From writing to voodoo

It’s Sunday morning and so this is the day when I write about whatever is on my mind. Today is writing and photography. Writing is about expressing yourself and I try to do that with photography and with the editing in particular. I read a lot and some of the articles I read are boring, which is a crime for a writer.

You might be tempted to skim through this article, but I hope not. You might miss something important or a joke. Professional writers have to work to a deadline and produce the goods, whether the ‘goods’ are any good or not. Freelance writers who are really creative and are allowed some freedom do much better. This is why bloggers can turn out quite interesting stuff.

My photo today has a bit of creative editing to make it more interesting, but thought went into the photo too. I did wait for that bus to come along and I did set out early to try to catch the light at around midday.

Social Media

Part of what writers do is social and now that includes the internet. I share not only my words via the internet, but photos too. I can connect with people using LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. I admit I don’t fully understand Twitter or at least not how to get the best out of it. My efforts to sign into HootSuite this morning have all failed. My efforts as a writer are frustrated by having to do everything myself. I really need to change the default font on this blog and on a Zillion Ideas too. I’m also still learning photography and getting used to the settings on my new camera and learning about taking photographs in different lighting and then trying to do creative editing to create art.

That’s what it’s all about though, experimenting and learning. Observing and improving what you do. Some writers think they are so good, that they don’t need to improve, that’s why they churn out quite uninteresting pulp every day.

Fiction

I’ve also been writing fiction this week. Well actually, I just wrote the notes and a rough draft by hand. I wrote a Christmas story last year that was popular and so I’m trying to write a sequel. It was a funny story with a nostalgic feel to it. It was meant to remind people of days gone by and a time when different standards applied. It was also meant to make the reader smile. That’s not easy to write and the sequel is proving just as difficult, but if it was easy would it be worth doing? Filling out a short story with pulp or elaborate descriptions is easy, but keeping to the story and trying to bring the characters to life is what writing fiction is all about.

Google

I also have to pander to Google and the search engines or no one will find this blog using search. That means using keywords, tags and sub-headings. Google will still favour the bigger well funded sites over my Zillion Ideas site. I keep on trying though.

Scare stories

I read a lot of scare stories. If nuclear power doesn’t get us, then fracking will. I tend to think all science based technology is dangerous, we just have to be responsible and cautious. I would prefer hydro-electric power generation to nuclear power. I would prefer a government policy that reduces the amount of travelling people do rather than this madness that people indulge in as they travel miles to the ‘best’ job, drive their kids to ‘better’ schools than the one down the road and go to ‘better’ countries for their holidays because it rains here. I give opinions when I write, but I try to use a bit of common sense. I also try to use plain English, without the f-bombs to spice it up or the trendy words to make me sound cool. I also try to inject a little humour too.

Humour

On the subject of humour, my George Osborne voodoo doll came yesterday. There was no pins to stick in it, so I read the instructions. It said I had to blow it up. A inflatable voodoo doll? No wonder there were no pins. Then I found a little stick of dynamite and all became clear. Except where do you stick the little stick of dynamite? Please use the suggestions box to suggest somewhere… 

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