Stuart Aken's Blog, page 276

A Well-Loved Poem Revisited.

I know this is a well-knownpiece, but it's always worth revisiting, don't you think?
DesiderataGo placidly amid the noiseand haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Cacophonous/Harmonious

Cacophonous/Harmonious:
Cacophonous: adjective - discordant sound; ill-sounding.
'Rehearsing the juniororchestra for the school play was always a trial for Tony; their inability toplay either in tune or in time resulted in a cacophonous output that was enoughto drive any music lover to drink.'
Harmonious: adjective - tuneful, sweet-sounding;sounding together in harmony.
'Blending the melodiousvoice of the soprano with the deep baritone singer provided a harmonious duetthat proved a delight on the ears of all those who heard it.'
Pic: The deserted medieval village of Wharram Percy in East Yorkshire. 

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Backer

Backer: noun - a supporter, especially someonewho places a bet; someone who provides financial backing.
'Who's your backer for theplay, Frances?' 'Oh, it's that marvellous tycoon with more money than sense;you know who I mean.'
'Zak is the mostconsistent backer of dud horses I've ever come across; hasn't won a bet forfifteen years.'
Pic: Wandering way; a rural scene from East Yorkshire.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Babel/quiet

Image via Wikipedia
Babel/quiet:

Babel: noun - confused mixture of sounds;meaningless noise; scene of confusion; a noisy gathering.

'Will you cease this Babeland give me peace to think?'

Quiet: noun - absence of excess noise or activityin the environment; silence; stillness or tranquillity;
'Ah, the blessed quiet ofthe barely-populated rural idyll; a place to refresh the spirit.'

Review of Descending by Catherine Chisnall

Image by stuartaken via FlickrRightly or wrongly, what matters to me most in fiction, apart from the necessary quality of the writing, is whether I care about the characters or not. In Descending, Catherine Chisnall has created a narrator who is so believable that the novel reads like a memoir. The other characters are drawn with equal skill and their variety brings wide interest to the book. 
At times, I felt that the writing was a little too much like that experienced in a report. And that quality did slightly detract from my enjoyment. 
But the characters saved the day in what is a contemporary story of self-discovery. I wasn't at all sure what the book was about when I started to read, but it soon became clear from the first person narrative that this was a tale about a young woman learning a hard lesson in life and growing to understand that we don't always recognise our actions as selfish until we later examine them. 
A good story, well told.


I interviewed Catherine here on the blog - the link to that interview is here: CatherineChisnall

Photos of East Riding

A short while ago, I took part in a contest aimed at finding photographs of the East Riding of Yorkshire that the local authority could use in publicising the area. The contest attracted a lot of interest and the 700+ pictures that are up for judging can be viewed here: http://www2.eastriding.gov.uk/leisure/events/capturing-the-east-riding/gallery/competition-entries/?album=4573
Judging takes place on Friday and I pity the judges having to select a winner from this collection; so many good shots.
It's good to know there are so many people with an eye for a picture who are living in the county.

I've included one of my own entries, just as a teaser, but if you visit the gallery, you'll see many different views of the area and its people.
Enjoy.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Abellio

Image via Wikipedia
Abellio: One more in myoccasional series illustrating that the world has and has had any number ofgods for people to worship.
Abellio was worshipped inthe Garonne Valley in Gallia Aquitania, which is now southwest France, and is primarilyknown by inscriptions discovered at Comminges. Little is known about this god,but it seems he may have been a god of apple trees. How very specific some ofthese ancient deities seem to have been.Some scholars suggest thatAbellio is a rendering of Apollo, who was called Abelios in Crete and Apello bythe Italians. They believe that the deity is the same as the Gallic Apollomentioned by Caesar.  In common with somany early deities, the actual origin of this god seems obscure. Such is thefate of gods who fail to come up with the goods for those who worship in thehope of reward, I guess.

#NaNoWriMo Winner's Certificate.

Stuart's Daily Word Spot: Abandon/retain

I thought I might try a fewantonyms for a bit of variety, as synonyms are well catered for in the manythesauruses available, but antonyms are often difficult to track down.
Abandon/retain:
Abandon: verb - Give up control to, surrender to;cease to hold, use, or practise; give up, renounce; desert, leave behind; banishor expel
'In the sweltering heat,Anna felt compelled to abandon her clothes.'
'Seeing her as if for thefirst time, Ronald felt he could do nothing better than abandon Polly and leaveher to the vagaries of the job market.'
Retain: verb - keep attached to yourself orengaged in your service; keep hold or possession of; continue to have, keep, orpossess; continue to use, practise, or recognize; allow to remain or prevail;preserve.
'Despite the overbearingheat, Anna felt it was sensible to retain her clothes, as public nudity mightexpose her to more than mere ridicule.'
'Really seeing Polly forthe first time, Ronald felt compelled to retain her as his personal;assistant.'
Pic: Venetian Fort in Crete. 

#NaNoWriMo Completed at 112,242 Words!

The NaNoWriMo challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. I decided right at the start that 50,000 words was insufficient for a novel. Usual word length is from 80,000 to 130,000, so I set myself a target of 120,000 words, knowing I would end up with enough for me to edit my first draft down to a reasonable length. Of course, you can't realistically set a specific number of words for a finished novel, so my target was always intended as an aim and dependent on the way the story actually took me.
Well, I've finished the story and it's ended at 112,242 words, which seems a pretty good working total. I knew, when I started writing this morning, that I was close to the end of the story, but couldn't tell how close. But the 6,220 words I've penned today have done the job and I'm happy with the result. It means I've finished with a couple of days to spare, which is great, since I've other things to do.
Wordle has provided me with visual guides to my repeated words, and I'll be able to use those graphics when I start the editing process in a few weeks from now. I always leave created work for a while, to mature, before I return to start the extensive and comprehensive process of editing it into something that will eventually be publishable.
This writing challenge has been a great way to regenerate my creative muscles after a period during which I've spent a lot of time and effort building a network of interested people, some of whom will hopefully read and review the finished work once I've readied it.
To those who've followed and encouraged me along this route, please accept my heartfelt thanks. Writing is a lonely and isolated experience and the help and interest of others is a great boost.
To those continuing with their own challenge I say, carry on. It's worth it for the feeling of complete satisfaction, knowing you took on the challenge and fulfilled it. Keep going.