Writing - Empathy again

 Empathy is the ability to emotionally understand what other people feel, see things from their perspective, and imagine yourself in their place. 

The above is probably an essential skill in being able to create characters and have them interact in a story. It is also a skill some adults actually never mastered. It is currently one of the many criticisms of the President of the United states Donald J Trump. As the definition suggests, this is a complex skill that develops over time, and the young author may find some aspects exceedingly difficult.

That was carried out in the classroom when I used to teach. The task was to have the children write from the point of view of somebody in a story, and the quality of the work that came out was varied. 

 

An example could be the breaking into a home at Christmas as seen through the eyes of the family cat or dog. I know the example would be telling the story of Jesus and trying to go to Jerusalem on a donkey from the point of view of the donkey.

 

The first stage in answering these questions would be to describe the emotions felt at the time. Questions such as how would you feel in that situation are quite useful prompts.

 

Being able to practise empathy brings about the tempering of your behaviour towards other people and hopefully leads you to become a more understanding adult. So you can see why, when writing a story, the skill is important. 

 

When I was writing the Steele novels, my lead character Patrick steagall add to manage relationships between himself and three or four other people and those relationships pertain throughout all 11 books and so weren't stationary but developed and in some cases broke up. From my point of view, I found this one with the enjoyable parts of writing stories. The manipulation of the characters and situations they found themselves in was great fun, or at least it could be and also influenced the direction in which stories progressed.

 

As an exercise for oneself, writing a short story from a different point of view can be a very valuable exercise.

 God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 146 - Ivory Towers

 Another announcement that the energy cap for UK citizens is due to rise. I'm pretty sure that the excuse will be that the cost of buying gas has been increased by our suppliers. I always thought that a cap was supposed to stop unfavourable rises. I'm also pretty sure that the CEOs' bonuses and salaries will not be capped. It would be wonderful if they would refuse their extra salaries and share dividends to help protect the customers. (Just me being naive.) 

Too Many Ivory Towers

 

CEOs of water, fuel and power,

climb down from your glittering, ivory tower,

consider those who are less fortunate,

those who you often manipulate.

 

Academies and Trusts Chair,

is what you’re paid truly fair,

when so many people you employ,

need benefits to bring life a modicum of joy.

 

When asked about your ill-gotten gain,

blaming a committee for what you obtain,

meekly accepting such gross largess,

as a right to your opulent ivory address.

 

Backed by sycophantic politicians,

circling for crumbs to further ambition,

is there a conscience about all that power,

providing your exclusive ivory tower.

©David L Atkinson August 2022 

God Bless 

Writing - Humour

 Over the years, I have read some very amusing books. Some authors are naturally gifted at being amusing, but then there is me! Over the years I have tried to write amusing poetry, I have often been entertained by Roald Dahl, Spike Milligan and Pam Ayres. Similarly, I have enjoyed the writing of Tom Sharpe and various non-fiction writers. 

Porterhouse Blue was a very successful TV series adapted from the eponymous novel by Sharpe. 

I find it difficult to be funny when I am writing, but there is a yearning inside that tempts me occasionally to try. I usually give up fairly quickly. Not that I'm a dour, humourless person, or at least I don't believe that I am, I can be quite witty in a small, understated way, publicly. Writing in an amusing way is a more complex skill, for me. 

This is something that I am unable to offer a great deal of advice on for the previously stated reasons. It would be like me standing up to perform comedy and spouting a series of 'dad' jokes that fall flat. If your feedback suggests that you have a comedic bent in your writing, then go for it; if you believe people find you to be funny in company, it may translate into amusing writing. My advice would be not to force it! 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 145 - This History

 Every day that comes and goes becomes part of our history, so we are making history daily. Taking that fact into mind, how will we be seen in 100 years? 

Historical

 

One hundred years from now,

how will life be remembered?

Who was driving the nations plough?

How was the populace respected?

 

Will this time be known as the age of technology?

Will it be for entrepreneurship?

Perhaps the worship of oligarchy,

or the increase in personal hardship.

 

Maybe this time will provide the spark,

to level the living playing fields,

elevating man from the industrial dark,

consolidating too many equality shields.

 

Did Magna Carta teach us a lesson?

Have we learnt from the middle ages?

What was the point of Victorian tuition?

What great mark left on history‘s pages?

©David L Atkinson May 2026  

God Bless 

Writing - Reality

 Being a writer can be a doorway to many different freedoms. This includes the freedom to stretch the truth beyond breaking point. Remember films involving cowboys in the wild west who carried guns that had six cartridges, they'd get into a gunfight and fire hundreds of bullets without reloading. 

Coupled with the never ending supply of ammunition was the physical ability to withstand the effects of being shot. If you consider the damage a projectile does to the human body as it passes through, tearing flesh, nerve damage, breaking bones and ripping open blood vessels, we ordinary folk would probably go into shock almost immediately. Having said all that, we know it is only 'make believe' and being totally accurate all of the time would be boring, so a little licence can spice up the abilities of one's characters. 

On the other hand, the use of a factual description closer to the truth can enhance the quality of the supportive narrative. It is also more fun to stretch the readers' imagination and build some 'magic' into the characters in your stories. There is a danger in going too far or not far enough. Naturally, the effect of stretching the truth and its influence on the reader is very subjective. For some, too much fantasy can be a turn off, for others, you can't go far enough. 

In fact, it is up to the writer as always. If you feel that the flow you create can stand some embellishment, then go for it, and if the opposite is true, take it easy. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 144 - Awakening

 The political atmosphere around the world is at least disturbed and very possibly volatile. In the UK, there are signs that many people are desperate for a change in the system. I believe that is also the case in other countries, not least the USA. Change has already occurred in Hungary. 

Awakening  

There are signs change is coming,  

mist lifting to reveal a watery sun,  

the promise of a positive dawning,  

generating political fun.  

 

Change from younger generations,   

crying out for something different,  

tired of status quo dictations,  

demanding a fairer way to present.  

 

Beware of youngsters energy,  

take care of dangerous choices,  

no space for rampant apathy,  

avoid vested interest voices.  

 

First reclaim national media,  

don’t be fooled by sponsored bias,  

research all aspects of the area,  

avoid opinions of the old and pious.  

  

 

Don’t be swayed by political decadence, 

it’s time to make your choices,  

having examined all the evidence,   

let the nation hear your voices.  

©David L Atkinson May 2026  

God Bless 

Writing - Balance

 I remember growing up in the 1960s and 70s and seeing a menu of soap operas on TV. I also remember when I stopped watching some of them and the reasons why.  Coronation Street was the first programme of that type, and it was soon joined by Emmerdale Farm and eventually EastEnders. 

I stayed as a loyal fan of Coronation Street for the longest of all three, even though my parents were still watching all three many years after I’d left home. The reason I stopped watching soap operas, I remember telling someone, was that they were too close to real life.

Putting it simply, I think I like to be entertained rather than coached in social psychology and sociology. This side of my nature comes across in the type of programmes I watch these days. I enjoy a good police drama, murder mystery and who-done-it. However, I can easily be put off when the human frailty of the lead policeman seems more important than the crimes that they're trying to solve, and it seems to me that the screenwriters and authors are starting off from the premise that the human frailty is what people are more interested in than the actual crimes being committed.

 So when it comes to the material I like to watch, I look for the crime and hope that the programmes do not have an alcoholic lead character, a Chief Inspector with family problems or a lawyer who is struggling with his sexuality. 

 Now that is not to say that those issues aren’t important, and it is essential to make your characters as human as possible. I’m not into superheroes all the time, but there are plenty of people on the earth who've had problems, lived through them, and are functioning normally, so why not have people with their investigative skills who are functioning normally? These are the reasons behind Patrick Steele, the lead character in my novels. He is not a superhero; he's not perfect, he has had frailties in his life, and one of the reasons why he is engaged in the activities as an adult is because of the issues he had when he was a teenager. The information is described in the earlier books and particularly in book 5, which is entitled Inceptus. 

So the idea of getting the balance right, the title of this blog suggests, is to guide fellow authors away from human failings. Yes, they can be interesting, yes, it's important that for reality’s sake, your characters are showing some human feelings, but to remember that you are out there trying to entertain.

 God Bless