David's Musings on Writing

Writing - Meaningful moments in time.

2013-05-23T20:07:00.000+01:00

Ron and Hermione after their first kiss.

Just before their first screen kiss Ron and Hermione are about to enter the chamber of secrets and to do so Ron has to speak in Parsel Tongue (snake language). Just after he has spoken he turns to Hermione by way of explanation of his ability in that language and says,

Ron: "Harry talks in his sleep. Have you noticed?"

Hermione: (guiltily) "Of course not!"

The director did a fantastic job because he had Hermione adopt a rather puzzled and half guilty expression.

In itself this tiny moment in the final Potter film is insignificant, minuscule but hints back to points when Ron was jealous of Harry, and earlier Dumbledore wondered about Harry's relationship with Hermione. It provided an element of retrospective continuity that I believe enhanced the story.

In storytelling we may include this type of device to enrich the quality of the relationships between characters. I'm sure you can all find similar examples and at this point I am refraining from using 'The Magic of Belle Isle' as an example of good practice. The point is tying together two or three relatively minor incidents in the past to add depth to the relationships within your work. It reminds me of the saying 'the devil is in the detail' - if there is no detail where can the devilment be derived from.

As a storyteller it is possible to take Ron's statement and Hermione's response and come up with a totally different outcome. What if she'd agreed with Ron? The book and therefore the film may well have had a very different ending! (Devil)

Perhaps stories turning on such tiny points is why it is so fascinating to write them. When the characters are well-developed and begin to take hold of their own destiny dear knows where the tale may end up. I am into chapter 6 of my latest effort 'Cessation' and it is probably the story that has had the least planning of all six books. I often try to analyse why and how things develop, as you will have realised if you've followed the blog for any length of time. However, it was Stephen Woodfin and Caleb Pirtle III from Venture Galleries, that first suggested that the characters take over. It may seem a strange thing to say but if you put such a lot into building the personalities of the people in your stories it shouldn't be surprising that they come to life. As Caleb said not so long ago beware the minor character that you introduce but then refuses to go away.

I have one of those. Ethan Small - the Steele novel 'The Biter Bit' - he first appears there intended to be involved in a major incident and then be lost in the mists of time but he refused and has built himself a niche that would be difficult to fill if he left the team.

( http://www.amazon.com/The-Biter-Bit-ebook/dp/B007A0C4IY )

Is this a case of the tail wagging the dog? No it is part of the story writing process. Do a good job with your people and they will live on until you have no more use for them.

Launch

Having often heard the rain in Ireland variously described as 'soft' and 'warm' I now have evidence of what is meant. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptus-ebook/dp/B00CV9IHBM/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369242131&sr=1-10&keywords=david+l+atkinson

The Complete Works

God Bless

Poetry Thursday 63 - Fly more kites

2013-05-22T20:26:00.000+01:00

A few years ago I found a piece of reflective poetry written by a lady in her eighties and it struck a chord. I have failed to find that poem but I have produced a version for myself accompanied by photos of the interior of our church that was decorated with kites made by children and people from the congregation.

When I was young I should have flown more kites

Instead of fighting in the playground

Rather than arguing with my parents

In place of worrying about exams

I should have flown more kites.

Instead of concentrating on soccer

Rather than avoiding my school work

In place of looking for a girlfriend

I should have flown more kites.

Instead of drinking too much

Rather than avoiding deadlines

In place of endless late nights

I should have flown more kites.

Instead of worrying about the kids

Rather than fighting with the wives

In place of agonising about money

I should have flown more kites.

As they soar on the wind there is a freedom

Transmitted down the strings like electricity

Then it fizzes in the brain blowing cobwebs away

Energising the whole being keeping you young.

©David L Atkinson May 2013

--------------------------------------------------

The Mist

never goes

but there are patches of light.

Turn the corner

and all seems right.

Dodge round the banks

waiting to trap you.

Recognise the signs that will

hamper the view,

that clog your eyes

as well as your mind.

©David L Atkinson May 2013

This piece of work is the result of a chat with a friend that reminded me of the need to keep an eye on the D - ball!

God Bless

Writing - Inceptus launch

2013-05-21T21:13:00.000+01:00

In this the 5th Steele novel Patrick tackles the person who has been surreptitiously dogging his footsteps over a number of his adventures. This is not without risk and the focus of his love, Naomi Kobayashi, disappears which seriously affects his ability to function as well as he can. We also find out more about the man himself. The adventure takes him to Eire, France, the USA before he returns to resolve the issue in the UK. Will Patrick finally rid himself of a deadly enemy? Can our hero rescue his love or is it already too late? Another Patrick Steele adventure filled with tension and action as well as the support provided by the team he has developed over the years.

Venture Galleries promotion.

http://venturegalleries.com/uncategorized/authors-showcase-features-the-novels-of-colin-falconer-and-david-l-atkinson/

Twitterlit.com

The above site was pointed out by Caleb Pirtle III on Venture Galleries on Monday (UK). It offers to publish a first line of your book and the appropriate Amazon link twice a day. It is tantalising in that it doesn't publish your name or book title. Whilst delving into the rules of the site I found that self-published books are not allowed to use the service. I include the information here as a way of advertising your own self-published novels, some of you may do this already, but if you don't it could be another slightly different way of promoting your work.

For example:-

'Having often heard the rain in Ireland variously described as 'soft' and 'warm' I now had evidence of what was meant.'

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptus-ebook/dp/B00CV9IHBM/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1369158303&sr=1-10&keywords=david+l+atkinson

God Bless

A Tuesday Recipe - Textured Potato Salad and titles.

2013-05-20T20:33:00.000+01:00

Now this is a potato salad with attitude. In this photo it is the 'supporting act' to a lightly dusted basa fillet that had been baked in the oven.

The full recipe is on the tab above.

If you haven't tried basa it is worth having ago. A very tasty and meaty fillet. The potato salad has garlic, basil, pepper and loads of other stuff but is not the same as Anthony Worrall Thompson's recipe. Really I should give it a different name but as with writing stories the name could be off-putting.

Peppery potato salad for example would immediately turn off anyone who doesn't like peppers or capsicums. I suppose that is why Mr Thompson chose 'Textured' - it is a neutral adjective that doesn't evoke tastes that may alienate potential customers. In a way that is why I chose 'Inceptus' for my most recent Steele novel launched this week. It was close to the idea behind the book but different from the recently released film - Inception. I hope 'Inceptus' is neutral enough not to be off-putting for some readers but intriguing enough to attract. Also it is close enough to the film title to be attention drawing.

Just as an example of the power of titles I wrote my blog on Saturday and it had the title 'David Beckham's Charity Work' - I had an astonishing 300 hits that day, around 100 more than usual and most of the extras came from India! I've been sorely tempted to include Mr Beckham in more daily blog titles.

I don't have any pretensions to being a title guru but it is something storytellers need to consider carefully. In my opinion your title needs to reflect something of the nature of the story inside the covers, be attractive to a wide range of readers and succinct! I am learning through experience!

My current project 'Cessation' is roping along at a pace and has developed a life of its own. It is not a Steele story and is almost apocalyptic! The characters are developing with some interesting twists and turns. The lead character is a man in his thirties but his position could be usurped by a stroppy fifteen year old that I introduced as an 'extra' but who seems to be determined to become a central character.

Scifaiku

The Stop

A spark of power

would really chill the world

but it has all gone.

©David L Atkinson May 2013

God Bless

Writing - A 5th Steele story launched +The Boxer

2013-05-19T21:33:00.000+01:00

Blurb

http://completelynovel.com/books/inceptus free sample plus order paperback copies.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Inceptus-ebook/dp/B00CV9IHBM/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368970051&sr=1-13&keywords=david+l+atkinson - on Kindle

The Boxer by Simon and Garfunkel

http://youtu.be/l3LFML_pxlY - a great piece of music and poetry

God Bless

Writing - You have to be in the mood.

2013-05-18T18:47:00.001+01:00

You need to be in the mood. I have published 6 books in three years. I am in the mood.
The fact is that anyone can write. We all have the words and use them everyday but we use them in the order that is expected - whereas a poet doesn't always.
Do I consider myself a poet? Am I so arrogant that I will apply an accepted label to what I do? No! I don't care! In the words of the French philosopher, Descartes - 'I think therefore I am'. That is not a clever statement but applies to everyone who thinks.

In many ways my poetry is an effort to express feelings that I cannot express normally.

Am I sick?

Possibly.

Probably!

In some ways I have never belonged.

The 'norm' is safe but derogatory to humans.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

I recently serialised my first Steele novel 'I Have To Get It Right' with Venture Galleries (see the logo at the side of this page). This site is run by two fine authors Caleb Pirtle III and Stephen Woodfin who have been very supportive but who are providing an excellent service to us storytellers. Below is some feedback I received from Caleb which I publish with a sense of gratitude and not a smidgeon of modesty!

------------------------------

Feedback

It has been a real honor serializing the chapters of your novel.

I knew you were a really fine writer.

But this works its way under your skin and stays there.

I don't even think you know how good you are.

Caleb Pirtle III

----------------------------------

Such feedback is so good for the soul and I hope it encourages readers of this blog to dip into my books and learn a little more about where I'm coming from. The poetry is possibly more revealing but don't dismiss the stories. All authors tend to write from where they are.

Book Launch

Will be available imminently from Amazon Kindle and CompletelyNovel.com

http://completelynovel.com/books/inceptus - read 15 pages for free. Order a paperback copy.

God Bless

Writing - David Beckham's Charity work.

2013-05-17T22:59:00.000+01:00

It is a momentous occasion that David Beckham has finally retired from football. However, he is yet another example of a fine and generous man who's reputation has been alternately maligned and lauded by a media world who will do anything to create sales of their products.
In point of fact he seems to be a basically good person who has used his wealth for the benefit of many. If a quarter of current professional footballers had the wit to donate 10% of their enormous wealth to charitable causes vast numbers of people who struggle with life for a variety of reasons would benefit.

Among his many philanthropic interests, soccer superstar David Beckham is a founding member of the Malaria No More UK Leadership Council, and a supporter of Help for Heroes, a charity aimed at helping injured service personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

His own charity, the Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust, provides wheelchairs to children in need, and his focus on helping children has led to his appointment as a UNICEF Ambassador.

In this role for the international charity, Beckham’s focal point is UNICEF’s Unite Against AIDS Campaign. He travelled to Sierra Leone in January, 2007 with the organization, and following the visit he commented on his experiences there:

“We can’t turn a blind eye to the tens of thousands of young children who die every day in the developing world mostly from causes that are preventable.

“In Sierra Leone, one in four children dies before reaching their fifth birthday – it’s shocking and tragic especially when the solutions are simple – things like vaccinations against measles or using a mosquito net to reduce the chance of getting malaria. Saving these children’s lives is a top priority for UNICEF and as an ambassador I hope I can help to draw attention to this issue across the world.”

Beckham helped raise $185,500 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) by auctioning off two tickets to the World Cup party on eBay. He was entered into NSPCC’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

In March, 2008, Beckham visited Xinhua Hospital in Shanghai to visit children with leukemia.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

Both of my editors have completed checking 'Inceptus' and I'm grateful to both for all of their efforts on my behalf. The book will be available very soon, certainly no later than 01/06/2013 and probably earlier. The comments received from the editors have been excellent.

http://completelynovel.com/books/inceptus

Inceptus

There is an opportunity to read a sample on Completely Novel. Click the link below.

http://completelynovel.com/books/inceptus

God Bless

Writing - Barnes Wallis' Bouncing Bomb

2013-05-16T22:11:00.000+01:00

Seventy years ago an RAF bomber raid destroyed important German dams. At the time many argued it was only a propaganda victory. It was much more than that, writes historian Dan Snow.

At 9.28pm on 16 May 1943, the first of 19 Lancaster heavy bombers lifted off the runway into a clear, still early summer night.
It was another British raid on the Ruhr region of Germany. The industrial heartland of Hitler's war machine was straining to produce tanks, ammunition and aircraft for a final, titanic assault on the Soviet Red Army on the Eastern Front.
British aircraft had been levelling entire neighbourhoods, blasting and incinerating homes, factories and people in a series of massive but clumsy blows.

This raid was different. This was a raid aimed with astonishing precision against a choke point in Germany's production chain. As such it was the ancestor of today's "smart bombs" and surgical strikes.
It was a raid sent to destroy a series of mighty dams, wreaking havoc with the Ruhr's vital water supplies. Known as Operation Chastise to its planners, it is remembered simply as the Dambusters raid.
The story of the Lancasters that left RAF Scampton that night is utterly remarkable for so many reasons. There was the ingenuity of the weapon they carried - a purpose-built bomb, codenamed Upkeep, designed by the brilliant Barnes Wallis to bounce along the surface of water like a skimming stone to avoid obstacles placed in its way.

In James Holland's recent book, Dam Busters: The Race to Smash the Dams, he states that "it is time to put the record straight". He insists that the damage was "absolutely enormous" and it was "an extraordinary achievement".
He points out that every bridge for 30 miles below the breached Mohne dam was destroyed, and buildings were damaged 40 miles away. Twelve war production factories were destroyed, and around 100 more were damaged. Thousands of acres of farmland were ruined.
Germans instantly referred to it after the raid as the "Mohne catastrophe". Even the cool Speer admitted that it was "a disaster for us for a number of months". German sources attribute a 400,000-tonne drop in coal production in May 1943 to the damage caused.

I'm sure I've said this before but my Mum worked on building Lancaster bombers on the outskirts of Manchester during the 2nd World War.

Over the next couple of years I'm sure that there will be many memorials to things that happened during both wars. Next year will be the centennial of the beginning of the 1st World War.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

Good news today in that my latest Steele novel 'Inceptus' has come back from my editor and so will be available in paperback from the beginning of June and possibly earlier in ebook format.

Inceptus

I have chosen the above cover and the blurb on the back cover is as follows:-

The adventure takes him to Eire, France, the USA before he returns to resolve the issue in the UK.

Will Patrick finally rid himself of a deadly enemy?

Can our hero rescue his love or is it already too late?

Another Patrick Steele adventure filled with tension and action as well as the support provided by the team he has developed over the years.

God Bless

Poetry Thursday 62 - The Trials of a football fan

2013-05-15T22:48:00.000+01:00

This is in the style of the song 'Blaydon Races'

http://youtu.be/Q0isRxDLDEc - The original song.

The trials of a football fan

Chorus

Oh my lads you should have seen us praying

begging for help from the Lord above

so we could say we're playing

in the Premier League once more

earning pomp and status

we’re off to the Stadium of Light again

with di Canio there to lead us

Verse 1

I’ve walked to the ground in rain and shine

and watched with joy and despair

the efforts of red, white and black cats

to grab three points from thin air.

The quality of teams a-visiting

as varied as Heinz fifty seven.

If we win the fans will be singing

as if they are in heaven.

Chorus

Verse 2

This season didn’t turn out the way

the fans thought it would go.

Losing matches at home and away

and another managerial blow.

O’Neill was seen as a saviour

but turned out to have feet of clay.

Can we pinch another three points

or will more of my hair turn grey.

Chorus

Verse 3

It all came down to the penultimate game

between the Arsenal and Wigan

at the Emirates Stadium - the visitors needed to win one

We were 200 miles away chewing our nails to the wick

hoping Wenger had trained his lads

to play football skilful and quick

Chorus

Verse 4

Arsenal started quite quickly scoring through Podolski.

By half time Wigan had equalised with a free kick

from Maloney.

The nerves were frayed the hair was lying in

clumps upon the carpet

until Theo Walcott’s burst of speed

brought relief to the doubtful hearted

Chorus

©David L Atkinson May 2013

God Bless

Writing - Good news/Bad news and Grammar

2013-05-14T20:39:00.000+01:00

Gallery Owner:	I have some good news and some bad news.
Artist:	What's the good news?
Gallery Owner:	The good news is that a man came in here today asking if the price of your paintings would go up after you die. When I told him they would he bought every one of your paintings.
Artist:	That's great! What's the bad news?
Gallery Owner:	The bad news is that man was your doctor!

Every now and again I feel that the accumulated quantity of bad news is really depressing. The tin lid was put on the current affairs in the news at present with the release of Chris Huhne and Vicky Price

These two were found guilty of perverting the course of justice (fundamentally telling lies) and were given prison sentences of around eight months. They served eight weeks in open prisons. I've no doubt that there conditions were somewhat better than those of the majority of pensioners have to endure in this country. The piece of the article that real messed with my head was the announcement that once again they will each write a book. I've no doubt that publisher's will be falling over each other to produce said books, probably written by some overworked, underpaid ghost writer. Once again publisher's milking what they see as a ready made market with a pair of books which I contest shouldn't be written. Why would the buying public want to read about the experiences of two proven liars? The mind boggles!

Grammar Tests for primary age children

A new grammar and spelling test arrives in primary schools in England this week. It is the first time in a while that such emphasis has been put on grammar.
Some of the questions will seem straightforward for many adults, such as where to place a comma or a colon in a sentence. But other aspects - identifying different types of adverbs or distinguishing between subordinating and co-ordinating connectives - might raise eyebrows.
Grammar is not just an educational issue. For some adults, it can sabotage friendships and even romantic relationships.
Grammarians argue it ensures clarity and elegance. For others, it is a series of archaic rules beloved of pedants, bearing little relation to how people really communicate.

It isn't always obvious what constitutes good and bad grammar.
The 17th Century poet John Dryden is said to have invented the notion that you can't end a sentence with a preposition, which has led to heated debate ever since. And what about starting a sentence with "and"?

One has to be careful, cautions Patrick Wilson, founder of the Tutor Crowd, which works with young people. "There's a danger people can be too judgemental."
He, like many of his students, used to struggle at school with grammar and spelling. "Knowing when to use a semi-colon is not a determinant of intelligence. It's a determinant of whether you can follow rules."

The split infinitive is the most celebrated of grammar conundrums. Henry Fowler, author of the Dictionary of Modern English Usage, published in 1926, summed up the debate as follows.
"The English-speaking world may be divided into (1) those who neither know nor care what a split infinitive is; (2) those who do not know, but care very much; (3) those who know and condemn; (4) those who know and approve; and (5) those who know and distinguish. Those who neither know nor care are the vast majority, and are a happy folk, to be envied by the minority classes."
Grammar is provocative. But perhaps it's an itch that English speakers need to scratch.

I think I come somewhere between (1) and (5)!!!!!

Sometimes splitting the infinitive deserves artistic licence.

God Bless

A Tuesday Recipe - 3 Countries Salad

2013-05-13T20:02:00.000+01:00

But to begin with :-

Huhn and Price released after 8 weeks of an 8 month sentence

Why is the release from prison of two proven liars the lead news in this country? They are both to write books but why would anyone want to know why they told lies and tried to cheat the rules of the road? Publishers should refuse to produce these books.

3 Countries salad!

It's the time of year that is hardest for people like me. That is, salad dodgers! Come on, be honest no one really likes chewing on cold tasteless leaves full of cellulose that the vestigial appendix can no longer digest!

I create my own Italian style salads that are full of goodness and have flavour. The above version covers three continents - Asia, Europe and India (ok its a sub-continent) The salad dressing is the black liquid lurking in the bottle at the back of the photo and is Japanese sanbaizu, the bread is actually naan bread from India and the pasta is whole wheat fusili from Italy.

The full recipe is on the RECIPE TAB

Cheese baked leeks

I was given some small leeks by a gardening friend the other day and added it to a dish of broccoli tops and pasta.

Recipe

A hand full of leeks cut long ways

Olive oil

1 clove of garlic

seasoning

200g goat's cheese

3oz salted butter

1 egg

chives

The how to do it part is on the relevant TAB

God Bless

Writing - Beauty from Inhumanity

2013-05-12T20:05:00.000+01:00

I was reminded of some beautiful music this morning. Composing, rather like writing, is an artistic and emotional response to a variety of situations. For instance, lullabies, laments, firework music and so on. The piece highlighted below is based on Tippet's reaction to real events that occurred during the 2nd World War.

A Child of Our Time is a secular oratorio by the British composer Michael Tippett (1905–1998), who also wrote the libretto. Composed between 1939 and 1941, it was first performed at the Adelphi Theatre, London, on 19 March 1944. The work was inspired by events that affected Tippett profoundly: the assassination in 1938 of a German diplomat by a young Jewish refugee, and the Nazi government's reaction in the form of a vicious pogrom against its Jewish population—the so-called Kristallnacht. Tippett's oratorio deals with these incidents in the context of the experiences of oppressed people generally, and carries a strongly pacifist message of ultimate understanding and reconciliation. The text's recurrent themes of shadow and light reflect the Jungian psychoanalysis which Tippett underwent in the years immediately before writing the work.

Baba Yar

Babi Yar is a ravine in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and a site of a series of massacres carried out by the Nazis during their campaign against the Soviet Union.

The most notorious and the best documented of these massacres took place on September 29–30, 1941, wherein 33,771 Jews were killed in a single operation.

Dimitri Shostakovich

The Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor (subtitled Babi Yar) by Dmitri Shostakovich was first performed in Moscow on 18 December 1962 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the basses of the Republican State and Gnessin Institute Choirs, under Kirill Kondrashin (after Yevgeny Mravinsky refused to conduct the work). This work has been variously called a song cycle and a choral symphony since the composer included settings of poems by Yevgeny Yevtushenko that concerned the World War II Babi Yar massacre and other topics. The five poems Shostakovich set to music are earthily vernacular and cover every aspect of Soviet life.

Another example of music being used to explore the depths of human depravity but on this occasion combined with poetry. I know poetry is not the most popular medium in writing from the readers perspective but it seems to be the medium of choice when people need to express feelings about extreme events and is often then backed up with music. I am fortunate in being with a choir that becomes involved in performing such pieces and have sung in 'Child of Our Time' which was a very moving experience. Once again the men in the choir will be singing the Shostakovich in September with Liverpool Philharmonic, conducted by Vasily

Petrenko, which will then be recorded on CD.

My point is that poetry is a powerful medium for expressing feelings in the written form. I know that when there is something bothering me the need to write poetically is heightened but that may be because as a typical man expressing feelings was never my strong point. I have never aspired to write poetry for financial reward although I have published one collection, The Musings of a Confused Mind (Createspace.com), but it would be amazing to write something that a third party set to music. Really what I'm saying is if you feel the need then write.

God Bless

Writing - there but for the grace of God and cricket.

2013-05-11T19:53:00.000+01:00

Bradford City Fire - May 11th 1985

A memorial service marking the 28th anniversary of the Bradford City football stadium fire, in which 56 people died, has taken place.

The fire broke out during a match between Bradford and Lincoln at the Valley Parade stadium on 11 May 1985.
I should have been there! It's true. I used to live next door to a guy who had a season ticket for the stand you see blazing above and, on occasion, a friend of his would offer me the ticket in the neighbouring seat if he couldn't go. On the day the ticket was offered to me I'd been asked to play cricket for a team on the outskirts of the city which I'd already accepted when John came round and offered the football ticket. As a result of me refusing John decided not to go. I can remember being in the field at the cricket match when people started pointing at the pall of smoke rising from somewhere in the centre of the city. It wasn't until I got home that the scale of the tragedy became known.

So I consider myself to be lucky that I'd made the decision to play cricket.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

When telling stories the decisions characters make have consequences. While telling our stories and relating decisions exploring the consequences of decisions can bring reality to the story but beware! Don't get bogged down in the details or else you will turn your readers off. Too many instances of 'if he did that this would happen' is frankly boring but it is important to humanise the characters by relating dilemma. The dilemma can be a useful tool in actually starting a story off on the road whether you call it making choices or something else. The point is that decisions are like the branches of a tree and you can choose which one to take in the development of your tale.
We may not always be aware of it but decisions are happening in our writing all the time. In my current writing I am still making most of the decisions for the central character because I am only a couple of chapters into the work but once Paul has found his feet he will begin to drive the story and make more of the decisions for me. Sounds weird to those who haven't written much? It's almost an inevitably in the process. When you imbue your characters with personality traits you begin to set them free.

From one of my favourite films 'The Magic of Belle Isle when author Monty Wildhorn (Morgan Freeman) is describing how his central character Jubal McLaws rides alone he passes on all the gory details of his parents demise at the hands of an Apache raiding party, to a family at the dinner table. The mother reassures the children that of course all that Monty said didn't happen as it was in a story. Monty's retort was 'It happened to Jubal' which sort of killed the conversation. At first I wasn't sure what was meant but having written a bit I know now.

God Bless

Writing - survival and recovery.

2013-05-10T23:16:00.000+01:00

Bangladesh building collapse 17 days ago.

Seventeen days ago a building collapsed and to date over a thousand people are known to have died. As you can see from the photograph it is almost levelled and yet today a young woman has been pulled from the destruction alive and quite well. 17 days! Amazing and very pleasing for that lady and her family.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

When writing action, thrillers, mysteries etc it is not uncommon for authors to include some kind of harm to come to their central characters and for them then to recover and win the day. This has often been the case since the earliest stories or feature films but one source of disappointment is when the damage and subsequent recovery is too far fetched and removes reality from the plot. A little like the old cowboy films where a hero is shot wherever but at the end he always had his arm in a sling! They used to use 6 chamber revolvers that would fire many more than six shots! Even James Bond I find stretches the imagination to breaking point - the fist fights where there is no blood or bruising!

Now I'm fully aware that if everything was realistic all of the time it would be boring, so storytellers embellish, poetic licence if you like, their tales to add excitement. Like many things it is a question of balance.

The Balance

After he had journeyed
And his feet were sore
And he was tired
He came upon an orange grove
And he rested

And he lay in the cool
And while he rested 
He took to himself an orange 
And tasted it
And it was good

And he felt the earth to his spine
And he asked
And he saw the tree above him
And the stars
And the veins in the leaf
And the light
And the balance

And he saw magnificent perfection
Whereon, he thought of himself in balance
And he knew he was


Just open your eyes
And realize 
The way it's always been
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been
Just open your heart
And that's a start

http://youtu.be/-sp5iMzgENM - listen here.

Now of course all that I've suggested about the affect of injury and balance could claim to be belied by the relatively healthy condition of the lady buried beneath a Bangladeshi building for 17 days!

God Bless

Writing - a new project

2013-05-09T22:25:00.000+01:00

Changing horses in midstream

'Better the devil you know'

'A bird in the hand'

'If it ain't broke don't fix it'

Three, and I'm sure there are many more, sayings that are intended to maintain the status quo. I am coming to the end of my second chapter of 'Cessation' a futuristic novel set in 2023 that is not featuring Patrick Steele. I have no problems writing Steele novels having completed five, I could go on and do more, but that is not the way the creative urge is working within me. The Steele novels are enjoyable to produce, there is quite a bit of me in them, and they have allowed me to re-visit, mentally, places that I've visited. However, I was beginning to feel that there was a formula developing and I know me - that path would lead me to become bored and that is the last thing I wanted to feel. Steele is like one of my children - precious! So I began exploring an idea that was floating around in my mind. It was in the apocalyptic genre.

One of the ways I like to entertain myself on wet, miserable days is to watch films and one genre I've enjoyed are films like 'Deep Impact' 'Armageddon' 'Independence Day' 'The day after tomorrow' and going back 50 years 'On the Beach'

Don't ask me why I like these types of film - I just do. This slightly depressive tendency sowed the germ of an idea for a book a few months ago so when I was approaching the end of 'Inceptus' (currently with the editor) I began planning 'Cessation' and finally last week I started to write. At this early stage things are going well. The lead character, Paul, is getting a grip and beginning to lead me to where this story needs to go and rather like the Steele books there is some of me in there although in this case it is more 'political'. I've always been a bit of a political animal in the sense of identifying the rights of the ordinary person and writing emails and letters to relevant groups to register my concerns when we are being disadvantaged. The book is tackling a somewhat larger problem with greater effects on the lives of all of us.

So why change horse in midstream? Tackling a new project is refreshing (a change is as good as a rest) rather like going on holiday. It refreshes the creative urge. Some people can continue to be creative within one genre and that is great for them and I believe that I could continue to write my Steele novels, in fact I have an idea for the next one, but if I am to grow as a storyteller I feel the need to vary my experiences as a writer. Whether this is a one off or a lurch into a different writing area in a more permanent way I don't know at this stage. Whatever, I know I will keep on writing.

God Bless

Poetry Thursday 61 - To dog or not to dog!

2013-05-08T20:53:00.000+01:00

http://tiagreyhounds.org/

The above link will take you to a website of an organisation that rescues ex-racing dogs called Tia Greyhounds. They are holding an event at Cannon Hall near Barnsley from 11am on 12/05/2013 if you are interested.

For a while I have been considering a dog as a companion and a friend at church has links to this organisation but below are some of the pros and cons!

To Dog Or Not To Dog

Am I a responsible adult

who would be equally responsible with a pet

or at 63 have I had enough responsibility

to last my life time. And yet

that responsibility for children and relatives

for other pets and people

is still there on tickover until

the next project causes it to steeple

to full functionality yet again

so that love and care can be lavished

on some poor unsuspecting creature

that needs a home where it’ll be cherished.

On the other hand do I need to walk

in all weathers at the crack of dawn.

Can I afford the vets bills, the food and

poo bags that are needed every morn?

Am I too old to be considering an emotional tie

that will come to an end?

Do I need to use money, time and love on a pet

who may become a friend

or a drain on emotions and money

when everything these days is so tight

an animal in the house may

deepen the financial bite!

Greyhound, lurcher or rescue animal

abandoned already in their lives

need a home and YES there’ll be a cost

but shouldn’t we really strive

to provide one of God’s creatures a place

where the minimum they can expect is love.

A quiet and secure situation

giving experiences of the peace of a dove.

So what answer can I expect

settled in my mind’s log?

Will you help me to find a solution

To Dog Or Not To Dog?

©David L Atkinson May 2013

God Bless

Strange sights and the reason behind them!

2013-05-07T20:20:00.000+01:00

Know what it is?

I went for my daily walk in the glorious sunshine this morning. I find it is a great way to collect ideas and thoughts around whatever it is I'm writing. Sometimes ideas come from what I've seen, sometimes from what I hear and at other times it is simply my brain re-working things that have come to me about whatever the current project may be. Apart from those benefits it is a great way of getting some exercise and fresh air. This morning was the second consecutive day we in the north of England have had warm sunshine - it makes one quite giddy!

So I set off - without a coat - with the aim of walking for around half an hour. On the way round I saw a girl riding a horse. Know what is in the picture now? The horse was wearing 'ear bonnets' bright red ear bonnets in fact. That set my memory working as I seem to remember that pigs suffer sunburn of the ears as do some cats. I hadn't heard of horses suffering in that way so I decided to look up ear bonnets. Wow what a plethora of info I found. Here is a little for your edification:-

Blueberry Hill is very proud to announce that they are now carrying the De la Coeur Bonnets. De La Coeur believes in helping show horses look their best with ready-made and custom fly bonnets. This is another company proudly made in Canada! It’s a family run business with every bonnet hand crafted in Canada! De La Coeur aims to offer a product that is not only about looks, but also about function. The bonnets are carefully measured to fit, with generous space for the ears and a stretch fabric to provide equine comfort. We are the first company to innovate sound proof ears, using high tech lining to muffle sound and block wind to help each equine focus on its job, instead of itchy and uncomfortable ear stuffs. Our fly veils go through quality control and testing to ensure they will last and not fade for years to come. De La Coeur is dedicated to making beautiful bonnets with exquisite detail and design. In the show ring, it is the subtle details that give a polished appearance and competitive edge, and we look forward to helping your equine partner look its best.

It would seem that some horses require help to concentrate!

There was another spin off as a result of the fine weather. I had occasion to pop into my local supermarket and as I was leaving heard a snippet of conversation which caused me to smile. Alady said to her partner/husband,

"Where do they keep the barbecues?"

That simple statement says so much about our relationship with the weather in the UK. In warmer countries I have found that these pieces of culinary equipment are permanently installed in gardens, in fact I have built such a barbecue in the garden of a house I lived in. However, over the last 18 months we have had very little in the way of barbecue weather and in the above case the sun created the idea that eating outdoors may be a great idea. It could be after today the new barbecue may have to be stowed away until another sunny spell sometime in the future. Wednesday's forecast is below!

God Bless

A Tuesday Recipe - Summer fair

2013-05-06T22:57:00.000+01:00

Crustless quiche with vine tomatoes and egg fried rice

It's that time of year when you don't really want heavy meals that fill you up when it is warm outside. That doesn't mean to say that you are not likely to fancy something tasty. I enjoy quiche very much but I'm also aware of the detrimental calories, fats and salt in pastry so imagine my delight when I spotted the quiche, without pastry, in my local supermarket. It has around 270 calories as opposed to one with pastry at almost 400 cals. As an aside, if you are a maker of quiche this filling could be baked in a ramekin or foil baking case lined with greaseproof paper which would make them easy to remove once cooled.

Quiche a la David

You will notice I succumbed to pastry on the above Quiche a la David. I used Rachel Khoo's recipe for the pastry because it is thin and crispy.

Rachel Khoo's Pastry

90g soft butter

180g plain flour

1tsp sugar

1 pich salt

2 egg yolks

2 tbsp ice cold water

Cream the butter sugar and salt with a wooden spoon. Add the flour the egg yolks and the water, in that order. Don't over knead. When smooth wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for at least an hour but preferably overnight. Brush with egg white.

The filling for Quiche a la David was 4 eggs plus 2 egg yolks, 300g creme fraiche fried potatoes, leeks and mushrooms with dill and goat's cheese.

Recipes on the TAB

The fried rice in my top dish is simplicity itself. You cook the rice, drain, mix in your favourite savoury rice vegetables (I used sweetcorn, spring onions, mushrooms and peas), place in a frying pan with a little oil (make sure the rice is well drained) crack an egg into the pan and mix with the rice as the egg begins to solidify. Hey presto savoury fried rice! Use brown or wild rice as an healthier option.

God Bless

Writing - Spring (Hay) Fever

2013-05-05T20:59:00.002+01:00

Beneath the arena in the Colosseum

I took this photograph while in the Colosseum last week. I took it because I was so impressed with the cleverness of the whole arrangements for getting the animals and gladiators into the arena. If you can imagine two levels below the arena itself, one where the animals were housed and one above their cages that allowed for ramps to be lowered allowing access to the games area. The animal cages were winched up a level to the ramps that were lowered allowing the lions etc to get into the arena seemingly like magic. Amazing! The ingenuity of the Romans is legend anyway but they did all this on an average of a bottle and a half of wine per citizen per day! Perhaps I need to up my intake to achieve the level of creativity I'm looking for.

is mind blowing.
I have been asked by loads of people how much I enjoyed the visit and have to say that it was wonderful without reservation. To think that people walked where I was walking but 2000 years and more previously.

It makes me wonder if in a similar period of time in the future people will say similar things about our modern cities.

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

We've all either read, discussed or wondered why God made certain creatures. You know the sort of thing,

"God made beautiful flowers, bumble bees and song birds but why SLUGS?"

Well I came across a few more today from a gardener's point of view. Greenfly on roses, maggots on peas, midges, mosquitoes, fungus and more but when the sun shines the blossom is out and spring has sprung why HAYFEVER?

Spring Fever

It has come round to that time again, to the beautiful sun and the sky,
And all I ask is a good night’s sleep and dry nose to smell her by,
And the flowers’ scent and the insect’s song and the white clouds scudding,
And a stinging sensation on my whole face, and a drippy dawn breaking.

It must be back to the spring again, for the sting of the running eyes
Is an insistent sting and a clear sting that may not be denied
And all I ask is a wet day with the dark clouds flying,
And the flung rain and the dampened pollen, and the drips subsiding.

It must be back to the spring again, to the soggy miserable life,
To the grasses’ way and the trees’ way, where the pollen’s like a virus that is rife;
And all I ask is a moments peace from an itching proboscis,
And quiet sleep and a dry hankie till the spring season closes.

God Bless

Writing - May the Fourth be with you.

2013-05-04T20:55:00.000+01:00

Yoda

May 4th is a special day for fans of the Star Wars hexalogy. The date has been chosen by fans around the world to correspond to the Jedi motto “May the Force (be with you).

Over the years, celebrations of Star Wars day have gained audiences and a structure. For instance, in 2011 and 2012 has been organised the Intergalactic Star Wars Day in Toronto. It had trivia games, a costume contest and projections of short movies about the Star Wars universe. The proceeds of the event were given to charity.

I have long been a fan of Star Wars and Yoda in particular. It is quite interesting that some people are starting to write the way Yoda speaks which is with a tendency to place the verb at the end of sentences. (A tendency to place the verb at the end of the sentence there is!). My daughter works in quality control and has often told me that she has had to send letters back to the writer (Letters back to the writer are sent) for re-writing.

In fact a number of languages round the world where this happens there are, eg Japanese, German etc. However this is not the case in English. Mr Neville Gwynne has produced a book, 'Gwynne's Grammar', in response to what he sees as the failings in standards of written grammar. He says,

'Grammar is the science of using words rightly, leading to thinking rightly, leading to deciding rightly, without which - as both common sense and experience show - happiness is impossible.Therefore: happiness depends at least partly on good grammar.'

So writes Mr Gwynne in his small, but perfectly formed new book. Mr Gwynne believes passionately that we must regain our knowledge of the lost science of grammar before it is too late.

Formerly a successful businessman, Mr Gwynne has for many years been teaching and tutoring just about every sort of subject to just about every sort of pupil in just about every sort of circumstance. His teaching methods are very much the traditional, common-sense ones, refined over the centuries, that were almost everywhere until they were abolished in the 1960s.

Being disappointed in the standards of grammar he encountered in his pupils, Mr Gwynne, over time, wrote this wonderful, succinct and yet comprehensive little book - because nothing quite as suitable already existed.

A weekend giveaway

A collection of original poetry for Kindle – FREE promotion 4^th and 5^th May - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Musings-Confused-Mind-ebook/dp/B008YF1RI2

God Bless

Writing - Roman zebra crossings + a giveaway

2013-05-03T23:16:00.000+01:00

A weekend giveaway!

A collection of original poetry for Kindle – FREE promotion 4^th and 5^th May - http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Musings-Confused-Mind-ebook/dp/B008YF1RI2

Raphael's painting in the Vatican Museum

I wrote about 'Roman minutes' the other day. Well there are lots of examples of how Romans do things differently but one huge difference between us in the UK and the citizens of Rome is the way we use these things:-

Zebra Crossings

In the UK, for those outside this fair land, if a pedestrian steps on the crossing with the express purpose of crossing the road approaching traffic stops. If you try waiting for traffic to stop in Rome you'll wait a long time unless it is a light controlled crossing! This may seem dangerous but in fact it works. The drivers of vehicles manoeuvre round you and everyone seems to take it fairly steady so I never felt threatened when completing this everyday task. In fact I was quite impressed. Good fun when you don't know though!

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

I gave a talk Tuesday evening, at my church, to a group from the congregation, about what inspired me to write. It seemed to go pretty well but what I was doing was what we storytellers like to do when we aren't writing and that is talk about writing. It is such a massive subject and so very important. As one of my audience said, even ebooks are important because they are getting people reading.

It was interesting that in the news this week that paperbacks are just about holding their own against the explosion of ebooks. For me the important thing is that people are reading and therefore our audience is not disappearing, if anything it is getting bigger.

I include part of the Powerpoint presentation I used on Tuesday for your edification.

•We are all in debt to our parents in some measure.

Dad was a word nut. Throughout my formative years my father was careful that I wrote and spelt correctly. He also hated poor use of language on TV.

Mum taught me to read and as she was what is now referred to as a ‘stay at home mum’ I could read before I started school.

•Literary experience

School required learning included

HG Wells – War of the Worlds

C Dickens - Great Expectations

Plays

W Shakespeare – Macbeth and Julius Caesar

Personal choice in my formative years

Robert Graves – I, Claudius and Claudius the God

Alistair MacLean

Dick Francis

Charles Dickens – A Christmas Carol, Tale of Two Cities , NOT Barnaby Rudge

How lucky was I? BUT what that has turned to now is as rich as the dipping of my toe into classical waters. The circle of people who write and who I now consider colleagues and friends provide a wealth of experience and knowledge and they are from all over the world.

God Bless

Writing - Eleven re-reviewed

2013-05-02T22:17:00.000+01:00

The Wedding Cake Building (Forum of Augustus)

A fantastic building that all roads seemed to lead to when building be lurking.we were travelling round this wonderful city. We were told that the Trevi Fountain was where all roads led to and that is a marvellous site that is well worth a visit, but wherever we went we would turn a corner or look down a street and there would this gleaming edifice. Under sold!

Review

Book Overview

Eleven Rooms. Ten Bodies. One Empty Grave.

Brandon Fisher never expected this when he signed up as a Special Agent for the FBI. Working in the shadow of Supervisory Special Agent Jack Harper of the Behavioural Analysis Unit his career seemed set. But when the team is called to a small rural town where the remains of ten victims are found in an underground bunker, buried in an unusual way, Brandon knows he'll never return to his normal life.

With one empty grave, and the case touching close to home, he fears he's become the target of a psychotic serial killer who wants to make him number eleven. Only thing is, everything Brandon thinks he knows is far from the truth.

Author

Carolyn Arnold had a love for writing back in her teen years, but her passion was reignited in 2006 when a fellow employee said, "tell me a story". Since then, Carolyn has written 9 novels, 2 short stories, 1 novella, and has plans for many more.

Review

I reviewed this book a while ago but re-read it on my Kindle while I was in the Eternal City and there was something that impressed me that I'd not picked up on originally. The central character, Brandon Fisher and the guy he bounces off are both men, author Carolyn is obviously not but manages the gender very well indeed. I just felt that re-reading gave me an added insight into the amazing job that Carolyn has done and it was worthwhile saying.

God Bless

Poetry Thursday 60 - Romans roaming all over the place.

2013-05-01T20:34:00.000+01:00

Some of the hoards at the foot of the Spanish Steps

One of the things that they don't tell you at the travel agents is that when you are going to Rome you are entering a different time relative to what you are used to and by that I mean the 60 seconds in a minute rule!

The evidence is immediately obvious if you travel on the Metro. We travelled several times, beginning on line B - they only have two lines, no guesses of the name of the second - from Castro Pretorio just one stop away from Termini. We have a similar notification system in London where there is a constantly refreshing overhead sign telling how many minutes to the next train. That was where I spotted the stretchiness of the 'Next Train in 1 Minute' legend.

One of the aforementioned signs.

Roman Minutes

Rules say they are sixty seconds in one

But when in Rome do as the Romans do

Minutes appear to stretch to the sun

But no point in letting your anger brew

It seems that time and tide waits for no man

Stay calm, smile and enjoy this great city

Serve your apprenticeship as a Roman

Wave arms and adopt an expression gritty

You stand between a rock and a hard place

If culture is anally retentive

So bend to Roman time with good grace

And adopt an attitude reflective

Surrounded by history and wonder

Passage of time should take somewhat longer

God Bless

Writing - Three coins in a fountain!

2013-05-01T08:32:00.000+01:00

Trevi Fountain in Rome

We are back! Tired but very happy. Rome is an amazing place and even four very full days only scratched the surface. We used a company called Dark Rome to cover The Vatican and Crypts and Catacombs and they were brilliant.

After the 'in out' situation with the hotels we did okay at Tre Stelle until the final night! I will explain more later.

Haiku

Hokey Cokey Hotels

First the Tre Stelle

Siracusa warmed my heart

Nothing really changed!

God Bless

Writing - When in Rome

2013-04-25T20:23:00.000+01:00

The Colisseum

My daughter and I travel to Rome tomorrow for a few days. I've been to northern Italy but never the capital and Charlotte has never been either so when she expressed the desire I concurred. Of course it means that I won't be back to blogging until next week and it just struck me that perhaps I'll lose all of my followers. Well perhaps not all but I bet there is a tailing off. Never mind that but it would be great coming back to viral book sales! Can you say that?

As I started writing this blog at 09:15 my phone has just rung to say that the hotel we were originally was staying in is over booked and we are being moved! Oh my God!

Latest - we are now going to be billeted in the Hotel Siracusa next to the Termini rail and bus terminus. Apparently it is noisy!

Irrespective of the above which is turning a little into News at 9! - I am taking a notebook and diary. I have no idea how much I will be able to get down on paper but I want to capture atmosphere in the eternal city.

Even later Latest!
16:30 - Back to the original Tre Stelle hotel. Its as well I'm used to writing stories. I have just taken a call saying that the earlier conversation was a mistake!

I wasn't feeling at all stressed before the first call this morning!

-----------------------------------

My little contribution in conjunction with the launch of 'A Changed Reality' on Smashwords I am making it free until 25/04/2013 Use the link below and coupon code SH79V

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/308893

Today is the final day to pick up this freebie.

-------------------------------------------

'A book is a friend that does what no friend can do - stay quiet when you want to think!'

Almost 3000 words in the new book, in a new style and a new decade. Of course it will be on hold until I return from Italy. Travelling is a great source of inspiration for settings.
A second bonus is the option to take my Kindle and read some of my fellow indie folks work and I have decided on

God Bless

David's Musings on Writing

Writing - Meaningful moments in time.

Poetry Thursday 63 - Fly more kites

Writing - Inceptus launch

A Tuesday Recipe - Textured Potato Salad and titles.

Writing - A 5th Steele story launched +The Boxer

Blurb

Writing - You have to be in the mood.

Writing - David Beckham's Charity work.

David Beckham Charity Work, Events and Causes

Writing - Barnes Wallis' Bouncing Bomb

Poetry Thursday 62 - The Trials of a football fan

Writing - Good news/Bad news and Grammar

A Tuesday Recipe - 3 Countries Salad

Writing - Beauty from Inhumanity

Writing - there but for the grace of God and cricket.

Writing - survival and recovery.

Writing - a new project

Poetry Thursday 61 - To dog or not to dog!

Strange sights and the reason behind them!

A Tuesday Recipe - Summer fair

Writing - Spring (Hay) Fever

Writing - May the Fourth be with you.

Writing - Roman zebra crossings + a giveaway

Writing - Eleven re-reviewed

Poetry Thursday 60 - Romans roaming all over the place.

Writing - Three coins in a fountain!

Writing - When in Rome