Friday, August 14, 2020

Evolving the Story

Photo from https://balance.media/overcome-chronic-procrastination/
Photo from https://balance.media/overcome-chronic-procrastination/

The interesting thing about being a writer who is a pantser, someone who writes from the seat of their pants, instead of a planner, someone who plans every detail, is that the story evolves. 

If I had finished 'Panglossian: Quasi-Daisy' (PQD), my debut novel, the same year I had started it, five years of my life's experiences would be missing and would have caused the ending to be completely different. If I am being honest when I started writing PQD, I had no idea where it was headed, but little by little as time went on, I slowly discovered the story behind the simple thought.

When I started writing PQD my intentions were to write one novel, with vague details so the reader could interpret it however they pleased, that's

 changed. It took me four years to write less than ten thousand words, which isn't great for a planner. I wasn't going off a plan though, I channeled the story and wrote what I felt, sort of how Stephen King does. And after five years of mulling it over, and processing new life events, I finally had the perfect story, in my opinion, to go with my simple idea. I knew where I wanted my story to go and so I started writing, everyday.
The story could have taken many different shapes, and could have ended completely different, however everyday I procrastinated PQD the shape mutated and the final path it chose finally revealed itself.

I think about this a lot. PQD could have been a boring and vague story but after five years of processing it in my frontal lobe, like a background process on a computer, it took its final form and became something more epic, something worth reading (in my opinion).

I guess what I am trying to say is, taking your time to perfect your art is important. Procrastination happens, but it might be a good thing, in the long run. New ideas may show up and make your work, just that much greater. It took me five and a half years to actually finish writing one book, but in the end I feel my product is now in a better spot than where it originally started.

Make sure to check out my website (currently under construction as of 8/14/2020) mkbingman.com

Sunday, July 19, 2020

Second Chance


He waves, but is he saying hello, or is he waving goodbye? It is hard to tell, until his AI goes rouge.
Photo from https://wonderfulengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/robot-wallpaper-62.jpg


This was one of the first stories I wrote, not the first but one of first. It was for a creative writing club in high school, that I was apart of called The Writer's Corner. I left all of the mistakes in it, to show how much I have grown, unfortunately we won't be able to see how much I've grown until I write something original for this blog. I promise that will happen, eventually, but for now I would like to show you where I started.

I think about this story sometimes, randomly. It appears in my thoughts while I'm sitting there watching TV or eating breakfast. There is absolutely no reason for me to think about this story, I am not really proud of it, but I guess there is a soft spot in the back of my consciousness for it.


11 September, 3076

R3B76  pushed the one-hundred foot, steel pillar to the  ground, it was the only thing keeping the building from collapsing on top of the scientist. The ceiling crashed into R3B76 stunning him for a couple of seconds giving the scientist enough  time to get away. He thought he was in the clear but then a grapple hook hand went flying by his rip hip, knocking him down in fright. The hook smashed into an unstable cement wall, standing thirty feet away. The scientist stood back up.

            Three things flashed through the scientists mind, that second. (1) He should have ate breakfast that morning because he was starving after all of this running away from R3B76. (2) He should really get out of the building before it crushes him. (3) How could this have happened?

            R3B76 threw its other claw, the scientist ducked out of the way. This claw landed in a large metal tub filled to the rim with a blueish acid in it. The acid started to bubble and spit. It started to eat the tin, that the scientist had made the “monster” out of.
            The scientist heard a scream, but this scream wasn't just another scream, this scream was the scream of R3B76. Actually the scream wasn't a scream at all, it was more like a very high pitched yelp and sizzle noise with a hint of cracking. This “scream” was so loud, the scientist had to hold his head because he thought his brain was going to explode.
            All of a sudden the room got blurry and started to spin, the scientist the logical thinking man he was, just thought these were some very drastic symptoms of the “scream”. But they weren't, they were the space-time continuum splitting open. The scientist then saw the acid start to float and spin, the same way the wormhole was spinning. Acid sprayed the wormhole dying it a sickly color of green...then purple...then blue...then yellow... then green again, it repeated the pattern again and again.
             The scientist felt his feet lift off the ground, he grabbed onto a door handle. Suddenly his right hip felt the scratch the grapple hook hand left behind. It felt like a thousand needles being pushed into his hip all at the same time. Then he started to realize that he was hungry again. These two instant pains were just enough to make the scientist let go of the door handle. He was sucked into the wormhole, he bounced off of the ever changing colorful wall. The wall burned him, on every spot of his body that touched the wall. The scientist saw the robot. The wormhole closed..........................................................

23 March, 3075
            The sky was dark and Bob Crookel (the scientist)awoke on a smooth, mossy boulder that was laced with some water. Crookel had no clue where or when he was, he just knew something had gone terribly wrong with his robot and he was sucked up and pushed into the past present or future.
            Crookel pushed himself off of the boulder with his badly burned body parts, pain in every muscle. Six broken fingers was how many limbs he had thought he had broken.
            Crookel wandered and wandered until he came across a river. The sky now blue had enough light, for Crookel to examine all of his wounds in the river. He had two, purple bruises above his left eye, a scar above his right eye (the scar was very deep and filled with pus that had swollen the forehead above the eye-brow the forehead started to leak pus several hours ago).There was a second degree burn on the tip of his nose, and crusted blood on the inside of the nostril. The rest of his body had similar injuries especially around his forearm, knee cap and spine. Crookel decided to clean himself off because he didn't want to spook any civilians in the unknown time when he came across a city. The water was now a reddish, from the blood.
            He wondered for a moment while watching the blood separate into a cloud, in the water. How far did I go into the past? Knowing that he wasn't in the future or the present because there wasn't any more boulders as of March 23 3075. The national government decided to destroy them all because one of the prime minister didn't like boulders (weird, I know). The government had the boulders located then destroyed by the R2B series of robots.
            Suddenly, the scientist heard a noise that sounded  like, metal crushing stone, not to far in the distance. He spun around with great force, falling into the river. The cold water scalded his cuts. He tried to yell but all that came out of his mouth was bubbles and all that went into his mouth was water. He tried to swallow but more water just kept coming into his mouth. The scientist started to panic he couldn't expel carbon dioxide and he couldn't gather oxygen. He started to feel his lungs collapse. The lack of oxygen started to make him light headed. He started to feel deaths cold hands on his heart.
            It got darker and darker, then lighter and lighter. The scientist confused on what was happening was he ascending to heaven or was he just dieing. (dieing funny thing isn't it, sometimes you get a second chance and sometimes you don't. I think it hurts the people that are closest to you, more than it hurts you sometimes.)
            A ghostly white hand  dropped into the water. It grabbed Crookel, by the collar of his lab coat. At this point Crookel was unconscious. The hand pulled the soaked scientist out of the water, then set him on the bank, face up. The scientist started to choke on the water that he had swallowed. The person with the untanned hand flipped Crookel over.
            Crookel gasped for air while wondering how he was still alive. The figure that had pulled him out of the water grunted making the scientist aware of his presence. Crookel looked up and saw the person who had saved him. The man who had rescued  Crookel, looked like a giant from Crookel's perspective. “Well my friend,” said the character, chuckling “Looks like you added insult to injury...to yourself.”
            The scientist was in aw, the guy who had saved him, had a giant scratch on his neck that was bleeding and he his face was purple (his whole face looked like a huge plum ready to explode from all the the pressure the juice was putting on it). The hero started to talk once again, but the scientist was distracted. Realizing that the scientist was looking at him with great force the hero turned and walked to the side of the river.
            The hero looked  at the waters reflection, and shouted, “OH MY GOD...MY...MY REAL FACE...IS...IS COMING THROUGH MY DARN PATHETIC, SYNTHETIC HUMAN SKIN!” This noise was enough to startle everything out of the forest (except the thing that startled Crookel before he fell into the river).
            Crookel stood up, and ran to the hero, to calm him down. The scientist slapped the back of the purple head. He a slippery and thick ooze, he cringed with the thought of the substance on his hands. He took out a bottle of hand sanitizer and dumped a large ball of it on his hands.  The hero felt the slap and calmed down instantly and continued what he was saying.
            “I am Ryan Rowmick”...“I am the last Tobor” (now, you are probably wondering what a Tobor [yes, yes Tobor is just robot spelled backwards] is well, I'm not going to tell you just quite yet, I guess you'll just have to keep reading). The Tobor's are a—
            Ryan stopped, and turned around. He was faced with several R2B units all with disgust on their faces. Ryan turned back to Crookel and screamed “RUN!” They both started to run away from the robots in terror. Crookel not knowing why they were running stopped, and yelled “Why are we running?” Rowmick turned around, still running shouted back “No time to explain just run”.
            Afraid Rowmick might leave him in the dust, Crookel started to run again. The two of them ran and ran until they reached the end of the forest, in which they were in. Out of breath Crookel asked “What day and year is it?”
            The Tobor, not out of breath at all, responded “How long have you been out here?”
            “Don't answer a question with a question” the scientist said hastily.
            “Fine. Relax. March 23 3075. Now how long have you been out here?”
            “I really don't know” said the scientist more confused now than relaxed “I think I've been here for almost one day. I think, but when I left it was or is next year, in September.”
            “No, really,” said the Tobor “How long have you been out here in the Postcam Forest?”
            “Wait what did you just say?” asked Crookel.
            “No, really.”
            “No, after that on the end.”
            “Postcam Forest?” said Ryan.
            “Yea, and you said it was the 23 of March right?” The Tobor nodded his head with a confused face. “I was in this forest last year on March 23 this was the place I decided to make a new series of robots—
            “Please don't say that word. I fear robots they killed off all of my people. They don't like me and I don't like them. Robots are pure evil they are the Necro-Tobors if you may. They are the complete opposite of my people; were good and their bad, were multicolored and they are a single
color, we were weak and they are very strong, we were natural beings and they were man made machines(so that's what a Tobor is very interesting). If you were to be caught with me I'm sure they would kill you,” stuttered the now blue faced Rowmick.
            “Fine, like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I decided to build a new experimental series of rob... I mean, machines called the R3B units these would have better technology and programs (doesn't that happen every time you make new devices?). I decided to make a new series because the old series, were out dated (again, doesn't that happen every time??). The new series was supposed to help man kind-tears now in his eyes- with all of their problems. Everything was going great until the day I decided to enter R3B76 into a robot convention,” the scientist stopped talking with urgency.
            The Tobor and the scientist heard a voice, the hairs on the back of their necks stood up. The voice sounded familiar to the scientist's ears. He turned around to figure out who it was who was speaking. The scientist was face-to-face with himself. All of a sudden he got a major migraine and disappeared into thin air (wow!). The past scientist walked away and the Tobor fainted out of surprise.

10, September 3076   
            “Crookel sir, wake up you need to finish R3B76 before the convention tomorrow,” said a male voice over the intercom. Crookel was now slouched over his desk in his office, migraine gone and feeling dazed.
            “Okay, besides I need to figure out what went wrong with R3B76.” The scientist stood and walked to his lab with a small limp, he stopped to make a bathroom brake (Makes sense, sense he hasn't gone in awhile, as far as we know).
            SMASH! What in the world was that, thought the scientist while in the bathroom. Crookel went
to the mirror and looked into it. In this reflection he didn't see any bruises or cuts or blood clots on his face all he saw was his red hair, square jaw and his blue eyes. He was in disbelief, how could this of happened. SMASH! Right he needed to check out what the noise was, the scientist washed is hands (I noticed Crookel doesn't like to be dirty, he is always washing his hands and face I think he is afraid of germs) and ran out the bathroom door. Something wasn't right in the hall, it was colder now, then it was a second ago, when he went into the bathroom.
            The scientist instantly got goosebumps. “FRICK!” he shouted “I think myself just started R3B76's internal power” (I'm guessing his organs). The lights flickered “yep, the robot is sucking all of the power out of the building. The scientist ran to the nearest intercom, the whole way he screamed FRICK!. The scientist picked the up intercom and yelled into it. “Turn it off” he shouted. Instantly the lights were stable once again. A males voice was heard over the intercom after Crookel's out burst.
            “Wait a minute,” he thought “that voice it...it sounds like Ryan's. But how is that possible I left him `last year` or `yesterday` or `today` or when ever it was (wow, this guy can figure out almost anything yet, he can't figure out quantum physics [who can any ways, just wanted to bring up the point]) at the edge of the forest. Maybe I altered time and space when I went into the past.” The scientist decided he needed to sit, he sat at the nearest desk and started to slouch his head hit his hands and yet again he heard a smashing noise (not like, that is a smashing idea mate but like, SMASH).
            “Gosh darn it, I'm starting to hate that freaking robot.” said the angered scientist not knowing that this time it wasn't the “freaking robot” but Rowmick his “new” assistant (remember the voice on the intercom) tying to get into the next room over.
            “Crookel where are you?” asked Rowmick loudly. A response but not from Crookel but from another Crookel in the other room (there's two of them crud, now this going to get too confusing).
            Crookel number one (the original) blasted through the doors of the office, he had been in and went into the next room where the new Crookel and the old Rowmick were. Crookel #2 turned around and saw Crookel #1 instantly they both got headaches a saw a distinct vision of robots ruling the world and tearing apart civilization with electric whips. The two scientists fell on the ground and started to seizure, foam was coming out of their mouths like a rabid raccoon, their eyes rolled back into their heads. It was a like a mirror, everything one did the other followed in sequence.
            Ryan started to panic, he pasted and pasted the stress got to be to much and he fainted (is this guy a girl [girls faint and guys pass out]? He sure does like to faint).
            The two started to glow like lanterns, suddenly the  two combined like hydrogen and two oxygens form water, they formed a much smarter and stronger scientist. Then they disappeared into thin air, like the first time Crookel switched time areas (going from the past to the future).

 September 11, 3076
            This time the advanced scientist awoke a couple hours before his first departure from this time on R3B76's cold body. The scientist stood up and accidentally hit the power button. The scientist fell hard, so hard he broke his arm. The pain was unbearable, the scientist screamed he cursed every other word (and I thought he was a clean fellow).
            R3B76 got up, his florescent green eyes turned red showing that he was angry, this was one of the first robots who could show any emotions. R3B76 was never programed this way. Realizing that his worst nightmare was about to come true for the second time, Crookel ran for his life ( mistake nummer eines for u who don't speak German mistake number one).
            Crookel of all people should have known that you never and I mean never run away from a angered, psychopathy, deranged robot, they will hunt you down and they will always win. Even if your two scientist in one or a purple faced Tobor who would do anything to get his family back (Ryan's back?).
            Crookel ran and ran until he passed by the Tobor, “What are you doing” he asked.
            All Crookel could say was “running and I suggest doing so also I awoke R3B76 and now he is upset and ready to destroy the world.”
            They both started to run then the Tobor said “Wait my friend I'm going to go fight it, I need to stop fleeing so I can fight for my honor as a royal Tobor it is my duty to protect my name, and your welcome to come fight by my side.
            “No I can't, but I must,” said the worried scientist “I will fight by your side (what is this a medieval war story no it's the 31st century).”
            The two of them turned around and started to run the opposite way (towards the crazed robot).  “Okay, we need a strategy to destroy this thing,” said Ryan.
            “How about you take the back of the robot and I'll take the front, you will just have to pull the wires out of its back while I sacrifice myself again to save the world. I think I figured out what had happened last time, the blue, yellow, and red wires were all crossed don't let it happen again or I'll be sent back into the past, I might cry out if I do don't stop what your doing just cut the wires and shut R3B76 down for good,” said the scientist with a worried look on his face.
            “Okay, will do,” responded Rowmick.
            They ran to the room that the rogue robot was in. The robot had already destroyed most of the room and building. Crookel went in and stood in front of the robot, while Rowmick got behind it.              
            R3B76  pushed the one-hundred foot, steel pillar to the  ground, it was the only thing keeping the building from collapsing on top of the scientist. The ceiling crashed into R3B76 stunning him for a couple of seconds giving the scientist enough  time to get away. He thought he was in the clear but then a grapple hook hand went flying by his rip hip, knocking him down in fright. The hook smashed into an unstable cement wall, standing thirty feet away. The scientist stood back up.
            Three things flashed through the scientists mind, that second. (1) He should have ate breakfast that morning because he was starving after all of this running away from R3B76. (2) He should really get out of the building before it crushes him. (3) How could this have happened?
            R3B76 threw its other claw, the scientist ducked out of the way. This claw landed in a large metal tub filled to the rim with a blueish acid in it. The acid started to bubble and spit. It started to eat the tin, that the scientist had made the “monster” out of.
            Everything was complete De Ja Vu for the scientist except the fact that he had had a new friend. The scientist yelled “NOW”. It was instant silence. Bob Crookel had gotten a second chance.  
              

Sunday, July 12, 2020

Battle of the Murders


He's got that cray look in his eye, warning the onlooker to walk away from his popping corn. It's his and he'll remember your face forever if you take it. That's what crows do, curse those who have forsaken them.
Photo from https://birdbarrier.com/crow-control.


The lights shuddered in an instant, complete and utter silence in the terribly darkened cement room. A murder sounded outside of the room; hundreds of cries created an eerie noise. The attack was planned. Attack the fields of yellow, but don't get caught. Many were frightened off, but several stayed and charged, only a few yellowbellies survived. Victory was ours. Long live the murders!


I originally wrote this in high school, November 20, 2011, after learning what a group of crows is called. It was good for 2011, not great, but good. It left an impression on a few people I shared it with, but I feel it could have been much better.

Interested in following my progress on my book?

Wednesday, June 10, 2020

The Beginning

Have you ever had one of those sleepless nights? You know the ones where your brain is sprinting a thousand miles an hour, running in a solo marathon? I get those a lot, I become fixated on a single idea until, some way or another I push them out.

Some may call it insomnia, but I like to think my brain is working something out; a new story to engorge itself on perhaps.

You see I like to write fiction, and I hope this blog provides a nice outlet for me to do so, leaving those sleepless nights behind. I also hope that this blog serves a duel purpose, I want to improve my skill. You don't become a well known author like Stephen King, Robert Ludlum or Tom Clancy just by saying 'I know how to write, now read my junk." You have to cultivate an audience, and the best way I can think to do that is look to the Internet for support. And I'll do that, or at least I'll try.

I think this blog will have short stories, longer stories and random crap thoughts that I need to kick out of my head to make room for the good stuff. So for some reason, in ten years, if someone is reading this first post, writing a book report on their favorite author M.K. Bingman they shouldn't expect gold, but instead expect mediocre trains of thoughts that eventually M.K. Bingman articulated into a mess of words that some how made sense at the time.

2023 in Review

 2023 was a phenomenal year for reading. I nearly doubled 2022's total at 40 books read this year. 40 books! I read so many that I can...

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