Writing - Pace

I try to be aware of pace when I'm writing but it is quite enjoyable to wallow in the glory of descriptive writing. You can find evidence of the same in truly good writers. Alistair Maclean in HMS Ulysses, spends a significant chunk of time describing the wild sea on the northern convoy routes during WWII. A brilliant read. Similarly, Dickens description of the misty marsh in the early pages of Great Expectations is great, but at times that tendency stifles the pace of his stories. 

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To help with pace, it is important to plan the actions that will take place in the stories. Within that process is the definition of the roles each of the characters you are guiding in your tale, and putting that together smoothly and fluidly. After that has been done, it is up to you how the outcome appears on the page. It would be naive to expect that there wouldn't be any description, but that, plus the overuse of dialogue, will slow the pace of the story. 

On the other hand, you cannot write an interesting and engaging story without developing the personalities, which means you have to decide on the balance between the pace and the development and that is why writing is so enjoyable but intensely personal. This is not a blog about how to write a story, there are other factors like adding twists to your tales, and like all advice it can be taken or left alone. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 86 - April

 My favourite month I think. So many positive things happen in April. 

Welcome April

 

This fractured Earth’s demise could slow,

with England’s gentle, April rich flow,

ending the March chilly tirade,

with a colourful growth and birth parade.

 

The new smell of growth and petrichor,

warms the soul and craves for more,

of the gentle version of England’s weather,

that lightens the heart as a feather.

 

A rainbow, God’s covenant with the earth,

grows throughout this assuaging month,

filling everyone with positive feelings,

signalling a good year coming.

 

And as it leaves prepares the ground,

for warmer opportunities to abound,

now for the rest of the year enabled,

let’s be thankful for the month that is April.

© David L Atkinson March 2025 

God Bless 

Writing - Points of View

There's a BBC programme with the same name as this page. It reminded me of the tactic of enlivening narrative by recounting stories from different viewpoints. That is, as described in stories by two or more other characters. 

Take a situation and have two characters interact within the situation, and have them describe what they have experienced. This involves a writer in thinking like each of the characters they've created with all that entails. It is necessary to be inside those heads and to be consistent with what has been created and truly represent different viewpoints. 

In my Steele novels, I haven't used this ploy very often so I have created a bit of a silly example, but a bit of fun.  

If you look carefully you can see two pigeons in the background of this photo and they're being watched by my cat Ginny. Obviously, I'm taking the photo. 

As I see it, two scavengers have grown fat on their gleanings and they are scouting for more goodies in a neighbour's garden. The sight causes me to lament the loss of more native British birds such as sparrows, starlings, blackbirds, and thrushes. I also reflect on the noise the pigeons make because they are noisy. 

What is Ginny thinking? Food!!!!!!!!! How can I get out and catch the birds? 

Sounds as though she might be on my side but she would treat all birds no matter how rare. 

This sort of exercise can be very enjoyable, and it could enrich the quality of your work. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday 85 - The Lollipop

 Consider the state of things in the world in 2025. Frankly, even though we are supposed to be a forward-thinking and more sensitive world, the facts contradict that state. I could fill a couple of pages with facts and opinions on this but suffice it to say we have wars, we have starving people in rich countries, and we have global greed in obscene proportions. 

The Lollipop

 

Have we come to the end of our lollipop?

Have we extracted every last vestige of flavour?

Has the human race reached the top?

Is there nothing left to savour?

 

We’ve come a long way from hunter-gathering,

it’s taken many millennia to get here,

there are clues of the past, remaining,

will AI be controller of this sphere?

 

Will they allow us to continue,

 in a pointless war of acquisitions,

allowing mountains of waste to accrue,

and adding more toxic emissions.

 

Or will they farm us like aphids,

culling those of little value,

not accepting financial bids,

or evidence from those who can argue.

 

Or perhaps there’s a genetic ceiling,

signalled by isolationist greed,

that is already influence applying,

and poisoning human seed.

 

When you come to the end of your lolly,

right down to the final lick,

to strive on may well be folly,

when all you have left is the stick.

© David L Atkinson March 2025  

God Bless 

Writing - What do you have in mind?

 When writing stories an author has something in mind whether they are producing short stories, full-length novels, an article or poetry. So when I was thinking about this blog there were innumerable influences on my thinking and I sometimes feel that picturing what I'm considering helps organise my thoughts. 

The cartoons I have produced are a result of the situation with a well-known car manufacturer that is in the news almost constantly at present. When we write, we produce work under several influences before allowing external factors to exert influence. I fully expect that some readers will interpret a car being driven, or driving itself, into a landfill site. My take on the Tesla situation at the moment. Then there is a political link. 

The above amalgamates a couple of events and is somewhat more complex in the speculations that are possible from the arrangement of the cartoon. 

Leading on from the first pic Tesla's difficulties are again referred to by the production line but the box receiving the robotic Trumpian heads introduces the furor over the shipping of 300 people to El Salvador for incarceration after they had been accused, rightly or wrongly, of being gang members guilty of some heinous crimes. 

My suggestion is that the heads are being sent to replace those of the gang members so that they will be part of Trump's 'army'. 

So that is what was in my mind at the time shortly before I drew these cartoons. They could be used to stimulate writing or you could produce your own thoughts on different scenarios that may help the creative process. 

God Bless 

Poetry Thursday - 84 - From the Shallows

 Anniversaries are a mixture of celebration and sadness. The intensity of those feelings depends upon the nature of the anniversary and the relationship to the person(s) being remembered. There you go the obvious has been stated. My own experience is no different from anyone else's but on the anniversary of my father's death it was brought home to me on the death of John Hemingway (105) this week. The trigger being that he was born in the same year as my Dad 1919, but my father died 32 years ago. 

From the Shallows

 

Is there enough sugar in the pie,

I saw you shudder and squint your eye,

No its okay dear - lovely.

You’re a poor liar Leslie.

 

Ee how do you know that fact?

I’ll ‘ve read it somewhere,

you’ve always got yer nose in this or that,

every moment you've got to spare.

 

How much have yer had to drink?

Just two pints dear,

giving me a knowing wink,

he’d a good capacity for beer.

 

Leslie, don't forget to steep the peas,

not at all dear,

essential task before he's at his ease,

that keeps the marital ticket clear.

© David L Atkinson March 2025 

God Bless 

Writing - St. Patrick's Day

 March 17th, St Patrick's Day, is celebrated widely in the UK and other parts of the world, and to me seems to be a happy day. 

St. Patrick is one of the most famous patron saints of Ireland: According to the legend, he brought Christianity to the island, made the shamrock fashionable, and freed Ireland from snakes. The holiday marks St. Patrick's death and has been observed as a religious holiday in Ireland for over 1500 years. 

Biologists tell us that there were never any snakes in Ireland but that the story is a metaphor for St Patrick being fed up with paganism and introducing Christianity. 

The shamrock (clover) is believed to have been a visual aid for the saint in describing the holy trinity. 

A couple of excellent examples of ideas for writing. Take a scenario and apply a metaphor to help deliver alternatives, persuading your audience of a different point of view. The more unlikely the metaphor is, the more fun you'll have writing it, and your audience will be more greatly engaged in your narrative. 

In this fifth Steele novel, Patrick confronts the person who has been secretly following him throughout several of his adventures. This pursuit is not without risk, as the focus of his love, Naomi Kobayashi, goes missing, which significantly impacts his ability to function effectively. We also learn more about Patrick himself. The adventure takes him to Eire, France, and the USA before he returns to resolve the issue in the UK. 

God Bless