Writing - Reflecting politics

 Unless you are writing futuristic or period pieces, the current political situation can be an addition that adds 'flavour' to your work. Writers are renowned for being keen to hold governments of the day to account and have been imprisoned and worse in some regimes. Using politics is meat and drink to writers. 

Some notable examples include Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose works like One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich exposed the realities of the Soviet Gulag, and Václav Havel, a playwright and later Czech president who used his writings to critique the communist regime. Other examples include Carlo Levi, author of Christ Stopped at Eboli, a memoir of internal exile for his political opposition, and Nelson Mandela, whose autobiography Long Walk to Freedom documented his struggle against apartheid in South Africa. 

Weaving political views into your writing can be done by including scenarios that demonstrate your point of view. More simply, by delivering your point through conversations between characters in your story. 

Currently, the world is not as enamoured with freedom of speech, and so writing along political lines could be risky. For example, foreign students entering the USA are required to keep their social media public so that it may be examined by security services. Why would they do that if the USA supports freedom of speech. 

God Bless 

Thursday Poetry 97 - Words and Time

 Slightly revamped poems linked through the medium of time. 

When do the words come?

 

They come as I fall asleep

and again in the still of the night

as slumber approaches from deep

or recedes as on occasion it might.

As the moon driven tide laps shores

round the world’s watery margins.

 

They come at the behest of the view

or the sound of a trumpet calling

as the notes have the power to renew

each one a clarion summoning.

At each wave of the baton the conductor

directs them to every corner of my mind.

 

They come when strange speakers deliver

but not in the original sequence

in torrents or singly they quiver

the creative sail billowing in deference.

Every line and sentence heard

may only produce one needed word.

 

They come to me as a crowd

jostling noisily for room

creating mystery, love and umbrella proud

under which readers’ minds may bloom.

Is there hope that those who read

will derive pleasure’s seed?

©David L Atkinson June 2025 

Consider Time

 

It only takes a second to make a mistake,

and a minute to compound the error.

An hour is a significant time to take,

and in a day create real terror.

 

Some real creativity happens every day,

and in politics a long time is a week.

A month can chase the seasons away,

and a good year on January 1^st we seek.

 

When young a school day is so slow,

even though it lasts just a few hours.

When old, months faster than rivers flow,

and time takes away our powers.

 

Time like sand flows through our hands,

like running water we can touch only once.

It never returns for a second night’s stand,

but is gone forever without response.

 

Time is passive in one voice,

and an unstoppable action in another.

It provides the opportunity to make a choice

but is unmoved if we don’t bother.

© David L Atkinson March 2015 

God Bless 

Writing - Time

When we decide to write, we make a commitment to spend time, a considerable amount of time in fact, where we will be in solitary confinement. Sounds dramatic! However, during the writing process, you are the only one who can do the work because it comes from your mind. 

Apart from when we are carrying out research, all other aspects of writing have to be solitary. That's okay, it is what we sign up for. 

In my own experience, I first tried writing while working full time, married with children, and it didn't work. I was just into my 60's when I had retired and had the time to write. All budding writers need to examine the issue of time.  

Consider Time

 

It only takes a second to make a mistake,

and a minute to compound the error.

An hour is a significant time to take,

and in a day create real terror.

 

Some real creativity happens every day,

and in politics a long time is a week.

A month can chase the seasons away,

and a good year on January 1^st we seek.

 

When young a school day is so slow,

even though it lasts just a few hours.

When old, months faster than rivers flow,

and time takes away our powers.

 

Time like sand flows through our hands,

like running water we can touch only once.

It never returns for a second night’s stand,

but is gone forever without response.

 

Time is passive in one voice,

and an unstoppable action in another.

It provides the opportunity to make a choice

but is unmoved if we don’t bother.

© David L Atkinson March 2015 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday - 96 - Remember Dads

I never believed when I was growing up that being white and male could be a bad thing. Doesn't look good for Dad's in this category.

Remembering Dad’s

 

Not the most popular role these days,

fodder for the misandry disciples in many ways,

yet a role carried out in respectful silence,

categorised by frequent sacrifice.

 

More complicated now than last century,

but respect, teaching and love in my memory,

a beneficial role in the growth of youngsters,

additional care and a playmate’s shoulders.

 

In the development of children dads are important,

the benefits for families abundant,

so celebrate the role in your own way,

but remember dads on Father’s Day.

©David L Atkinson June 2025 

 

Easier for a Camel

 

The ‘root of all evil’ could be to blame

for the decline in our faith, things aren’t the same

as when I was a lad

and morals were dictated by more than your dad.

From an early age, at Sunday School

God’s Law was the daily rule.

Now we’re told we have half faith

and similarly society’s standards deflate.

There are plenty of religions from which to choose,

Christian, Hindu, Muslims and Jews,

and yet modern folk will not adhere

to those organisations whose aims are clear.

To care for each other above monetary concerns

and pass on good practice to our own interns.

© David L Atkinson December 2015 

God Bless 

Writing - Skeleton

Every writer has a process, and what is right for one may not be right for another, but there are certain steps with which we should probably be aware. 

Your plan directs your footsteps and springs from your original idea for the piece you're creating. I'm an impatient, impulsive writer, and so I quickly become bored with planning, which is where my skeleton is useful. Like the house in the photo there has to be some foundations. That is your starting point. 

However, while you are creating, there may be obstacles, or improvements that you want to make that deviate from your plan, and it is useful to know where the change originated and where you expect it to go. The house above didn't have a garage! 

My 'skeleton' is a summary of what I am writing while in the process of creating the story. At the end of a writing session I go to my record and update what I've done. It includes anything new, any new characters and progress made. As for the architect of a house you redraw, update materials required and calculate costs. 

Unlike elephants, my memory is fallible, and so having a dynamic record of work done saves me time in re-reading work. I find it hard enough to edit stories/poems because it seems a backward step, but that is just the way my mind works. 

How you keep such a record is for you to decide but I open a separate file on the computer, a notebook may suffice, whatever suits you is the right way. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 95 - Cricket loverly cricket

 Over the years, there have been many great cricketing days. It was a treat for me to watch test matches (5 days) with my father. Mother even made lunch on trays so that we didn't miss a ball. Then there was the time when I was old enough to actually attend test matches, which was magical. Throughout that time, there have been wonderfully skilled players, but today I believe we have probably the best Englishman in decades. 

Remembering Cricket

 

I remember watching classy Cowdrey,

and Freddie Trueman the fiery,

the bowling of John Snow,

a belligerent Boycott refusing to go.

 

The Windies bowling machine given an edge,

with the batting of Sobers and of Greenidge,

years of magnificent test match success,

putting terrified batsmen under stress.

 

Australia, Pakistan and India contributors,

producing talented, stylish players,

while we continued bumbling along,

striving with the stiff upper lip to rely on.

 

Nothing could diminish the excitement of a test,

driving to Headingley hoping for a day of the best,

cricket that two teams could possibly supply,

viewed from a seat in the coconut shy.

 

There have been many such days including at Lord’s,

when enjoyment was indescribable beyond words,

and yet this game continues to provide,

players who excel for their countries with pride.

 

Currently I have a remarkable favourite,

England have for years from his talent benefitted,

his batting ability never in dispute,

the magnificent, record-breaking J E Root.

©David L Atkinson June 2025 

God Bless 

Writing - Entertainment

 A more fundamental question, why do I write, sprang from last week's rather bleak posts. It is okay to express your opinion in your work, after all, we have freedom of speech, but when we write, surely part of the exercise is to entertain. If we only write to educate, there is a danger that our work will become rather dry and dull. That in turn, may shrink our audience and therefore, the messages we are trying to share will be limited. 

A bit of sketching practice, yes I know that I need it, but reflecting a comedy. 

The Class sketch is a comedy sketch first broadcast in an episode of David Frost's satirical comedy programme The Frost Report on 7 April 1966. It has been described as a "genuinely timeless sketch, ingeniously satirising the British class system" 

So, a classic example of using humour to deliver a serious point and so education with entertainment. 

But a second point of writing is to entertain without weaving in some clever message to make a point. Writing is a flexible medium that can be adapted to deliver whatever you want it to, so experiment with different approaches and deliver your messages without fear. 

Joe Root 

Entertaining can include real-life remarkable instances of skill or endeavour, as occurred yesterday when cricketer Joe Root produced a batting master class. The watching crowd and fellow professionals were exceedingly impressed and appreciative. What Joe did was give the nation a lift for the day. Even if you aren't a fan of cricket, we can all appreciate excellent performance in all walks of life, and these should be applauded. 

God Bless