Writing - Educating

 When you choose to write, it is my opinion that you have also chosen to disseminate information. It’s almost like being a podcaster while indulging in creativity. Of course, this is a voluntary role. What is written is entirely up to the author. 

Educating is part of my raison d’etre and so not a surprise that I am saying this. It is an opportunity rather than a necessity. The type of information that I believe may be useful is the correction of commonly held misconceptions. Obviously,  passing information on needs to be relevant to what you’re writing about at the time.

One such misconception is the often trumpeted complaint from the politically short-sighted that immigrants are taking our jobs. As long as I can remember, people from other parts of the world have been invited to the UK to take up job opportunities to fill a gap in the available workforce. The current situation is slightly different in that immigrants are seen as cheap labour by oligarchs and giant corporations, so more accurate to say that the super-rich are taking jobs. As in all political situations, this is very complex, and it is disingenuous to mislead the populace by using trite, emotive statements. Professionals coming to the UK to take up positions are not the problem, as they are fulfilling a shortage. 

Such positions are not always easy to place in your writing and can appear clumsy if not woven into a narrative to feel natural. I’m not suggesting that every writer should always have their ‘soapbox’ on hand, but not to miss opportunities to right wrongs. 

God Bless 

 

 

Poetry Thursday 142 - Screens

 I remember our first TV - 1955. One channel and time-limited. If memory serves, programmes ended around 10.30pm and finished with the National Anthem. If you watched TV for too long, you would develop square eyes. The law, according to mother. 

Screens

A while ago it was all TV,

don’t sit too close or you won’t  see,

your future ambitious hopes and dreams,

but that’s in the past now it’s screens.

 

Screens for shopping,

Screens for gaming,

Screens for navigating,

Screens you can ask, 

Screens for every blessed task.

 

No more talking face to face,

remote communication for the human race,

a generation walking with faces on screens, 

social interaction is for us has beens.

 

And now we need to limit screen time,

protecting children from internet crime,

and now an age limit for social media,

apparently the internet is somewhat seedier.

 

As if we don’t have enough to worry us,

now there is a new source of electronic fuss,

this time we are ceding control  of our lives,

to disembodied electronic AIs.

 

Having square eyes because of TV,

or poor results due to lack of sleep, 

small beer in comparison to,

AI living life for you.

©David L Atkinson April 2026  

God Bless 

Writing - In the Mood

 There’s a lot written about writer’s block, and I believe it occurs as a result of negative external pressures. If you’re desperate to get published, if you have significant others who are negative, it’s not surprising if, when you have a blank page in front of you, your mind goes blank. You need to be in the mood. Don’t forget that you can write whatever you want, and it is entirely up to you. 

Whatever you want to put on the page is your freedom. In moments of desperation, change what you’re writing. That is, start something new, a short story perhaps, or go to a previously started piece. Doing that is a positive move and may provide the impetus to get you going again.

As with anyone suffering a creative hiatus, positive steps can lead to positive actions.

Other, non-writing solutions can be tried, such as a change of scenery, a walk in the fresh air, or a drive. An hour’s personal reading or a different creative activity. It seems that creative people are rarely tied to only one opportunity of exercising that particular gene.

All of the above doesn’t involve other people quite purposefully, for there lies the source of negativity  - possibly. 

 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 141 - Signs

 I had a dream - not like Martin Luther King - that my cat had broken her tail! Also, something to do with tennis. 

 

Concerning Ginny

 

Look after my cat in a caring way,

Until I woke the other day,

Didn’t know whether to cry or laugh,

Her tail was neatly bent in half.

 

Everything is not as it seems,

particularly when it comes to dreams,

the cat has its organ of balance,

and can signal mood in abundance.

 

No worries over Ginny’s abilities,

still servicing her proclivities,

the indications were always there,

reality tops dreams everywhere.

©David L Atkinson April 2026

 

Game Set and Match

 Some with eyes squeezed shut just follow,

 some will turn to the right,

 some will turn to the left,

 some will see all set out before them,

 all are observing the same target.

©David L Atkinson April 2026

God Bless 

Writing - What if ...?

 These days it seems to be unfashionable to be a conspiracy theorist. In all honesty, I find it to be a bit of fun and an opportunity to exercise one's imagination. Not only that, on the rare occasions that my theory is close to the facts of a situation,  a bit of a laugh. It’s like writing with all the brakes off. If you read Georgia Orwell’s book ‘1984’, you will appreciate that he was quite a conspiracy theorist. 

The above is my effort at theorising and is available from Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. 

Of course, there is a situation in the world that lends itself to much speculation, Donald Trump's least favourite subject - The Epstein Files. Perhaps I should keep this to myself and write the book, or not. Over the last eighteen months, since Trump's accession to his White House throne, there has been a drip feed of Epstein miscreants and not just from the USA. I have read of French politicians, a Polish official, the former Prince Andrew, and Lord Mandelson from the UK, and more. It must be remembered that the Epstein group has been on the go for thirty years and possibly longer. 

One symptom that Epstein's influence is more widespread than just in the US is the rise in the current brand of capitalism in a number of countries. Also, it is believed that Vladimir Putin has had some influence on the development of the criminal organisation. 

I've dangled the carrot; have fun. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 140 - Aspirations

 If you have even a smidgin' of a creative gene and have considered what is good and what is bad creativity, then you will understand where I'm coming from. Unfortunately, there are more questions than answers, and in some circumstances, no answers at all. Why is the Mona Lisa art? Why is Warhol's tin of soup art? Why is Emin's messy bedroom art? I have an answer. The establishment likes what it sees and decided it's art. It is all very subjective. Similarly, with writing and the Booker and other awards for 'good' writing, the judgments are subjective. I am not referring to technical skills such as grammar, but simply the created work. In short, its is very subjective and subject to shifts in fashion. 

Aspirations

 

So you think you can,

you’ve practised till blue in the face,

then some clever-dick, know-it-all man,

comes and puts you in your place.

 

Years of experience looking and judging,

forgotten the tears and sweat required,

thinks nothing of a little ego-bashing,

dismissed his memories of what inspired.

 

A checklist of lauded ‘expert’ opinions,

backed by a plethora of fashionable attitudes,

a blinkered officially recognized minion,

a failure backed by meaningless platitudes.

 

When is a tin of soup art,

or a smelly bedroom a sculpture,

who decides what keeps them apart,

fashion and a shrinking ‘official’ culture.

  

In short irrespective of which artistic branch,

your art is what makes you feel,

fans may not come in an avalanche,

but to you the creation is real.

©David L Atkinson April 2026 

God Bless 

Writing - Our Babies

 One of the most frequently given pieces of advice is to write from where you're at. A second trite phrase is likening our books to children. You can probably understand why. In fact, that is where a dilemma arises. Writing is intensely personal, and yet to achieve success in this modern media-ridden world involves bearing your soul to the world.

 

That is the point at which a writer must make a decision. They have to do their agent/publishers’  bidding and bend themselves into a pretzel to achieve success, or they stick to their reasons for writing and risk anonymity.

 

Back to the baby analogy. It would be naive to believe that your work won’t require some adjustments, but you have to decide when a story stops being yours.

Writing,  as with all arts, is subject to ‘fashion’ – the prevalent opinions of the day. Critics, publishers, and reviewers jump on current bandwagons. If your work does not fit the fashion, then you’ll be out of luck. That is the biggest test of whether or not you keep going. 

 

God Bless