Writing - Environments

 As with conflict, environment is totally under the control of the writer and is every bit as complex. It is also infinite in the range of types. To put the tin lid on this area, there are levels that vary in size and importance to the story. 

When a tale is under construction, the initial site of action is linked closely to the story. These sites could be a forest, caves, a cityscape, a rural village or urban sprawl - in other words, almost anything - but within that there will be smaller sites of action that are significant. 

This is where personal experiences may be a source for such places. 

For example, a launderette. This was something I experienced many years ago. So picture a quiet Sunday morning in the slightly damp, steamy atmosphere of such a place. There are two male customers sitting in different parts of the shop. They don't know each other and are not talking; one, in fact, is reading a book. The noise of the washing machines and tumble dryers would have precluded conversation held at normal levels. 

The street door bursts open, and a young man runs into the shop, charges across to the customer not reading, attacks him violently, and when the victim is on the floor unconscious, the attacker runs out just as quickly as he arrived. 

No words had been exchanged, and the incident lasted less than a minute. When it was over, the reader left the shop. 

A true story, but adaptable to fit in a variety of stories. As we travel through life, incidents occur, and we need to store these happenings for future use. Of course, the type of story you are writing dictates the nature of the environments you decide to employ. The description of the site of action adds to the fabric of the work you are producing. 

It is obvious to state that the description produced needs to be constructed carefully and not just a vehicle for wordy paragraphs where we indulge ourselves. It is always important to engage audiences. 

God Bless 

 

Poetry Thursday 161 - Win v Lose

 You are never too old to learn is a treatise oft repeated by my mother when I was growing up. Unfortunately, I hear myself saying the same words to anyone I can target. In fact, 'you never stop learning' may be closer to reality. 

Win v Lose

 

When we were young it was about acquiring,

talking, walking, sitting,

later we learned the glories of play,

the joy of seeing friends every day.

 

Life was about loads of gain,

opportunities to advance without too much pain,

but there is some heartfelt testing,

that can lead to some unexpected losing.

 

As life proceeds the winning becomes tougher,

opportunities for wins significantly rarer,

losing happens more frequently,

with the resulting trauma felt deeply.

 

As the days of life grow shorter,

learning remains a constant winner,

but the losses seem to occur daily,

shedding layers as skin that’s scaly.

 

The resultant gaps of missing pieces,

memorials of significant accomplices,

an indicator of increasing solitude,

silence growing in amplitude.

©David L Atkinson September 2026 

God Bless 

Writing - Conflict Resolution

 The conflict type I haven't dwelt upon, nor have I gone into style, and probably innumerable aspects of stand-offs between characters. In a sense, that is the nature of conflict: too many variables. The aspect I'm addressing today is how it comes to an end. While I'm writing, it is popping into my mind that this may take a couple of weeks to deal with adequately. 

Conflict can, of course, end unsatisfactorily, with a situation whereby there is no really identifiable conclusion. In the context of a story, this may be a useful 'beginning' of another element within the tale. That may have been your intention in setting up the conflict. There are many examples where two protagonists may end up working together, in enmity, but towards a mutually desired conclusion. 'Cop shows' use this frequently, where the lone detective fights authority over having to work closely with a colleague. (eg. Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock in Heat). The alternative successful conclusion is just as useful but tends to point towards a closed ending and follows the direction of the main story theme. 

The conflict may lead to a romantic relationship, as for Steele and Naomi in the Steele novels. Again, this has been used in stories before. 

In constructing the conflict, the purpose has to be clear from the outset for the writer, and less so for the reader. Such conflicts can spill over into following stories, and the life of such scenarios has driven the development of TV series and film franchises. I'm thinking of the relationship between cops like Starsky and Hutch, and Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon. 

The point being that the purpose of the conflict needs to be kept in mind throughout its use. Of course, the full range of emotions can be the outcome of conflicts. Referring back to The Heat, this is a spiky, aggressive, and violent film, which I found hilarious, and is full of conflict from beginning to end, from McCarthy parking her car to fights with a criminal gang. The use of humour in conflict can actually deepen the affect that the serious, aggressive aim of the story. Even Victor Hugo introduced lighter moments with the innkeeper and his wife, which was fully explored in the stage show of Les Misérables. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 160 - Read! Read! Read!

 Hitler destroyed books; Trump has taken money from libraries and tried to dictate reading materials in schools. This is a very brief summation of one aspect of controlling social groups, but can be summed up further by stating that 'knowledge is power'.

Travel the world from a chair

 

A book holds a story that will never die,

it is there to entertain forever.

The story is your transport to times gone by,

or a rocket hurtling towards the future.

 

The people inside are fallible like you,

but with help may foil the danger,

or follow a path taken by few,

and perhaps find a babe in a manger!

 

You may travel the wide world from your chair,

and never leave this wonderful land.

Change your colour or perm your hair,

without the risk of wearing a new brand.

 

The sky’s the limit every time you try

the same story read a dozen times.

Let your imagination be free and fly,

in the words of stories and of rhymes.

© David L Atkinson March 2015 

God Bless 

Writing - Conflict 2

Following on from last week, I've been thinking about the can of worms that is conflict. It ranges from toddlers nipping at each other to all-out war. 

 Like all processes, there are beginnings, developments and outcomes. The beginnings are virtually anything because conflict arises from reactions of individuals, which in turn are dependent on personality and learned personal preferences. When we write conflict into our stories, these are factors that can bring about a flashpoint. So there is an initial stimulus, which can vary according to who is the recipient of that stimulus. 

Then there is some type of reaction, which, once again, can take almost any form and doesn't have to be extreme, but for the players is significant. The fighting toddlers may cry and shout, young adults may indulge in a fist fight, or gangs may carry out more serious crimes. The explosion can take a myriad of forms. Within the explosive behaviour, there are opportunities to explore how such conflicts develop and then are resolved. 

Then the resolution may be a handshake, a hug, or a social gathering. Again, almost anything, depending on those involved. 

When we are developing situations for the entertainment of our readers, there is no limit to what we can imagine and include. At the same time, you can use real events that have occurred, like 9/11, an accident, and so on. The process is under the influence of the protagonists and the resulting narrative needs to be consistant. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 159 - Brain Power

 A simple question with a plethora of answers, few of which are wrong. How do they con people into voting for them? (Fill in the names from your own experience).

Lucy

 

If we could use more of the power

of our brains, increasingly by the hour,

would our lives be any easier,

or would existence be a little trickier?

 

Some would pay to use that much!

Their ‘off’ behaviours demonstrate such.

Knowing there is more use to be had

suggests they’re perhaps not doing too bad.

 

But then living on the Earth are those

whose brain activity is set at doze,

and allowing them to engage with us

is risky if not dangerous.

 

We all go through our lives hoping

that our bustling brains are great at coping,

and if we strive to keep them busy

we may end up as bright as Lucy.

© David L Atkinson September 2014 

God Bless

Writing - Conflict

 Seems simplistic to talk about conflict in a blog about creative writing. Conflict, with all its elements, is an inevitable part of story writing. Even the most sugary love stories will have moments of disagreement – conflict. Superhero tales are packed with conflict; disaster movies have it; Christmas stories have conflict and resolution. 

So what is conflict? It is defined as –

a disagreement or argument about something important

 

In all examples, there are at least two opposing positions. Emotions, people, countries, and so on. There are stages in conflict, which I am not an expert in, but like education, we all have some experience of the processes involved in conflict.

For example, there is usually an initial low-level issue, not always, but often.  This is followed by some negotiation, but quite often it is inadequate in arriving at a solution. This may be because the levels of emotion and attention may not be fully invested. The cycle is a descending situation. It may happen in this way because the antagonists are jockeying for dominance. Eventually,  the situation may descend into violence of the tongue, or even physical violence.  At every stage there are opportunities to break into the process and effect change.

 

So conflict, to some degree, is flexible even though protagonists are apparently intransigent. These facts are an indication of openings for communication. As such, opportunities for dialogue, from the writers’ point of view, are useful in the production of stories. 

God Bless