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Poem #22 Dry Storm

No Comments »19th January, 2007; Category: Poetry

Dry Storm

The masses gather,
Rise in a splendour of beauty,
Magnificent in their grandeur,
Terrifying in their potential power.

The sky darkens, they rise,
Higher and higher
And envelop the earth,
Casting a dark shadow over the burnt land.

They pass overhead
In a majestical form,
Towering above everything,
Ready to unleash their life.

But they pass like a stealthy ghost
In the quiet of morn.
They were blessed yet cursed –
For they bore no wealth.

When will the earth be free
From this terrible thirst?
When will life resume
In this usually pleasant land?

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel.

To read more of my poetry click here.

How to grow your blog community

2 Comments »18th January, 2007; Category: Blogging, Blogs, Writing Hints

Most bloggers would like to have more people coming to read their blogs. Most would like to see some results for all those hours of writing and sweating over their words and trying to write good content.

And I guess most bloggers would like to see people leaving comments on their blogs. In this way you can develop a community of readers who are loyal and regular readers.

But how best to grow a blog community?

Ben Yoskovitz on his Instigator Blog has posted a useful list of 8 Steps to Growing Your Blog Community One Person at a Time.

I’m pleased to say that I usually follow most of his suggestions. I am particularly careful to follow his first four suggestions.

  • I often aim to write in a way that will encourage people to leave comments.
  • I usually followup comments with comments of my own engaging the readers in conversation.
  • First time commenters are usually thanked via a personal email.
  • I also like to visit their blog to see what types of things they are interested in, their passions and topics.
  • I reciprocate by commenting where appropriate. All this helps to develop that sense of community.

Related articles:

The importance of books

16 Comments »17th January, 2007; Category: Books, Reading, The Writer's Life

I was listening to local radio last week.

A guest speaker boldly announced, “I’ve just finished my seventeenth book.” He paused for the oohs and ahhs and congratulations to fade away before adding: “I enjoyed the experience so much I think I read another book sometime.”

Writers write – that’s a given principle.

I would like add that writers also read – voraciously.

Last year I read very few books. In fact, it was the fewest books I have read for four decades. (Yes – it’s a problem I have – I’ve kept a list of all the books I have read for over 40 years!) I try to finish two books a week; I’ve averaged over 92 per year for those 40 years. Last year I read only 25 books. (I did do an enormous amount of reading on the internet, however.) This year I plan to correct that and I’m already off to a flying start, on target to read over 100 books this year.

From time to time I’ll write about what I am reading.

In the meantime, what are you, my readers, reading? Leave your comments and insights below.

UPDATE: For a follow up article on this topic go to this new article: The importance of books – more comments.

Idiom #12: A bad egg

No Comments »15th January, 2007; Category: Idioms

This week’s idiom:

“A bad egg”

Meaning:

A person who is unreliable or untrustworthy is sometimes referred to as “a bad egg.”

Origins:

One cannot tell the quality of an egg just by looking at the outer shell. Breaking the egg and looking inside is the usual way of testing the quality of an egg. A bad, or rotten egg, may contain a nasty surprise.

Likewise with people, it is not always possible to tell the true nature of a person judged by outward appearances alone. It is only by getting to know the inner person through friendship that we get to know their reliability and trustworthiness. It is only through a close relationship with a person that we get to know their true character, their inner qualities.

This expression may have been in common spoken usage for some time before its appearance in published form in the 1850s. The opposite expression, “a good egg” did not come into use until the early 1900s and was probably coined by students at Oxford University. Naturally, it refers to a thoroughly reliable and trustworthy person.

Example:

  • I wouldn’t trust Percy with the club’s money; he’s such a bad egg.

Short Fiction #28 The Deal

No Comments »14th January, 2007; Category: Short Fiction, Short Stories

The Deal

George hesitated. He wanted to go on, but he felt compelled to wait.
‘Who’s there?’ came the muffled voice from within.
‘It’s me – George,’ he called through the keyhole. He felt ridiculous speaking to a hole in the door.
‘Come on in,’ replied the muted voice, ‘It’s open.’
George took a deep breath. He turned the knob. The door swung open.
‘I’ve been expecting you.’
George stared at the only occupant of the tiny room.
‘You took your time.’
‘The car wouldn’t start,’ mumbled George.
‘Never mind. Let’s get down to it. It’s your deal first.’

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel

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