One Writing Rule To Rule Them All
Fashion Designer Blues • Stranded On A Deserted Island - Part 4
One Minute Wit
Fashion Designer Blues
So after checking with several clothing manufacturers,
I have given up on the idea of adding a watermelon pocket to jeans.
Quick Writing Tips
One Writing Rule To Rule Them All
The amount of writing advice online is staggering. There are countless articles telling you how you should write. Some are good, and some are bad. Much of the advice is contradictory.
But there is one indisputable writing rule that rules them all:
Don’t be boring.
Everything else is secondary.
Now go forth and write, Grasshopper.
Quick Writing Tips are writing techniques, tips, and tricks that I use in my writing. If you long to be an unknown writer like me, these tips can help.
A Serial Story Of Adventure And Surprises
Stranded On A Deserted Island • Part 4
Not Alone
When we left off last time, our hero (whose name is Jake Hasty, by the way) and Amelia shared their stories of getting to the island. As they were exploring the island, they discovered Jake’s sailboat had washed ashore.
As soon as we saw The Venture resting against the shore, we both took off in a dead run to reach it.
When we arrived, I shouted, “We need to push it onto the sand.”
We both waded into the water and pushed as hard as we could on the ship’s bow. With the help of the tide coming in, we managed to get the boat reasonably stable in the sand.
“Now what?” Amelia asked.
“The mast, boom, and rigging are gone. And I couldn’t get the inboard motor started after the storm. But if we can figure out some way to make a sail and use a tree for a mast, we might be able to get off this island. I wish I had thought to pack an extra sail or two. Maybe we can weave some grass into a sail.”
“Why not just fix the engine? Does it have gasoline?”
“Yes. I hardly used it on the trip. Only to leave port. But unfortunately, I am no mechanic.”
“Well, I am. Not licensed, mind you. But you’d be foolish to fly an airplane around the world and not know how an engine works.”
“True, but this is a ship engine, not an airplane engine.”
“An engine is an engine.”
“Please tell me you have some tools onboard.”
“Sure. There is a toolbox below deck,” I replied.
“Great. Let’s have a look.”
For the next ten minutes or so, Amelia looked over the engine while I watched.
“It is different than anything I’ve seen before, but I think I have it figured out. Show me how you start it,” Amelia said.
I gave her a quick lesson in the ship’s operation.
“This might take some time. Why don’t you go back to camp and fill one of those jerky bags with water? And grab some papayas. I’ll see what I can do here.”
“Aye, aye, Skipper,” I said, then remembered she wouldn’t get my Gilligan’s Island references. Too bad. But I did admire her take-charge attitude. I guess it was to be expected. She was Amelia Earhart.
As I walked back toward camp, I had the feeling I was being followed. I looked around. It was silly. If someone was on the island, they would have likely found us by now. We weren’t exactly being quiet. Then something hit me in the back of the head. I turned around and saw a banana lying on the ground. Then, boom, another banana hit me in the forehead. I heard chattering in the trees and looked up. Sitting high in a tree was a small monkey showing his teeth and making a noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter.
“You think that’s funny, do you?” I said.
“Watch this.”
I reached down and picked up the banana and peeled it. Then I took a bite.
“Delicious. Throw some more. I’m hungry.”
The monkey jumped out of the tree, ran to the second banana, grabbed it, and ran back to the tree.
I thought it was strange, but everything about this trip had been strange. So I started walking toward camp again. As I walked, I could hear the monkey in the trees. He was following me. When I reached camp, I took a jerky bag out of my backpack. I pulled the smaller jerky packs out of the bag and put them in the backpack. Then I filled the large zip-lock bag with water. The monkey watched the whole proceedings with great interest. At least, it seemed that way to me. I turned and started walking toward the papaya plant.
“Come on, Cheetah. Let’s go,” I said to the monkey.
When we reached the papaya plant, I tossed Cheetah a papaya, which he ate eagerly. Then he took off into the trees.
“Hey, come back!” I shouted. But he was gone.
Well, that was a short friendship, I thought.
When I got back to The Venture, Amelia was sitting on the ship’s deck wearing a huge smile.
“You got it running?!” I shouted.
“Purring like a kitten. It was simple, really.”
She started explaining what she had done, but I wasn’t listening. Instead, I jumped on the deck, grabbed her, and gave her a big hug, lifting her feet off the deck.
Then I quickly put her down, let go, and said, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You are amazing!”
“No problem. I am quite pleased, myself. I remember seeing a small cove as we were flying over the island. I suggested we take her there and drop anchor.”
“Yes. Let’s go. Have you ever steered a ship?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then you’re driving.”
Fifteen minutes later, we were safely anchored in a small cove.
“We need to formulate a plan,” Amelia said as we headed back to camp.
“I am not sure where we are, but I believe heading west is our best shot.”
“I can navigate by the stars,” Amelia stated.
“Of course, you can. But I have something even better. GPS.”
“What is GPS?”
“Remember those machines orbiting the Earth I told you about? Well, you can use them to chart exactly where you are in the world.”
“Truly? I could have used one of those on my trip.”
Suddenly, a banana hit Amelia in the back of the head.
“What was that?” She said.
“That was Cheetah.”
“Cheetah? Like the chimpanzee in the Tarzan films?”
“Yup. Except he’s a small monkey, not a chimp. He started following me when I went to camp. Hit me twice with bananas. He is quite accurate.”
“Is this normal in the 21st century?”
I laughed.
“It’s not normal in any century. I think it is his way of saying hello. Or offering you a gift.”
“Huh.”
We spent the rest of the day gathering as much food as we could find. Bananas, coconuts, papayas, and breadfruit. That evening we went to the beach and dug for clams and crabs. Then we took them to the boat and put them in the bait cooler. We could eat some, but they would also be good as bait for fishing. Fortunately, I still had four fishing poles onboard The Venture.
We spent the next day stuffing The Venture with as much food and water as possible. We knew the fruit and seafood wouldn’t last long, but we hoped we would be rescued before we ran out.
On the third day, our spirits were high. Even though the world she had known was gone, Amelia seemed remarkably unfazed and entirely pragmatic. This is what we need to do. Let’s do it.
As we were wading out to the ship, Cheetah came running out to the beach and started making crazy noises and waving his arms wildly. I wasn’t sure what it meant. Was he mad at us for leaving? I waded back toward shore.
“Be careful,” Amelia said. “He’s wild.”
“I will.”
As I got closer, Cheetah seemed to calm down. I crouched down and looked at him.
“You want to go with us, pal?” I asked.
Which was silly. Monkeys don’t speak English. But he seemed to understand. He quickly ran and jumped on my shoulder.
“You aren’t seriously thinking of taking him, are you?” Amelia asked.
“He won’t eat much. The fruit will rot before we can eat it all.”
“It’s your ship.”
Once onboard, we hoisted anchor, Amelia started the motor, and the three of us headed out to sea.
To be continued next Monday.
Happy Monday. Thanks for reading and responding. You make it fun.
Mark
Cheetah is quite suspicious! 👀
Hey! Don't be boring is MY only rule, too! Cool. No matter how good my command of English is, a large vocabulary and good grammar mean nothing, if it is boring. And, yes, in fact, I DO aspire to be a delightful unknown writer like yourself, Mark! So far I am killing it.
Where the heck is this Amelia Earhart thing going to go! I am hooked. You better get writing.