Robin Graham
three careers, now retired in genteel poverty
trying for fourth career as writer
BA History from Stirling
email yankee<dot>fiddler<at>gmail<dot>com
Location Alloa, Clackmannanshire, Scotland
Activity
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Robin Graham made a comment
A fascination with Scottish history.
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Robin Graham made a comment
I would not be surprised to find that there is life on Europa, but I'm not sure how we would recognize it if it's very different to life on Earth. When did we first figure out that corals are animals? When did we find out that living beings occur around hydrothermal vents or undersea caves or at the bottom of the Mariana Trench or under Antarctica? All...
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Robin Graham replied to Robin Graham
@MikeAnderson Hi Mike, thanks for the offer. To my surprise, I've had two reviews, one good, one not so much. I'm always happy for a fresh pair of eyes, so if you're willing, my email address is on my profile. I'd be quite happy to return the favour.
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Robin Graham made a comment
I have finally submitted my short story, late as usual - I hope there's still someone around to review it!
It's meant to be a part of a larger work, all short stories centred around a group of people who meet up in a pub. Each 'chapter' is intended to be a story complete in itself, that can be read on its own. Let's see if I can pull it off! -
@IanGraham That's the order I read them in the first time around, and the Silmarillion quite a bit later. The second time, it was LOTR (I couldn't find Hobbit), then discovered Children of Hurin, then Silmarillion again. Don't own Unfinished Tales, but I read a library copy. Must buy it one day.
Feist's Riftwar books have a strong 'action/adventure element...
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Robin Graham made a comment
I don't know if I should love you guys or hate you. Adding your books to my reading list has got me enough books to keep me reading for at least 10 or 12 years. I hope I live long enough.
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@MikeAnderson Copyright law is rather convoluted, and varies from one country to the next, but basically, in the UK copyright exists for 70 years after the author's death, and it's up to the author (or the author's estate) to bring an accusation of breach of copyright to court. One of the wrinkles is defining what constitutes that breach. You can draw...
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@IanGraham I've read the Tolkien books twice now, well spaced apart, and have now started re-reading again, starting with Silmarillion; halfway through the Hobbit, next up is LOTR. Similar books are Raymond E Feist's Riftwar series - not quite up to Tolkien, but close. Sort of tales you can stay up all night reading.
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Two points: the best proofreader/copy editor in the world won't pick up everything.
Poor grammar is sometimes used deliberately to define the voice of a particular character(s), which I think may have been the case in the Scarpetta novels - it was the detective sidekick, no? -
Herman Wouk's 'Winds of War' and 'War and Remembrance' follows a military family through WW II, and had instances where I had to close the books and walk away, thinking, he can't kill them off, he just can't! Then I had to open it again and find out. Brilliant read.
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O Dear Silvia was a complete waste of space. One joke repeated endlessly amidst a sea of tedium.
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I loved all the Auel books, and the way she works in the archaeological facts is wonderfully non-intrusive and natural.
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Robin Graham replied to Ed Hogan
@CharletonWyman Wonderful!! This could easily be expanded into a short story or perhaps novel about this sculptress.
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Robin Graham replied to Serena P
@SuziLane Names can be important, particularly if badly chosen. I'm thinking of the Hogg sisters, daughters of a Texas oil baron, who named them Ima and Ura (real people).
If you're making up characters, choosing the right name might make them more or less sympathetic in your mind, which can help you in writing them. I have sometimes started a piece with... -
Da Vinci Code is what I call 'beach reading': you're on holiday, you need something to read on the beach, but if the tide comes in and washes it away when you're not looking, it doesn't matter much.
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Robin Graham replied to Charley Billy
That's a wonderful phrase: 'snowman of cliches'
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You might find it helpful to think about your characters *way* of speaking. I have characters that sound like elderly Oxbridge English professors; some that use a lot of slang; one that giggles a lot (she really annoys me, but she is useful); one whose every third or fourth word is a swear word; several that have a greater or lesser degree of accent. It might...
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Try daydreaming about your characters. Do they know each other? Are they friends/competitors/lovers/enemies? (This is probably too late to be any use, but might help in future.)
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Say au revoir, not goodbye. Put her aside somewhere, she may come in useful in another story.
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Robin Graham replied to Serena P
Try this in your notebook: one list of female names that you like; one list of male names; one list of names that can be either. Then do the same for names that you don't much like. Then surnames. This is, of course, no use if you're writing science fiction and need names for characters from other planets/galaxies. In that case, you're on your own! :)
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Robin Graham replied to Desireé Brand
A friend told me about an 'old guy' (the friend was in his mid-twenties, so the 'old guy' could have been anywhere from 50 to 100) who was Polish and an absolute whiz at chess. This was the beginning of my refugee Pavel. The 'old guy' stayed in my head, and I did a lot of research into Poland during & after WWII, and back further to the history of Russia &...
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If the writing is flowing, I just let it go, waffle or no, making sure that it swings back to where it needs to be within the story. You can always edit out the extraneous waffle, and sometimes, just sometimes, you find a gem within the dross that's worth keeping.
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Robin Graham replied to Val H
I use an abbreviated character sketch method on two or three index cards, sometimes while actually writing the story - or parts of it. Post-its are also good, since they can be shifted from page to page, especially if there's a particular aspect of the character needs to be emphasized in a given scene.
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@PaulO Not easy to do two courses at once, especially when they're 'overlapping'. It's also a bit deceptive when the introductory material says a course requires 3 or 4 hours work per week: I find they really take quite a bit more if you want to get the most out of them.
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When I'm trying to catch up (which is often), I tell everyone: unless the house is on fire or someone is bleeding, DO NOT DISTURB!!!
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@TeresaHeckman We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. -- Ernest Hemingway
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Robin Graham replied to Berna S.
We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master. -- Ernest Hemingway
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I suggested to someone to check out Scribophile (www.scribophile.com); it's basically a 'writer's club', where people submit work for critique with the aim of improving that work. Their rules for critiquing can be summed up as 'play nice'. People here might find it useful to join up, find a work that has multiple crits, and read the lot. It gives a good idea...
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Damn, life can be so inconsiderate.(she said, still 5 days behind)
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Robin Graham made a comment
Still trying desperately trying to get caught up - why does life have to be so inconvenient as to get in the way - but glad I looked at this discussion. There are some lovely ideas here as well as interesting comments on stereotypes in general.
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Robin Graham replied to Jo Strong
Stereotypes are so ingrained in a culture that they are difficult to avoid, and if you examine your writing closely, you may find stereotypes and anti-stereotypes 'hiding' in there.
I recall a story about an anthropologist who had lived among a 'primitive' people who asked him to tell them one of his stories. He chose Hamlet. His audience were horrified:... -
Robin Graham replied to Jo Strong
I suspect it's because so many of our stereotypes are sex related, therefore many 'anti-stereotypes' would also be so.
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Robin Graham replied to Renee Walls
Or international jewel thief. Either way, there's a film here.
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Robin Graham replied to thomas mofolo
One whose sex work is funding a PhD
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Consider a cheap A3 (large) sketch pad and post-it notes. Both can often be found in pound/dollar stores or similar shops. When you're done with it for the moment, you can flip the cover over. And then heap a bunch of stuff on top of it if you're worried about anyone seeing it too soon!
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Robin Graham replied to Anita F
One of those dictaphone-type recorders, like these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=memo+recorder&crid=GZVE0CTLGM8X&sprefix=memo+recorder%2Caps%2C1452&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_13
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It's easy enough to ignore the lines. Try it.
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Robin Graham replied to Tessa E
I have a genuine filofax (won in a raffle) that I've never used, that has become my notebook. There is one section for books I want to read, one for films I want to see, one for (skeleton) scenes or that might be useful (someday!), and the bulk, at the beginning, for random scribblings. May end up with more sections - glad there's a bunch of dividers! - as...
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Robin Graham replied to Eleanor Ness
@EleanorNess Foreign words and phrases are normally in italics.
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Robin Graham replied to Colin Mellows
*Hart's Rules for Compositors and Readers* from the Oxford University Press is an excellent reference for punctuation and a lot of other things: when to use roman or italic type; use of capitals; how figures and numerals should appear; various types of spellings; lots of other stuff. It is a British English reference, and American English would be somewhat...
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Robin Graham replied to Olga Miró
A fresh pair of eyes is always a good idea - they might easily pick up something you've missed. If your 'beta' reader raises a particular objection/question, ask them why. (part of critiquing is stating why you're making a suggestion.) By all means, consider it, in the context of your story. In the end, though, you the writer must decide what changes you make...
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Robin Graham made a comment
The bruised winter sky threatened an imminent downpour on the people in the street, all oblivious to the weather. Only Hilary, in her coat a loaded gun, looked up.
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Robin Graham replied to Lolly C
@LollyC You might want to look at Scribophile - has set-ups for different genres, has writing competitions that give you a starting point, helps you learn to critique, and you can submit work for others to critique. Doesn't 'force' you to write, but is a welcoming and encouraging bunch.
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Robin Graham replied to Kelly Falkiner
@KellyFalkiner I think that happens because you're too 'close' to the story, especially if it's something you've put a lot of work into. That's why you need a fresh set of eyes. I find that reading it aloud helps a lot, but the recording idea looks like a good one.
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Robin Graham replied to Sophia Chote
Looks like you're off to a good start, Sophia.
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Robin Graham replied to Sheelagh Murphy
Google 'freshwater dolphins' and 'boto' for more info. They are fascinating animals.
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Robin Graham replied to Ieuan Phillips
Keep in mind that readers can only know what you tell them. (Trap I fall into.)
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Robin Graham replied to Ed Hogan
@StephenHaggie Try contacting the support people - little box in lower right-hand corner of the screen.
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'io' is another one.
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The brain also ignores the mistakes that you've typed, so a fresh pair of eyes is needed. You also need to become aware of 'habitual' typos: I frequently type 'teh' instead of 'the'. If you know you have one of these habits, you can look out for iot.
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Robin Graham made a comment
As usual, I'm late to the party. I caught up on the first two weeks over 3-4 days without reading the comments. I'll try to go through them as we go along, but for now I'll just try to keep up!
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Robin Graham replied to James Wood
I believe a box is provided later on that allows enough space.
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Robin Graham made a comment
As usual, I'm late to the party. I fell in love with Robbie Burns when I was 11 years old, and I've been reading him ever since. I also have a great interest in folklore and song of the Celtic peoples (and other mythologies). Always happy to learn more.
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Robin Graham made a comment
To everyone who likes to collect new words:
CLINOMANIA - the overwhelming desire to remain in bed. -
Robin Graham made a comment
To anyone and everyone:
I've discovered an online writing resource that looks interesting:
https://www.novel-software.com/featureswebversion
They're trying to sell stuff, but they offer a free newsletter (monthly, I think) with some free stuff and info on writing competitions. It may well be worth a look. -
Robin Graham made a comment
Thanks to Wendy Goodwin for your review of my story. The 1000-word limit meant that everything had to be trimmed to the bone, so there was a limit to the amount of description that could be included. The chess players are indeed a motley group of misfits pulled together by the game, and there are plans for a series of short stories, each devoted to a different...
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Robin Graham replied to Amy Jordi
@AmyJordi If you have a piece that you would like a sensible, 'proper' critique, email it to me. My email is on my profile page.
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Robin Graham replied to Amy Jordi
@AmyJordi I hope you reported this person (or persons). It sounds both unhelpful and rude, and there's no excuse for it, particularly since guidelines were quite specific on what was expected. Just assume that you got stuck with a complete jerk, and carry on as if they don't exist.
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Robin Graham replied to Amy Jordi
@KayMacDonald Sometimes we *need* to read something nasty, that makes us feel uncomfortable. It's part of life, and needs to be recognised as such.
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Robin Graham replied to Rachel Kay
Growing older is mandatory; growing up is optional. I've known many people in their 40s, 50s, 60s, who were going on 15. (That said, I had a moment's thrill thinking I might have intimidated someone; I can't intimidate my dog! ;-) )
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Robin Graham replied to Jane Cottle
Big hugs can work wonders.
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Robin Graham replied to Michelle Compton
This intrigues me. If you'd like another opinion, email it to me - email on my Profile. (name attached to email account is Maggie Gray. Still me. Long story.)
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Robin Graham replied to Robin Graham
@SianLang There was a pub in south London, I think the Clapham area, that had regular chess games - although I don't think it ever had a tournament. If you send me an email address, I'll send you a copy. My email is in my Profile. (BTW, the name attached to the email address is Maggie Gray. Still me. Long story.)
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Robin Graham made a comment
Sarah Hinds, thanks very much for your observations on my story. You and Irene both caught the idea that the chess players are a pretty mixed and motley group who are united in their love of the game. I can see a series of stories based on this pub, centring on different characters. Your feedback was most encouraging and lead me to think that such a series...
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Robin Graham replied to Irene Elvy
Irene, thanks very much for your observations on my story. You and Sarah both caught the idea that the chess players are a pretty mixed and motley group who are united in their love of the game. I can see a series of stories based on this pub, centring on different characters. Your feedback was most encouraging and lead me to think that such a series might...
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@AJFenton I didn't get that 'facebook' vibe from scribophile at all; the fact that it's a writers forum, and that it has categories, so you can look for like-minded writers, are what makes me think it might be useful. Once I've finished this course, I'm intending to spend more time on it, just to see if it's worth hanging around.
At the moment, I've got two... -
Robin Graham replied to Mark Tuson
I think you've hit on why short-story writing is so difficult - how do you include everything necessary without rambling on? And what can you cut and still leave the story intact and making sense? Mine is also one incident in a larger work, and so leaves much to be desired as a short story. For instance, from my short piece, it's difficult to tell who is the...
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I've recently signed up to https://www.scribophile.com/dashboard/, haven't done much with it yet - this course is too demanding! - but it looks like a good forum. Several people from the course have joined, so you might want to think about this as a possibility.
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My sympathies, Cynthia, losing someone close is always traumatic. At the risk of sounding crass, try harnessing the rawness by writing it. It may or may not give you something that you would want to let loose on the world, but can be a cathartic exercise. It has helped me come to terms with grief.
Good luck. -
Robin Graham replied to William Brown
Been there. I find it useful to keep in mind where the story is going, what is the end result you're looking for. Then keep writing on the assumption that I can always go back and 'fix' it - or cut it! - as necessary.
This assumes, of course, that you know where the story is going. This does not always apply. :/ -
Sister Vincentia's class was a lot easier, she didn't believe in whacking. Her tongue-lashings were legendary, however.
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Robin Graham replied to Anne H
You're perfectly capable of reading a piece of text and working out what's good and what's not so good about it, and working out why. Thus you can make statements relating to these things. I think I'm a better editor than writer, but I'm trying to change that. You may be the same.
Part of the problem may be the word 'criticise', with its negative...
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Robin Graham replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@JohnO'Sullivan What do you mean, 'become'? It already is.
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Robin Graham replied to Charley Billy
Short story writing is an art in itself.
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Robin Graham replied to John O'Sullivan
Garroting?
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Robin Graham replied to Karin Guinchard
I know the feeling, Karin, I had a story half-way written, but no idea where it was going, between two bouts of (minor) illness. When I felt human again, I looked at what I had written, chucked it out and started writing again - same characters, but completely different scenario. It still needs work, but is a lot more satisfactory. So don't give up, just start...
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Robin Graham replied to Debbie Simmons
Or a bunch of different stories!
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Robin Graham replied to Peggy Liddell
Hi Peggy
The setting is Harlem in New York City, I'm guessing in the 1950s or 60s. I used to live a few miles north of there. It was then a black neighbourhood with a rather bad reputation: shootings and stabbings were not uncommon, and the police were not overly zealous in investigating crime in the area. As with many areas in NYC, use of language varied... -
Robin Graham replied to Charley Billy
I don't mind 'inner thoughts' as long as they are relevant in some way. They may be a window into a personality, or perhaps the mind-set of a character. They may shed light on a conflict that may not come across otherwise. Laundry lists only matter if one is sneaking into or out of the laundry for some reason. ;)
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Robin Graham replied to leona d
@DonnaCosta I've met this site before, lots of useful stuff. I would recommend it to any one.
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Robin Graham made a comment
Loved:
Wyn Blevins, *Stone Song*. A biography of Crazy Horse. One of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. You end up being a Sioux Indian, living and breathing the way of life. The characters are neither 'noble savage' nor 'savage animals', but real people.
George MacDonald Fraser, the *Flashman papers* series. Fraser takes Harry Flashman, the... -
Can't remember when I last read Louis L'Amour, or Zane Grey, but I went through a spell of reading every western I could get my hands on. These two were favourites.
The best I can say of Dan Brown is that he's a decent jobbing hack whose work is popular because it's an easy read - you don't have to work at it. At all. -
Robin Graham replied to Pip MacRae
Sederis is great fun!
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Robin Graham replied to Kay MacDonald
'The Princess Bride' as a book is wonderful; as a film it is wonderful. Which I prefer depends on which I've looked at most recently. Both were glorious. I haven't seen 'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy', but the BBC radio series was great: the pictures were terrific, far better than you could ever get on film.
Much depends on whomever writes the... -
@ThomasCrofton If your friend's eyesight loss is due to diabetes, it very strongly suggests that her blood sugars are not very well controlled. This can be treated by medication and - just as importantly - diet. She should talk to her GP and get a referral to a diabetes specialist/clinic. I've had type 2 diabetes for 20-odd years, and no complications so far...
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ditto
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My nephew's Japanese wife did an intensive two-week course in Welsh. He's a vicar in Wales and their children attend a Welsh-language school. Reiko decided that she needed to at least understand what the kiddees were getting up to. So the three bairns are growing up tri-lingual - how lucky!
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I'm too old and life is too short to waste time on rubbish books.
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Additionally, these books offer a 'snapshot' of their times and places, and as such have a particular value.
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There is an 'unreality' about the serial killer story that makes it 'safe' somehow. I know what you mean, though; I've read books that I had to close and walk away from for a while, because I was afraid to face what the next page might bring.
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Robin Graham replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
@NickHilditch Didn't know this, you live and learn. At least there's a rationale for this one - there often doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason.
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Robin Graham replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
I don't have any strong feelings about TNR; I much prefer 'classic' fonts, Bookman Old Style, Garamond, Palatino. Courier of any sort is just loathesome. But if you're submitting to a publisher, you use whatever they tell you.
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Robin Graham replied to Shelagh Fox
Green crayon is certainly a no-no.
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Robin Graham replied to Nick Edmunds
I don't know if there's any rule about it, but italics is pretty standard (although I have occasionally seen a change of font for this purpose - from a serif to a sans serif font for instance.)
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Robin Graham replied to Kay MacDonald
Each publishing house will have its own 'house style' (possibly more than one), and to some extent it is a matter of aesthetics. There are a few practical considerations though, that may explain some of these requirements.
Depending on your word-processing package, justified type can be hyphenated either in peculiar ways or not at all; either way, you end...
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Robin Graham replied to Seán Galvin
Do newspapers still have sub-editors? They certainly don't have proofreaders any more. This thanks to the advent of 'cold type'.
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Robin Graham replied to [Learner left FutureLearn]
The bare-bones requirement of any story is that it have a beginning, middle and end, regardless of word length. Would it help to make a skeleton outline? Along the lines of: 1. Fred went to work. 2. Fred had a problem at work. 3. Fred took action to address the problem. 4. Fred solved the problem. Overly simplistic, I know, but it might clarify the really...
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I think the original instruction said 750 to 1000 words.
Your 'too methodical' way of looking at it is at least a start at building a structure, and you may find that one para can be 250 words, another 150, or something along those lines. It might be better, though, to think of sections instead of paragraphs. That takes into account blocks of dialogue, for...
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Robin Graham replied to Alan McThredder
Sometimes ignoring something and coming back with fresh eyes enables you to see it differently, how to re-phrase, what's actually important to the story, what can be lopped off, etc.
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Robin Graham replied to Bushra Iqbal
I don't think your story is predictable at all, it is utterly charming. As Donna has said, it needs to be fleshed out, developed more fully, but it has great potential. Go for it.