C.F. Dalton

About me

                Hello, my name is C.F. Dalton and I would like to thank you for visiting my website, reading my work and wanting to learn more about me. Thank you for your interest into my life, my passion and my ideas. Truly, as I have said many times before, if I had but one person who showed interest in what I do, I would continue to offer content to them. Writing is truly my passion, not my hobby. In my opinion, hobbies are things people do to fill their spare time. Passion, in my eyes, is something which invigorates your being and gives you a purpose in this world. Passion is something which you desire to do above all else, something which gives your life a sense of meaning and something which gives you a powerful goodness once you have met a milestone in your existence. To me, writing is my way to make the attempt to leave a legacy in the world, to live longer than my mortal coil, to push past death and ascend into immortality through what I have accomplished. My life had to have meaning, not to benefit others, but to benefit myself. Some have criticized me for such a belief, but it is one of the truest statements I know.

                I’m not sure where I should begin when it comes to my Genesis when it concerns my writing career. I suppose that it began when I was sixteen and published a collection of poems. My hope at such a young age was to become a poet laureate, reaching into the world as a powerful sage of wisdom and hope. Of course, as a young man, I didn’t market it well and sold less than five-hundred copies. At that point, I struggled to complete any book, any essay or any other publication for a few years after this. At one point, I considered abandoning writing all together, pushing my interests into other aspects of life. However, as other writers would say, you cannot throw away the passion for telling stories. That is truly what I have tried to do over the past couple of years: to tell the story of my characters and to leave a verse upon the world.

                I joined the Army when I was seventeen years old. I was a young man with a chip on both my shoulders. I had a passion for the military aspect as well as my dream to leave a legacy. I attended Basic Combat Training at Fort Benning and my Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon. I was a Radio COMSEC Repair Technician for the Army and I served vigilantly, almost obsessively, joining the Cadet Corps at Georgia Military College. Then, as fate would have it, I experienced a plethora of losses in my life which I have written excessively in detail elsewhere which pushed me into a massive depression. One of my few outlets to maintain my sanity was my writing, escaping the world which attempted to bludgeon me and diving into the realms which I controlled. I ended up leaving the Cadet Corps and began to write even more. Before I knew it, “Ezekiel March” was written, I had become a manager at a movie theatre and had worked diligently at becoming a Sergeant in the Army. Upon leaving for a training mission, I was severely injured in a military vehicle accident. I experienced thirty-nine broken bones, a Terminal Brain Injury, bruised lungs and my heart stopped on the side of the road. I spent eighteen days in the hospital, only the final days in my memory and am currently in the process of being discharged at the time of this being written. In this struggle, I ended up writing “The Gambler” as well as “Gun Control”. After being sent home and my bones beginning to heal, I finally finished “The Gunslinger” while standing in my kitchen with my laptop on the counter because the body brace wouldn’t allow me to sit down. That is just how dedicated I was to writing content.

                Recently, I have been working on both this website, my primary works as well as a small collection of poetry. I work in seasons, dedicating my time with genres of writing based on what time of the year it is. Fall is dedicated to novels, Winter is devoted to short-stories, Spring is based upon both poetry and plays and Summer is devoted to non-fiction and essays. This is the tactic which I find works best for me. I write at minimum one-thousand words every day but the true goal I try to hit every day is double that. This way, I am more than able to publish a massive amount of content in a short period of time. Before I do anything, I write two haiku every day to get my creative juices flowing and to have content for the future. I have always strived for both excellence and for passion in everything that I do, but especially in my writing.

                Some have asked how I write what I publish on this website. The answer is quite simple: ever since I was a boy, I had a system which allowed me to absorb information at an astonishing rate. I read a book a day, pulling out what I believe is valuable. I do what I call a “Deep-Read” on one classic book every month, learning everything I can about the book and the author. For example, the book for this month is “Macbeth” by William Shakespeare. I memorize one poem a month, one verse a month from the Bible and three to five quotes which I have learned from my reading. I learn a word a day, usually two-syllables or more. I dedicate an excessive amount of time to skills I desire to become a master at, which are Chess, the Guitar and of course, writing. I have six pillar books which have helped craft my belief system, which are as follows:

1.       The Bible

2.       The Republic by Plato

3.       The Illiad and The Odyssey by Homer

4.       The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli

5.       The Outline of History by H.G. Wells

6.       Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

These are books which I have read multiple times, often having to rebound them in some cases due to the amount of the books being opened. To put it directly, I simply have a system which works for me and it is something which I haven’t wavered from since I was a child. As I have gotten older, I have dedicated systems to every section of my life. From cleaning the house to working out to dieting, I have always had a strict and flowing system for all that I do.

                Probably the most helpful aspect in my life comes from my Cardinal Virtues, the five principles which have made me who I am. These principles are Faith, Wisdom, Strength, Truth and Discipline. Everything I do I ensure that they align to these values and refuse anything which is against these principles. I do not live a life based upon what anyone else tells me to do; I live my life based on what I believe is truly right. When I meet other people, I present myself accordingly to my values, I commune with others based on these principles and I act so that I can will that my maxims for life will be a universal law. I believe that everything is a choice and that even includes how we live.

                I am a big believer in Occam’s Razor, searching for the simplest and best way to do everything. I feel that, if you want to get better at writing, you have to write. If you want to do more push-ups, you have to do more push-ups. If you want to be a better father, you have to do what is necessary to be one. For years, I thought this idea was all too simple. It was only after I ceased to over dramatize this aspect and to act upon this principle, my life continued to become better. I achieved all that I ever wanted to do. I’ve sold thousands of copies of my works worldwide, served my country with grace, been a loyal and loving spouse and have succeeded in all that I have attempted. I learned that, if one is willing to put forth the effort, they will truly achieve greatness.

                Probably the most important thing in my life is my Faith. That is why it is my first Cardinal Virtue, because I am a firm believer in the majesty of Calvary. I would not be the man I am without the grace of God and the power of Christ in my life. All it took for me to fully rejuvenate my belief was dying on the side of the road. That told me that my work on this Earth wasn’t done yet, and I won’t neglect my life our Lord has given me ever again.

Quotes which inspire me:

“The way to a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.”

-          Socrates

“All things unknown are magnificent.”

-          Bram Stoker, “Dracula”

“A leader leads by example, not by force.”

-          Sun Tzu, “The Art of War”

“Courage is grace under pressure”

-          Ernest Hemmingway

“Never theorize before you have data. Invariably, you end up twisting facts to suit theories rather than theories to suit facts.”

-          Sherlock Holmes

Favorites:

-          Book: The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli

-          Movie: “The Silence of the Lambs”

-          Song: “Vide Cor Meum” by Patrick Cassidy

-          Actor: Jack Nicholson

-          Pen: Pelikan Souveran M1005

-          Journal: Leuchtturm1917 Lined A5 size

-          Ink: Diamine's Oxblood

-          Paper: Tomoe River Paper A5 size

-          Pocket Notebook: Clairfontaine Pocket Size

-          Philosopher: Niccolo Machiavelli

-          Verse: “Be sober, be vigilant. For your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8

-          Poet: William Wordsworth

-          Painter: Vincent Van Gogh  

-          Composer: Ludwig Van Beethoven

-          Historian: Edward Gibbon

-          Coin: Morgan Silver Dollar

-          Whiskey: Jameson Red Breast

-          Gin: Gordon's Dry

-          Wine: Chianti

-          Beer: Guinness Draught

-          TV show: “House”

Hobbies:

-          Reading

-          Writing

-          Chess

-          Guitar

Prominent Mentors:

-          Father Edward Coyle

-          William O’Connell

I usually will publish new content at least twice a week, however i do have issues with medical treatment due to the Army that does prevent me from doing so from time to time.

Again, i thank you all for being a patron for my craft, and i hope that you enjoy my content as much as i enjoyed writing it.

God Bless!