Thursday 2 February 2012

Trip Williams - The man behind the gun...

So where does one begin with a story about a life?  My life!  My intro kind of tells a story in the 'readers digest' form about who I am. But maybe it's time to delve into this world and see what we can find?  The man behind the gun.  Interesting title.  I think it will make more sense as we go on.  After all, we do put a lot of ourselves into our characters.  At least, the one we like the most...

I think that before I begin, I'm going to give you a quick overview of just who I am.  So we'll actually start on the next blog session in more detail. But know this going in, I am not a contract killer!  Just had to get that one out there!  :)

I do believe that when you are writing, you should be writing from the heart and from a place of knowledge.  Who hasn't heard that one before!  But seriously, I did hear a tale passed along by Mary Balogh at a CaRWA seminar, regarding an author who wrote a story based in London.  This writer had no knowledge of the area and had all her facts about streets and buildings completely inaccurate.  If you know the area it kind of ruins the story for you - wouldn't you say?  Or how about if you get excited about that place and want to see it first hand and then find out it doesn't exist!!  Wow... that would be something! Especially if you flew there to see it!  Oh, by the way, Mary doesn't approve of me killing off the hero in a romance.  Go figure!  Lol.  I thought that would be a pretty cool twist!  Guess not!!  What do you think?

So my point is, Being accurate is sooo important.  Not only in locations but actual things being done.  Example:  In that great movie with Vin Deisel, 'The Fast and The Furious', Vin has a scene where he is berating Brian O'Connor [Paul Walker] about his driving and he says that Brian is 'Granny shifting' instead of double clutching while he is racing. Okay - not exact verbatim but you get my drift [oh that is funny - if you watch the series that is :-)], anyhow, double clutching in a race is sooooo slowwww!  Never done. Granny shifting is a single push of the clutch and a shift.  For me, that simple comment was distracting and took something from the show - credibility!  Okay, I got over it really fast.  After all, it's a flipp'n incredible movie!  Just saying...  No different than the countless times I hear in a movie someone say 'hard to port' and then they turn right to starboard.  Say what!?!?  Don't they know that port is left??  As an ex-navy man, that gets under your skin like a bad case of the... yeah okay, never mind!  Accuracy folks. it's a beautiful thing. That little dozy was in the movie Titanic.  If you watch close [I may even have the command backwards - same effect] but I'm pretty sure you'll see them drive right into that big 'ol iceberg!

Okay, enough about that.  Hell, you might have thought I was on a rant for a sec!  Didn't figure on that one did ya?

So, where does Trip get all his experience from?  Life folks - simply life.  I have always tried my best to truthfully seek out every adventure and every form of education that I could.  Not school stuff but life skills.  As a youngster, I was always incredibly active.  To the point that even as a teenager, I had no time for girls.  If I wasn't involved in track, I was playing football.  On weeknights I was playing my guitar, building models, attending Air Cadets  and reading.  Weekends was for camping, fishing, hiking and so on.  I would rebuild small engines and airguns for friends, go skiing and snow shoeing in the winter months as well as teach friends and very cute girls how to ski.  But... being busy was not always that great. Teaching cute girls to ski was amazing but I lacked the social skills to launch any assaults on that unknown gender.  Yup.. I was pathetic in that category!!

At age 12, I had my first job.  I mean a real one!  I don't count the paper route [had one] as a real job - that's just me. My father owned a seismic company so during the spring break and summer months, I carried a survey rod up and down cut-lines and roads of Alberta.  In my late teenage life, I became an Air Force reserve officer  before entering the Navy as a weapons technician on a destroyer.  Among all of this, I learned how to fly gliders and small planes, took up scuba diving, rock climbing, was an expert marksman, kayaked and  canoed, took wilderness survival training and well..., the list goes on.  I was very active.  But alas... no girls.... :(   But yet... I had mad skills!!!!

Alright, I need to make a point here... That thing with girls?  THAT was then!  If you know what I mean? LMAO.  One thing you will find out about me - I know how to laugh at myself.  Nothing better in life.  I think it keeps you from taking yourself too seriously.

So on that note my friends... I bid you all a goodnight and look forward to chatting with you soon. Hope you liked it.  Have a great night and remember - Play safe... accidents cause people!  Sorry... I had to do that!
Cheers,
Trip...


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