My journey down the short story road came to a milestone a day or so ago when I completed my latest work of fiction. It will be published this Thursday on my Ideasnmoreblog and, most likely, on other media outlets appropriate for these things.
It has been a rather lengthy journey, at least for me, taking over several months to write it. Since I started my fiction writing last year, this is the longest it has taken me to complete a story. I didn’t expect that to happen. Among other things, depression, lack of interest, lack of focus, an anything-but-constructive-attitude all contributed to my delay in getting this thing completed.
As a writer, I’ve become very familiar with all aspects of feeling stuck. There were times I’d sit down ready to create and absolutely nothing would seep out of my mind. Then, I’d write an idea, few words or so and struggle to emit a paragraph or three. Sometimes, that would be enough to open the floodgates.
During this process I would at times hear a voice inside my head as if directing me what to write down next. It could be a thought, an actual phrase or just a word. That would then translate into another paragraph, then another until I’d amass a certain word count to guide me into how lengthy I really want this piece of literary magic to become.
“The Shadows” is my latest. I hope you enjoy it!
Beware of Carcinomas
The last time I visited the dermatologist, she did a full body scan to detect suspicious growths or spots that may indicate symptoms of skin cancer. This process is also sometimes called “skin cancer screening” and is essential for detecting and treating skin cancer early on. As it had been several years since I last had one, we both thought it about time for an update.
Glad I took part. The scan turned up negative except for one small area at the very top of my head. Called a squamous cell carcinoma, its diameter is smaller than a penny. It’s the second most common form of skin cancer and is easily treated.
I’ll have to have it removed, of course, but the treatment should be considerably easier and less invasive than the first area I encountered some years ago, on my nose. That one was quite deep and went down to the bone. Before they could complete the operation, they had to perform a skin graph from my forehead. When it was over, all was fine, although I looked like I had been in a fight. But, they removed all the cancer!
Whenever you detect an odd area on you body, please have the skin checked out. A full body scan does not hurt and you owe it to yourself to do it. The rewards outweigh the potential risks.
Hopefully making a ruckus, one blog post at a time!
Be sure to check out my other blog, Ideasnmoreblog, for a different kind of playground for creativity, innovation and inspiring stuff.
Joe's Journey 