J.J. Goodman: Writings, Musings and More

Every once in a while a Facebook page to which I subscribe provides "daily writing prompts" to stoke writers' creativity. Today's caught my attention and I thought to myself "why not?" The prompt read thusly:  Write the first page of a story using these words:  Dragon Chicago Accident Sewer Pixies So, naturally, I did. Enjoy and let me know what you think.  *** It had to be the exhaustion. There was no other reason his eyes remained closed. The stench of the storm sewer alone would have caused anyone of a lesser constitution to gag. Notwithstanding, he deservedly slept a deep sleep. He'd been on the run so long, constantly moving. Even if he could find peace of mind long enough to stop and think about it, he'd still not remember the last time he'd had more than two consecutive hours of sleep. It was only the tugging at his pocket that finally stirred him awake. "Hey! Fuck off!" he yelled, his senses roaring to f

"Am I broken?" she asked. "Do you think you're broken?" "Aren't you supposed to tell me I'm not broken and that I shouldn't ask that question?" "That's not why we're here." *silent pause* "You're the worst therapist ever." "Because I won't placate you to make you feel better? That's not how therapy works." "Then what's the point?" "The point is to understand why you think you're broken in the first place." *another pause* "I think I'm just wired differently." "That I can address; you are wired differently. We all are. Sure, we may all share certain characteristics, but internally we're often very different. We need to be." "I suppose. Sometimes I just feel like I was made for something else." "Like what?" I don't know. Something. Anything else." &

         Greetings, faithful readers who are still sticking around even though I said I'd write more and haven't!           (Yeah, yeah, we know. Work, kid, other writing gig, blah blah blah. What have you got for us?)          Well, I was flipping through my archive at lunch today and came across this entry I'd written a few years ago. I'd always wanted to take a stab at writing something in "film noir" style, so I'd tested the waters with the beginnings of a story I shared with you in March of 2016. Well, I read it again. And, in typical "me" fashion, the act of reading the words stirred in me the need to write more. I'm not sure but I think this one's got potential. So, give it a second read, if you would. I've edited the original entry and added a couple more pages of typed text, so hopefully it will feel fresh. Let me know what you think, and if I should keep going with it.  Enjoy! ______________________________________

Well here we are, my friends. Another year has come and gone. As seems to be par for the course these last several years, my latest journey around the sun has been nothing short of extraordinary. I don't necessarily mean that it in a positive way, however. That's not to say it's been a bad year, either. It's simply been… extraordinary, as in exceptionally different from the norm. This past year was my first full year as a parent, don't forget. At this time last year my little peanut decided I needed to stay home with her… with my first case of pink eye since the Carter administration (no joke). This year she's running and jumping off furniture and saying two-word sentences and… holy shit. What a difference a year makes. This past year has also seen me experience some extraordinary things on the employment front, too. Things occurred to temporarily change the focus of my legal career, and not in manner that I'd prefer. Let's just say some of what

(For my friends.) A group of friends, some of whom hadn't seen each other in two decades, get together to share a house while attending their twentieth reunion. Sounds like the plot for my next book, right? It could be, but no. That, dear readers, was exactly what happened this past weekend. You're all aware that, while writing is my dream job, lawyering is my actual day job. Though it's hard to admit, I have been at this now for twenty years. I graduated from law school in 1999, and did so with an amazing group of people that I am still blessed to call friends all these years later. The original classroom building at my law school.  We all arrived to a sleepy little New England town in 1996 with aspirations of becoming lawyers. We knew it would be a long and difficult journey over the three years we'd spend there. I don't think any of us could have ever anticipated what our time there would have in store for us, however, as individuals or as

I told you I was back...  It's been a while since I've written anything other than the Ramblings of a New Dad or my professional works for That Hashtag Show . Notwithstanding, oddity that is my imagination has always remained, and ideas and characters and stories still continue to swirl around my head like whirling dervishes.  I'm not sure from whence this idea was born, or if I'll continue with it and carry it through to conclusion. But... the words were there and, as always, I needed to get them out of my head. Let me know your thoughts, feelings, comments and/or criticisms in the comments.  I look forward to and cherish your feedback.  _____________________ Broken Aura "You're aura is broken." Her comment surprised him, but not so much that he let a single drop of whiskey escape from the glass he'd just put to his lips. "Beg your pardon?" he replied when he'd swallowed. "I said you're aura is broken