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Terrible Tongue Twister Tortures Trevor

No Comments »3rd September, 2006; Category: General

I enjoy reading the Review section of The Weekend Australian newspaper. It has a broad range of articles about books, authors, literary events and many book reviews. Saturday’s edition had a short review of a book called “Sheep’s Miscellany: a collection of Truths and trivia.”

According to the author, Karen Gee, the toughest tongue twister in English is:

“The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.”

And she also states that New Zealanders lead the world in Googling the word “sheep.”

I’ve always wondered about the Kiwis.

Short Fiction #11 Celebration Day

No Comments »3rd September, 2006; Category: Short Fiction, Short Stories

Celebration Day

At last Saturday arrived.

James and Amanda were excited.

They’d hardly slept all week.

“Are you ready?” asked Amanda.

“Yes, I think so.”

Soon they were racing their bicycles along the street and down the hill.

Brakes screeched, bikes were dropped.

“We’ll have fun helping to blow out the one hundred candles on great Grandma’s cake!” said James.

All rights reserved.

Copyright 2006 Trevor W. Hampel

Read more of my short fiction here.

Haiku #15 Snake

4 Comments »2nd September, 2006; Category: Haiku

Snake

Black, sleek and deadly

The snake slithers silently

Through the grass – evil!

All right reserved.

Copyright 2006 Trevor W. Hampel

Writing Hint #6 Sentences

2 Comments »31st August, 2006; Category: Writing Hints

In a literary magazine I recently read the following writing hint:

One-word sentences?

Eliminate.

Rubbish!

I disagree.

Strongly.

Short sentences can be very effective. In fact, a variety of sentence lengths can be an indicator of very effective and interesting writing. It can be overdone, of course.

I would rather read short, precise and concise sentences than run-on sentences that never get to the point and meander all over the place, introducing new material that has nothing to do with the original intent of the writer showing that the author is not fully in command of this exacting craft called writing, although some would indeed call it an art, not a craft at all but that is the subject of a post I intend including on this writing blog very soon, when I get the time, of course, with so many projects under way it is a difficult juggling act.

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Why do you write?

1 Comment »30th August, 2006; Category: General, Quotes, The Writer's Life

I recently came across this great quote:

“I write for the same reason I breathe –
because if I didn’t, I would die.”

~ Isaac Asimov

Why do I write?

    1. I am a communicator. After 35 years of teaching young children I am convinced that this is the real me.
    2. I am a storyteller. I love relating stories – usually jokes – to others.
    3. I am a creative person. I love the process of taking a scene, a character or an idea and running with it to see what happens. My characters sometimes hijack my stories and the ending even surprises me!
    4. I am an escapist. I prefer to live in a fantasy world. Reality is too harsh, too disappointing, too REAL. In the words of Ashleigh Brilliant: “I have abandoned my search for the truth and am now looking for a good fantasy.”
    5. I am a visionary. I dream dreams. I can see the big picture. And sometimes these dreams and visions seep out of my being on to the page and I just have to share them with others. If the others think I’m a little unhinged, a little strange, a little whacky with a few kangaroos loose in the top paddock, so be it. I cling to the words of King Solomon who said: “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18)

    Why do you write?

    Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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