And if you've been drunk alone in a city, and you still love it, love it more fiercely than ever, feel that being alone in it with your thoughts and musings makes your thoughts and musings better, deeper, more sparkling or even darker, but of a shimmering darkness ... then that is Vienna, and you will come to realize that you should move there one day. And though it may take years, one day you will. ---------------- Or one day, I did, at least. That day was in early August, 2023, and I've not come to regret it since. Quite the contrary, I love it more fiercely than ever, its sparkle & its darkness, which is a shimmering one.
Apr 24·edited Apr 24Liked by Michael Marshall Smith
The two cities where I have been the drunkest are San Francisco and Chicago. To this day, I am grateful to the Chicago police department for noticing that I was wandering alone to my friend's apartment, having been dropped off at the wrong address by the taxi. Jesus, that was a long time ago...
Like it goes in the old Eagles song.. “some drink to remember, some drink to forget”.. but I would rather neither. I know it’s personal but depression and alcohol don’t mix well. Haven’t had a drop in more than 20 years and am good with it. Now, smoking is a whole other thing.. 8 years now and still missing it.
2. This is true, though I think I'm sure I only began inserting "I think" into my prose at the point in life I realised that I was in no position to make declarative statements about ANYTHING.
3. Being a parent is definitely the most beautiful kind of emotional rollercoaster.
4. Good observation. And you don't become truly intimate with a place until you've argued with it at length over whether it needs to change or whether you do.
Love this format! Balancing a desire for something new with holding on to what you have is sometimes an easy call and often a non-choice. But if it’s not, I’d say go for the dream as long as you love the process of going after it. On balance, most people worry too much about losing non-human, non-essential stuff they’d get over quickly from losing. I know I have.
Show, don’t tell was the first writing rule my daughter told me to follow—but it’s hard. Using think/believe puts space between you and the reader. They feel safer to use. It’s easier to see how they weaken your message if you edit someone else’s writing. A strong writing voice is more satisfying to read. (I just removed 2 I thinks from a draft I’m working on, and it felt good.)
And if you've been drunk alone in a city, and you still love it, love it more fiercely than ever, feel that being alone in it with your thoughts and musings makes your thoughts and musings better, deeper, more sparkling or even darker, but of a shimmering darkness ... then that is Vienna, and you will come to realize that you should move there one day. And though it may take years, one day you will. ---------------- Or one day, I did, at least. That day was in early August, 2023, and I've not come to regret it since. Quite the contrary, I love it more fiercely than ever, its sparkle & its darkness, which is a shimmering one.
The two cities where I have been the drunkest are San Francisco and Chicago. To this day, I am grateful to the Chicago police department for noticing that I was wandering alone to my friend's apartment, having been dropped off at the wrong address by the taxi. Jesus, that was a long time ago...
Like it goes in the old Eagles song.. “some drink to remember, some drink to forget”.. but I would rather neither. I know it’s personal but depression and alcohol don’t mix well. Haven’t had a drop in more than 20 years and am good with it. Now, smoking is a whole other thing.. 8 years now and still missing it.
1. Yes.
2. This is true, though I think I'm sure I only began inserting "I think" into my prose at the point in life I realised that I was in no position to make declarative statements about ANYTHING.
3. Being a parent is definitely the most beautiful kind of emotional rollercoaster.
4. Good observation. And you don't become truly intimate with a place until you've argued with it at length over whether it needs to change or whether you do.
Love this format! Balancing a desire for something new with holding on to what you have is sometimes an easy call and often a non-choice. But if it’s not, I’d say go for the dream as long as you love the process of going after it. On balance, most people worry too much about losing non-human, non-essential stuff they’d get over quickly from losing. I know I have.
Show, don’t tell was the first writing rule my daughter told me to follow—but it’s hard. Using think/believe puts space between you and the reader. They feel safer to use. It’s easier to see how they weaken your message if you edit someone else’s writing. A strong writing voice is more satisfying to read. (I just removed 2 I thinks from a draft I’m working on, and it felt good.)