Character and Mood in Prose: Nine Original Pieces

This thesis in creative writing consists of both fiction and nonfiction. The fiction section includes three original short stories; the nonfiction, six original mood pieces. My intention in writing the short stories is to portray the foibles of human nature while preserving the nobility of human character. I believe that all individuals possess the possibilities for good and evil and that their interactions with other individuals and their environments determine the realization of these possibilities in varying degrees. The mood pieces are drawn from journal entries inspired by observations of life in Tidewater Virginia. The writings, both objective and introspective, and expressing personal reactions to the excitement and mystery of nature and the human spirit, are designed to invite readers to examine and ponder their own environments.