David L. Atkinson's Blog, page 74

Writing - C'mon don't just follow!

I have over 8k followers on twitter and every now and again, irrespective of how grateful I am for their attention, I just want to say 'C'mon folks spend a couple of quid and buy a book!'There's plenty to choose from.



The other books available in the portfolio,
Steele   My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.


Cessation 


This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.


Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.


The Musings of a Confused Mind 


and


Words from the Raindrops 

God Bless

Writing - Telling difficult stories to all audiences

Today is the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. CBBC has produced an animated version of the story through the eyes of a 10 year old girl who survived the bombing. It is a superb method of storytelling to youngsters.
[image error]Enola Gay was the name given to the planethat dropped the bomb.
Enola Gay Tibbets was the mother of Colonel Tibbet who flew the plane that dropped the bomb at 08:15 on Hiroshima but there was some considerable preparation involved. For instance, intelligence was collected that described Hiroshima as a garrison town which was only partially true. Many of the soldiers had been moved out. Then the most chilling fact for me was that American scientists had to calculate the most effective position for exploding the bomb to achieve the maximum killing effect. I remember attending the Peace Park and Museum in Hiroshima 8 years ago and being reduced to tears by the fact that some humans worked out that to kill the optimum number of fellow human beings, the bomb should be exploded 600 feet above the ground.
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On a lighter note now that I have my first grandson my attention has been brought to children's literature. It's not a genre that I've had any interest in contributing to but since the little one's birth it has crossed my mind. The other day my daughter, his mum, suggested jokingly I think, that I should write a children's story for my grandson. Once again it is in my mind but in all honesty, having read copious numbers of amazing children's stories to my own children, it is doubtful that I could produce anything original that would meet the required standard in my mind. It is a special kind of talent producing quality children's stories.
[image error]by Judith Kerr
As a one off  a brilliant story. Then there serialised stories such as Thomas the Tank Engine, which I read to my boys and which was eventually televised narrated by Ringo Starr.
[image error]by Rev W Awdry
Having mentioned the above the intention would be to produce a story for an audience of 1!
God Bless

Poetry Thursday 172 - Planned obsolescence

I was an adult before someone mentioned the term 'planned obsolescence'. It means that everyday objects wear out when they actually could be made not to do so. The light bulb for example.
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Planned Obsolescence
The bulb has gone,it didn’t have to,it could have stayed,but for the way it’s made.
When plans are made and then go wrong,Sod’s Law could be to blame,or the plan itself was not on song,and that’s from where the trouble came.


We’ll go to the coast for some sun,the sea will be warm and calm.When we arrived the rain had come,And the height of the waves spread alarm.
We’ll paint the walls a gentle shade,to brighten up our lives.When finished a colour of startling gradelikely to attract bees from their hives.
We’ll cook a meal with amazing flareand have some guests to taste the food.Faces betrayed the awful fayredestroying the jovial mood.© David L Atkinson August 2015



Mojo
I’ve lost my mojo.No its just under threat.Rewind then off you go,Back to normal I bet.© David L Atkinson August 2015

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Paintpod
I bought a fecking Paintpodto make decorating fecking easier5 years on no fecking refills GodAnother fecking garage ornament for yer.© David L Atkinson August 2015

God Bless

3 significant moments in time

This week has been quite important in historical terms.
Cilla Black died Saturday gone at the age of 72. A significant lady in my history and for many others also.

[image error]Cilla Black
Anyone who had a heart,
https://youtu.be/ykd7172CUeA
[image error]Les Munro (96)

Then there was the death of the last pilot, Les Munro from New ealand, who flew on the dambusters raid.


Finally, it is 70 years on the 6th August that the Americans dropped a nuclear device on Hiroshima. The Americans calculated that exploding the bomb 600 feet above the ground would have the maximum killing effect.

God Bless

Tuesday Food Blog - Paella and strogonoff

It was almost a 'make do' weekend because of external commitments and as I stick to fish on Friday the sea food paella was inevitable. I bought steak to cover meals over the weekend and for the beginning of the week so there isn't a lot to show, steak and salad, steak and new potatoes and peas BUT - I decided to use the last two steaks, which wasn't the best cut, in a strogonoff. 


Seafood Paella
I am not up to the standards of a friend who has won prizes for his paella in Spain the native country of the dish, so this is a simple version that anyone could produce.The main difference to cooking rice and stirring seafood into the end result is that the rice is cooked in vegetable or fish stock with onions, garlic and seasoning. The seafood was not caught by one's own fair hand but bought from the supermarket as a mixed fish package usable in fish pies as well as paella.The end result is very tasty.

Beef strogonoff with dauphinoise potatoesand peas
Now the above is what to do with steak tough enough to sole your shoes.
Dauphinoise Potatoes
I used new potatoes, washed and cut lengthways. 500ml milk, a couple of cloves of garlic, a small chopped onion and seasoning brought to the boil in a saucepan and then the sliced potatoes added and simmered for five minutes. Then transfer the potatoes to an ovenproof dish with a slotted spoon. Thicken the milk with a little flour and butter then pour over the potatoes until they are just covered, sprinkle with gruyere (optional) and cook in a preheated oven for an hour at around 125 degrees C.
Strogonoff
This was really my own recipe made up from one I've used for liver strogonoff. The above version is missing the cream which is normally stirred in at the end. It consists of a chopped onion, garlic, basil (or oregano), 4 quartered tomatoes, lardons, mushrooms, tomato puree, seasoning and strips of beef. There should have been a green pepper but the tomatoes were used in lieu!As always fry off the onions, lardons and beef in olive oil, add the garlic and herbs then pour over 400mls of gravy and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer until the meat is tender.This could be served with rice or pasta.
God Bless

Writing - What shall I invent today?

Writers are fundamentally creators of new things and explorers of possibilities.
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Time travel was invented by writers. Various authors have been credited with the ability, most notably H G Wells with his publication The Time Machine, but it could be argued that Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol was the first being produced 50 years before. In fact an 18th century writer produced similarly speculative work which was subsequently destroyed.Authors have created a myriad of books on dystopian societies and the factors that brought them about, yours truly also - Cessation  which is available from all good book shops and associated websites. They create fantastic lands, terrifying adventures, romantic trysts and many other unusual and completely fictional scenarios.When you sit with the keyboard and a blank screen before you one reason starting can be so difficult is that there are no limits, no regulations and only the boundaries of your own imagination to hold you back. That makes a pretty large choice you have to make. The most important step is to write the first word. Like the proverbial elephant - 

There is a decision to make that actually may occur quite frequently and that is how far away do I go from reality? In my Steele novels I have tried to keep close to reality and concentrated more on the plot but there is always the possibility of creating new weaponry. In fact he does have a gun that is undetectable by the metal detectors at airports which was based upon a suggestion that the CIA had produced such a gun. In fact there have been such weapons created for film.An area that lends itself to being tinkered with is transport but when you consider futuristic films many alternatives have been tried before. The point is that it is up to you, the writer, to choose what artefact you are going to 'tinker with'. 
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You also invent people. They may be based upon someone the writer has known or bumped into or a complete fabrication. There is a pretty fair chance that something of the writer themselves will form part of someone's characteristics in their writing. Steele, my lead character is a mixture of James Bond and a likely rogue such as the Artful Dodger. There are some elements of me and quite a lot of purely fictitious stuff that are an amalgam of my ideas and feelings. If asked seriously how much of me there is in Steele I would have to say quite a number of facets but excluding the more violent side. In some ways it is a method of extending ones own existence and living alternate lives.
God Bless

Writing - 10 Things we didn't know last week

Some of this week's items I had to look up! Butt dialling?


1. Dozens of Beatles songs were never recorded because John Lennon and Paul McCartney forgot them.


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2. Butt-dials aren't considered private conversations in the US.




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3. Romantic kissing is practised in fewer than half of the world's cultures.


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4. A UK court can determine how short your shorts should be.


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5. Sanitary towels in Venezuela sell for £140.


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6. Hackers evade virus scanners using passages from Jane Austen's Sense And Sensibility.


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7. People feel significantly happier and their blood pressure comes down when they spend time in aquariums.


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8. People who walk while texting take bigger swerves to avoid obstacles and lift their legs higher when stepping over things.


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9. Pretending to eat chocolate can curb your cravings for it.


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10. Cockerels follow a strict pecking order that determines who gets to wake everyone up on the farm each morning.


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God Bless

Writing - Need to write more quickly!

Just when I thought everything was going swimmingly with my latest novel, Flight To Nowhere, they go and find a bit of wing!
Found at St Denis, Reunion Island
A section of a wing probably from a Boeing 777 has been found on a small island close to the east coast of Madagascar. It is believed to be a section of the wing from Flight MH370.
The question is what do I do? I completed Chapter 12 of the Flight novel just yesterday, over 18 000 words. The problem being that if they find the plane it rather alters the outcome of the book I'm writing which is a speculative handling of the story of the incident that occurred over a year ago. The answer is as the title suggests, I think I need to write more quickly!



 


The other books available in the portfolio,
Steele   My hero was created post recession and so has no concept of how 'good' things were pre-2008. In 'I Have To Get It Right' when he began to flex his muscles he was working in an accountant's office. Then after the Gurentai took him under their wing and removed all of his financial worries, it was justice that was his major concern. He did become involved in international relations in 'The 51st State' but it was for the maintenance of a respectful distance between countries, rather than economic reasons. His trips into the USA had repercussions which can be read about in 'The Biter Bit' but then by the time things began to change in 2011 and the recession was really biting, Steele was trying to make sense of the state of the nation in 'A Changed Reality' and coming up against some really nasty people taking advantage of the shortage of money. By the time the USA are out of their recession Steele's steps are still being dogged by an unknown enemy from the same country. In 'Inceptus' we also find out more about what makes the man tick. The most recent Steele book 'Castled' where Steele is once again at risk from unseen enemies. It would seem that he has become quite recession proof!The most recent addition to the Steele family is Earth plc in which our hero is concerned with political and emotional issues in this crime fighting adventure.
All books are available in paperback or ebook through Amazon, Smashwords and all good book shop websites.


Cessation 


This is a dystopian story that hinges directly on the state of the nation as a result of fiscal mismanagement. Having said that it is more a story of human relations, privations, love and loss.


Poetry - there are also two thoughtful collections of poetry available solely through Amazon.


The Musings of a Confused Mind 


and


Words from the Raindrops 

God Bless

Writing - Literary influences

Today, 30th July, is a significant day in the literary world. It is also the birthday of English fast bowler James Anderson and several actors and actresses round the world. It is also the day that Emily Bronte was born in 1818.
[image error]Emily Bronte
Miss Bronte only lived into her 30th year and so increases the significance of her literary genius. Initially, Emily wrote under the name of Ellis Bell. Her magnum opus was Wuthering Heights and what a cracker that still remains. Some have described it as 'Romeo and Juliet' on the Yorkshire Moors, which is a tad belittling. It really is more about Heathcliffe's early life, the mistreatment and his eventual attempts to take revenge for that abuse. Cathy became the love of his life and the relationship has influence on how Heathcliffe's life turned out.The atmosphere is at times as bleak as the moors on which it is set, Heathcliffe is a dour and glowering chap, but the magnetism of the book is the portrayal of the human relationships and associated emotions that Emily handles brilliantly.
There is also a coincidence today.
[image error]Kate Bush
Singer Kate Bush, who had a huge hit with the song Wuthering Heights, was also born this day in 1958.The YouTube link is below,
https://youtu.be/BW3gKKiTvjs
I think the song was such a success because Miss Bush captured the atmosphere of the story in her rendition and because of her singing style.
This week the long list for this year's Man Booker Prize has been announced. It is a bit of a misnomer to call it a long list as there are only 13 books on the list. On the list there are three debut novels, a former winner and three previous nominees. 
The longlist of authors and titles is as follows:
Bill Clegg (US), Did You Ever Have a FamilyAnne Enright (Ireland), The Green RoadMarlon James (Jamaica), A Brief History of Seven KillingsLaila Lalami (US), The Moor's AccountTom McCarthy (UK), Satin IslandChigozie Obioma (Nigeria), The FishermenAndrew O'Hagan (UK), The IlluminationsMarilynne Robinson (US), LilaAnuradha Roy (India), Sleeping on JupiterSunjeev Sahota (UK), The Year of the RunawaysAnna Smaill (New Zealand), The ChimesAnne Tyler (US), A Spool of Blue ThreadHanya Yanagihara (US), A Little LifeGod Bless

Poetry Thursday 171 - Lords and immigrants

Current affairs have generated poetry for centuries so it should be unsurprising that my two offering are about the House of Lords and the immigration situation at our borders.



Lords
There seems to be status in peers,an elevation over the ordinary man,a pedestalled cream without fears,regulating their actions as they can.
Older people given rank and privilege,rich robes, pomp and ceremony.A historical throwback to a bygone age,no purpose in the 21st century.
An upper house the elevated safeguard,peopled by vulnerable beings.Revolution is needed in that house of cardto re-direct their purpose of watching.
The populace is aware of human frailty,it knows about temptationand deserves representative security,a comfort blanket for the nation.© David L Atkinson July 2015

In light of the death of another immigrant trying to storm his way into the country from Calais I had to ask the question why? The examples below are a limited selection of what is not good here.
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Why do they come?
Why do they come to a country?Cold in summer,cold in winter,with unrelieved damp atmosphere.
Why do they come to a country to queue?To wait in line for everything,and then receive sometimes nothing,generating a sense of injustice.


Why do they come to a country of crowds?To live on a packed island,leaving their own spacious land.A psychologically disturbing trip.
Why do they come to a country of need?A place with child poverty and food banks,leaving a country with similar ranks.Have they come out of greed?
Why do they come to a country of English?That is living in a divided society.Do they see the benefits of the wealthy,and take on a shade that is greenish?
Why do they come to a country – stay home!Grass on the other side is never greener.Stay at home and learn of your own area,and exploit your resources.© David L Atkinson July 2015

God Bless