Share a Smile · 2:20pm Sep 12th, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen who are following me...
As you might have guessed or learned already, I am not, in entirety, a positive person in life. I deal in irony, I swing sarcasm like a dagger in the night, I lace your drink with cynicism. And I always respect the grayer side of existence. It proves very satisfying to write about, even if some of my work deals with joy and laughter too. Well, one has to appreciate the entire spectrum.
However... Take a look.
Here's what I'd like everyone to do: write a blog post about someone (or someones!) who you don't normally interact with that you admire, look up to, or just simply want to praise in some way. Then tag it with Share a Smile, as well as the names of the user(s) you wrote about. If we're lucky—if enough of y'all participate—that person may just have the happy surprise of finding your post. If you could also include instructions at the bottom of your post for others who see it to do the same, that would be super!
This is what I have come upon lately... and so, today, I think I will allow myself to step out of my cozy and dark comfort zone for a while, though it is not the easiest thing to do for a person like me. I try to reply to the comments and messages, but I do not "exchange" follows, I do not spread my "favorites" around haphazardly and I do not do "community" very well.
But, for once... whilst reminding all of you that follow my work and with whom I interact, that you are all special to me, each of you in their unique way, let me tell you about three people that I appreciate from a distance.
Sometimes, one uncovers a gem inside a story – a line, a quote, a monologue. Praises the author for it, even inwardly, remembers it, moves on. But not when there is another gem just nearby, in the next story. And another. And another. Two in one, three in one. An entire mine! And that is exactly how I would have to write about Cynewulf's tales, as a person who stumbled upon a shaft full of diamonds.
Whether its the pacing or the vocabulary... The character interactions or thoughts... The immersion and the quality, it drags you in, it keeps you engaged. You keep searching, you keep looking for those moments of grace, of inspiration, written and weaved so gracefully, with such... poetry, such skill. Such subtlety, no matter the topic.
It's a rare talent, to write about all manner of things with... elegance. And one that deserves full recognition.
It takes a special sort of discipline to tackle some matters in tales. You know the ones, don't deny it. To write with tact, with insight and understanding, rather than for cheap and dubiously refined entertainment. And that is exactly why I need to point out the astounding depth of the tales by none other than Flammenwerfer.
Not judging a book by its cover is wise. Not judging it by its first chapter is wiser. But only when we have the integrity to look past what is shown and sink into what is felt, after we comprehend and understand the topic in its fullness, after we close the book after the final page... then we truly are capable of passing a judgement. And my judgement is lenient. I would even say it's not a judgment at all.
Flammenwerfer goes deep into the nature of emotions, no matter the topic. He gives his tales thought, consideration, reason. And whilst for many what he writes about can prove... heavy-handed... I can and do fully appreciate the effort and maturity of his approach.
I remember when I just joined FimFiction. Posted my first story, for a competition of some sort or another... Don't ask about details, my work was appalling. My only tale that I have almost immediately deleted, not even waiting for the results to be in. I knew I did badly and I was deeply considering whether writing in my second language and attempting to weave a worthy tale will ever be within my reach.
And that is when I have, as if by chance, stumbled upon Apotheosis... and it changed my life. The immaculate story of growth, of understanding, of battling inner daemons. Of challenging yourself, finding your place in the World. Thanks to Daetrin I went onto an adventure that made me feel... fuller. Better. Capable. I am where I am thanks to that tale... and whilst I still have a long way to go, just like all of us...
... now do I finally have the strength and courage to say: "Thank you..."
