Writing - Elders

 When I used to think of 'elders' I would have a default picture in my head of a little old guy sat in the shade of a tree, dispensing wisdom to anyone willing to listen. A scenario that may be true in a small number of places in the world these days. More frequently, elders are shuffled away somewhere quiet so they can do little harm. 

When creating the team that is at the centre of the Steele novels, I felt that the sagacity of years needed representation. I introduced a couple of older people there to dispense wisdom and moral standpoints where relevant. 

When writing stories, the inclusion of wise counsel can add depth to the story and engage more readers. It allows people to empathise with the actions that are included in your writing. To agree or otherwise with the actions taking place. 

The characters you introduce to play this role will come from your own life experiences. We have all known of or met this type of sage person and how we embody them into stories can be a fun exercise in itself. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 156 - Poor Kids

 It's August already. In the UK, the month that spews forth exam results mostly for 16 and 18 year olds. I remember receiving a brown envelope. I was home alone, and the dry-mouth feeling on reading that my results were inadequate for my initial applications to college. I was ok in the end. This is not an uncommon scenario and will be re-lived time and again. It still creates stress. Seven years ago Covid was an additional problem. 

Poor Kids

 

At least seven long years inside,

booby traps being part of the ride,

working as hard as you feel you can,

towards the goals that will make you a man.

 

The bully sharks are hunting intake prey,

the playground a tarmac sea of grey,

adults enormous hurdles to negotiate,

groups with whom you should not associate.

 

Subject to a myriad of others’ opinions,

just one of a tranche of newer minions,

where to fit to succeed in this place,

and become a full member of the human race.

 

Through the years one finds a slot,

it may be uncomfortable in life’s plot,

but short-lived discomfort leads to progress,

based on your examination finesse.

 

However, in 2020 along comes a virus,

catching it is in no way desirous,

school on hold for an extended period,

number of after effects a significant myriad.

 

Exams come round with every year,

regular as clockwork instilling fear,

in many of the teenage reluctant takers,

and controlled by national question writers.

Not this year due to virus attack,

children at home - efforts are slack,

but next steps in the future still there,

 will the exam establishment be aware.

 

Results Thursday came and went,

the children were sad or perhaps content,

an algorithm was applied to predicted scores,

grades were reduced causing great uproars.

 

The establishment had scored another own goal,

Ofqual regulator had failed in its role,

assuming that their solution had been correct,

resulting in many young futures wrecked. 

 

Where are the shoulders to take responsibility,

who will resign due to lack of capability?

Suddenly the talking heads spouting wise,

are no longer available irrespective of prize.

© David L Atkinson August 2020 

God Bless 

Writing - Scenarios

 Writing allows you to explore the imagination as well as your personal experiences. In fact, you can grab many opportunities to flex your writing muscle. The idea below was manufactured and is good practice for a variety of scenarios.

TWILIGHT

 

There’s something quite magical sitting outside on a warm summer's evening at the end of the day. Hearing the occasional car taking someone home after a long day,  and a train uttering its mechanical litany through the valley on a journey to wherever.

The air is still and cool but comfortable.  Solar-powered garden lights glow gently amongst dark flowers that will burst out bright in tomorrow's sunlight.

There is little that moves. A dark flitting shadow streaking across the eyeline  - a hunting bat. 

Although I didn't always write a paragraph describing every scenario I've used in the creation of the Steele novels, I have very detailed memories that I'm fortunate enough to be able to recall. It might be that some writers create a database of such snippets, and it could be useful for stories and articles. 

This exercise also provides me with spines for some of the poetry that I write. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 155 - Twilight Zone

 As I age, I see a difference in the way people look at you and treat you. I'm not talking 'with respect' or 'contempt' it is actually closer to suspicion. They seem to be suspicious that you are going to do or say something that will require support. 

The Twilight Zone

 

Used to be tales of mystery and imagination,

 designed to thrill causing the heart to flutter,

now it’s more about causes for exclusion,

and hazards making steps that stutter.

 

Disturbing bumps in the night,

inexplicable sounds cutting through sleep,

another reason to turn on the light, 

watching the hands of the clock creep.

 

Hardly surprising when you don’t work anymore,

that sleep is no longer a priority,

  need other purposes to dip into the energy store,

while searching for life's clarity.

 

Seems sleeping light encourages dreaming,

strange dreams of people and past,

the brain not just reflecting life and living,

creating new visions on which nothing to hang fast.

 

So having moved from working situation,

to a grey transitional state,

partly evidenced by friend and relation,

we are now in some place to wait.

©David L Atkinson July 2026 

God Bless 

Writing - Levels of Thought

  

When you actually begin to write your book or your story, and you look at your plan and begin to put things down on paper or on the computer, you'll find yourself thinking at different levels.

 

Research done character set the situation described, and now you've got to actually bring together all of those ideas in some kind of case if narrative that is that will entertain your readership.  This involves thinking, which may seem obvious, but actually, we think on various levels. To begin with, it's fairly superficial, and we're actually just thinking about the physical nature of describing the story.  However, very quickly, we have different, less tangible elements coming together, which require more complex thoughts because we're looking at the interactions between place characters and events.  This is the point at which you can enrich the quality of your writing using personal experience and the research that you've done. If you like, it is the qualitative stage of writing your story. 

Human beings, by their nature, are complex characters; they are capable of abstract thinking, and writers have the drive to want to share that with other people. where it might be the desire to rush ahead and get things down on paper, it is probably time to pause and consider each scene and the depth of meaning within those scenes, so that we take our audience along with us. This is the point at which you can truly say, 

 'I’m a writer' 

God Bless 

 

 

 

Poetry Thursday 154 - Control

We like to think that we are in control of our own lives. People take years out to 'find' themselves, which I didn't, so it has taken a little longer for me to complete the process. The poem below should be several verses longer and may become so in the future, but I think you'll get the idea. 

Control

 

If you work hard all your life,

if you save hard for your future,

if you stay straight as a knife,

and are never an aggressor,

you may have some control.

 

If you pay all of your taxes,

refuse to fall into debt,

fit in with expected agendas,

treat others with respect,

you may have some control.

 

If you make your political choices,

and demand reasonable requests,

listen to authoritative voices,

always polite to the guests,

you will have little control.

 

If you go off to fight their wars,

suffer the outcome in silence,

knowing the choice wasn’t yours,

conned to duty in their defence,

you have no control.

 

Don’t step outside your circle,

maintain the status quo,

do nothing that’s abnormal,

stay steady as you go,

Still no control.

©David L Atkinson July 2026 

A hint of what may be possible occurred on Christmas Day 1914 

during The First World War.

God Bless 

Writing - Memory

 Unless you have a great memory, you will need to keep a writing diary/file of information to be used or to use again. It may be that you only write one story, and then perhaps you can get away with the occasional note. You might be able to write everything on little scraps of paper; however, if you intend to write more than one story in the same vein, then you need to have a record of the sorts of things that you may need accurate information about to maintain consistency. 

When writing the Steele novels, I soon discovered that I needed to keep accurate records of the types of vehicles my hero liked to drive. Additionally, it was necessary to keep abreast of the latest developments in vehicular technology to keep my stories up-to-date. This type of preparation is necessary to keep your writing current. 

The second tranche of data I needed was a current catalogue of weaponry. This takes me back to an example I never get tired of using, and that is the number of bullets fired by a Colt 45 in cowboy films of the 50's and 60's. Plainly, the magazine of such weapons was a 6-space barrel shape, and yet John Wayne could fire forever seemingly without reloading. Bringing it as current as possible, I spent time researching modern magazine sizes so that I could furnish Steele with the most modern weapons. I believe the biggest magazine was with a Glock handgun of around 19 shells. Probably, well out-of-date. 

My final example is a diary-type record of places visited and activities carried out. This speaks for itself in that you must remain accurate to maintain reality within the fiction that you are producing. 

I'm not a great fan of record keeping, but it saves time in producing a book in that research is not beginning from square one every time you put pen to paper. 

God Bless