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 - Be Positive

 It's always a bit of a trial putting those first words down on paper after you have made the decision to write. However, there is only you who will not make that initial step, and you shouldn't allow any naysayers to change your decision. 

I was fortunate in that my support was generously given, and criticism was constructive, and at no point did anyone tell me to give up. Looking back, my early efforts were riddled with issues, but within a couple of years and three books, I was receiving fewer criticisms and more praise. This spurred me on to complete 13 novels and three collections of poetry. 

Improvement in writing continues throughout the experience. This is particularly true if you continue to read other authors of all types. In doing so, it is also possible to see the development in other authors. 

Two of these very successful authors are Colin Dexter and his Morse series, and Ian Rankin with the Rebus series. Both collections are great reads, but they all started off tentatively and became increasingly strong as the series developed. If you enjoy crime fiction they are well worth a read. 

Obviously, some authors set off at a gallop like J K Rowling, whose Potter series hit the ground running, but even with that magnificent saga there are one or two books that didn't quite progress as smoothly. So when you are writing, you do need to concentrate on the quality of what you produce, as success isn't guaranteed.

The bottom line is to remain focused and positive about what you want to achieve, and at the same time, remember to congratulate yourself on what you have achieved when you produce 50k plus words in a book. That is no mean feat. 

God Bless 

Writing - A Reader's Mind

 The ability to read is probably one of the greatest skills a human can learn. If you require evidence of this, just consider the continuing censorship that governments from every corner of the earth apply to the publishing industry. 

To understand where I am coming from, one should consider what reading is as an activity in itself. Putting it simply, reading is decoding a series of agreed marks into abstract ideas. (Agreed marks = letters). Of course, the nature of the abstract ideas will differ according to the experience of the reader. Hence, censorships go in and out of fashion. What was banned by the Victorians may not be under that cosh in the 21st century. 

The whole idea of someone banning a book you may have written, really depends the values of a culture at any given time. When Salman Rushdie published The Satanic Verses, I'm pretty sure he wasn't expecting to need to go into hiding for ten years, and that the Iranian government had issued a 'fatwah' a kill order. Similarly, Lady Chatterley's Lover was the source of much giggling in the playground of my junior school in 1960. This is no longer banned. 

Then some regimes ban books because of their idealistic nature. Currently, in the United States, there are suggestions of which books should be removed from school and college libraries, quite often on the basis that they support diversity. 

After WWII, Mein Kampf was banned around the world because it incited antisemitism. It wasn't banned in the US because of the free speech part of the Constitution. No longer the case with diversity. 

In fact, censorship tends to be at the whim of a regime dependent on how it sees threats to its existence. 

So if reading is such a boring activity consider the question - why are books ever banned? 

God Bless 

 

Writing - Reading

 Reading is a method for the brain to update its software. A slightly amusing dig at screen-addicted young folk. I've seen it in various forms on social media, but applied to writers and the advice becomes seriously significant. 

As with all skills, if you don't refresh and update regularly, it can make you stale. Reading a variety of material can refresh the writing muscle. I believe this works by considering style, story development and structure, voice, and many other aspects that can benefit the flavour of your writing. 

Not all of the reading experiences will be positive. It may be the case that you don't finish a book or article because you find the delivery unsuitable for you, the exercise of writing has made you a more discerning reader. The positive and negative reading experiences give a better view of your own writing. It can re-energise and improve the outcomes of your efforts. 

Range of books that I have read recently:- 

Odyssey - Stephen Fry 

The Last Devil to Die - Richard Osman 

On The Lookout - Kerry J Donovan 

I have read these books for entertainment as well as to broaden my experience. Before Christmas, I also read Christmas Carol by Dickens. It doesn't halt progress to go back to familiar works. So keep reading and your writing will continue to develop. 

God Bless 

Writing - Migratory word habits

 I remember while I was growing up that my father was quite strict about use of language. He objected to the use of slang and lazy patterns of speech. Although he was a coal miner he still had a lot of pride in everything English and objected to even the BBC mispronouncing words such as Wednesday and temperature.

Using phrases and words that are more commonly from another country can add a richness to your narratives when you're writing your stories - obviously it's necessary to do your research.

Even though the above book is about the relationship between the USA and the UK there are characters who are American. When I was writing those characters I tried to make them more realistic by including American patents of speech. 

from the start = from the get go 

tap = fawcett 

car boot = trunk 

ending a task = call it a day 

Make proper plans = get all your ducks in a row 

There are a number of websites that you can find on Google that purport to list these American phrases, some of which I take issue with, but which are still useful in developing a character. 

 

The bottom line is language is dynamic and so continually changing and growing. Your writing needs to demonstrate that you are aware and are as dynamic in your work. 

God Bless 

Writing - Evolving language

 So in continuing to think about writing story writing in fact writing have anything at all it's important to remember that the vehicle that we use, language, is continuously evolving. Words that I considered slang and I was taught were slang by my parents are now socially acceptable and appear in the most prodigious dictionaries. As a result of changes the impacts and effect on what we write has also changed and is also dynamic. 

It's not just the physical representation on the page of what we want to say but also the subtle meanings of the sentences that we write. I collected together a number of old sayings from a variety of sources which are mildly entertaining but also quite informative as to where language was a number of years ago.

These sayings/insults are incredible gems from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words! I hope you delight in them as much as I have. 😅♥️

 

1. "He had delusions of  adequacy. ” Walter Kerr

 2. "He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire.”- Winston Churchill

3. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure. - Clarence Darrow

4. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”-William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway)

5. "Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?"- Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)

6. "Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it.” - Moses Hadas

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it.” - Mark Twain

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.” - Oscar Wilde

 9. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend, if you have one.”   - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill

10. "Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one.” - Winston Churchill, in response

11. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here” - Stephen Bishop

12. "He is a self-made man and worships his creator.” - John Bright

God Bless 

Writing - For the Best

 Just a quick read for an Easter Monday. 

Blurb 

Steele is drawn into a situation involving DCI K Best and then a threat to the Royal family. added to this echoes of his past and we have a story filled with questions.
The story takes place wholly within the British Isles and involves a minor member of the Royal family but was she the target or was she bait?
Has Steele met his match on this occasion?
Who is behind the plot? 

A convoluted plot but what kind of ending?

God Bless 

Writing - Read Everything 2

 So providing a reading environment as I started last week is not as onerous or expensive as the title suggests. Looking back on personal experience a positive environment begins, not with piles of comics, magazines, newspapers and books, but by seeing people read. One of my childhood memories of my dad was him reading a newspaper avidly. He would read every word. Mum read magazines, the newspaper, books and knitting patterns, she also loved crosswords which were printed in the newspaper. The bottom line was that two busy people always managed some time every day to read. 

In some respects, leaving reading to schools is leaving it too late. The desire to read very much depends on the value placed on reading from the earliest age and it can't just be reading bedtimes stories which is enjoyable but passive. Seeing ones parents and siblings reading, automatically raises the value of the activity. 

Schools have employed such tactics in trying to help children improve their reading. There was a scheme in the 1980's that included everyone reading in class, teachers included, and the reintroduction of having classes being read to as is the practise for younger pupils. 

Hopefully, creating a reading environment will encourage independent reading. Many people can be seen gazing at screens which obviously involves reading but if ones reading hasn't gone far past decoding then comprehension may be sketchy whereas focusing on a longer piece that requires the reader to interact with the text to establish meaningful understanding is more useful. 

The skill of reading develops throughout your life and to obtain the greatest benefit then time and variety of material needs to be a target. 

God Bless 

Writing - Read everything

 Reading is a good way of getting into writing but ensure that the words are being read correctly. It begins with single words, signs and advertisements, until phrases and short sentences are developed. Repetition is a must and the same approach can be used with counting. In fact that's the easy bit. Keeping the interest going can be difficult. This struggle used to be more noticeably prevalent with boys and much research went into producing boy centred stories. It matters not a jot if a child doesn't find reading materials interesting gender is not responsible. 

George Layton (1942 - 2024)

George Layton, a comedy actor turned his hand to writing and created a set of characters, mostly boys getting up to boys' antics, including Norbert Lightowler. Excellent stories read to the children I taught in the 90's. Look out The Fib, and other stories, just gentle fun that some boys could get into. 

Comics 

Comics are a step up towards independent reading and these tended to be backed up by annuals around Christmas time. Within this genre there was a gradation of sorts. For me it was the Dandy and the Beano followed on by The Hotspur as I became older. 

Such publications as the above would see a child comfortably through to high school. After the age of 11 what we read was often dictated by the schools we attended and many of the classics were taught for the next 5years, but what happened at home was a lottery. 

These days the plethora of reading materials for all ages is available in many forms and on a variety of platforms but where reading is failing to progress perhaps parents need a closer grip on what is being read. Just because a child is gazing at a screen is no guarantee that words are being decoded and understood. 

Talking about books then becomes important. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 29 - Why Read?

 In Roald Dahl's Matilda the crusty Dad played by Danny Devito in the film, states 'Why read when you can get everything you need from TV?' My reaction is below. 

Reading

 

Why read?

when you can get everything faster from TV,

when a computer has more options,

when it takes time to finish a book,

when you do it all alone,

when it is a pastime too quiet.

 

Why not read?

when you can apply imagination,

when you can live several lives,

when you have countless experiences,

when you never need to leave your chair,

when you’re surrounded by fascinating folk,

when time is no longer a barrier to travel.

© David L Atkinson March 2015

 

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,

or 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