WRITING CHANGES
Posted by anthonynorth on April 12, 2009
Including One Single Impression and Weekend Wordsmith.
Have you had a go yet?
BLOGGER BARD
Writing Changes
Why doesn’t anyone write like Shakespeare any more? I blame
technology. You see, there’s a big difference between the quill
and the computer, and that difference is the time it takes to
write. The quill works slower than you can think, giving you
time to compose. The keypad is quicker, leaving you having to
catch up. And the beauty of the word is lost in that space.
FROM THE ARCHIVES
GREEN NEWS: Science adviser to Obama suggests
geo-tech solution to climate change. No! No! No! This
means more tampering with nature instead of changing industry
to more eco ways.
TV WATCH: The Doctor Who Easter special was excellent as usual.
Won’t give the plot – you may not have seen it yet – but Michelle
Ryan did a great job as Tennant’s co-star, perfectly
built as a modern-day Emma Peel, complete with
leathers and attitude.
Call back tomorrow for more NewsFlash
RATTLER’S TALE
A Voyage of the Imagination
LIVE WATER
Live in the Water, the way to be,
Swirling around, my destiny,
I must be a fish, at home in here,
Nothing to worry about, nothing to fear,
But what’s happening now? Who pulled the plug?!!!
Oh! I’m a baby – Mom’s giving me a hug
MASTER OF DISGUISE
Fiction: I’m a master of disguise. I can become anyone I want to
be. I can take on many personas, play many parts, act in so many
ways. I’m a master of disguise, forever re-inventing who I want to
be. I can live better with that – not recognising myself.
SCISSORS
Cut it here, cut it there,
Cut it out, don’t despair;
Cut it down, cut it round,
Cut it now, that’s profound;
Cut it short, cut it long,
Cut it from your memory, gone;
Cut it back, cut it, splice,
Cut it into shape, your life
© Anthony North, April 2009
SCRIBBLERS’ NEWS
Check out my Writers’ Tips posts
Here we go with another Scribblers’ News. Is it proving useful?
I’m trying to do my bit to help advertise the prompt sites, as
too many have been disappearing. Can anyone think of other ways
of doing so? Let me know of any news or new sites.
One Single Impression
This week’s prompt is: live water
Weekend Wordsmith
The word is: scissors
Search Engine Stories
The word ‘fragments’ extended for another week due to Easter
Meme Express
You’ll find a daily meme here
Call back tomorrow for more prompts
SandyCarlson said
A delightful poem. Birth is joyful. Thanks, Anthony! Happy Easter.
anthonynorth said
Hi Sandy,
Thanks for that – and a Happy Easter to you.
Selma said
All your writing is a treat. Hope you are having a lovely Easter!
Fledgling Poet said
“And the beauty of the word is lost in that space.” You make a very valid point here!
Your ‘live water’ interpretation made me smile. :~)
Happy Easter to you!
anthonynorth said
Hi Selma,
Thanks for that. I’m having a quiet Easter – which I like. And Happy Easter to you.
anthonynorth said
Hi Fledgling Poet,
Thanks for that. Yes, tech is getting so fast we don’t have timne to think. Which is a shame.
Deeptesh Sen said
Nice one.Happy Easter 2 u!!!N chk out the one on my blog….it’s ghostly.
sue said
Enjoyed the humor of your “live water” poem. Most babies seem to love being in the water, splashing, blowing bubbles — makes one think that our genes remember an earlier incarnation.
Absolutely agree with your opinion on geo-tech “solutions” to global warming. You’d think we’d learn that every time we try to tinker with some natural system to “fix” it, we end up with 10 new problems we did not anticipate. How we got our selves in this global warming mess in the first place!
anthonynorth said
Hi Deeptesh Sen,
Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
Hi Sue,
Many thanks. Yes, we seem to be born for the water, don’t we? Maybe a survival instinct for when our eco-madness gives us no choice.
gautami tripathy said
swirling around my destiny..
Yes live water is like that..
drumming water
anthonynorth said
Hi Gauntami,
It is indeed.
Beth Patterson said
This post on ‘live water’ made me laugh out loud! We worry about the strangest things, like, birth…and death.
Thanks, Tony!
angie said
Haha…got me with the water one! Nice job!
anthonynorth said
Hi Beth,
Thanks for that. Glad you liked it.
Hi Angie,
Many thanks. It’s just my twisted humour
Chris said
Hi Anthony,
A question. When you are writing your poetry do you ‘pen’ it first and then type or do you ‘go’ straight to the keyboard? I’ve been writing and posting two to three a day (thanks to you!) and getting some pleasingly positive feedback, but, they only seem to ‘work’ if I put pen to paper first, it seems to provide better ‘flow’ and cadence in the poems.
Just wondering?
That was a really enjoyable contrast too, the “MASTER OF DISGUISE” got trimmed up by the “SCISSORS”, at least that’s how I saw it.
Twilight said
I hadn’t thought about loss of beauty through speed of writing before, AN. Yes, you’re right! It happened bit by bit – quills to pen and ink, then fountain pens, then ballpoint pens (quicker and less trouble), felt tips, fibre tips, “steam typewriters”, electric typewriters, then computers – quicker processing year by year, month by month. Where will it end? Telepathic communication of novels and poems?
Had a peek at your “Satire” section – love the story about “The Bug” —”Log on” – “Bless you!” LOL, lol!!!
anthonynorth said
Hi Chris,
You must link to your poems when you comment – better still, why not try the prompts?
I never pen anything. Always, it’s straight onto the keyboard, but there are so many ways of doing this, it is entirely up to personal preference.
Often the comments here show me linkages between my pieces that I don’t even see myself when writing them. But obviously by writing them so close together, those linkages would happen unconsciously.
Hi Twilight,
Yes, it’s sad, but that speed crept upon us and took so much away. And I’m guilty myself – I’m very much a minimalist writer.
Ah, those archives go very deep. So far, behind that strip of titles at the top, there are 95 pages like the satire one, and links to scores of posts.
By the way, after reading your recent post, I’m now a Plinky
Chris said
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for that!
I don’t have a blog yet so I’ve been posting the poems on U-M. When I know what I’m doing I’ll set one up. I am a slow learner so I’m guessing I should be up to speed around 2015 or so!!
anthonynorth said
Hi Chris,
I’ve been blogging over 2 years now and still don’t know what I’m doing
That’s the beauty of it.
qualcosa di bello said
the first time i wrote with ink & a quill i was visiting a cloistered community (signing the guestbook)…there was something that drew me to that way of writing i have never forgotten & occasionally consider when i sit down to write.
gabrielle said
Studs Turkel swore by his royal typewriter. The difference between taking the rail or flying. “The beauty is lost.”
I wish I could remember what it was like to be a fish but that was such a long time ago.
Jeeves said
Live waters is cutee.
anthonynorth said
Hi Qualcosa Di Bello,
Yes, it was a whole different form of communication.
Hi Gabrielle,
Thanks for those musings. Much appreciated.
Hi Jeeves,
Yep, sometimes I just close my eyes and do cute
Quietpaths said
Ah…. that is one sweetish poem. I like the connection of live water and gestation. Also on Shakespeare – that reading does indeed require us to slow way down.
anthonynorth said
Hi Quietpaths,
Thanks for that. I do slip in a cutey one now and again
Tumblewords said
Live water is such a warm and cleverly done piece. Love it…
anthonynorth said
Hi Tumblewords,
Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
Sweet Talking Guy.. said
Hi Tony, wasn’t there one about the barber?
He cut it long
he cut it short
he cut it with
a knife and fork
Like your Live Water poem too.
Can you give Saturday Scribes a mention?
http://saturdayscribes.wordpress.com
Thanks
Andy
pieceofpie said
hi tony, i so enjoyed this post!!!… everything and more… when i read shakespeare i gotta slow down and think… imagine that!!!… hey, obama had green easter eggs for the kidz… and it aint even st paddy’s day… i had to laugh with the scissors prompt, yr post, very good!… and the water thingee in the womb, terrific… oh, and dr who… i am lamenting the passing of star trek so have taken up dr who… and most enjoyable series…
anthonynorth said
Hi Andy,
Thanks for that. Yes, I recall something like that
I saw the new prompt the other day and will be including it. Keep ‘em coming …
Hi Pieceofpie,
Thanks for that. I’m lamenting the passing of Star Trek, too. A shame. But Dr Who is very good.
Jim said
Oh from the security of a mother’s womb to the tenderness of her kiss. Only birth can cause this change.
..
anthonynorth said
Hi Jim,
Indeed. It’s a good job it occurs
if said
your words are amazing!
anthonynorth said
Hi If,
Many thanks for those kind words. Much appreciated.