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Michael's Metaphors of Life Journal

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The Quest for Originality and the Perfect Metaphor

December 9th, 2017 by Michael Dyet

Hmmm, what is a writer to do when the world at large fails to inspire?

There are plenty of in-the-news topics that I could blog about at the moment. Should I set my sights on:

The Donald Trump Circus. On a daily basis, Trump does something controversial or says something inflammatory or tweets something provoking or makes a wildly unpopular, head-scratching decision. I could easily compose a post a week about him.

But no thanks. I do not want to wade into that fray again or give Trump more attention than he is already getting as it only encourages his behaviour.

The Sexual Harassment Downpour. Lately, a new story breaks every week about this despicable behaviour by a male celebrity or a man in position of power. The perpetrators are now tumbling like dominos. Many of their peers are trembling for fear that they may be next.

But no thanks. I do not want to pound that pulpit even though it would get me many readers. I cannot think of anything to say on the subject that would be more than bandwagon jumping.

Hollywood celebrity ties the hook with British royalty. The media is abuzz with the news of the dream-come-true engagement of Meagan Markle and Prince Harry. It is pitched as a feel good story for trying times.

But no thanks. I have never been a fan of the royal family. I do not want to be part of the spin doctoring, on either the yeah or nay side, on that front.

Political Battle Lines. They are already drawn for the next provincial election here in Ontario. The gloves have been off from the get-go. Special interest groups are dipping deep in their advertising budgets to tell us who we should not vote for under any circumstances.

But no thanks. I have blogged on that subject before and declared my point of view – namely, that all too often it is sadly a case of which candidate is the least objectionable. I have nothing new to say on that topic.

I have to wonder what it signifies when all the hot topics of the day have no appeal. Am I too much of a skeptic, or too much of an optimist, to take aim at easy targets?

The issue goes deeper into my artistic heart. I crave originality in an off-the-shelf world. I hear you asking: How can you say that when technology continues to explode with new whiz-bang innovations every other day? My answer: The technology Grinch rarely finds inspiration there.

At times like this, I ponder two questions. What am I? Who am I? The answer is always clear. A spinner of tales, a juggler of words, an inventor of characters, a seeker for the perfect metaphor. Some days I write just because I cannot allow the creative fire to go out. For today, that is reason enough.

~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2. Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

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