Author: Fallton Havenstonne

Newspapers

Fallton Havenstonne

It seems that newspapers have become obsolete given how fast the news is being updated and how much news is out there. The news can be accessed on a cellphone, a laptop–on almost any electronic device. They’re not restricted to owning a paper copy. The digital world has made the news instantaneous–daily.

Years ago, I remember going to the bookstore and seeing a shelf full of newspapers from different publications. Now, we needn’t go to any store to read the news. It can be read online for free.

I’m sure some people still enjoy holding a newspaper in their hands and flipping through the folds of pages. When reading from a newspaper, they’re not distracted by ads or clickbait articles. Ads can be passed over with just a flip of the page. They can even circle things on the page, such as headlines, and fill in crossword puzzles if they wanted to.

Perhaps it’s just a matter of preference as to how a person reads the news. Newspapers are printed each day, but like with everything today, paperless communication is becoming more prevalent. And with that being the case, information is free–so long as there is internet access.

Reading Between The Lines

Fallton Havenstonne

To read between the lines is to search for the meaning behind something that’s not apparent on the surface. I find that I read between the lines when something doesn’t make sense, when something sounds like a contradiction or is completely false.

I might pause and then double back to read the passage again. And if I catch something that sounds like a euphemism or sarcasm, I’ll read the book more closely–search for the underlying meaning in the work.

I find that this happens more often than not in non-fiction books rather than in fiction. In fiction, I’m not questioning the validity of the story, rather, judging the story on its own merits. The message of the story is told through the narrative itself, which boils down to the conclusion. Whether I agree with it or not isn’t the point. The point is that the message (or moral) is clear, and so I’m not reading really read between the lines.

But in a non-fiction book, I’m analyzing it more closely because the writer is proving an idea, making the case for an argument. They might list a page full facts to make their case, but does it follow that their conclusion is valid? Or is there a flaw in their premise, and therefore, the conclusion isn’t true?

When we read between the lines, we have to look at the subtleties–the underlying message behind the words. It’s easy to be mislead if we’re not reading closely. Reading between the lines really means knowing what’s going on.

Thinking of a Title

Fallton Havenstonne

Thinking of a title for a story is a challenge in itself. Usually I will have a working title that is basic and straightforward, but it could change after I finish it. A good example is my short story The Earth Shakes.

The original title for the story was Route 310, but since part of the story happens when the characters are not on that route, I decided to change the title. And before I use a title, I will look it up online to see what other stories have used that title, as well as what’s associated with it.

A title can take days or weeks to figure out. A title has to sound intriguing and it needs to describe the essence of the story. In the process of coming up with a title, I come up with a list. As I mentioned earlier, I research each title to see what’s already been used and how many books have that same title.

After a process of elimination, I settle on the title that doesn’t sound too close to another book (or story), and it has to sand on its own as well.

Habits

Fallton Havenstonne

Habits can be positive or negative, depending on how they affect our wellbeing and health. For example, getting up at a regular time is a good habit, but unhealthy foods is not. Habits can take a lot of effort to establish (such as writing on a regular basis), or be easy (watching hours of TV throughout the day).

We define the routines of our lives by our habits. It could be a habit to wake up a certain time of the day, to exercise, or to eat at a certain hour. Living by habits is efficient to keep us on schedule and to keep work patterns consistent. At the same time, bad habits can hold us back, keep us from growing or maturing (i.e. anything that inhibits responsibility).

But what happens when put the habit(s) on hold? What happens we try something that is, perhaps, random or spontaneous? It’s said that it’s good to try something new, such as to try a new foods, or visit/travel to new places. What if we broke the pattern?

Spontaneity, in this sense, can be good, since it broadens our knowledge and experience. Habits can stifle this aspect of our lives if we stick to them too rigidly. If we regularly eat the same food at the same restaurant, why not try something new? Why not step outside of our habits every now and then–outside our comfort zone? Maybe we’ll find something better–something we had no idea existed.

Solitude – Part 2

Fallton Havenstonne

Solitude can be positive in our lives if it helps us be creative and productive, but negative if it’s holding us back from social interaction. In the latter sense, solitude is a state of misery, something that we want to get rid of. Solitude in this sense brings about a feeling of isolation and distance. We are social beings. Therefore, we need to talk and share our ideas with people–collaborate with them and learn from them.

On the other hand, solitude can be beneficial if it fosters creativity, productivity, self-reflection, reading, etc. Thus, solitude is something we need, as well as something we need to set aside. We need it to create, reflect, and imagine, but we also need to set it aside to be in the company of people.

Also, we must learn how to be in solitude–to be present in the moment. When we’re present in the moment, we can concentrate and focus with crystal clarity on our thoughts, feelings, and memories. We can reorganize them, shuffle through them, even make sense of them.

If we’re alone and we tune in to the TV or social media nonstop, we’re not allowing ourselves the opportunity self-reflect or to brainstorm. Spending time in silence can slow down everything, put things into perspective. The noise of the world will quiet down, and we can enjoy being still–even finding peace in that.

Solitude

Fallton Havenstonne

Solitude can be a good thing if we need that time to be creative and productive. Solitude is often seen in a negative light, because it implies that someone doesn’t have friends, or that they don’t have anyone to talk to. But in reality, solitude is what is needed to create art, to write, to read, and to work on ideas (unless it is in collaboration with people).

Even at work, some people prefer to work alone so that they can focus and get things done. It’s nothing personal against anyone. It’s how they operate–function. They need it to get into the headspace of ideas, and for novelists, that mental space where stories and characters come to life. If someone is an artist, they need solitude to draw, paint, and to fix or improve the minute details of their work.

Of course, absolute solitude is not ideal. There are times where we need a break, to talk with others, to learn from them or to relax in their company. Solitude is something we need to balance in our lives, something that we need to reflect on our goals, ideas, and projects. We can’t work 24-7, of course. We also need to enjoy life with family and friends as well.

Start of a New Chapter

Fallton Havenstonne

The start of a new chapter in a book should pull us into the story. It should keep the tension and suspense of the last chapter present–activate the unknowns of the plot to engage our curiosity–to keep reading.

When this doesn’t happen, it’s as if the writer is just going through the motions, isn’t even trying to grab our attention. This might work well in a book that has dramatic cliff hangers, but not for stories where it starts off with a completely new scene where nothing dramatic or tense is happening.

Even though the first few lines of a new chapter should set the tone, there should be something unsettling or intriguing about it. It’s fine to describe the setting and the atmosphere, but it should be followed by something gripping–throw us into a conflict. Once that happens, we’ll keep turning the pages.

Personally, I don’t want to dog-ear the start of a new chapter, which is what I usually do. My rule of thumb is to read a chapter or two before taking break. When I’m bored or disinterested, I’ll forget all the details–the character names, the locations, etc. But I’ll keep reading if the new chapter is powerful enough. In that case, the story is playing like a movie inside my mind, and it’s one of the great pleasures about reading.

Sasquatch Mine And Other Stories

Fallton Havenstonne
In this collection of short stories, get ready for four stories that explore how strange and mysterious the world can be.

In Sasquatch Mine, a cancer causing pollutant has contaminated the world’s water supply. Years later, Landen is desperate to find clean water, especially since there’s barely any left. One night, he follows a man that knows where to get it. But will Landen survive the night in Sasquatch Mine?

In The Robber, Lacy’s day turns upside down during a traffic stop. In The Invaders, Earth’s last hope rests on a man with a special ability. And in Impulse, a robot has some unusual idiosyncrasies.

My new short story collection, Sasquatch Mine And Other Stories, is available on Amazon. It has 4 short stories including Sasquatch Mine, The Robber, The Invaders, and Impulse. Happy reading!

Cause and Effect

Fallton Havenstonne

Cause and effect is something that is essentially common sense to us, something that is seemingly self-evident. But years ago, I read a book by the philosopher David Hume called An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding that challenged this notion.

His argument was that cause and effect was a habit of experience, and therefore, cause and effect weren’t in the actual objects or events themselves. To say one object caused another to move, for example, was just a pattern of experience we’ve become accustomed to. There’s nothing to say that it will always happen. So if that is the case, wouldn’t that mean the objects outside of us didn’t have any firm qualities, since they are contingent upon our experience?

That was Hume’s point: objects outside of our experience have a nature that is unknowable.

But we could counter this by arguing that experience is simply a means of knowing the outside world (not an end in itself), just as a microscope is a means of knowing the microbial world, and that cause and effect is inherent in the way the universe operates, since our reason has determined that to be so. Similarly, Newton’s Laws of Motion describe the rules that govern, or are inherent, in the way objects move and react to each other in the universe. Thus, experience isn’t everything. We need our reason to figure things out too.

Even though our experience gives us access to the world, we make sense of it by the principles and laws that govern it. These principles allow us to understand the world and to make predictions and calculations about it (i.e. how long it takes to get from point A to point B, how much weight a bridge can hold, etc.). If we denied the validity of reason, we couldn’t operate or function in the world, since we wouldn’t know truths that exist and can be applied universally.

Satisfied With Our Work?

Fallton Havenstonne

Sometimes, I’m tempted to go back and edit my past work to make them better. It’s as if I’m not satisfied with my work, that it can be improved or fixed. If that’s the case, what’s to say that that won’t be the case every year? When will I ever be satisfied with my work?

Our work reflects a moment in time when we created something having a particular mindset and skills. Overtime, we grow and evolve, changing our beliefs, learning and developing new skills, and having more resources at our disposal (i.e. new software or better computers, etc.).

As a writer, I find that my editing skills improve with each story I write. I learn from my past experiences, my mistakes, and apply them to each new work. Being an author is a continual process of growth.

If I look back at my earlier work, I can probably find things I’d like to change–things I can reword, sentences I can revise, etc. But once the work is out there (i.e. published), I don’t think there is a need to do so unless there is an anniversary edition of the book. Overall, it doesn’t make sense to go back and change the work because in ten, twenty, or thirty years, I can always find things I’d like to change because my perspective isn’t the same as when I first created the work.

For a painter, it would be like going back to a painting that was made, let’s say, ten years ago, and fixing it up. Rather than letting the painting be what it is, let’s say they fixed the colors or the details of the objects within it.

But what if they changed more than that? What if they changed the painting such that it doesn’t reflect what they made prior? Wouldn’t it be a different painting–a different version of it at least?

It makes sense to touch up the work if it is falling apart, which is the case with antique paintings, but to repaint it or change it dramatically changes the context of the work itself. It doesn’t fully reflect the skill set and ideas that were applied in the original work. The same goes with past novels and stories. The context is lost when they are altered or changed.

Who really made the work then? As in my case, the me one year ago, or the me one year later? Is the work supposed to be in flux–always changing and never certain of what it’s supposed to be, or is it supposed to represent who we are and what we believed at the time we made it? And if not the latter, will we ever be satisfied with it?