Half Baked Thoughts

We begin our exercise today by reviewing the happenings of the previous night. A fair night's sleep with interesting dreams of traveling to find some kind of prize using, of all  things, an electronic prize detector. Many miles were covered and it was in a hurry in order to get the prize before someone else. When we finally find the prize we are disappointed because it is a kind of cheap corner unit, curio shelf.

Can you guess that I'm reading The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. I'm enjoying the book immensely. Last night we covered the part about Joel Cairo and the Wonderly dame, i.e.- Brigid O'Shaugnessy.

At the end of the dream, I went out the back door and found the two dogs. Don't get cute with me, you know damn well "Which two dogs?" I ought to slap the shit out of ya, and then slap ya fur shittin!

So they were happy to see me, the dogs I mean, and I was happy to see them. I gave them both a hug, in the dream, you see. I don't remember much of any other dreams I might have had.

I should try to write a detective short story in that idiom. It would be a fun exercise. I think I'd have to learn a lot more of the vernacular. Maybe have to watch a bunch more of the old movies. I like them anyway.

Writing anything without using my favorite cliches is like teaching a prototypical Italian to talk while sitting on his hands. I am just about tongue-tied without "those phrases."

All those parenthetical kickoff phrases, like: by the way, in addition, so anyway, etc. are so much a part of the way I speak that they have invaded my writing to a dangerous extent.

Coupled with big four of forbidden words: really, just, practically, actually. I am almost without a working vocabulary. I will have to persevere to get the work done.

Have pity on me.  Mea culpa, Baruch atah hashem adonai,  Oye como va! That about covers it.

More later,