fortier Yay! My last English paper of 8th grade! This one's about the important roles that the Watership D... [933 words]
Bardo Blurb by Sunny Drinking a beer in a bar, some thoughts! [311 words]
Student And Studies by Juned Ahsan To motivate myself and others. [524 words]
Evolving To Simplicity; Our Lack Of Human Evolution by Branson Storm A few thoughts on why our species is incapable of achieving... [5,571 words]
Needed: Diversity In Education by Randall Barfield Including More Studies In Distinct Cultures Needed Urgently: Give-A-Shit Parents... [867 words]
If Only (If Only) by Joseph Robert Herrick A message to compromise and be accepting on the issue of abortion. [554 words]
Unemployment: Cum Laude And The Greatest Terrorist by Randall Barfield 2-cents' worth about employment? [563 words]
Daddy And Me: Making The Rounds by Randall Barfield A little wallow? [428 words]
The Effects Of Human Cloning Through Experimentation by Elizabeth A Letourneau This essay is based on a project for my senior year of sch... [2,481 words]
Life With A Chocoholic by Ben Overby "...there on her hands and knees in the middle of the floor was the chocoholic gobbling ... [1,492 words]
Clothesline Conversations by Ben Overby Though we all bungle our color-filled lives with a splatter of blackness, the spark o... [1,730 words]
Racism In Modern Literature by Christian Obermanns - [704 words]
Play Ball: The Real Rite Of Spring by Steven R. Kravsow I love the spring. Wanna know why? Because spring is the time of year when g... [917 words]
It Happens To Us All by Niall Power Essay comparison. [750 words]
Glen Of Purity, In Wood Of Dying Light (Anne Frank Diary Entries) by Vianne-Marie Fortier This is an essay I had to do for English clas... [3,164 words]
The Green, Green Grass Of Home by Robert Edward Levin essay about holy war. [1,130 words]
The British Are Crying! The British Are Crying? by Branson Storm Editorial on the treatment of the 'detainees' at Camp X-Ray, Gu... [1,239 words]
Should RHS Change Its Attendance Policies? by Andrew Allyn Rasmussen This essay is purely my opinion on RHS's Attendance policies. It goe... [887 words]
Joby The Shiloh Silent Screamer - Essay Narrative by Vianne-Marie Fortier This was a paper I had to do for English and, I decided to pu... [1,144 words]
The Diversity Mystique by Richard Koss The ultimate hype of political correctness. [1,083 words]
Four Of Them by Randall Barfield ...nobody has eight kids anymore either. Right? [259 words]
The Hopeless Cynic: Believing In Believing by Robert G Hagans Seems like a good time to submit this. It's not as coherant as some ... [1,395 words]
Lights, Camera, Action! by Clark G Curtis This is a look at how one young lad (mau) from southern Indiana spent the weeks leading... [3,184 words]
Imagine That by Duck A short essay describing my childhood escape. [502 words]
Ten--Hour Weddings by Randall Barfield About South American weddings. [510 words]
Let The Air Begin by Clark G Curtis While growing up in southern Indiana the rites of fall included sitting on the forced air hea... [1,565 words]
What Would He Think? by Randall Barfield An attempt to look at ourselves constructively. [559 words]
Population Out Of Control! by Frank Dunsmore At the rate of 94.5 million more people on the planet each year, you might wonder ho... [984 words]
Betsy In The Twenty-First Century by Frank Dunsmore My grandfather was one of the first owners of an automobile and one of the fi... [1,990 words]
Randy's Advice To Young Writers
My Mother, The Halloweenie by Jennifer L O'callaghan Reflections on my favorite holiday and how it has changed. [1,460 words]
May Mothers And Fathers by Randall Barfield A short essay about those parents who want to push academic responsibility off onto oth... [479 words]
Fishing Obligations by Randall Barfield A short essay about parental responsibilities and kids' obligations. [558 words]

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TITLE (EDIT)
Randy's Advice To Young Writers
DESCRIPTION
-
[807 words]
TITLE KEYWORD
Motivational
AUTHOR
Randall Barfield
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
-US citizen living and working in the capital of Colombia, South America. Teaches EFL and IELTS, and TOEFL (any test prep). Proofreads English essays, theses, and books, etc. Private classes accepted. Also writes at abctales.com; microhorror.com; postcardshorts.com; authorsden.com. Contact: www.officeteachr.com
[May 2010]
AUTHOR'S E-MAIL ADDRESS
booksdavids@gmail.com
AUTHOR'S OTHER TITLES (281)
2nd Interview With The President (Plays) It's Barb again and President Branch. I'll try. Hope somebody likes it. [1,300 words] [Humor]
A Colombia Hatred-Free (Poetry) Of course, it isn't just Colombia, is it? [52 words] [Writing Resource]
A Dream Comes True (Non-Fiction) This is nostalgia and reflection. It's a short piece of writing dedicated to young Rodger Wesley Beaver of Georgia who was killed by a "sheriff's deputy"(God protect us from those like him.) on Valen... [951 words] [Biography]
A Flower Today In Words (Poetry) - [40 words]
A Georgia Crossroads (Non-Fiction) Where does it lie? [325 words] [Writing Resource]
A Little Poem My Child (Children) - [79 words] [Humor]
A Matter Of Timing, Frankly (Short Stories) - [736 words] [Literary Fiction]
A Million Times Plus One (Poetry) I have never stopped loving the tune "A Whiter Shade of Pale." I heard it the first time at age 16 or 17. Here is a little piece I completed recently while listening to the song over and over. So, ... [234 words] [Relationships]
A Monster Of Monsters (Non-Fiction) Why did we ever let him get this far? [208 words] [Horror]
A Parent's Lament (Genres) Some say it's never too late. [260 words] [Teenage]
A Perfected Perpetuation Plan For Today's Young Yahoos (Poetry) No one has the right to rob a bank, but each has the right to draw up her/his floor plans for life. [219 words] [Writing Resource]
A Purple Jacket (Short Stories) - [494 words] [Motivational]
A Quiet House (Short Stories) - [257 words] [Teenage]
A Red May Rose For Thee (Poetry) - [45 words] [Motivational]
A Royal Ring Up (Plays) Is this anger on my part? What should I care? But anyway, here it is... [808 words] [Drama]
A Soldier's Letter (Poetry) Far from the familiar our words are often sweeter, are they not? [109 words] [Romance]
A Songbird's Intellect (Poetry) - [4 words] [Spiritual]
A Troubled Nation In Need Of Prayer And Soul-Searching: How To Repair It (Non-Fiction) Send you suggestions/contributions in 40 words or less to booksdavis@yahoo.com Thank you. [89 words] [History]
A Visit (Short Stories) - [245 words] [Teenage]
About Daddy (1) (Non-Fiction) Daddy had his own emotional problems... [359 words] [Biography]
About Daddy Series (Non-Fiction) - [4,424 words] [Biography]
About Respect And Prestige (Non-Fiction) - [352 words] [Psychology]
Abrakadeebra: A Celebration Of Children's Verse No. 1 (Children) More fun little poems/verses for those special readers of mine. I hope you enjoy them. Let me know which ones need a bit of modification. Cheers. [2,799 words] [Humor]
Abrakadomebra: A 2nd Celebration Of Children's Verse (Children) More exciting(some are, anyway) little poems/verses about Frosty, Benny the Blackbird, Jack and Jill, etc. for children's laughter. Cheers. [2,349 words] [Humor]
Abrakadoobra: 100 Short Poems For Children (Children) Sometimes I enjoy writing or trying to write poems for children moreso than for adults. Would that be bad or good? Maybe neither. Please let me know which ones you or your kid likes or dislikes. I'... [3,527 words] [Fantasy]
Abrakadyebra: A Third Collection Of Children's Poems (Children) See, read and hear new poems about Frosty and Jack and Jill and others now! Cheers! [1,464 words] [Humor]
Abstinence (Poetry) - [18 words] [Psychology]
Adestes: Little Christmas Poems For Children (Children) Father Christmas/please be so kind/bring me a toy/one doesn't wind. [392 words] [Humor]
Advertising The Devil (Non-Fiction) "Serve the Lord with gladness..." not sadness, you dummy! [491 words] [Spiritual]
Aletha (Short Stories) . [330 words] [Teenage]
Ann Dunham: Busy Serving Others And Educating Her Kids (Children) If only she could see him now. [506 words] [Biography]
Ann Rule: The Lady Who Writes About Killers (Children) Talk about a busy life! Here's an example. [360 words] [Biography]
Another Prince Charles (Children) - [391 words] [Biography]
At Clarence's (Short Stories) - [290 words] [Teenage]
Back Through The Trees (Poetry) This evil took place both day and night. [50 words] [Motivational]
Bad Señorita (Songs) Am I a "real" songwriter? (Looking at this one, I hope not!) [103 words] [Humor]
Because His Skin Is Dark (Poetry) - [19 words] [Mind]
Bill Gaither: True Follower (Non-Fiction) - [641 words] [Biography]
Billy Graham: Man After God's Heart (Children) Who can count all his awards? [375 words] [Biography]
Billy Graham's Death (Non-Fiction) . [633 words] [Spiritual]
Blood (Poetry) - [30 words] [Horror]
Blubber, Blubber, Armchair Lubber (Essays) A short essay about the REAL truth behind dieting, etc. [870 words] [Self-Help]
Boy Child (Songs) These lyrics are new and go to the tune of 'Oh Danny Boy' or 'Londonderry Aire'. Something like that. I may do one more stanza. [99 words] [Spiritual]
Buenos Dias, Colombia (Not S Carolina!) (Non-Fiction) First-hand comments/observations of the country today and other days (with sugar, cream, and warts). This was a blog before anyone had ever heard of the term. [18,298 words] [Writing Resource]
Cam (Poetry) ...wound up twisted... [20 words] [Humor]
Carlos The Young Coffee Picker (Children) Carlos the young coffee picker Played a serenade Maria had just given birth Nine pounds the wee thing weighed! [564 words] [Humor]
Catch A Rising Star (Short Stories) "It's Luis, Jaime..." the old man stammered. [496 words] [Literary Fiction]
Cemetery Road (Short Stories) "What was that? There's someone out there," she exclaimed. [444 words] [Teenage]
Cindy's Fall (Short Stories) - [526 words] [Horror]
Colombia's On The Map (Poetry) How long is forty years, ma? [77 words] [Writing Resource]
Colombia's President Al Uribe (Children) - [493 words] [Biography]
Create, Create (Poetry) - [16 words] [Art]
Daddy And Me: Making The Rounds (Essays) A little wallow? [428 words] [Writing Resource]
Daddy, Can You Hear Me? (Short Stories) What would you do in this situation? [511 words] [Horror]
Daemons (Non-Fiction) Isn't British spelling more elegant sometimes? This piece of writing is about demons. We all have one or some of them inside us. They are the negative elements we cannot control very easily. The f... [2,678 words] [Psychology]
Daniel Coronell: Freedom Fighter (Children) He returned to his country determined more than ever. [420 words] [Biography]
Daring To Touch Saeed (Poetry) This piece is supposed to be about Flight 93. It's very hard to write about. If you've seen the movie, you've cried. Murderers, in my opinion, are spiritually or otherwise diseased, so, I think we ... [166 words] [History]
David's Letter--Bogota, Colombia (Non-Fiction) This is a true incident. It is not fiction. [551 words] [Self-Help]
Dear Detective Lovett (Short Stories) - [646 words] [Crime]
Decider (Poetry) This poem was composed after a slow reading of Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule, the world's foremost crime writer. [169 words] [Crime]
Deleted (Poetry) - [18 words] [Literary Fiction]
Desire Of Flesh (Poetry) ...you're ferried by death. [41 words] [Mind]
Developed And Scary (Non-Fiction) . [400 words] [History]
Doctor's Orders (Poetry) A short poem about family camping. [198 words] [Writing Resource]
Don't Call Her First Lady (Songs) This is sort of a song-poem. It's not about the First Couple in Washington, in case you wonder. The rhythm is along the lines of Ray Charles' "Fool For Love". Have you heard it? [60 words] [Humor]
Don't Tell Anyone (Short Stories) - [258 words] [Horror]
Each A Star (Poetry) Dear Readers: This poem-story, sadly, is based on a true and recent incident near where we live. [40 words] [Spiritual]
Ephraim (Short Stories) - [443 words] [Literary Fiction]
Every Day We Pierce Him (Songs) The tune for this song is a Spanish church song titled "Llaga", which means open sore or wound. In the Spanish hymn book I have, the author is listed as anonymous. Anyway, here are some English lyric... [74 words] [Spiritual]
Everybody Loved Polly (Short Stories) I detest violence and violent people! [1,809 words] [Popular Fiction]
Find Myself (Songs) Tune: Largo from Dvorak's "New World Symphony". [57 words] [Romance]
Finding A Poem-Short Story Topic (Non-Fiction) What to write about? Where do I look? Who/What can help me? [552 words] [Writing Resource]
Fishing Obligations (Essays) A short essay about parental responsibilities and kids' obligations. [558 words] [Relationships]
Five Prose Poems (Poetry) Here are five prose poems for the romantic-minded, I hope. The titles are Looking Back, That Celestial Calm--the Moon; City Shadows; Seeking; and We Turned Off. [331 words] [Romance]
Fly Me To The Moon, Baby (Poetry) - [82 words] [Romance]
Four Of Them (Essays) ...nobody has eight kids anymore either. Right? [259 words] [Writing Resource]
Four Poems (Poetry) Titles are: Groundwork in Colombia, Poetry, I Saw My Granny, Carpenter [398 words]
Four Short-Shorts (Poetry) "Lite" fare again. Titles are: Trying to Create Beauty; You First Then I; Appetite; and Opening Night. [113 words] [Mind]
Frances Jane: God's Happy Servant (Children) They had a baby daughter but it died... [368 words] [Biography]
Funny Like (Short Stories) - [610 words] [Teenage]
Generosity (Poetry) - [15 words] [Spiritual]
Gone Is Our Lisa (Poetry) (Feeling Poe-ish today maybe?) [87 words] [Humor]
Goodbye Christmas, Goodbye Santa (Poetry) - [52 words] [Motivational]
Grandstand (Poetry) - [19 words] [Relationships]
Growing Up Among Racists (Non-Fiction) A look at some of us in retrospect. [635 words] [Relationships]
Haikus Erotiques (Poetry) -These represent an exercise that's fun. Steve Mount has some others at saltyrain.com but the best are by the Japanese old masters. Look in Google for them. [113 words] [Erotic]
Haley She Was Called (Children) - [397 words] [Biography]
Hanks (Poetry) The superstar. [67 words] [Movies]
He Keeps Me Humble (Poetry) It's just that sometimes we don't want to be watched! [22 words] [Spiritual]
Heteros, Homos, Celibacy And The Church (Non-Fiction) Are we going back to the time of the Crusades? [590 words] [Writing Resource]
Hi Mr Willis, Can You Explain What Wrong I Did? (Non-Fiction) Teaching school is always give and take. Will it ever be different? [462 words] [Literary Fiction]
His Heart (Non-Fiction) - [556 words] [Motivational]
Homeward (Poetry) Sans arrogance, this poem was written for Senator Byrd of W. Va. [20 words] [Romance]
Hospital Room (Short Stories) Sadly, it's another case of "who needs fiction?" [1,115 words] [Crime]
How In Colombia I Grew In Mind And Soul (And Nowadays Grow In Girth) (Non-Fiction) Where I grew up in Georgia we had practically no access to modern British prose or poetry... [654 words] [Biography]
How To Have Money In Your Life (Non-Fiction) - [423 words] [Self-Help]
I Fell In Love With You (Poetry) - [97 words] [Romance]
I Find My Sanity (Poetry) - [38 words] [Psychology]
If I Could Chat With You Again (Poetry) - [66 words] [Literary Fiction]
If The World Were More Like You (Songs) Isn't this self-reflection? [155 words] [Psychology]
I'm Dreaming Of... (Poetry) It's about a smile. [80 words] [Writing Resource]
I'm From Mars (Short Stories) Historical fiction. [513 words] [Teenage]
In My Mind I Cheat On You (Poetry) Throw the first stone. [74 words] [Relationships]
In Our Minds (Poetry) - [11 words] [Mind]
In The Outside Cold (Short Stories) - [440 words] [Literary Fiction]
Interview Of A South American Gay (Non-Fiction) Meet Miguel Rodriguez: Miguel Rodriguez, a colleague of mine, is one of Colombia’s elite citizens in terms of philosophy, education, cultural level, and societal contributions. In other words, he’s ... [2,066 words] [Relationships]
Interview With The President (Plays) Baraba Falters(Barb)finally interviews President Branch. The President is, like a typical politician, quite difficult to pin down. [1,319 words] [Writing Resource]
Is It Where We Write Or What We Write? (Non-Fiction) Just think--how many of us had heard of Annie Proulx before 2005 or 2006? [681 words] [Publishing]
It Was Raining (Short Stories) "Let's not talk about it right now, Mama..." [368 words] [Literary Fiction]
Its Christmas Joy (Poetry) What is priority this year? [71 words] [Motivational]
James Benedetti's Daughter (Short Stories) A surprise visit. [861 words] [Literary Fiction]
James Herriot: Dearest Vet That Ever Lived (Children) Could you bring a cow into the world? A horse? [430 words] [Biography]
Jesus, You Look So Kansas-Like (Poetry) - [328 words] [Teenage]
Jewish Mother (Short Stories) Trying to make Him and those near Him more alive, more real, and hopefully, with more exposure. [396 words] [Literary Fiction]
John And Juan: Colombia's Facebook Killers (Non-Fiction) - [594 words] [Crime]
Just (Poetry) Heightened sensitivity doesn't mean anything goes. It does, however, mean caring for others. [70 words] [Psychology]
Just Cry, Mama (Poetry) - [267 words] [Teenage]
Just Imagine (Poetry) Dedicated to the One with the scarred hands. [59 words] [Spiritual]
Keepsakes (Poetry) A poem about a special afternoon. [129 words]
Lassie: About A Pal (No Joke) (Children) ...thanks to British-born writer Eric Knight, who wrote the short story... [276 words] [Biography]
Leaving Colombia(On A Jet, Of Course) (Non-Fiction) - [974 words] [Crime]
Letter To Elvis (Non-Fiction) You were human, of course. Perhaps in the end you just couldn't take any more... [642 words] [Biography]
Lid (Short Stories) Beware of half baths. [376 words] [Horror]
Life On The Shelf (Poetry) - [27 words] [Erotic]
Like A Story (Poetry) - [130 words] [Teenage]
Like A Wave (Poetry) - [30 words] [Romance]
Liliana's Decision (Non-Fiction) - [488 words] [Crime]
Lions Young (Poetry) - [16 words] [Erotic]
Little Is Much (Children) - [85 words] [Animal]
Lonely Hunter (Poetry) - [17 words] [Literary Fiction]
Long Live Our Elephants (Children) Would you kill an elephant? A deer? A fly? [284 words] [Animal]
Lord Find A Place (Poetry) (For Luciano Pavarotti: R.I.P.) [70 words] [Spiritual]
Making Moves: Another Look At Victims And Choices In Ann Rule's True Crime Stories (Non-Fiction) Ann Rule gives the murderers a hell of a punch in each story. That's the way it must be. It is the angle from which she writes and no one, no one is going to condone the acts of a murderer, least of... [9,916 words] [Crime]
Marsten (Short Stories) - [408 words] [Horror]
Matchless Love (Songs) - [91 words] [Motivational]
May Mothers And Fathers (Essays) A short essay about those parents who want to push academic responsibility off onto others. [479 words]
Maybe To Pittsburgh This Time (Children) This is about a boy's best friend. Also, I've always loved Girzone's "Joshua". Here is my little attempt to imitate that, somehow. [479 words] [Literary Fiction]
Meet Mary (Poetry) - [39 words]
Michael (Poetry) About someone who left us some years back but who left an indelible impression on those of his generation. [82 words] [Biography]
Mine Eyes Have Seen (Poetry) No glory and no hallelujah. [55 words] [Horror]
Miniviews From Colombia (Non-Fiction) No special description. Basically, getting an idea of what different people think at present. [3,555 words]
Miss Sindee And The Candidate (Plays) - [361 words] [Humor]
Moors And Moors: Randall Interviews Portuguese Writer--Poet--Artist Alexandra Onelight (Non-Fiction) - [3,430 words] [Biography]
Morgan: An Actor's Actor (Children) Even though he's still living, here's a little bio. [362 words] [Biography]
Moron (Short Stories) - [374 words] [Teenage]
Mr. Nico's Monday A.M. Surprise (Plays) Thus it was decreed: Woe unto all those ethically challenged! [633 words] [Humor]
Mr Randy Sez (Non-Fiction) Expressed thoughts, musings, comments, etc. on whatever I please. [5,598 words] [Publishing]
My Big Toe Nicely (Poetry) - [23 words] [Erotic]
My Fan (Poetry) - [23 words] [Spiritual]
My Kind Of Christian: Barbara Curtis (Non-Fiction) "She lived to shock people, 'to be different and avant-garde'." [514 words] [Motivational]
My Men Are Full Of Vigor (Poetry) This is about crosses, isn´t it? [48 words] [Erotic]
Needed: Diversity In Education (Essays) Including More Studies In Distinct Cultures Needed Urgently: Give-A-Shit Parents Who Actually Monitor Their Kids If we won't listen to Jesus, then... [867 words] [Writing Resource]
No Better Galahad (Songs) About the best Friend in the world. [115 words] [Spiritual]
Normally A Gentle Man (Short Stories) This story was inspired by a story in the "Chicken Soup" series that I never can forget. [334 words] [Teenage]
Not Enough! (Essays) A short talk about trying to prevent more wife/child abuse. [791 words] [Crime]
Number 6 (Short Stories) The "real" meaning of non-stop? [489 words] [Horror]
O Father Hold Us Tightly (Songs) Tune: "O Little Town of Bethlehem", believe it or not. It's such a beautiful melody that it's a pity that we are concerned with it only in December. Non-Christmas lyrics probably have been penned be... [101 words] [Spiritual]
Oh Milly Said Molly (Poetry) This one came up while writing the kids' stuff 'cept it isn't, is it? [26 words] [Humor]
Old Quake (Poetry) One Halloween he grabbed a knife Then hid behind the door... [119 words] [Humor]
On A Dad's Turning 80 (Non-Fiction) Some want to get there, others couldn't care less. How much is choice? [390 words] [Writing Resource]
On A Limb In The Garden Oak (Poetry) - [17 words] [Motivational]
Once I Thought Hypocrisy (Poetry) I,too, have felt the knife. [50 words] [Mind]
Pablo: A Life Of Crime And Making Money (Children) What is smart in life? What is dumb? [629 words] [Biography]
Pissed--Or, We Did It To Ourselves(Yes, Read Fucked) (Non-Fiction) Periodical rant. [492 words] [Writing Resource]
Plantain (Short Stories) - [627 words] [Horror]
Please Send Me Blessings (Poetry) - [48 words] [Teenage]
Poet--Photographer--Writer Interview (Non-Fiction) Read about Joseph Randell Sherman, Iowa-born poet and photographer par excellence. For additional info, access to writings, etc., 'google' this writer. [1,999 words] [Biography]
Policing-Immigration Lines (Essays) This is a bit about patriotism but not fanaticism. [1,193 words] [Motivational]
Poor Daddy (Short Stories) Carl saw the freshly-dug hole and broke into tears... [438 words] [Literary Fiction]
Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Songs) This is another one of my favorite gospel songs. So, I am arrogant here in trying to pen a second or extra verse(I know of only one.). M. Jackson sings only one on a DVD I have of her. Anyway, if a... [50 words] [Spiritual]
President Branch 1954 (Plays) Pure innocence, of course, prevailed at that time, did it not? [313 words] [Comedy]
Quite Harmless You See (Short Stories) Then Peter had the oddest feeling. He’d never been afraid of the dark before. To him, danger was posed by humans, not by animals; least of all simple and innocent forest animals. [723 words] [Literary Fiction]
Rainy Christmas Eve (Short Stories) "How bad is it?" he managed to ask with great physical and psychological effort... [755 words] [Crime]
Ralph Carmichael: A Great American Musician (Non-Fiction) - [463 words] [Biography]
Randall Barfield Interviews Sage Sweetwater--Colorado Poet-Novelist Of The Sapphic Literary Genre (Non-Fiction) . [4,890 words] [Relationships]
Randall's Humble Analysis Of The Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard (Non-Fiction) (Using the NIV version of the Bible) [635 words] [Spiritual]
Realities (Poetry) - [7 words] [Writing Resource]
Reflective Essay On Classroom Discipline (Essays) This essay was written as part of the requirements for a course in elementary education. The teacher's comments are placed in parentheses and denoted as TC. Some of the problems have worked themselv... [2,676 words] [Writing Resource]
Religious Poems For Children (Children) - [691 words] [Spiritual]
Remembering Doug (Non-Fiction) I remember thinking at the time that they were such crybabies! [472 words] [Biography]
Sa'ad (Short Stories) Trying to look at history from another perspective. [295 words] [History]
Schoolgirl (Short Stories) - [937 words] [Crime]
Second Nature (Poetry) It's about a concrete finisher. [128 words] [Biography]
See A Rose (Poetry) - [35 words] [Motivational]
She Walked In Beauty (Poetry) - [32 words] [Movies]
Shit (Poetry) This poem is built around a word that is offensive to some, harmless to others. [187 words] [Writing Resource]
Should You Go To College? (Non-Fiction) Decisions confront us at every step in life. [503 words] [Teenage]
Some Caring Country Road (Poetry) Superstars leave indelible impressions on all of us, however, different strokes for different folks, of course. Anyway, I'll always be starstruck and enjoy trying to create tributes for those I love(... [193 words] [Nature]
Something Irresistible (Short Stories) Ten fingers? Who me? [231 words] [Humor]
Somewhere Near The Maricopas: Elizabeth Lucas-Taylor Interview (Non-Fiction) Elizabeth Lucas-Taylor, Arizona writer, poet, seeker, and dreamer, interview by Randall Barfield [4,700 words] [Mind]
Spare The Rod (Poetry) There's nothing funny about killing one's parents, I know, but it's only fiction. Right? Did Agatha Christie ever kill anyone despite a life dedicated to murder fiction? [109 words] [Humor]
Stand By Me (Songs) There are 2 songs titled Stand By Me that I know of. The more famous one was recorded by Ben King and John Lennon. The other, less famous but no less beautiful, was recorded by Elvis Presley (and wh... [74 words] [Spiritual]
Take Her Pompoms (Poetry) What's a mom worth in May? [25 words] [Relationships]
Ten Baby Jesus Poems (Children) The noise of the cock's crow woke them up A brand new day came bursting forth... [272 words] [Spiritual]
Ten More Baby Jesus Poems (And The Last Of Them) (Children) (Wind and rain roared outside The walls of the stable shook...) [237 words] [Biography]
Ten--Hour Weddings (Essays) About South American weddings. [510 words] [Humor]
Terence And Abelardo--Set Four (Plays) - [1,652 words] [Relationships]
Terence And Abelardo--Set One (Plays) This is planned as a series of vignettes, each with its own title. Terence is from an English-speaking country but lives and works in a Spanish-speaking one. Abelardo is Spanish-speaking orginally a... [971 words] [Relationships]
Terence And Abelardo--Set Three (Plays) - [1,549 words]
Terence And Abelardo--Set Two (Plays) Each set contains 4 shorts. [1,274 words] [Relationships]
That Little Spark (Poetry) - [22 words] [Motivational]
The 2nd Church Sign (Non-Fiction) Thou shalt go and spread... [677 words] [Spiritual]
The Best Christmas (Poetry) The best Christmas means different things to each one of us. [99 words] [Spiritual]
The Big It (Poetry) - [24 words] [Relationships]
The Breakfast Nook (Short Stories) . [246 words] [Spiritual]
The Candy In The Woods (Children) - [467 words] [Adventure]
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The Cold March Air (Poetry) - [15 words] [Erotic]
The Color Of My Actions (Poetry) Sometimes we think too much about color and not enough at important things. [73 words] [Motivational]
The Comfort (Poetry) No one can bring him back. No one can forget him either. [250 words] [Biography]
The Cry Baby (Short Stories) - [615 words] [Teenage]
The Death Of My Mom (Essays) A short reflection on a lack of tears for my mom. [565 words]
The Donkey Farm (Children) None of the donkeys wore a watch, of course, so they couldn't be dead sure... [365 words] [Fable]
The Double Cure: A Closer Look (Non-Fiction) - [1,118 words] [Spiritual]
The Evil Of The Visa System (Essays) Looking, looking for that Utopia. As always. [479 words] [History]
The France You Never Got To See (Poetry) How many people wanted to see France and never got a chance to? [67 words] [Motivational]
The Godless Home(Life) (Non-Fiction) Basically, this is written from experience. [661 words] [Self-Help]
The Goodbye (Short Stories) My 2nd attempt at a 'western'. It won a cherry at abctales.com (shoebox) [752 words] [Romance]
The Gravity (Poetry) Former Beatles member George Harrison died in November, 2001. This poem was conceived and written near the musician's death. [81 words] [Psychology]
The Hands (Poetry) - [12 words] [Horror]
The Head Of State's Eyes (Poetry) - [42 words] [History]
The Hour (Poetry) - [10 words] [Spiritual]
The House On No Street (Poetry) Move over, Stephen King! [53 words] [Horror]
The Human Condition(By The Pessimist) (Poetry) - [19 words] [History]
The Jubilee Surprise (Plays) Perhaps daydreaming. (This was written first in 2002, of course.) Today, July 2005, I look back at the word daydreaming and think: Wasn't I ever! Of course, we now know the monarch is trying to break... [514 words] [History]
The Little House In The Woods (Children) Children can enjoy these new little poems. We were in a "wooded" area on vacation recently and the idea came to me to jot these down. [313 words] [Literary Fiction]
The Lyrics For That Macho-Man, He-Man, Tough-Guy Shit (Poetry) . [278 words] [Literary Fiction]
The Moon In That Movie With Cher (Short Stories) - [901 words]
The New House (Short Stories) - [404 words] [Horror]
The New House Near Campus (Short Stories) - [422 words] [Horror]
The People I Prefer (Poetry) - [47 words]
The Power (Short Stories) "I have to get home. I have to get home..." [1,137 words] [Drama]
The Road (Non-Fiction) But he felt happiness. At last. After such... [576 words] [Motivational]
The Rose Tree (Poetry) A poem about the passing of life and nostalgia. [291 words]
The Scent Of Provincial Orchids (Short Stories) - [940 words] [Literary Fiction]
The Turn Of Your Old Key (Poetry) - [55 words] [Romance]
The Very Best Poems (Poetry) - [36 words] [Motivational]
There Is A Love That Is Matchless (Songs) These lyrics have music (by Guess Who) if anyone is interested. [91 words] [Motivational]
There Will Be No Losers (Poetry) - [146 words] [Motivational]
They Started A War (Poetry) -"One is left with the horrible feeling now that war settles nothing; that to win a war is as disastrous as to lose one." Agatha Christie (1977) [70 words] [Spiritual]
Thin Air (Short Stories) ...you'd think it impossible that one man could terrorize an entire nation but,of course,... [874 words] [Crime]
Third Interview With President Branch (Plays) Here go the Pres. and Barabas(Barb) again. Give me a rating 1 to 10 on it. I say 8.0 (If you don't love yourself, who else is gonna?) I also wanna say that I am not a hater of the president. After... [536 words] [Comedy]
This Thirst (Poetry) - [29 words] [Psychology]
Thomas Andrew (Children) He and Mr. Tindley didn't go away. Their music and words didn't either... [388 words] [Biography]
Thorn And Rose (Poetry) - [66 words] [Teenage]
Those Images (Poetry) - [30 words] [Relationships]
Three Poem Collection (Poetry) No particular description. The reader will judge. Titles are: Poem for Cathy; Ingots; and The Saltless Sea. [252 words] [Relationships]
Three Poem Collection No. 2 (Poetry) These poems are supposed to be "lite". Titles are: bug off; Fat Farm Arrival; and Bleak Anniversary. [66 words] [Humor]
Three-Song Collection (Songs) Two are supposed to be spiritual and one a ballad. The author's music is available for evaluation. Sometimes the strong part of a song is its music, at others the lyrics. [410 words] [Spiritual]
Tight Jeans 1 (Short Stories) - [264 words] [Romance]
Tight Jeans 2 (Short Stories) - [246 words] [Romance]
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Tight Jeans (4) (Novels) - [187 words] [Romance]
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Trying To Cross (Poetry) . [42 words] [Humor]
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Uncle Reggie's Study Room (Short Stories) - [268 words] [Literary Fiction]
Under The Sun (Essays) What happens in real life is that we humans are vicious one to the other... [839 words] [Relationships]
Unemployment: Cum Laude And The Greatest Terrorist (Essays) 2-cents' worth about employment? [563 words] [Writing Resource]
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Urban Frat. (Short Stories) - [216 words] [Teenage]
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Wesley Beaver Commemorative Poems (Children) - [772 words] [Fable]
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Why Is He Calling? Or (Pass Me Not) (Non-Fiction) She's dead (Frances Jane or Fanny) but she isn't. Right? [706 words] [Spiritual]
Wide Flowers (Poetry) - [189 words] [Teenage]
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Randy's Advice To Young Writers
Randall Barfield


     Years ago I literally agonized over every fa-

cet of writing you can imagine. I seemed terribly

impatient and knew not the cure, knew not where

the balm lay. Who could help me? I wondered.

Then I wondered not only who could, but who would!

Life seemed so unfair and even cruel when I con-

sidered writers who had made it "big" while they

were still young writers like Capote, RL

Stevenson, McCullers, the playwright Williams et

al. Not only did I want and need to see some

thing of mine(Me, myself, and I--Ego, I love you!)

in print, but I wanted and needed compensation

for it. Eventually "The Writer" only increased

this appetite. In other words, reading THE maga-

zine was like looking at Playboy or Playgirl and

not being able to do anything about the urge.

Finally(I DID keep busy, though.) I was able to

take refuge in the "There is a season, a time..."

philosophy. Some things simply cannot be hurried,

and all the logic in the world is there. Many

times we just don't want to see that it is there.

It's like planting. We can't rush a fruit tree

or a tomato plant, can we? No, we must nurture

it repeatedly and wait until it grows and can bear

fruit. Did not Chaucer mention the craft as being

so long and life so short? So, patience can be

only beneficial for us. From the lack of it stems

our frustration.

     Now the reader is thinking or saying, "Okay,

I get you. So what's the advice--the gist?" The

advice isn't one sentence. We have to look at

several factors, to say the least. The first fac-

tor, for me, is a commitment to quality. Medio-

crity should be the BIG ENEMY, therefore, com-

pletely unacceptable. To illustrate: Young wri-

ters can show one a piece of work and, while the

"pro" can and should allow for weaknesses here and

there in plot and clarity of meaning, there can be

no allowance for sheer carelessness. In other

words, I, personally, am turned off quickly by

writers who don't know the difference between to

and too, or who mispell receive(They write

recieve.). Don't misunderstand me. I'm not say-

ing one cannot make mistakes or that I never make

any. What I am saying is that the young writer

must be curious, not too lazy to look up the words

or grammatical mysteries that are before her or

him, and must desire to develop quality writing.

All of us are going to err and we should learn

from it when we do, but our mistakes should be

logical and not SILLY. It is silliness to send

off a piece of work with tree spelled treee or

three several times. Doesn't it mean we didn't

take the time to proofread our own creation?

     Another factor to look at is overcoming our

insecurities. Gradually, of course, we must over-

come them. We have no choice. As youthful wri-

ters we seem to be quasi-masochists--running here

and there for an alleged "pro" to tell us that

this or that isn't acceptable or that our work is

done carelessly, to go back to the drawing board,

both of which crush our tender egos mercilessly.

Of course, at times feedback can be instructive

e.g. constructive criticism. But we need to be

careful. The "pro" cannot decide for us whether

or not we are going to be a writer. WE

OURSELVES DO THE DECIDING! This is because a wri-

ter is a

person who likes writing and, more importantly,

actually writes. So, many of us already are wri-

ters. Maybe our last name isn't recognizable as

is the name Joyce, Wouk or Tolstoy, but we ARE

writers.

     A third factor that is important for me is

reading. I'd be willing to bet that most major

writers have been heavy readers. You see, that

which we haven't absorbed cannot exit. Where we

haven't learned elegant words and phrasing, we

cannot employ. So, part of the young writers com-

mitment to quality is unrelenting improvement in

her or his level of reading and level of general

knowledge.

     Lastly, I'd like to mention the details. I

could go on farther but at this stage in my life

I'm trying to concentrate on things brief. All

kinds of books and articles exist telling us how

to do the paper, the envelope, which company,

which editor, do this, do that. Granted, some of

these pieces of advice cannot be totally ignored.

Additionally, any publisher has the right and

power to choose and use only that writing which

suits her or his needs. But these details will

never be as important as the piece of writing with

a real essence to it--meaty, juicy, high-calibre

and, of course, completely captivating to its rea-

ders in the style of In Cold Blood or A Rose for

Her Grave. So, if your writing desire is truly

authentic,

 never give up in your quest. Try, try and

try. And so what if you never make millions upon

millions like Maupassant did in his time(He died

young and exhausted, didn't he?)? So what if your

name never becomes as famous as the name Balzac

became? Is a monetary amount the only way we can

measure a person's worth or success? No sir and

no ma'am.

 

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COPYRIGHT NOTICE
© 2001 Randall Barfield
STORYMANIA PUBLICATION DATE
October 2001
NUMBER OF TIMES TITLE VIEWED
2937
 

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