January 2015
It’s always good to review and redo this page from time to time. Because of what’s happening in France as I write this, I must express solidarity with all writers by declaring, “I am Charlie.” Having said that, I feel mocking peoples’ beliefs ain’t very clever – it’s not going to change the way people view their worlds and probably does more harm than good.
Stepping off the soapbox, I’m a white male, married, two adult daughters, one grandkid, no pets (the cat died), and a devout atheist.
I started writing in 2012 and mainly it’s prose that appears on the screen. From time to time I try my hand at poetry but poetry is best left to poets. I rarely post any poems I’ve written. But here’s one I wrote to kick start 2015. Hope you enjoy it.
As far as photography is concerned, like most others I snap away digitally, but also use black and white film which I develop and print myself – normally badly.
We live in the UK in a not very exciting commuter suburb just south of Manchester (a city I enjoy because it offers a happy mix of theatre, concert halls, art galleries, unpretentious pubs, Big Issue sellers, drug dealers, sink housing estates, litter, smells etc) and just north of Macclesfield (which offers interesting traditional pubs, open mike venues and my weekly writing group in the local library). The region offers some lovely people, great countryside, excellent transport infrastructure (in London within 2 1/2 hours; on the moors within 20 minutes), and a temperate climate.
With respect to my posts, do comment seriously on my writing and I will reciprocate and possibly Follow you. “Likes” and thinking something is “pretty awesome” does nothing to make me want to be engaged. Unless you’re a regular reader and commenter (?), I won’t visit your blog simply because you have Liked something of mine (I recently had someone Like about 15 of my pieces – I guarantee he/she hadn’t read any of them. Boo).
The random blog selector thingy titled Lucky Dip and with the click click button in the right hand column comes from here. So thanks for that.
There was something else, but I can’t think what it was.
patrickprinsloo 
Love the Brexit! (may we republish?) Also, please follow Logikblog.com!
Hi Patrick, are you ex-CLF, ex-SA Naval Gymn? Friend to Richard Earle? He’d love to contact you. If you get this and are he, please reply to me at info@peterjearle.com
Hello! Nice blog. I enjoy your writings. Peace, Arlene
Thank you, and peace to you too. Patrick
Now I was going to shuffle off after reading several of your posts as it’s way past my bedtime on a school night but I thought better of it when I read above! I know what you mean about people liking and disappearing but I figure most of us are probably pushed for time and generally only comment if they have something different to say than what others have already commented. I will say I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my mosey around. I’ve smiled a fair few times in the reading and gasped a little when I thought you knew the plot to my book in one of them. Nano’s keeping me busy from WP for the most part at the moment but I hope to get back in again and enjoy some more. 🙂
Your Donald Trump piece was pretty awesome btw. 😉
Thanks for reading my pieces and for your generous comments.
I take your point about the likes/comment question; I often find that earlier visitors to a site have made comments that make any contribution of mine superfluous.
Good luck with Nano and let us all know when the finished product is available.
Awesome, indeed.
Thank you for followning my blog. I like how you state clearly what you expect from people visiting to engage in a conversation. I’m a bit divided on that. Sometimes people puzzle me because they seem to like random posts, out of the blue, but overall, I’m glad someone reads and leaves the info that they’ve read, even if it’s just a like. And sometimes I do the same when I’m under time constraints, or feel shy. I try to be more wordy on your blog. 🙂
Ah, I hope you didn’t find my words on commenting too pretentious. This is an area where I’m pretty hopeless so it’s a bit much to ask others to do more than I can. But hello again and thanks for following. My muse is absent at the mo, hence no recent posts. Damn.
I didn’t find them pretentious, they were honest. I often read blogs, find something of interest, but tiptoe around, because the group of commenters seems tight-knit. Then I leave a like and shuffle off. Knowing that comments are appreciated and preferred makes things easier for the reader, too. Let me kick your muse a bit. 🙂
Constructive comment is what I will attempt when visiting although occasionally I may be inane – time will tell. It’s good to know what you want. Cheers Irene
Thanks, Irene.
An award for you at…
http://divebarbluestales.wordpress.com/2014/02/26/121/
I’m delighted. Many thanks.
Very welcome 🙂
I don’t know how to do that little frog yet…
Always thought developing one’s own pictures would be so cool. Good for you for trying all the different methods. I am old enough I know what “longhand” is!
Hi, You have to click on the inlinkz link which is found just below the frog, and then follow instructions. You can do it! You know you can!
Learned a new word: “longhand”, I didn´t know this word…that´s what I do, too. Carrying little books in each bag, so I can write wherever I am. The technical things in my wordpress blog I just do with my “try and error” method, sometimes it works and sometimes not, so what. Important is not the great design but the the content.
Liebe Grüße aus Deutschland
Carmen
Delighted you have a new word. But there’s a danger it will fall out of use as people lose their handwriting skills. Agreed content is the thing.
Greetings from England
I too struggle with technology. I’m still unsure as what I should do as regards WordPress latest request to double up on security by doing something or other with my cell phone. Seems to me they’re just trying to get a hold of that revenue resource. What have you done about it? Signed on ,opted out, or are still in limbo like me?
I ignore all that. They’re just after the money. Limbo is the place I like to be.
I like your about page. I think it is pretty awesome. Can’t they come up with something better than that??? So, no likes for you–just sincere comments. Got it.
Longhand writing still calls to me, but eventually, it gets onto the computer because correction and editing is so easy. One problem I’ve encountered that is maddening–some of my writing is locked away inside old computers that no longer work.
Just joined Friday Fictioneers and see that you write with other groups, also. I’m thinking that this is definitely the way to get my fiction writing going again. Nice to meet you. Laura
I’ve just reread my About page for the first time in ages. I’ve progressed a little on the technology (but probably gone downhill on the writing – down, down into the depths…) and I added my Lucky dip link only this evening. It did take the good part of half an hour to get it right, but I managed.
I spent the better part of two afternoons getting that silly little frog on my Friday Fictioneers page. In the time it took to get the technology right, my 100 words could have been a short story.
I think I have it ready for the next prompt–we’ll see!
I have already bookmarked you…that’s how I follow folks I like – as ones’ inbox can get unmanagable. I’ve been blogging for about two years and may only know one or two things more than you…about blogging anyway. I’m a poet/writer, wife, mother, grandmother and I dabble in a few other crafty things here and there…here’s my about page, no obligation
(link things, pings and trackbacks aren’t as scary as I once thought!) …anyway:
http://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/about-me-sort-of/
I don’t think I’ve posted this on my flash fiction place…I more or less just started writing fiction again …from those many moons ago in High School and college. But I’ve always written poetry…my diary of sorts. Best of luck to you in all you do.
Technology can be useful when it ‘works’. Mostly though I find it ‘irks’. Cheers!
I just had a conversation with a fellow creative mind about the last bit there, the ‘thinking something is pretty awesome’ bit–it gets tiresome, doesn’t it?
I was feeling I’m a bit of an outsider writing that, so I’m pleased others may feel the same.