Stuart Aken's Blog, page 233

The Rattle Bag, Ed. by Seamus Heaney & Ted Hughes, Reviewed.

Poetry in anthology form is always subject to criticism by readers who feel aggrieved at the works excluded. Even at 475 pages, this work necessarily omits some well-known works and even some respected poets. But it gives a flavour of the genre as it’s developed over the centuries.
The editors arranged the verses alphabetically so that an air of randomness pervades the volume. There’s no attempt at thematic or topical arrangement. Surprise is the intention: the joy of stumbling on work new to the reader.
Much here is familiar, popular, or representative. But there are also extracts of less well-known pieces, examples of lesser poets, forgotten wordsmiths, and those whose words were originally expressed in foreign tongues.
Is it balanced? I’m no expert: I took up a book, which has been on my shelves since its issue in 1987, simply because I’ve recently become interested in expressing myself in poetry. This was an exercise in discovering what’s possible in the form, an enquiry into what works, and what doesn’t. And, under such scrutiny, it’s natural that my assessment will be deeply personal.
My conclusion? Poetry can be anything, from the formal rhymes of schemes devised to test the poet’s skill, to prose chopped arbitrarily into sections that look somehow appropriate on the printed page. It can voice attitude, wonder, despair, or any of the emotions known to man. And it’s noticeable that it is men who are most represented here; the women characterized by a token scattering of the famous.
I confess, there were works here that I hardly started; their opening lines so obscure or lacking personal connection that I declined to sample them further. There were others that I read more than once, their accessibility or emotional impact such that they made contact with the human experience of this reader.

For lovers of poetry, this volume is either a collection of works already known or a showcase of the craft. But for those seeking insight into a world new to them, those dipping the toe or testing the flavour, it’s an interesting adventure. If, like me, you’re curious about the making of a poem, the structure of a verse, the range of topic or theme applicable, then this will answer some of your questions, and I recommend it.Related articles a quiet whiskey for seamus heaney Posthumously, Heaney tells of Royal meetings Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize winning poet, dies in hospital aged 74

Recording Writers’ Ideas on the Hoof.

ideas (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)We all do it, or, at least intend to: record those random ideas that come at unexpected moments. I have Moleskine notebooks, each with its dedicated pen, in all rooms of the home so I can jot down those elusive thoughts before they escape. And, when I’m on a walk, I take a voice recorder with me to speak those ideas: a retirement present from my brother.Today, whilst out with my wife, for a pleasant walk in the local countryside, I was struck by one of those thoughts that encapsulates an idea. I dug the recorder out of my pocket and switched it on. Nothing. The batteries had drained!Disaster. I tried the usual trick of repeating the idea several times. But, in reality, I knew other things would overwrite the thought long before I reached home and had a chance to record it.Then, a moment of inspiration: I was carrying my mobile phone (something I don’t always do). It has no voice recording facility, but we have an answer machine on the home phone. So I rang home and spoke my idea to the machine. Back home, I listened and wrote down the idea.Simple.
There’s always a way, if you’re willing to think laterally, eh?Related articles The Moleskine Store!

Do You Employ Redundancy? #4

Another adventure in the land of unwanted words, repetitions and gory grammar. If you’re guilty, the sentence is a serious session absorbing Fowler’s Modern English Usage!
Absolutely essential: Something essential is necessary. ‘Absolutely’ is an unnecessary appendage; cut it out.
Advance notice: Notices, by their nature, proclaim a future event. Once the event is done with, they become redundant, rather like the use of ‘advance’ here.
Ask a question: If you pose a question, you are seeking an answer. You can ask, or you can question; to do both is a tautology. Please chose one.
Collaborate together: Collaboration requires connection with others. You can’t collaborate alone.
False pretence: Pretence is deception; it’s already false.
Foreign imports: Imports originate in another country; their foreign nature is therefore implicit. Don’t make them feel unwelcome by repeating the fact, eh?
Protest against: Protest is opposition: simple as that, really.
Suddenly exploded: Ain’t no such animal as a slow explosion. It can’t be any more immediate than it is.
For a number of days: ‘Days’ is a plural. You can’t have 1 days, so, if you’re spending days, there must be more than one. Okay?
As for example: ‘As’ implies an example is provided; use ‘as’ or ‘for example’ or ‘e.g.’, but not together, please.

One more rant done with. But there will be more!Related articles Do You Employ Redundancy? #1 Do You Employ Redundancy? #2 Do You Employ Redundancy? #3

Exploring Character and Place: #2

Tarruss:

The 2nd in a series of pieces on characters and places featured in Joinings: A Seared Sky . This is background information, not covered in the book, but intended to enhance the reading experience. For some of my people, there’ll be a character drawing, supplied by Alice Taylor, maybe a video interview, and accompanying script. I may do a short piece of fiction, deepening the knowledge of certain minor characters as well. For the places, I’ll use sections of the map, to indicate location, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, linking it with characters. Perhaps indicate life there with a short anecdote or story. I won’t reveal any of the story, either as already published or as written into the series, merely enhance readers’ enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. I hope this will give pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuade others to take that step.
Pronunciation hints:In this interview, the character’s names are pronounced phonetically.These are just my take on the names, how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them any way you wish; reading is, after all, an active rather than a passive occupation.

Tarruss is a giant of a man, with green eyes, short red hair and a cropped beard. He accompanies the main group, acting as guardian. Here he talks with the author.
SA:         So, Tarruss, how should I describe you?
Tarruss:  You invented me. Say what you see.
SA:         Most people would describe you as a giant. I’d describe you as a giant.
Tarruss:  Bigger than most. But that doesn’t make me a bully, you know.
SA:         Remind me, what do you do for a living?
Tarruss:   Work with wood an’ metal, making weapons for the army and tools for farmers. Strong, you see.
SA:         And, women? What’s your attitude to women, Tarruss?
Tarruss:  Love ‘em. Beautiful, mysterious creatures with a shape that makes a man want more. Clever, too. And strong in a way lots of men don’t seem to see. I love the look of them, the feel of them in your arms, the way they laugh, the way they moan with pleasure. To be honest, I prefer the company of women to men.
SA:         And what about your religion? How do you feel about that?
Tarruss:  That’s a strange question. I Follow. We all do. It’s our religion. I don’t know what you expect me to say.
SA:         Well, for instance, how do you feel about the High Priest?
Tarruss:   Dagla Kaz does a job, like we all do. He’s the leader and has direct contact with Ytraa. He’s the one as makes sure we’re all doing right. Fierce, like, when he’s riled. I sometimes wonder…well, I shouldn’t really say, you know. I’m a loyal Follower, that’s all, really.
SA:         I see. And the Holy Ones?
Tarruss: You tryin’ to get me in trouble?
SA:         Not at all. I’m trying to show our readers the sort of guy you are, that’s all.
Tarruss:   Seem a bit tricky to me.
SA:         The Holy Ones?
Tarruss:   I’d rather not say, if you don’t mind.
SA:         Okay. What about food?
Tarruss:   A man likes to fill his belly. Preferably with good stuff. And the odd flagon of good strong ale, of course. Hot work, hammerin’ metal.
SA:         Don’t say a great deal, do you?
Tarruss:  Depends who’s asking the questions, and how good they are.
SA:         Right. There’s a rumour you once killed a man with your bare hands.
Tarruss:  Is there? Look, any man who mistreats a child like that deserves what he gets. And I’m admittin’ nothing.
SA:         Last one. What’s your role on the pilgrimage?
Tarruss:  Well, you wrote the story: don’t you know? Oh, you want it in my words. Right. I’m along as guardian, soldier, hunter, and general drudge. Because I’m big, people think I’m not too bright.
SA:         Thank you for your thoughts, Tarruss.
Tarruss:  Welcome. Can I go now?
SA:         Of course.

Tarruss:

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April, Month of Action

Last month was mostly spent in post-launch engagement. Much work on promotion and marketing to get Joinings:A Seared Sky out there to the reading public. How successful that’s been only time will tell. Reviews have started coming in, all 5 star so far, but they’re coming in slowly due to the length of the book: it takes time to read nearly 700 pages! By the way, if you’ve bought and read the book, please do stick a short review on any of the sites you use – Amazon, Goodreads, your blog, social networks, etc. Reviews are what most get books noticed, apart from word of mouth, and you’ll have told your friends, of course.
Had a week away with my wife, exploring the rural delights of Suffolk, a necessary rest after all the work put in pre-launch.
Editing the final volume of the trilogy, of course. Got another 11 chapters of that done. I’ll have that finished this month and can then get on with the science fiction novelette that’s nagging me to get started. Done some extensive research for that along the way.
I entered one of those ‘write a story in 24 hours’ contests on the WritersWeekly site, an interesting experience. Looking forward to learning how my entry fares.
I’ve written, edited and posted 19 posts on here and as a guest on other blogs, which, of course, entails interacting with comments raised. Joined and participated in a number of groups on Goodreads, LinkedIn and Facebook. Read 4 books and reviewed 3 (the other one wasn’t worth the effort, to be honest). Read 3 writing mags and submitted a short piece to one of them.
So, all told, not a bad month. Let’s see what May brings (apart from my birthday, next week, of course!)

The chart, explained: Writing - initial creation of stories, blog posts, reviews and longer works.Editing - polishing of all written work to make it suitable for readers.Research - discovery of info for story content, market research, contests and blog posts.Reading - books and writing magazines.Networking - emails, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+, and comments. Admin - story submission, blog posting, marketing, organisation, tax, and general admin tasks.Related articles The Full Reveal and 5 Stars Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken Launching a Novel: How it *should* be done! #justimagine Author Stuart Aken on Fusion, alien gastronomy and other delights

The Trespasser, by D.H. Lawrence, Reviewed

D.H.Lawrence’s The Trespasser, published, after The White Peacock , in 1912 is very much of its time. Unlike the more famous Lady Chatterley’s Lover , this is a book that might excite the interest of a modern publisher but wouldn’t be actually published. The language, full of deeply poetic angst, is identifiably old fashioned, and the plot is so thin, and no longer in any form unique, that no current editor could consider publication.
We live in a different age and few these days would have the patience to read this piece of literature in the way necessary to absorb fully the subtlety of the nuanced language. As a step back into an earlier time, when readers were prepared to mull over the words and ideas presented by an author, it did an excellent job for me. But, I admit, there were descriptive passages I skipped, wanting to get back to the emotional conflicts and leave the landscape to my imagination.
Lawrence has a way of employing language in ways that most writers wouldn’t dare, and he not only gets away with it, but produces evocative and moving prose. If the story is thin, the characters most certainly are not. This is a book all about character in its literal and metaphorical senses. Modern readers, by which I mean those young enough to remain unaware of the furore over Lady C (which I read in my late teens, when it was finally released in UK), are unlikely to understand the moral dilemma at the heart of the novel. When the idea of faithfulness in marriage has been as widely disparaged as it has in modern literature, it must be hard to comprehend why anyone would put themselves through the torture here described simply in order to satisfy the whim of then current social and religious mores.

I’d like to report that I enjoyed the book, but it is a work more to be endured, whilst the empathetic reader is compelled to discover an outcome that is, in reality, inevitable. Those interested in Lawrence, studying literature, or fascinated by portrayals of English life at the beginning of the last century will find a great deal here. For the rest, I suspect the archaic language and the lack of a modern plot will prevent any real enjoyment.Related articles Sons and Lovers: a century on Lady Chatterley to be adapted by Line of Duty writer Chatterley gets Mercurio treatment

Do You Employ Redundancy? #3

A further foray into fascinating fixations with unwarranted words, repetitions and similar scandalous sins of syntax. If guilty, you’re sentenced to serious sessions roasting over the flames of Fowler’s Modern English Usage!
Actual fact: A fact is something real, something actual, as opposed to something imaginary. ‘Actual’ is an unnecessary spare part.
Came at a time when: If something happens when it happens, it occurs at the time of occurrence. The phrase ‘at a time’ is tautology and should be rejected.
Direct confrontation: When you confront something, you tackle it head-on, and you can’t get any more direct than that, so cut it out.
Enter in: To enter is to go in. Chuck out ‘in’.
First began: The beginning is when something first comes to be. ‘First’ is as extraneous as a third foot (unless you’re a tripod).
Major breakthrough: Interesting, this one. In most cases, a breakthrough suggests significant progress. ‘Major’ isn’t exactly redundant, but the meaning of ‘breakthrough’ is implicit. However, it is possible to have a ‘minor breakthrough’, where such an event is a useful step on a journey toward a specific goal.
Postpone until later: You postpone an event by putting it off until later. Enough said.
Repeat again: If you repeat an action or a piece of text, you do it again. No further explanation required.
Since the time when: Since indicates that time has passed. ‘The time when’ just adds extra words, contributing nothing to the meaning.
Unexpected surprise: Surprise, surprise! Ooh, that was unexpected. Need I say more?

Another rant expressed. But there will be more!Related articles Do You Employ Redundancy? #1 Do You Employ Redundancy? #2

Guest Posting on Writers Village - Killing Characters.

John Yeoman's Logo - I love it!
Just a quickie to let you know I'm guesting on that great site, Writers' Village. A piece about killing off
your characters. Have a gander and join in the chat. We all need to do our players to death sometimes. How's it go for you?

Click this link to read the piece.

Related articles Accepting Guest Blog Posts? Follow These 6 Steps to Get Great Content

Exploring Character and Place: #1

I’m doing a series of pieces on the characters and places featured in my latest release. This will be background information, not covered in the book, but intended to enhance the reading experience. 
For some of my people, there’ll be a character drawing, supplied by Alice Taylor, maybe a video interview, and accompanying scripts. I may include a short piece of fiction, deepening the knowledge of certain minor characters as well.
For the places, I’ll incorporate sections of the map, to indicate location, along with a description of the place, as I see it, and, where appropriate, linking it with characters. I’m not intending to reveal any of the story, either as already published or as written into the series, merely to enhance the reader’s enjoyment of the trilogy by providing more information. 
I hope this will give pleasure to those who’ve bought the book and, perhaps, persuade others to take that step (the digital version is only the price of a large cappuccino, and the print version costs less than a reasonable restaurant meal for one, but it’ll give you hours more enjoyment and won’t expand your waistline.)
Some pronunciation hints:Aklon-Dji: think of the ‘Dj’ sound in the name of tennis champion, Novak Djokovic.Shoarhn: show-arhn.Aglydron: aglih-dron.Ytraa: it-rah.Mind you, these are just my take on the names, how I hear them in my head. You may pronounce them any way you wish; reading is, after all, an active rather than a passive occupation.
Dji is a title, which means ‘the son of’ and refers only to high-ranking members of the priesthood. It is reserved for those offspring acknowledged by the priest/priestess as his or her own child. Aklon-Dji is a major protagonist in the trilogy and is introduced here by Shoarhn, one of the many women who loves him.
SA:                  So, Shoarhn, how would you describe Aklon-Dji?
Shoarhn:          Beautiful! He’s younger than me, but not by much. His eyes; they’re amazing. Deep blue and flecked with tiny specks of gold. He’s well built, which suits me as his lover.
SA:                  Aren’t you a married to another man, though?
Shoarhn:          Aglydron cares more about ceremony and rite than he does about me. I don’t know why he didn’t just take a temple slave and join with her for Ytraa. He certainly doesn’t care whether I’m pleased when we join. Not like Aklon; he cares deeply for women.
SA:                  Not jealous of his philandering?
Shoarhn:          Why would I be? Ytraa commands us to join when we can, in worship of Ytraa. But I admit I’d love to have Aklon all to myself.
SA:                  Tell me more about this man.
Shoarhn:          Aklon’s about 30 years old, very tall, with long dark auburn hair. He’s broad-shouldered and strong. His father, the High Priest, Dagla Kaz, disinherited him because Aklon insists on telling the truth. When he learned the buried secrets of the Followers, he was so enraged that he rejected his past. He was made Renegade by his father. There’s a price on his head and he lives precariously, befriending converts to his way of thinking. A growing group of these faithful supporters, called the Few, made up mostly of women, and some of their men, ensure he’s always fed and sheltered.He has a short full beard, and his olive skin bears many small scars from numerous fights and brave exploits. He’s almost as fanatical about his alternative to the religion, which he calls the Cause, as his father is about the Followers. Unusually for a man of his age, he’s single, but that’s because the role of the High Priest, which he’d have inherited on the death of his father, is an uninhibited one with no single woman taken as a life-partner.Aklon loves women, sexually and as companions he can talk to about the things that matter most to him. He cares about justice, equality and truth. Even though he’s trained as a soldier, he hates unnecessary violence.
SA:                  Sounds like a great guy. He must have his faults, though, surely?
Shoarhn:          He’s a man. Of course he has faults. Like the way he insists on speaking very precisely. Can be a bit annoying, to be honest. And he wears the best quality clothes he can, in spite of being on the run. People say he’s vain, but really he’s just trying to keep himself civilised whilst he’s hunted. He enjoys too many women for my liking, but, like I say, that’s what we’re supposed to do. Mind you, he says he doesn’t believe in the ways of the Followers now, so maybe he should be changing his habits. Look, I love him. You can’t expect me to give an unbiased view, can you?
SA:                  I suppose not, Shoarhn. But thank you for this insight. How did you meet him, by the way, if he’s a wanted man?
Shoarhn:          He came to me with information about Aglydron and Okkyntalah, my daughter’s betrothed, when they went missing after the Choosing. He cares about us, you see.

Video interview with Shoarhn:
Related articles The Full Reveal and 5 Stars

Writers’ Earnings

English: J. K. Rowling, after receiving an honorary degree from The University of Aberdeen (Photo credit: Wikipedia)I was recently tempted to make a comment on a discussion forum relating to the earnings of writers and it prompted me to write this post. 
There’s a great deal of inflated expectation from new writers, or those who wish to become professional writers. Many members of the public have grossly exaggerated ideas of author’s earnings, largely driven by headlines concerning such popular figures as JK Rowling and others. If you’re a new writer and you hope to make a living at the craft, please think very carefully about what you’re going to do. It’s true that some writers make a fortune, but the vast majority earn insufficient to make a living.
One way of ensuring a living wage is to become an employee working for a recognised organisation, of course. Journalism is considered a great background for many forms of writing, for example. Look into real job prospects, explore the reality of wages. But, please, don’t give up the day job and set about penning your wonder novel without understand the facts about writers’ earnings. So that you can do that more fully, I’ve attached a few links to recent features below.

Please read these BEFORE you go and tell your boss what he can do with his ******* job, won’t you?
Huffington PostProspectsPRNewsCelandorGuardian
There are more, if you do the usual Google search (or any other useful search engine) but this should give you enough to make you consider your options. Good luck if you decide to go ahead.
Of course, if you're a real writer, you'll write anyway: it's a compulsion for those of us with the disease and we're unable to ignore it, regardless of wealth or poverty. We do it because it's who we are.Related articles #justimagine Author Stuart Aken on Fusion, alien gastronomy and other delights Why writers are always broke