tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36893348987650792872024-03-13T12:25:37.429-07:00Footsteps of a WriterJoseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-68419679301718220052014-06-17T09:21:00.001-07:002014-06-17T09:21:41.874-07:00A Bucket of Coffee and some hope<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">Hello again,
welcome back to my rather sporadic installments of the life of a young Author.
The title of this entry speaks volumes more than some of my earliest blog posts
in that I've summed up everything I will say and more in those few words. I've
returned to Britain, this would be the main reason for the lack of updates; I've
also passed over my birthday with minimal pain, receiving some very unusual and
amazing gifts, and also some thoughtful ones. Now I’m back on the war path to
getting my work out there, earning some money and working on my languages (and
catching up on the news).</span></div>
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My
last days in Lyon are a good place to start, let’s just say, I’d not do them
over. The city itself is beautiful, certainly if you are looking for a city
break and some inspiration, it’s the place to go; however, as the seasoned
traveller knows, it’s not the place alone that is important, the people make
the place. I left behind a lot of fond memories and some good Friends in
France, and I’m sure it will not be the last I hear of them. The last night I
spent in Lyon was passed with an amazing friend was passed out on the town and
watching videos until sunrise, then messing around in a small park with a
panoramic of the city at sunrise. Nothing I’ve done so far could beat that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I
took the train to Paris, it was both an unpleasant ride and less than welcoming
day, but I visited the <o:p></o:p></div>
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Pokémon centre under strict orders from my sister, so
after waiting in the rain, witnessing a crash and a guy being hit by a taxi, I
finally got in. The wait wasn’t completely unpleasant, there were many friendly
people there, and having the language I felt right at home conversing with
other fans, swapping and changing 3DS friend codes and stories. The rest of my
trip consisted of accumulating my other best friends and visiting the main
attractions of Paris, I met a fun chap from London on my second day, visiting
the Eiffel Tower on foot, and by chance, the house of Japanese culture, which
was exhibiting a great display of Evangelion swords and drawings. Sadly,
although we tried, we didn’t have time to see everything. My final night was
fabulous, having both of my best friends together for the first time and going out
for a gorgeous meal and seeing the Eiffel tower all lit up.<br />
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I
was pleased to watch ‘A Young Doctor’s Notebook and other stories’ after such a
long wait, which turned out to be well worth it. I’ve recently gotten my hands
on a few pieces written by Mikhail Bulgakov, after hearing Daniel Radcliffe
praise his works in an interview that I watched, I knew it was something I had
to read. When I find time to read, you can count on a review from me, I
certainly hope and expect not to be disappointed by this author.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So
the next question, is this young author writing? Yes, he, or rather, yes I am.
Editing is a slow process, but it’s getting there, I’ve also tried
collaborating on a new project with a friend of mine, though it’s still too
early to say if we will have any success at this point. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finally,
back to reality, I have a new computer on the way, it’s not my dream one, but
it cost enough that I’m satisfied that it’s going to last me for another half a
decade at least. I also hope that with this and my new, very reliable phone,
that I’ll be ready to tackle marketing at last, something which I still have
very little idea how to do. Sitting around with a coffee in one hand, two
language on either arm of the chair and a laptop where it should be, let’s see
if I can dig my way into public knowledge, rather than be underfoot. Remember
to support your new writers, £5 for my book will support me while writing my
next one and while studying at university!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">My book is now available to order at<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 27px;"> </span></div>
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Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-5393929171055715172014-05-25T18:10:00.000-07:002014-05-27T06:44:08.341-07:00Poetic and prose devices, by no means exhaustive but guaranteed to be useful<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4250536520_f000a7c459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4016/4250536520_f000a7c459.jpg" height="200" width="185" /></a>This week we will be rounding off this
poetry session and I hope it has inspired and instructed you all well enough to
create your own masterpieces, unlike the villanelle I shared with you all a few
weeks back, which even after all this time needs deconstructing and fixing. I
thought this week I could give you all a quick intro to poetic devices and
concepts, for more advanced poets out there, looking for a challenge. So I will
give a quick mention to anaphora, epiphora, assonance, caesura, metre, enjambment,
heroic couplets, imagery, juxtaposition, internal rhyme and generally the
rhyme.</div>
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Most
of these are fairly basic poetical devices that you would use all the time
without knowing what you were doing, but no doubt some out there will ask, why
should we know about these and are they really going to help? Well I will point
out now, that after you have read this, any poem that you have written to date
will no doubt contain one or two of these features; those who can use not only
one but several, and integrate them well into a poem is a poet well on their
way to being worth their salt.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, starting on
what feels like will be, but certainly is not even a fraction of what I know,
my non-exhaustive list of poetic devices and their use or function in poetry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Anaphora,
the repletion of words at the start of a line/sentence/clause, this is a good
pace setter and good to draw emphasis to or away from a topic, you can see this
in villanelles to a certain extent, but this is not anaphora.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q6m99JD_alM/TPlVFcmRoUI/AAAAAAAABYs/juJLY_dEWj0/s1600/chickenalliteration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Q6m99JD_alM/TPlVFcmRoUI/AAAAAAAABYs/juJLY_dEWj0/s1600/chickenalliteration.jpg" height="200" width="196" /></a>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Epiphora,
this is repetition at the end of your line/sentence/clause. This is better at
slowing your pace, at least in my eyes, or at least regulating it. Poetry with
plenty of end rhymes could contain this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Assonance,
the repetition of vowel sounds in words which are in close proximity, too much
assonance is annoying to read, if you’re going to do this, keep it classy and
purposeful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Caesura,
a pause in the middle of a line, this could range from a comma to a full stop.
It is an effective device to stop your metre suddenly, change topic or
direction, this is a powerful and difficulty device to manage well so do your
reading before usage!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Metre,
possibly your most important device, this is the pace of your poem, you must
remember to keep your pace pretty regular, unless there is purpose for breaking
it. A regular pace usually works in iambs but will contain other devices such
as dactyls, spondees, apapest and trochees, all of which you can look up and
master in your own time, when out of practice I have to practice these. With metre
remember, keep it regular, or be purposeful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Enjambment,
this device is where you run your sentence on to the next line, it is good for
repairing your metre and is used a lot in sound poetry, very often you can get
away with it in sonnets, as I have done more than once.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->7.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Heroic
couplets, one of Shakespeare’s favourite devices, putting two lines that rhyme
side by side, even if the poem has no regular rhyme scheme these two lines will
stand out for this feature. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->8.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Imagery,
this is more advanced than it sounds, an image requires that you construct it,
and in which way you portray it, then you need to consider if you will develop
the image you have painstakingly pieced together or if you will tear it down or
compare it against another. Remember, no one will pull a punch if your imagery
is poor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->9.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Juxtaposition,
the device of putting two contradicting words side-by-side, such as ‘a raucous
silence’, perhaps a more advanced device to add to a beginner’s arsenal.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->10.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Internal
rhyme, where you make rhymes within a line, rather than only at the end. This
creates an unusual rhythm that defines a lot of poems with a special metre.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->11.<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
general rhyme, which can have many branches again. This is a device that many
poets prefer to omit because it is seen as ‘the standard’ of a poem. Many
starting poets believe that all poetry must rhyme, whereas in fact countless
poems do not rhyme at all. I personally love poems to rhyme as it gives me a
sense of the poem’s direction, but I’m not averse to writing without them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So this ends the
whirlwind tour of devices, hopefully I’ve imparted some good advice to you all
from my own experiences, and I look forward to reading you all later.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;">My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;">My book is now available to order at<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 150%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-74309511277244648532014-05-18T17:31:00.000-07:002014-05-19T12:29:18.825-07:00Let your verse be as free as your creativity<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Hello
again everyone! Nearing the end of my time in France and I’ve been busier than
ever with new and old projects. This and next week will contain the last of my
poetry focused blog posts. Now I’ve explained two of the harder forms, leaving
some other forms free to explore in the future, this week we will be hammering
on the immeasurable form, or non-form we call free verse. This kind of poetry,
as you may guess from its name cannot be approached like the last two forms so
far. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Free
verse is one of the most recent forms of poetry, born as blank verse it
evolved, coming to light as we know it today in the early 20<sup>th</sup> century.
Most notable users of this form include John Milton and T.S. Eliot. The reason
I, perhaps a little zealously claim that free verse is of the 20<sup>th</sup>
century is because there is a clear cut evolution to blank verse. A short list,
by no means exhaustive will be described this week, these forms include;
concrete poetry, beat poetry, urban poetry, stream of consciousness and sound
poetry.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/c/cc/Write-a-Free-Verse-Poem-Step-2.jpg/670px-Write-a-Free-Verse-Poem-Step-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/c/cc/Write-a-Free-Verse-Poem-Step-2.jpg/670px-Write-a-Free-Verse-Poem-Step-2.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a> Concrete
poetry focuses entirely on how a poem is displayed on a page, sometimes the
words on the page can have a direct meaning on the poem, sometimes they have
nearly no significance on the poem’s meaning, they are just there for display.
It is a type of poetry which I, myself have only limited competence with,
preferring more formal types of poetry.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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Beat
poetry is much more international, born in New York in the 1940’s, reaching its
height very quickly, even today it is still going strong. Beat poetry focuses
again on the aesthetic usually set in the city, many poems in this category
feel as though you are pounding the pavements in the city, remarking on things
that you don’t usually remark on in everyday life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Urban poetry is the umbrella of
many forms of poetry that focus on the everyday, but this on its own would be
boring. Urban poetry is especially good at the technique of ‘othering’ making
the everyday seem foreign or alien so that we become familiar with them all
over again, touching or smelling these things for the first time, twice or
several times.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://writingyourlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/medium_75635573681.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://writingyourlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/medium_75635573681.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a>The stream of consciousness is
another form of poetry that is regarded by many as a very hit and miss branch.
This type of poetry permits no editing, if you want the real deal, quite simply
you can combine this with any type of poem or none at all. To describe it
bluntly, you start writing and let your mind take you away with the poem,
stopping once your train of thought has ended – thus you have a completed poem,
for better or for worse.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The
final branch of free verse I will mention, sound poetry, is the polar opposite
of concrete poetry, its appearance on the page bears little or no significance,
what is most important is the sound of the words and the image they conjure in
the reader, or rather listener’s mind. At the moment this form of poetry seems
to be in vogue. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
There
are no rules to writing Free verse poetry, so I can’t really make too many
practical suggestions in devices to include in your poetry. And by this point,
if you have mastered the other mentioned forms then you should probably need no
suggestions in this. I would suggest, two things however, some forms in urban
poetry often are written in the first person, having an inwards commentary or
addressing the reader, they can blur the line between poetry and prose very
often. Remember though poetry that you become too emotionally attached to may
often not reach it’s potential, it is important to measure passion with
technique in poetry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
My usual
hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
My book is now
available to order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</span></a></span>Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-63141699088435216402014-05-11T17:27:00.000-07:002014-05-12T14:07:00.867-07:00Villanelles, it’s all in the pace<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Hello, bonjour à tous! This week I
have a special treat for you all. I will be laying out how to write
Villanelles, one of my favourite poetic forms to write. This was the last form
I learned in the traditional method back in college, for me, I feel it’s one of
the easiest forms to learn, because like the sonnet, it’s a flexible form, but
at the same more rigid. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Let’s
get right into this one; Villanelles have been shrouded in literary mystery for
a long time, it took theorists what seemed like an eternity to distinguish the
origins of this form. Originally it was believed that Villanelles originated
from the Villanella, a type of Italian and Spanish folk song, however scholars
now agree that only one true villanelle was written during the Renaissance: a
poem by the same title, penned by Frenchman Jean Passerat. Because the form was
considered complex on the continent, its form remained unpopular until the 19<sup>th</sup>
century. It finally became popular when Theodore de Banville took up writing
the form. Since then many authors, including James Joyce have been writing
them. This 19 lined form has been described as some as the ‘exquisite torture
wrapped up in 19 lines’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So,
where do we start in learning this poetic form? The Villanelle is built,
literally built in my mind, from five tercets and a final quatrain. In each
line one can have between 6-11 syllables, averaging about 8 per line. The first
and last line of the first tercets are repeated alternatively on the last line
of each tercets until the final quatrain, where the final two lines are used
consecutively to round off the poem. In This form it is important to have the
first and third lines of the tercets to have a strong rhyme scheme, half
rhymes, or slant rhymes are possible but they may often not work work when in
the last quatrain.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Some
key vocabulary:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Tercet: a three line paragraph in a
poem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Quatrain: a four line paragraph in
a poem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Half rhyme: A general term for a
rhyme where the last syllable is not a strong rhyme in spelling but in sound or
sight, or in some other way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Slant Rhyme: alternative word for
half rhyme but these specifically apply to technical features such as sound
rhyme, eye rhymes.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Villanelles
may typically look like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://blog.wsd.net/krclark1/files/2011/05/villanelle-6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://blog.wsd.net/krclark1/files/2011/05/villanelle-6.png" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
For me this style of poetry comes
naturally, but we must remember that the form you write your poem in will
change on the subject and your aim, but that is another more integrated topic.
The benefit of the Villanelle is a strong rhythm which rolls throughout the
poem, its resolution repeated throughout but separated until it rushes together
climaxing the poem. Today I’ll do something a little different from last time
and use one of my own poems as an example:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Broken Record<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I am a record, broken of course<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Never changing my tone, same note<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
By that needle, always so coarse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I play Jazz, though nothing morose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I survived the jukebox but-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I am a record, broken of course<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I’m even a grandparent, loose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Are my CD children, unhurt?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
By that needle, always so coarse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Though the dust settled only once<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Will Rap or the robot end my lot?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I am a record, broken of course<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
They still listen, smiles toothless<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Partying no more in the night light<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
By that needle, always so coarse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I repeat lines like a river’s
course,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I will always proudly put-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I am a record, broken of course<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
By that needle, always so coarse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It is one of my older pieces which
I still can’t fix, but everything I have highlighted is on show here. I
discussed last week how free verse and sonnets could interact, making the
sonnet popular today, with this form, there is no room to update, as I know it
yet; it has a form, with free meter and rhythm, but the form cannot change and
nor can the rhyme scheme. Interesting devices to combine with this form can
include extended metaphors, similes, alliteration and allegory. This has been
another quick-how to and history of poetry.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Until
next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
My usual
hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
My book is now
available to order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007"><span style="color: blue; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</span></a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-1087171743675514242014-05-04T11:49:00.000-07:002014-05-04T11:49:47.633-07:00Sonnet writing for dummies and the literally obsessed.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
As promised I’m
beginning my late contribution to NaPoWriMo, (I’m getting tired of writing it
too), as I don’t have the time to write poetry, I’m going to pass on wisdom
from someone who spent years learning how to write it, until I have time to
work on poetry again. I’m going to structure these next few posts to save
myself some worry about how to write them. Poetry in nature is something you
need to learn the rules to create well, meaning effectively and artistically,
but doing it this way, you destroy the art which you have sought to create;
thus I will add, once you have learned to follow and reproduce these rules, for
lack of a better term, you then destroy them, and thus art is born.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I would like to
start off this explanation with a short history of the form we are going to
approach. For me, learning the history of a poetic form is like learning the
culture attached to a country and its language. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
In the 13<sup>th</sup>
century an Italian poet named Francesco Petrarch created the original poetic
form, as we know now as a Petrarchan sonnet. It held the monopoly on this
poetic form, as one of the most refined and romantic styles of poetry, thematic
mostly on the idea of courtly love for a beautiful, unattainable lady for 300
years until it was brought over to Britain by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry
Howard, the Earl of Surrey. Notable masters of this form include some of my
favourite writers; Spenser, Sidney Sidney’s niece Mary Wroth and of course
Shakespeare, who evolved the Petrarchan sonnet into the classic British
Shakespearean sonnet. The main difference is in Shakespearean sonnets we deal
less with love and more with comedy, notably Shakespeare ended many sonnets on
a rhyming couplet, something never seen in Petrarch’s work. The sonnet is a
form that has survived the ages because although rigid in how it must be
constructed it has an adaptability that many formal poems have not. Among the
best-known British writers of sonnets are John Donne, Milton, Wordsworth, W.H.
Auden, and Dylan Thomas, all of whom I enjoy reading for examples of how it is
done right.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Sonnets are
formed in several ways, but usually the form can be seen as fourteen lines of
iambic pentameter and a Volta, indicating a change in rhyme scheme in the last
third of the poem.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Some key words:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Iamb: an iamb is
a unit of sound<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Iambic
pentameter: five iambs, usually made up of two beats per iamb.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Syllable: a
single unit of sound that is traditionally a vowel enclosed by consonants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Volta:
a sudden change or revelation exclusively used with sonnets.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Rather than explain the rhyme
scheme of sonnets, traditionally the last syllable taking the form of
a,bb,a,a,,b,b,a c,d,c,d,c, or the c,d,e,c,d,e or in Shakespearian sonnets
c.d.c.d,e,e etc, I will explain it with pictures:<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literarystudies.wikispaces.com/file/view/The_Fabulous_Four.jpg/31927415/The_Fabulous_Four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://literarystudies.wikispaces.com/file/view/The_Fabulous_Four.jpg/31927415/The_Fabulous_Four.jpg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Just one example of how many people
would write the form, also showing again its versatility.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I
would suggest all those who are new to using the form to start from scratch and
learn how to write a Petrarchan sonnet, including the theme of courtly love of
an unobtainable woman before moving on to Shakespeare’s form. Everything beyond
these two is down to universal interpretation, but they are where most people
will start to learn the form before breaking it with free verse.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Incorporation
of this form, or non-form to some, means that you no longer need to follow all
the rules described so far. When you combine forms like this, the only thing
that needs to be maintained is the number of lines and a Volta, the rest is
down to your artistic interpretation.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
To
finish off this rather long winded explanation, sonnets are considered as one
of the most sophisticated forms, because when done traditionally they are
exceptionally difficult to write well. Useful poetic devices that can be used
in this form, which I will explain in a few weeks, include, end stopped lines,
caesura, run on lines and metaphors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Until
next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">My book is now available
to order at<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</span></a><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-58688513912036509152014-04-28T10:33:00.000-07:002014-04-28T10:33:10.966-07:00Writing, self-expression or assertion of the state?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So, it’s been a while, I know my
little corner has been as silent as the grave for a few weeks now. Many of you
who were asking what will come next no doubt started what has happened. Well
worry no longer, I’m back, though still sporadically. I chose to pass NaPoWriMo
(National Poetry Writing Month) developing my cultural and artistic pallet,
rather than expressing it. In short, I went to the theatre a lot, researched a
ton and experimented not just a little with my tastes and with cooking. In
short, I’m not reborn, but things have been changing.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.world-crisis.com/images/uploads//state_oppression_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.world-crisis.com/images/uploads//state_oppression_1.jpg" height="138" width="200" /></a></div>
So I suppose it seems only right to give you the highlights along with this
week’s topic. I’ve been reading a well-known critic called Louis Althusser,
though he wrote in French I’ve been reading his translated works, for ease
mostly. He talks a lot about how we are controlled through repressive
ideological apparatus, which in a literal and figurative operate through
violent repression, and also ideological apparatus, which do not function as a
union, thus cannot repress violently, but the state (as in government) use
political, religious, family, or even educational sources to bend our way of
thinking to what we believe is correct.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So
why do I include this quick detour in my blog? Because it sparked off some
wonder in my mind whether we writers are writing for the people or if we are
conforming to the ideological apparatus whether we are its product and are
reproducing the message or if we are threatening it with our views, creating
balance against its ‘brainwashing’.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I should add
that I do not believe what we are taught in schools and by the church, in the
most part is averse to becoming a good and moral human being, but whether it is
by ideological oppression by the church or through capitalist segregation we
certainly still have faults in society that we must target. I have been asking
the big questions such as these lately, I’m still no closer to an answer in my
own mind. As you write out there, I remind you all to reflect on the purpose of
what you write and read, it all has a target; can you see it?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Let me share
some less theoretically heavy stuff with you. I went to the theatre the other
night (as I do most nights now) and I saw ‘metropolis’ a black and white,
silent film directed by Fritz Lang. I’m not a big fan of cinema, but this film
was worth a mention and some personal thoughts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thefilmcricket.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/metropolis-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thefilmcricket.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/metropolis-2.jpg" height="238" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
In 1927, the year this film was first shown to the public, we were still in the
glory of Western Europe’s industrial boom, class segregation was everywhere and
the bourgeois business owners could even treat workers as commodities, not
completely unlike the slave trade of the 19<sup>th</sup> century. There were
some powerful images in this film, such as feeding the machines with humans,
something I’m sure would have shocked back in the day, just as it horrified me.
As for myself, I feel the director had no idea what it was like to really be on
the other side of the fence, so to speak, that he had never gotten his hands
dirty with the machinery, as the people operating the machinery were the
stereotypical 2D characters. Nothing distinguished one from another other than
their role, status and sex.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Still, I’m no
film critic, I feel that I’ve profited from seeing it, even if it was not to my
taste. I’ve also realised I’m a long way from understanding modern art,
especially when it concerns dance. The most interesting dance that I attended
was this week in fact, with a medieval theme, the couple clearly excelled in
their profession. I imagine dancing in a corset cannot be comfortable, not in
clothing that flaps around here and there. I felt they deserved their applause.
The accompanying musicians were also commendable, two of the accompaniment were
constantly switching between instruments I’ve not seen played before, mostly
because they have fallen out of popularity hundreds of years ago as technology
has developed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
I will be
talking about how to write poetry for the next few weeks, so that I don’t miss
out on NaPoWriMo, just because I didn’t do it in the month, does not mean I
have to miss out on the fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Until next time,
read write, live<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;">My usual hideaways</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark">https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8178905.Joseph_Clark </a></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;">My book is now available to order at</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007</a> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-31210871757212703372014-03-29T03:49:00.000-07:002014-04-28T07:05:20.765-07:00A drop of heavy<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p> </o:p><span style="line-height: 150%;">It’s been a full fortnight, which prevented
me writing last week. Last week, I found myself back home in Britain, visiting
for my father’s birthday. Subsequently my well laid-out plans to study were
ruined when I fell ill. After a day in agony, and a quick visit to A&E, I
had to spend the week recuperating at home. Thank the heavens for televised
documentaries and light revision.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->So,
what did I do during this time you might wonder; well I found myself watching
about an hour of daytime television, mostly the Kyle show. After this I would
usually follow it up by a program I think was called, the treasures of Ancient
Egypt, a three part documentary featuring the story of ancient Egypt from the
origins of its art to the Roman and Greek conquests. I feel like I took a lot
from the program, but perhaps nothing that I see myself writing about in the
near future.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I
also indulged in things that I enjoy most of all, Japanese cuisine and culture.
I watched many programs including ones like travels in Japan, and Japan cool. I
picked up a lot of things I never knew about, such as washoku and umami; the
idea of traditional Japanese cuisine, which reflects both a good diet and the
seasons, and another sense of taste, in addition to sweet, sour, salty, sweet
and bitter. It made me yearn to visit the country where I could try shaved ice
from a generation’s old family run shop. I was sorry to leave home, especially
since I knew the work that I was coming back to, not to mention I did not feel
like I had much of a holiday, spending most of it ill.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/w1-s1-washoku-a-20131206-e1386215146456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/w1-s1-washoku-a-20131206-e1386215146456.jpg" height="140" width="200" /></a> This
week has been pretty standard, I went to my last Français Langue Etrangère
class, this Monday coming is the exam. I went to Jitsu where I managed to beat
myself up, Taekwondo finished off my arm, putting me off training again this
week. A positive note to add to the week, I finally got around to doing some
Spanish revision, and tonight I will be babysitting a couple of lively French
kids. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Life
really does take over everything, for those of you who still have not noticed,
for me, I only realised this fact here. I find myself incapable of doing all
the things I want to do and all the things I need to do without compromise.
Even writing a blog post means I’m not doing something else, or I’m
multi-tasking.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
But
that’s me digressing, this week I would like to bring your attention to a
writer whose ability certainly highlights my inexperience, that’s Louisa
Mullerworth. Her book and facebook page, can be found here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLouisaMullerworth">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLouisaMullerworth</a>
it’s well worth stopping by if only for a look. Her latest work, ‘Dying to Help’
releases June 18<sup>th</sup>, so pre-order your copy! My own book has finally
reached Amazon, (link will be below), I hope we all go and check it out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
For
this week, I am out of time; I have too many things to do which prevent me
filling pages for you to read. I hope next time to target something a little
more technical, as we’ve just been following me around for the month. If we
have any literary topics that anyone would be interested in hearing my thoughts
on, or would like to talk more about topics I’ve already mentioned, leave me a
comment or send me a message from the links below. Until next time, read,
write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My
usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">My book
is now available to order at<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: #1B1B1B; line-height: 14.85pt;">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/MR-Lockes-Diary-Joseph-Clark/dp/1630684007<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<u1:p></u1:p>
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<u1:p></u1:p>
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<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-71280845195492632532014-03-09T08:03:00.001-07:002014-03-10T08:30:55.941-07:00Kicking back with the books<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Half term ending today with exams
to come Monday morning – because there’s no better day to have one of what will
feel like an endless number of trails; and I can’t say I have much to show for
all my ‘well-spent’ free time, other than many, many completed series of anime.
Not all the time was wasted – which eases the welling guilt. I have made a good
start into editing my next book, which I hope to approach publishers with soon,
and I’ve taken a few bites out of revision, namely French and Japanese grammar;
once again Spanish fights to get a look-in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It’s
my father’s 50<sup>th</sup> next week, and I’ve had to devote a lot of time
into choosing the right gift for him, especially as he’s a modest person who
insists only a card is necessary. I’ll be flying back for the sole purpose of
spending the day with him, (because I’m nice once in a while), I’m sure there
will be plenty I can accomplish while away from my studies for a week too.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
On
to business, I must say I’ve fallen out of the loop in reading since I finished
Madam Bovary all those weeks ago, I’ve been buying manga in French and Japanese
to improve my linguistic skills, but I will start on something a little more
challenging in the next few weeks I suppose. I have however, started skimming
through blogs for inspiration such as, probably my favourite poet around, Katy
Evans-Bush at <a href="http://baroqueinhackney.com/">http://baroqueinhackney.com</a>
. After meeting her in Bangor last year (or so) I’ve enjoyed stopping by when I’ve
had the time to keep up to date with her going’s on – which I do more
frequently than watching the news, to put into context how isolated I can be.
Every time I look at an experienced blog though, I see how it’s certainly a
good thing to look to your seniors for advice and example.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]-->Naturally
being on Erasmus has given me the opportunity to do everything I’ve not had
time to do over the last decade, being in full-time education; however as
people tell me, I can’t do ‘everything’ whatever that means, thought I would
agree I can’t do ‘everything’ as well as I’d like, but I could say the same for
French. Research time is on its way as well as exams and martial arts tests; as
it all builds up, this should really be the proverbial kick up the behind I
need to get things moving.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<span style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36pt;">I am proud to say
though, that I have not followed the stereotype of moving to a foreign land to
eat, drink and party, though my sins do cover the first two. I found time to
watch some television last night, something I do not do too often in France,
due to the frustration factor, what I found was I have a taste for late night
TV in France 4, discovering the singer GiedRé, who I imagine no one who reads
me would know about. I found her songs and on stage comedy hilarious, to say
the least, her sense of dark humour was enough to keep me glued to the screen
to the end before watching the French adaption of Pirates of the Caribbean.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 36.0pt;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The
latest book, which I have the intention of getting my hands on when back in the
UK is Zoë Skoulding’s ‘The Museum of Disappearing Sounds’, which can be bought
at <a href="http://www.serenbooks.com/book/the-museum-of-disappearing-sounds/9781781720714">http://www.serenbooks.com/book/the-museum-of-disappearing-sounds/9781781720714</a>
. As anyone who’s familiar with my work and life knows, I adore poetry, it’s
what started me on this journey all those years ago, it’s also the first
literary form that offered me a warm place to curl up and grow into the writer
I am today; I particularly enjoy sound poetry, and those which carry a good rhythm.
This is why this new collection sounds perfect for me. In fact, it’s through
this poet (and lecturer’s) events that I’ve met a lot of international poets,
most of which have really impressed me and inspired me not to give up on
publishing my own collection one day. Though as in ‘Waiting for Godot’:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i>Vladimir.
You should have been a poet. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin-right: 12.0pt;">
<i>Estragon. I was. (Gesture towards his rags.)
Isn’t that obvious?</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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Yes, I’m a student and a writer,
needless to say money isn’t abundant, but the work sure is.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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There
are plenty of other things I’d like to do, like to read and of course write,
but I have to sit down and take my studies and sales seriously at some point. I’ll
be appearing in my local newspaper any day now the ‘Wrexham Leader’, okay it’s
not a big bit of media but I think it suits me well really, the size and scope
being modest but known. I do add in a shameless plea to support this new author
(so I can release my second book) by buying a copy, or spreading the word.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Right
now, it’s gorgeous, at least for the Brits, in the south of France or Lyon, in
between mid and North to some. And the last thing I want to do is stay indoors
and study, but I can at least take comfort that I can tan while I work as I sit
down to a cup of tea and some miso soup.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
For this week, that’s me done and I
hope to have another on time update next week, providing I have time. It has been
my pleasure to update you all this week on an inside look at my world and
interests. So until next time, Read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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My book is now available to order
at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-48768602997481585172014-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:002014-03-03T12:23:21.275-08:00The Book is Done, So What’s Next?<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So now that painful experience of
writing, editing, rewriting, more writing, more editing, researching and
submitting to publishers is all done, what is the next step to becoming a
successful writer. At this juncture, I have to admit, without shame, that I
have no idea, whatsoever. I do however, have a plan.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Once
back in Great Britain I hope to learn how to arrange some ‘meet an author’
nights. I would also like to work on getting some retailers to stock my books
and to even get some media coverage for my finished masterpiece. I am however
both stuck in a foreign country, with no one who specialises in arranging those
things for me to do. I would like to point out, I write books, I don’t manage
people who write them otherwise; I would have studied Business, not English. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It
perhaps is not so cool for someone who aims to be a future best seller to
announce to the world that he (or she) is as lost as everyone else, but I would
feel bad if I lied about it. Yes, writers too find themselves on the throne without
bog roll sometimes too. However, while I’m worrying and planning on this side
of the unknown; I’m working on things that I am good at too, that is, my next
book.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It
should not be long now until I begin launching it through the virtual rocket
(that is the internet) into the battered, paper encrusted walls, belonging to
the editors (i.e. their inboxes) hoping that with the success of my first book,
they will be more apt to receive my second. So, I leave you all at the end of
another short update (as I’m hungry and have editing to get on with (unusually);
I wonder what marketing strategies all the new writers have out there in
getting the word out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
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Until next time, Read, Write, Live<o:p></o:p></div>
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My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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My book is now available to order at</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: #1b1b1b; color: #cbcbcb; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.799999237060547px;">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/" style="color: #c46d00; text-decoration: none;">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-3328175153536251382014-02-23T15:05:00.000-08:002014-02-23T15:05:18.263-08:00Fear of Ridicule is ridiculous.<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
As the title suggests, my blog for
this week targets those writers who fear ridicule or criticism for what they
want to write (or publish). It was this week when I had a friend, give me their
reasons why they don’t write seriously despite having some, frankly, great
ideas that I’d love to read personally. Their reason being that they feared
ridicule for the plot; well what am I supposed to say? I have written, and am
probably publishing a book that will offend and be criticised by thousands
despite my good intentions to gender equality and neutralisation of religion,
it’s a simple theory which I put forth, with many, more complicated ones within
making up the story, but this is a quick read blog, for a deeper discussion
leave a comment below. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I
would like to say to the world, particularly to anyone out there who can write,
wants to, but cannot find the courage to do so; that the world you create on a
page, so long as you justify everything in its context you cannot be ridiculed.
That is to say, you can’t be criticised critically, of course there will be
many who will make you a dart board for their opinions, as I expect and relish
with my own work. I direct you, reader, to my post on fantasy writing, and the
words of Terry Pratchett, one of many sources of wisdom for my work. All is
fair in writing, so long as it has purpose and reason, that one is one of mine.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I
would like to, if I may, encourage writers to plan their works before writing,
I remember many years ago now, meeting a Scottish amateur horror, writer, whose
method it was to write with no plan; I’m all for streams of consciousness and
letting your imagination guide you, but this leaves a lot of room for plot
holes and means a lot of needless editing later on. For me it’s best to get
emotional as you plan and detach yourself in either the second editing or final
editing phase, to be kind to your editor in principle.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For
me and many who were born to write, the act is therapeutic; and act of
completing one’s self, some of us were never meant to write and publish, those
who do deserve saluting. It takes a lot of courage to subject yourself to the
ravages of the critics and the world alike. Personally, I admire those who came
before me and aspire to be as good as those who write better than me now and in
the future. We all are born with a story, but not everyone has the ability to
write it themselves. We have enough poets and writers, but that does not mean
those who want it enough can’t find their place where there was thought to be
none. It’s all uncharted waters in a continuum where nothing is original. So
write, and find that missing part of yourselves on the blank page.<o:p></o:p></div>
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That will do for today. Now get to
your desks, to your favourite armchair, or find a spot where you aren’t too
squeezed and can have enough light to see the page and write/read good people.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My book is now available for
pre-order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-57289992284765482232014-02-15T08:27:00.001-08:002014-02-15T08:27:47.231-08:00Keeping up with the times<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loibd4rlQu1qj4moz.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_loibd4rlQu1qj4moz.gif" height="104" width="200" /></a>This week will be pretty short, I
have been studying, training for an upcoming grading and working more on
reading for university, in short, I’ve been swamped. This week I offer a
reminder that everyone needs time to rest, no matter what the deadline, what
the task, the aim, you cannot do your best if you don’t give yourself time to
recover from the last battle.</div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I’m
very fortunate that I have office 2013, once I got my head around it, using it
on the move eliminates a lot of bugs that plagued previous versions of word,
though I did love office 2010. I still face on a daily basis the annoyance of
my web pages not displaying properly, which I have no idea how to fix and of
course the rest of the world giving me it’s worst.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My
book will no longer be released next week (the 19<sup>th</sup>) but on the
first of March, for any of the Welsh population who may be following me, we
know that this is St David’s day, appropriate in my opinion. So for the week,
set yourself a goal (like me) and keep those increments small, those battles
will all build up if you fight them all at once.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My book is now available for
pre-order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-46837515799008346872014-02-07T15:44:00.000-08:002014-02-07T15:44:06.244-08:00Look back to remember why you’re going forwards<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Another week has gone by and
therefore another post has been written, although in some hurry this week. Now
I make a point to have my blog posts written well advance of when posting
(especially if it’s a theoretical topic as they take some thinking about) but
this one was last minute; this is because, this week I’ve felt worse than if I’d
gone on holiday with a group of Germans. At the time it feels amazing, but the
hangover isn’t something you want to talk about for a few years following. I’ve
not been drinking, to clear that up, I’ve just been struck by a rather potent
bout of influenza. However I’m nearly back to full strength again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This
week I think it’s important to talk about how my mind has been able to look
back over the last few years and realise all the efforts I’ve put into getting
to where I am and how I could not have gotten here without having people I
could depend on. Family, no matter how little you can see them and my friends,
mostly the non-British ones have kept me on the straight and narrow in the
course I’ve chosen; I suppose this means I’m dishing out a lot of Birthday
presents for the next few years.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I
remember four years ago, when I started learning to write at a level that was
not just considered childish fantasy; I began by learning poetry, reading
different poets, different forms, and even over the last few years I’ve met
many poets from around the world, much to my delight. Fiction has always been
what I found hardest to write (or write well) but I’ve always wanted to go
against what was natural to me and write fiction, after a few years, and many
punctuation mistakes – that I still make all the time – I’m here with an editor
cleaning up my multiple messes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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So,
in Eleven days from now, I hit the official launch date of my book, do I feel
ready for the critics and those who misinterpret my work and disagree with me?
No! But I made the commitment to start and finish this book, the edits and
Nocturnal Press put their faith in it too, I suppose that means it was meant to
be out there. Even now I’m working on another book (or few) to hopefully
publish next year or so, we’ll just have to wait and see.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Until next time, I have a week of
work to catch up on. So read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My book is now available for
pre-order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-41019931700283574242014-01-31T12:42:00.000-08:002014-01-31T12:42:35.852-08:00Writing Satire, Telling The World What Is Wrong<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">Satire is a long lived
and converted art, that really only became a true art from thanks to the likes
of Alexander Pope and the Romantic Poets and writers of the 17</span><sup style="line-height: 150%;">th</sup><span style="line-height: 150%;"> and
18</span><sup style="line-height: 150%;">th</sup><span style="line-height: 150%;"> centuries. It is something always under censure and even in
present society it is still in effect every day, restricting what we say and
hear.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> This form of writing has been around since not too long
after the form of writing, used to express an opposing political opinion, which
at one point could cost you your ears or fingers! It came to a head when censorship
laws were passed to restrict the press. The centuries above are in my opinion
the most fascinating time to see writers express their opinion that the world
is ruled by morons and that things needed to change.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> Satire is the practice of criticizing a person or group
of people, there are many ways a writer will go about doing this, which I will
name three types for today and let you all experiment with them:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Caricature</b>: used for the effect of exaggerating for comic
and satiric effect one particular feature of the target, to achieve a grotesque
or ridiculous effect.<span lang="EN-US"> This type of satire mainly refers to drawings, rather
than writing, but of course, blowing up something in literature works just as
well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US">“He was a large man, eating a burger, and the
sweat that glistened from his pours formed greasy globs, as they slid down his
fat face’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US">Burlesque</span></b><span lang="EN-US">: No, it’s
not what you think, this form of Satire involves a person who plays a specific
social role, such as a musician who speaks like a politician.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span lang="EN-US">‘In his grimy jeans, which drooped down to the
floor and run-of-the-mill band t-shirt, he turned to the crowd “I would like to
address the people down below, thank you for your patience, but we really
cannot tell you the situation involving our music as it is regarded as top
secret, however, what you may have heard from a certain website was unfortunately
stolen by someone who does not agree with what we sing’.’ Though I would love a
musician to say something like that on stage at a concert!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Irony</b>: This is probably the most confused literary term, but here it is, the
academic definition is<span lang="EN-US"> when </span>the
real meaning of the words is different from (and opposite to) the literal
meaning. Irony, unlike sarcasm, tends to be ambiguous, bringing two contrasting
meanings into play. For example, <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
“I
think that students shouldn’t be given money because all they do is read all
day”. In a sense the sentence is considered ironical because working for
students involves a lot of reading, and also most of the money a student is
given is part of a loan which they will repay once working.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
These are your three types of satire
to try out, and personally I think we should be writing more of it, however
there are rules to writing good satire, not just knowing the theory. You must
always keep in mind that you need to know what you’re talking about, or you’ll
be no better than the cleaner saying they will be a millionaire one day, you
must learn to never say sorry for your beliefs, if you’ve written it then it’s
your view and that is okay! Finally you need to know that you will receive the
same in return in greater and more painful portions, but no one smarts so much
as a fool, so if you’re ashamed of something, don’t do it, it’s how to avoid
being the subject of satire. Now go out there and tell the world what really
bugs you the most, but be careful where you use it, or you may find yourself
subject to censure!<o:p></o:p></div>
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As always you lovely people, read, write, live!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My
usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #cbcbcb; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My book is now available for pre-order at<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/">http://www.npuniverse.com/books/mr-lockes-diary/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Reserve your copy now!<o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-36556520348509420462014-01-24T06:42:00.001-08:002014-01-24T06:43:14.506-08:00The right conditions<div class="MsoNormal">
This week I'm going to step out of my depth and talk about
having the right environment in which to write; or rather, the right conditions
to evoke the writing condition – yeah, not my best one-liner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think
it’s important for a writer to have their own space in which to write;
personally, I've tried lots of different environments during my years of
practising the art. I've found many work for me, generally they have all had a
positive atmosphere, a surplus of coffee and have been laid out to encourage
positivity. Now I know you’re asking, what is he talking about? Laid out to
encourage positivity sounds a little far-fetched, I know, but it’s all to do
with an ancient Chinese practice called feng shui. Which is literally the art
of decorating in order to encourage good energy to flow in your surroundings,
or at least that’s as much as I understand as a novice to the whole concept
myself.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have made
some progress in implementing it at home, my own room has a bonsai, which I
call ‘leafy’ when it actually has leaves… My very basic approach is to keep a
wide open space around my desk and a few of my writing charms at hand. I
eventually lose myself in my rush. When I'm out and about, I obviously can’t
change my surroundings too much, but the wide open spaces of good bars and
cafés, typically symmetrical and full of life do more than enough for the
writing buzz, especially when married with caffeine.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now I know,
hold up a second, writing charms? I've never heard of them, what are they and
why mention them now? Right? Well they’re something I've made up for myself, I'm no doubt the first, but I may well be a minority for all I know; there are all
sorts of spiritual stones and such like, so why not play a trick on your mind
and have objects that inspire you mean a little more than just a reminder, for
me I have an earring, a necklace, a silver spoon, a pocket watch and a scarf as mine, I
suppose my lamp would count, but I think I’d just not see the keyboard as well
without it. Each of these things hold some significance to me, I didn't just go
out and say hey I need a writing charm and this is pretty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I can’t
really say the latter of these two topics of the day work for everyone, but I
recommend arranging your working space is not something you want to be in and if
out and about, then try to find somewhere that gives you all the feelings I've
described here, or make sure their cappuccinos are at least worth the money you
pay for them!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For now, that’s me out. Read, Write, Live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-7140834672298617182014-01-17T07:43:00.000-08:002014-01-17T07:44:01.526-08:00Filling in the gaps, or not!<div class="MsoNormal">
When I found myself unable to find a relevant topic for this
week’s blog post and decided now was the time to write about nothing in
particular did this, rather clever, topic hit me squarely between the eyes. See
what I did there? No? Look again. Still not sure? Then this week I’m talking
about the dos and don’ts of fillers. Naturally we will start with the question
of what is a filler, what is its use and the pros and cons of using them, when
and where. Let’s do this.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fillers –
are words or phrases inserted into a sentence which have no use other than to
make the sentence flowery, or add a little more detail. They are much more
common in full length novels and older works, but you will rarely see them in
fast-paced novellas or thrillers. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Fillers are used in a whole
variety of ways to give your reader time to immerse themselves in your scene
from more than just the passer by point of view. Even in language we use terms,
such as ‘like’, and ‘y’know’, all used in a way that does not convey their inherent
meaning; but these examples only apply to oral language, great for when you
want to write speech, but not literature around it. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
In a simple sentence you may
often see a filler in between two commas, for example ‘Mike’s ball, which was
red, flew out of the park with a single swing of his leg’. The filler here
being ‘which was red’ it isn’t essential to our understanding of events, but
also ‘single’ it was not essential to the clause either. For those who have studied English at a
higher level, it’s all a case of –spot that non-essential clause. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Moving on, we now know what a
filler is and why we use it, now when and how to use them, that is their pros
and cons are our next focus. Fillers are really useful in chapters where you,
as the writer, want to slow down the pace of the story and give the reader time
to catch up with evens and deliver some more complex information. The idea of
sentences including fillers is, that they are rarely contained to what we call
‘simple sentences’ that is a sentence with one verb and one noun, not strictly
true, but it’s less common. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
If
you want to write good action, or good horror, that leaves the reader reeling
from every blow you inflict, and each limb you sever, you must remember the
golden rule of these genres and scenes. Simple sentences win. Your aim in these
scenes is to contain any action to a simple sentence for maximum speed and
impact, that way you are able to reflect on events later in each gruesome
detail; we will talk more about these genres another time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">
Final note on this topic, do not
abuse the filler, and avoid overuse like the plague. Common filler errors;
unless you write in an older style, eliminate 90% of the words like, seemed and
was. If it is like something, then show it, nothing ‘seems’ like something, it
is or it is not! And was is too passive, make things active. More on some of
these again another day<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until next time; read, write live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My usual hideaways<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-72587541114762848712014-01-10T16:08:00.000-08:002014-01-10T16:08:00.294-08:00An Author on the Edge<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">So for the last few weeks now I’ve
been either giving advice or pushing out some motivational words in the hopes
that someone who started off this year like I did, will finish it in kind of
the same manner. Today, I am not going to do either of these things.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
There remains about a month until
my first book, ‘Mr Locke’s Diary’, becomes available for those of you out there
who are interested to buy can finally do so. I don’t know your individual
interest levels in this, but let me say that I’m sweating pretty hard right
now! I’ve learned a writer not only suffers for their art, but their art does a
pretty good job of rounding off the experience on its way to the public. I
don’t doubt the quality of my work, as many painstaking hours have gone into
preparing it for its maiden voyage, but I, like any chef or parent out there
fear its rejection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
This, I suppose, after the
dreaming, planning, editing, begging, publicising, cover art designing, more
editing, more campaigning and dreaming and once again editing we arrive at
publishing. The last step is no less difficult than all the previous steps,
even if it is the goal.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Of course, anyone who is serious
about this line of work knows the writer’s job does NOT end at this last step,
your role just shifts slightly to marketing. If you have been good you’ve
already amassed online followers, blogged regularly and talked avidly about
your achievement since you first signed that contract. I think I would score
well on my effort. When I first found out that I was being taken on, I wasn’t
sure, in honesty, if it was my friend or I who was the most excited, either way
I found myself pinned to the ground in a hug as we were both shouting for joy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Now I’m at my desk, checking,
rechecking, getting myself out there (and sometimes I’m actually doing
University work) all in preparation for my and my book’s futures. I’m still as
elated as that first day, because after many reasonless rejection letters, I
will soon be in print.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I suppose two words of advice to
round off this mostly intimate talk; a rejection letter doesn’t always mean
you’re a bad writer, it just means, ‘we have enough people’ or ‘it’s not what
we’re interested in’; and secondly, you can always benefit from having a friend
on hand for the tears and to pop open the champagne.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Until next time, read, write, live.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Ciao<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
You can find me in my usual hidey
holes:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-27021369431032708702014-01-01T16:03:00.000-08:002014-01-01T16:03:00.544-08:00Writing Fantasy, a quick how-to introduction<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<span style="line-height: 150%;">This time, to spark off the New
year; lots of people will want to start off the new year saying, ‘this year I
will write a book’ and then have no idea where to start. I’m going to borrow
words from many well respected writers, to name one, Terry Pratchett, who have
donated words of pure gold in the leaves on our shelves, and given us threads
of silver to stich and weave into our own masterpieces.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So let us tackle some theory; for
all those aiming to be fantasy writers, we have to ask the question of what is
fantasy? Then we must ask, how is it written well? But finally a third
question, what genres of fantasy are there?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Fantasy is a difficult genre to pin
down, like Science Fiction (which I’ll tackle another day). This is because it
bears the features of many other genres, fantasy can talk about a love story
between mythical creatures and humans, it can be an adventure to destroy some
dark artefact, or even about people waving magic sticks at one-another. The
main defining feature of Fantasy is that it involves some kind of supernatural,
or other-worldly (rather than extra-terrestrial) power that takes a foreground
position throughout the work. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
A final note on this is that in
some cases where you create realist fantasy, something I’m very interested in
due to my dissertation subject, Fantasy does not have to contain anything I
have just mentioned, but it can simply borrow from what has been, and transform
it into a story. where nothing and everything can be based on fact. Again, it’s
a hard genre to pin down unless you spend a lot of time with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Secondly, how can we write it well?
I refer you back to my post in December about how to write well generally, but
here I will expand on how you should treat your reader, gently. I was told
once, back when I started seriously chasing my dream by a much more experienced
writer that ‘a reader is like a child, they do not like to be shocked or
alienated. You must make each step small, take them by the hand and guide them,
still filled with wonder, into the world you created’. Pratchett says something
very similar, though I will only paraphrase his words; Fantasy is a genre where
there are no rules, as long as you can explain why that person has two heads,
or why this sword is the only one that can defeat the king of darkness, you can
do anything your heart desires.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Finally, what other genres does
Fantasy interact with? Well this is why it is the easiest genre (and for some
the hardest) to write, it can interact with all of them! A short list of examples,
in no particular order could be: High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Comic Fantasy and
Heroic Fantasy. Fantasy can be funny, scary, charming, mysterious,
in-your-face, anything at all, so long as it is written well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
I leave you with this thought, if
it’s fiction, it can be Fantasy, but it is not we the writers who ultimately
define our book’s genre but the readers. Aim for what you want, write it well
(which means learning the rules of that literary genre, a more advanced talk)
and then doing it well.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Until next time, read, write and
learn.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Ciao<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
If you have any questions you can
find me at:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black;">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-25366237335426605782013-12-24T16:00:00.000-08:002013-12-24T16:00:01.044-08:00And Now For Something Completely Light-Hearted<div class="MsoNormal">
This will be the last post of the year, but that’s okay, I
took some time off, got back on the horse and did well; and I’m sure all of you
out there can say the same thing too about something or other this year. Today
I don’t offer you advice, I’m not going to burden you with motivational
speeches (not today anyway, pour yourself a drink, you’ve earned one). I just
want to say happy holidays; because after all the beer, wine and tea has been
drunk, the pork, beef and sprouts tucked away, presents unwrapped and crackers
pulled; it will be time to get back on the treadmill and punch out that next
achievement.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, a gift from me to you, for following me so well and for
just being you this year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The crackers are there, we haven’t pulled them yet.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The presents all wrapped, out of sight.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The snowflakes are waiting, until the lights are out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The world is cheering, but what about?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’ve closed all the curtains, I’ve turned out the lights,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Cookies on the mantle, carrots in the chimney light.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m all tucked up in bed, I can’t see the stars,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that doesn’t mean I’m not trying my hardest.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like hell I’m asleep, I simply can’t wait. Night<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hasn’t fallen, and of course I’m still awake.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The family is calling; the presents all shout.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No cookies on the mantle. No carrot outlived the night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s no more waiting and the end between us-<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the end of the day, I’ll be all tuckered out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Not my best, but I think I’ve captured the mood, until the New
Year, happy holidays. If you want to contact me before my next instalment: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor"><span style="color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper"><span style="color: black; mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha: 100.0%; mso-style-textfill-fill-color: black;">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-69995323688271645282013-12-18T08:02:00.000-08:002013-12-18T08:02:18.733-08:00Show Me a Story, Don’t Tell Me, a Much More Technical Approach<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
As Promised last time, today I am
actually going to give writing advice, (yes batten down the hatches and close
those blinkers). A newbie giving advice is not exactly a popular idea, but who
better to guide the next latest release than the current, right? I’m intending
to talk you through the whole process of how to write a story anyone interested
in your genre would go wild to read, that is, one aspect that will aid you in
this purpose.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So, let’s get theoretical, which
makes more sense than starting with practical examples. A story, as with life
is made up of a series of actions, you are born, you live, and you one day in
the distant future die; three transitive acts in succession. Another example,
meeting someone for the first time. You get to know each other by sharing a few
facts, this would be the ‘tell’; but if you start ‘telling’ everything straight
away, they are going to be put off you pretty quickly as I have learned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
So, rather than saying; I’m Joseph,
I practice martial arts, I write and I have a rather avid fear of riding
horses; I will spend time with people, let them watch me practice, show them my
uniform, show them my books (and watch them scoff) and if I’m adventurous try
to get on a horse let them see me unseated for the umpteenth time. The whole
point of these examples is, telling someone these things tells them something,
letting them see it can be done with words.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Two tips in avoiding ‘the tell’:
Avoid the verb ‘to be’ guaranteed that 90% of the instances of ‘I am’ he/she
is’ etc. are instances of telling the situation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Instead I offer this comparison –
‘He was angry’, ‘His brow furrows as a dark look crossed his face’ a purple
vein began to throb on his forehead. I knew I had said the wrong thing’. Note I
have used the taboo verb in this sentence, but only as a re-affirmation of the
situation, emphasis only.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Second tip for the day: adverbs are
not your friend. This may seem woefully vague but I believe it was Stephen King
who wrote this before me that they are just clutter to your word count: ‘He ran
quickly’ could be written more dynamically as, ‘his feet became a blur as he
launched himself down the path’. Simple but I know which I would prefer to
read.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Technically these two rules, are a
good starting point for anyone who is moving up from nowhere to somewhere
should start with, all in the aim of taking the reader by the hand and letting
them delicately tread into the world you have created.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Until next time, practice,
experience and procrastinate, as writing needs a little of all three.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Ciao<br />
Follow me at: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor" style="line-height: 150%;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clarkauthor</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Realmskipper">https://twitter.com/Realmskipper</a></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-14819617832083080482013-12-13T06:44:00.000-08:002013-12-13T07:11:49.598-08:00Stop talking about it, write it!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
It has come to my attention since
the wonderful news of being taken on by Nocturnal Press that I have been
surrounded by what I would like to kindly call ‘lifelong procrastinators’. I do
not mean that these people are lazy, though some are (you know who you are) but
what I would like to say is that though we all have a book inside us; we choose
not to write it because we basically tell ourselves we just are not able to
write one. Today I’m telling you all to shut up about wanting to write and make
one day, today.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
When I began this journey over
thirteen years ago, I did not once tell myself I cannot do this, it is
something I have learned from others telling me ‘you cannot do it’. Well I did,
and you can do it too. We all have a hurdle to overcome and this one of writing
is no higher than any other; admittedly I can give you several reasons why my
hurdle was higher for my rather stout legs than yours, but there is no higher
hurdle there is just high, have you jumped it yet?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
My experience was probably not
ideal to break into this tough and life-changing business, which existed in
some shape or form before the written word, and in my view will never die out.
I began by discovering poetry and novels. Though naturally adept to poetry and
its formal forms I tackled what Jackie Kay puts as the hardest experience in
one’s life, full of self-doubt, anxiety, depression, frustration – you get the
idea. Today I am still working on that novel, hopefully one day it’ll be on
your shelves.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
But now, I poured my experiences
and my obsessions into my latest book ‘Mr Locke’s Diary’ (Out in February 2014)
and I hit gold. It takes lending your soul to the page, or to whatever else you
want to achieve creatively, and not giving up at the first hurdle. This was
certainly one of my harder short stories, due to tone, register and research
involved in localizing it, but it was worth it, I can see myself before I
finish a page and for an instant I fall in love – this is before I realise I’m
supposed to be editing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
This I know is not much in the way
of technical help, but those will follow. I have a few ideas including my next
post ‘show me a story, don’t tell me’, a much more technical approach and so on.
A writer is born to serve the people; whether it is with a story to teach the
next generation or to fight political injustice and I intend to serve. Until
next time, read, love, live.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Ciao </div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-35019154889297890772013-11-24T09:50:00.003-08:002013-12-13T08:01:49.024-08:00Re-Vamp<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">It has been a long time but I have returned! This time I bring the news that my first book, 'Mr Locke's Diary', will be released in February. Let me take you all back to where I started this blog though, a bit like the 50th Dr Who anniversary that just passed actually.</span></h3>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8911803756081782849" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: #141414; color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; position: relative; width: 586px;">
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6404110775782781203" itemprop="description articleBody" style="position: relative; width: 586px;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve always known I wanted to write, I started when I was eight, on a series of books I’m still writing. This book was inspired my musings during a job I did over summer and my almost obsessive adoration for the music of Emilie Autumn, whose concert I saw in Nottingham before moving abroad.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My book will be available through Nocturnal Press and via me. Though my aims are to break into the retail chains with enough support from publishers and readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve always known I wanted to write and I’ve never been short of a reason for doing it. It’s like asking a cat why it purrs, because it cannot bark, mine is similar; I think the best would be to lend a few words from John Keats, ‘the artist is the most unartistic person in the world, he is a conduit for this energy that he transforms into words’, is what I summarize from his work. In brief, I never chose to write; I always knew I was full of stories and they all had to be shared.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">My Book, ‘Mr Locke’s Diary’, follows a young house maid in the service of Mr Locke who one day goes missing. She is forced to pose as a gentleman in order to save the house from bailiffs but in the process she finds she has a taste for the new found freedoms of being a young man. She discovers a dark work of seedy drinking establishments, violence and pornography, but once through the looking-glass, she can never turn back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Her freedom is short lived and discovered posing as a man and she is locked away in the asylum for insane young ladies where her luck only deteriorates. Delusions trap her in a world made of metal, filled with soulless workers loading trolleys with boxes, where you are condemned to eternal punishment to survive in boredom. There is a box, just one will lead you out of this place. Will she choose to exist in this place forever or take the risk of leaving? We all have an ending, we just don’t know which it will be until it’s too late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">To follow my work you can go to the following sites:</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clark.908" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://www.facebook.com/joseph.clark.908</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - public profile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://twitter.com/JosephC95010475" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">https://twitter.com/JosephC95010475</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - Another less frequently used public profile<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://realmskipper.blogspot.fr/" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">http://realmskipper.blogspot.fr/</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - for articles and poetry<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.wattpad.com/user/JosephClark" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">http://www.wattpad.com/user/JosephClark</span></a><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> - for other fiction<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">I hope to see you all soon. Ciao</span></div>
</div>
</div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-89991620735566147482012-12-17T08:01:00.000-08:002012-12-17T08:01:00.326-08:00From Cathy to Linton<br />
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I’ve learned lots of love letters<o:p></o:p></div>
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Their style, composure, and glee.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They’ve never set much in store<o:p></o:p></div>
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For little, lonely me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p>- </o:p></div>
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I was told, by dear Dean, no less<o:p></o:p></div>
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That the young start in passion-<o:p></o:p></div>
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The inexperienced finish loose.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I’ve heard her warn<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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So this letter, my dear Linton<o:p></o:p></div>
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Is all that I should have said<o:p></o:p></div>
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Years back, when my tongue<o:p></o:p></div>
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Was new, yours glad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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I’m sorry our letters stopped short, <o:p></o:p></div>
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Come to me, my love for you did not.<o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-50408653515039610252012-12-10T14:18:00.001-08:002012-12-10T14:18:53.626-08:00A Poet on stage<br />
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Tonight, for the first time in months, I treated myself to a
night out, so of course I went with a friend to a much loved event; a poetry
reading. This post decidedly will be a short review of Aurélia Lassaque’s
reading at Palas Print dated 10/12/12.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Armed with a measure of good red wine and a delicious, not
to mention sticky mince pie; sat in a tiny room where the Welsh, French,
Spanish, English and whoever else sat shoulder to shoulder, waiting expectantly
for the performance to begin. I had no
expectations of this poet, being out of the loop for some time, evident in my
blog, I took my seat in the front row. The lovely Aurélia and her translator took
their seats facing us. I could not even see a twinge of apprehension, something
rare when reading to such a seasoned group of critics, and that was only the Welsh.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was astounded and full of admiration at Lassaque’s first
collection ‘The call of Janus’, tracking the progression of images over St John’s
Day. Each image has its own page, and each page resonates with a different
sense. ‘Sweet aromas of cut grass’ and ‘horses tramp hooves in a war dance’,
are just two phrases from the opening, forbearing the naturalist and disturbing
that Lassaque invokes more and more throughout this collection.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With each passage, Lassaque read more and more passionately,
while maintaining her authorial distance, something I find admirable when faced
with such emotive language such as ‘ blood quickens beneath the skin’ and many
others I have little time to mention.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Overall this collection, talking not exclusively of Bella’s time
spent in this unusual place, is truly breath taking and well worth a read. It
is truly awe inspiring to think these poems were written over two weeks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Quickly moving on to the rest of her book; there was a truly
controversial, perhaps dark side to many of these poems. Lassaque ventured to
read some in Catalan and Italian, other than Occitan, demonstrating prowess in
major as well as minor languages. Fantasy, for its prude inspiring mention of defrocking
monks, and invoking Mediterranean imagery with Greece an ‘an olive tree’, were truly
captivating.<o:p></o:p></div>
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‘The king of golden silk’, was possibly the darkest of these
poems, retaining its distance from the scene only made it stronger as this king
was in fact a scarecrow. The poet mentions his guts are ‘scattered on the
ground’. However, before judging any of her work pejoratively, it is essential
to mention that no matter how dark the tones are; her poetry exemplifies beauty
in a way I have seen very few poets do. It is my opinion that Aurélia Lassaque’s long
career will keep on crashing forwards, with many more books to come; myself, I
look forward to her next release in March next year.<o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-16806148210137704982012-11-06T01:58:00.000-08:002012-11-06T01:58:07.966-08:00The sanity of silliness<br />
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So, entering my second year of French with English
literature, and I have to ask myself, just how do I keep my sensibilities under
all this work (made even harder by having to take time out to get my first Dan
black belt in October), and also while wondering if I’ll ever get to work on
the Realmskipper saga again soon?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well,
the answer is, it’s the toons that keep me sane, no I jest not, I don’t talk to
them, and I assure you, they don’t ask me to. Watching these figments of
another’s imagination allows me to escape the universe I happen to be plonked
in, and wander the glittering alleyways of another. The human brain is not a
machine, and I never believe it should be treated as such, the least of my
reasons is a abhor headaches. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Are
there any other ways, one might ask, of putting down the goblet of pressure,
and brain ache of real life? Yes! Many writers subscribe to a healthy fitness regime,
myself included.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Consider the following next time you feel the wear and tear
of thorny life, or if you feel your wanderings becoming aimless and wholly
unsatisfying:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->Martial arts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->Cardio workouts<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->Yoga<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> -</span></span><!--[endif]-->Quidditch (The most ancient and silliest of
wizarding sports)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->Cartoons<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->Cooking something tricky but fabulous tasting<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]-->And many more, leave me some suggestions!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Well, while I have to attempt to make coherent sense of why
museums are instruments of political power in the fifth republic of France
(which isn’t entirely boring) I’ll leave you all to go out and make your
masterpieces, ciao.<o:p></o:p></div>
Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3689334898765079287.post-53616515599937607932012-07-13T12:59:00.001-07:002012-07-13T12:59:40.973-07:00Why Sit Alone Little Poet?I've been a bad blogger lately, I hold my hands up to you who love my poetry and apologize. However, I have been busy, cooking things up for the future, my novel is currently in preparation to hit a few select agencies in the country in the hopes one will take on this poor poet so he can reach more people. I will strive to get something out when time presents itself. But for now, here's something from my collection that earned me a 1st in Poetry in Bangor University, year 1.<br />
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Why Sit Alone Little Poet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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Why rest your feet alone timid poet?<o:p></o:p></div>
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The sun does burn harsh your small fantasies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kill them quick, darling, do be quaint and quit,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Maybe you have. Those feeble diseases<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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Which bewitch your mind, your soft supple fingers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Does shade not keep them deep cool as before?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Shake not your darling bends and breaks, bearers<o:p></o:p></div>
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Of Bangled wrists and bead bracelets. They bore<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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The gents around town.
Lift yourself up, don’t cry<o:p></o:p></div>
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Your two fine friendly legs stop spirits sore<o:p></o:p></div>
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And your eyes which see the plain paved prairie <o:p></o:p></div>
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Betray thee, with those barred boards of your moor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> -</o:p></div>
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As long as paths do wind, and grass does gleam<o:p></o:p></div>
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Follow the river and forget the stream.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Joseph Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15004083055791601891noreply@blogger.com0