Author: Tom

A Scotsman who lives in England. An ex-Serviceman (23 years), ex-Retail (25 years). From 2007 - Creative Writer and Artist.

Spinning Plates …

On By TomIn Competitions, General, Insight, Poetry2 Comments
Look ... no hands ...

My drawing for this post is a nude study I completed in March 1985.  I remember it took about three hours.  I still consider it to be one of my best of that time.  This is one of very few ladies drawn naked because I prefer to draw them partially clothed. 

Decided I had to check in here with an update.  I now have three short stories on the go and an appropriate piece for the monthly magazine Scottish Memories.  I’ve completed the writing but I want to edit once more before it goes to the magazine.  I’m considering a sidebar menu for features and articles.  It would make sense since I’m getting back into my studies with my Creative Writing course. 

Over this last week I’ve been enjoying my favourite writer’s latest tale, THOSE IN PERIL by Wilbur Smith. It has all the usual WS ingredients like adventure, larger than life characters, death and heroics.  I’m savouring this one because it will doubtless be a while before his next. 

On the Starlite Cafe site I read a poem about a lad being taken to a brothel by his father as a treat and an introduction to sex.  The comments I noticed didn’t seem to be concerned with the poetic tale itself but with the subject matter … prostitution. 

The comments rather than the poem got me thinking that there was a need for a wider explanation of the topic.  Not that I’m an expert, but I’ve written a piece which in the next two days should be ready to post.  All I ask of readers is that they remember it is personal observation, not banner waving support of the industry. 

Hopefully now everybody who reads this will be waiting impatiently for my poem about prostitution.  I’ll post a link for it on Facebook and I’d like to think it will be read with an open mind.

Seven Plot Lines

On By TomIn General, Insight

My chosen drawing today is of British actor William Hartnell.  He was the first person to portray the now legendary Doctor Who.  A character who, using a Police Box nick-named the TARDIS travels across time zones and galaxies. 

The first Doctor Who
The TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) is still used as the good doctor’s transport but the actor and appearance have altered many times over the years.  Cleverly written into the storylines as a necessary part of the Doctor’s physiology – he has two hearts and on occasion will ‘die’ and be ‘reborn’.  I was a keen fan of ‘the doctor’ in my teenage years and still occasionally watch the latest reincarnation using the ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ which is the doctor’s version of the Swiss Army Knife. 
 
I thought it was an apt drawing because I’ve decided to attempt to write a series of short stories putting into practise the theory that there are Seven Plot Lines for the telling of tales.  It matters not whether it is a novel, a short story or a movie, it will be based on one of the seven basic plots.  My thanks to http://lquinn.edublogs.org/author/lmbqu1nn/  for the explanation of ‘the seven’.
 
The headings may vary but the seven are normally listed as Rags to Riches, The Quest, Voyage and Return, Comedy, Tragedy, Rebirth and finally Overcoming the Monster. 
 
I am presently still working on my two latest short stories but on their completion I will commence my quest to write at least one story using each of the aforementioned plots.  I’ll write a short blog post for each as it is completed and I may even add another of several portraits I’ve done of other Doctor Who actors.