Published in Scribe·PinnedMember-onlyI Challenged the ChatGPT Bot to a Sonnet-Writing ContestI wanted to know if AI had the soul of a poet. What happened next left me speechless… — Everyone has gone a bit ChatGPT bonkers at the moment. Talk is that this brilliant bot can produce blogs, articles, exam essays and editorials so well-written that they are impossible to differentiate from a human-produced text. Writers and academics are predicting people will never need to write a real word…Poetry5 min readPoetry5 min read
Published in Scribe·Jan 27Member-onlyHaiku — Is There Less to It Than Meets the Eye?In this thrilling series on rhyming schemes, we look at one of the most famous forms in the world. But is it all an urban myth? — I have been delaying writing about the haiku for a rather embarrassing reason. I hate the form and its smug simplicity allegedly conveying profound meaning. To me, it’s a bit Emperor’s-New-Clothes-ish — all style and no substance. Like those abstract pictures critics rave about which look like a chimp or…Haiku8 min readHaiku8 min read
Jan 17Member-onlyChallenge: Can you manage a week without going online for entertainment?I decided to try. After all seven days can’t be that hard, can it? — When I realised the other day that I was spending more time worrying about Prince Harry’s relationship with his brother than thinking about people I actually knew, I decided to take time off the internet. We are only gifted so many minutes of life. As you get older you begin…Internet8 min readInternet8 min read
Jan 9Member-onlyHow I Made the Best Writing Den in the WorldI wanted a mix of Hogwarts and Gaius’ workshop in “Merlin” so I set to work… — We all need a place to write — a corner, a couch, a coffee shop or, in my case, a small room tucked away at the back of the house. But I wanted more than a dedicated space and a laptop, I wanted a feast for all the senses, a…Creativity6 min readCreativity6 min read
Published in Scribe·Jan 3Member-onlyBet You Can’t Do This! Alphabetical PoetryYou might think writing one of these is as easy as ABC, but you’d be wrong. — Right, all you word wizards and mathematical magicians. This week’s challenge is quite a tricky one, although the premise is simple. The English alphabet has 26 letters. (You might think that is true for all European languages but the Spanish alphabet has 27 letters — they add an ñ —…Poetry5 min readPoetry5 min read
Published in Books Are Our Superpower·Dec 21, 2022Member-onlyX Marks the Spot — Three Armchair Treasure Hunting GemsSolve the puzzles in these books and you could make some real money and exercise your brain — Walt Disney famously said: “There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates’ loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life” But what if reading a book could literally lead you to treasure? That would be exciting, wouldn’t…Books9 min readBooks9 min read
Dec 21, 2022Member-onlyWhat Everyone Should Know About Owning a PetIt’s not all fluffy cuddles and wet-nosed kisses you know … — There are some pet owners who dance on the periphery, never quite understanding what it is really like to look after an animal. You know the ones. They dress their ant-sized dog up in stupid clothes. They dye their cat pink to match their hair and stick the video on…Pets7 min readPets7 min read
Published in Scribe·Dec 19, 2022Member-onlyThe Biggest FIB of AllThe next in my poetry rhyming scheme series is a form that reconnects the arts and the sciences. A little Fibonacci will explain everything… — After my earth shattering terza rima revelations and shocking challenge to the ChatGPT bot to write a sonnet, I’m now going to look at a poetic rhyme scheme that was born from science. This is dangerous territory, joining techie and tale-teller, bean-counter and bard. Make those worlds collide and all…Poetry6 min readPoetry6 min read
Published in Scribe·Dec 8, 2022Member-onlyThe Brown DogsA lament for overlooked writers … — I once worked in a dogs’ home And those adopted first Were the showy, young or cute ones While those that came off worst Were older, brown and medium-sized Quite average you might say. But still they hoped their turn might come For all dogs have their day. And when…Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Dec 7, 2022Member-onlyGoing to War with Writer’s Block? Put Down Your Weapons, There Are Gentler Ways to Get Creativity FlowingNo more blaming, shaming and fighting. A different approach is needed. — I’ve just emerged dazed and blinking into the daylight after eight months in the shadowy no-man’s land of writer’s block. In fact, I wouldn’t even call it writer’s block because it affected everything, not just writing. I would term it “creative indifference.” Usually prolific in making all kinds of arty…Writing10 min readWriting10 min read