Author: KokkieH

I write like…

My Facebook feed delivered the most marvellous link yesterday to a site called I write like.  What this site does (or at least claims to do) is analyse your writing according to word choice and overall writing style.

I ran a few of my pieces through it and got some very interesting results, from Anne Rice and Margaret Mitchell, to Lewis Carrol and JRR Tolkien (and that in pieces that don’t closely resemble anything they’ve written, that I know of, in terms of content – in fact, I haven’t even read anything by either Rice or Mitchell).  One of my pieces are even in the style of Dan Brown (but seeing as literary types don’t like him very much we’ll not say that too loudly).

The first chapter of my novel is apparently in the style of Arthur Conan Doyle (not complaining) and my two short stories about Elephant and Perry the field mouse are in the style of Rudyard Kipling (but that could also just be because of all the animals).

I’m of course taking this with a pinch of salt, and just because one writes like Tolkien (that is, in the same style), it does not naturally mean that one’s writing is as good as his.  Still,  I’ve bookmarked the site – it’s one hell of an ego boost to be told your work is in the style of one of your favourite authors.

On the other hand, I’m very self-critical (I blame my piano teacher), and another conclusion I’m drawing from this exercise is that I have not yet developed my own consistent style.  And style, along with voice (I’ve been told), is ultimately what makes one writer unique from the next.  I guess I still have some way to go as a writer, but that’s true of any new endeavour we attempt.

In the meantime, here’s one more author I write like.  I got this one on the second chapter of my novel and am singling her out as, not only was she a great author, but we also share a birthday.

Ladies and gentlemen:

I write like
Agatha Christie

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Random Stuff

You know those days where you have nothing to write, but you really, really feel like writing something?  Yeah, here’s the result.

It’s getting colder over here.  I hate it.  I’ve never been fond of winter, but I suppose it’s necessary – can’t really have spring without it.  Thing is, where I live winter is just cold.  There’s no pretty snow or anything, just constant, freezing cold.  It’s also very dry.  Think dusty fields, hard grass, runaway fires, bare trees…I know Roy Campbell got a kick out of that, but I prefer summer with it’s thunderstorms, green trees and picnics in the sun.  On the other hand, now I have an excuse to whip up a batch of soup.  Mmmmmmmm.

I’ve started on the third chapter of my novel.  I’m seriously lacking in the discipline-department when it comes to writing.  At this rate I don’t know when I’ll be finished.  Any suggestions?

Wifey and I are currently on a Doctor Who marathon.  Just finished watching Blink, probably the scariest Doctor Who episode there is (at least in the post-2005 series – haven’t seen any of the old ones yet).  Very apprehensive about this weekend’s season finale.  The Doctor’s Name.  Oh, the possibilities.

If you haven’t heard yet, the Pianoguys have released a new video, this time a cover of Home by Philip Philips.  It’s terrific.  I especially like the cows.  Apparently they respond positively to the cello.  Who knew.

And, naturally, my post on spamming of Saturday received a spam comment today.  This one worked, though.  Luckily Akismet did as well.  Speaking of which, if you haven’t voted in the poll on spammers yet, there’s no time like the present. Look.  I even pasted it below so you won’t have to go back to the previous post.

Happy blogging, all.

A day off

I’ve been blogging consistently every day now for an entire week.  I think I’ll take today off as a reward.

(And yes, the several levels of irony have not been lost on me: writing a blog post to say I’m not writing one today; rewarding myself for consistent posting by skipping a day…what can I say?  I do stuff like that.)

I wonder what happens if I post it as an aside…

Because I can

This morning I quickly popped into the hardware store for some wood sealant (new bookcase, yay!).  While I was waiting for my payment to go through a sales rep came in and started chatting to the cashiers.  Her arm was in a sling and it came out that she had been in an accident.

She was waiting for oncoming traffic before making a right-turn (we drive on the left in SA) into town when someone slammed into her from behind going 160km/h(100mph) – double the speed limit at that point.  His car dragged hers for over 100 metres.  Her car, as she told it, cracked in half from the impact, back to front.  The spare tyre (in the boot) was compressed to the shape of a rugby ball.  His excuse?  He was in a hurry.  He even had the audacity to flash his lights at her as he approached.

She was lucky to walk away from the accident with only a torn muscle in her arm.  But she cannot drive, even if she had a car, so she cannot visit clients and cannot earn an income as her work is commission-based.

Walking home from the shop I thought of another incident I heard about this weekend.  A journalist I follow on Twitter was held up at gunpoint in his home with his wife and daughters on Saturday while his house was ransacked (his word).  Thankfully no one was hurt, at least not physically.  But the emotional trauma and lost property is a fact they have to live with now.

Both these incidents occurred because someone was selfish.  In both cases innocent people, just doing their jobs and trying to live their lives as best they could, contributing their bit to the world, were hurt because someone else did not care about fair play, or compassion, or respect, but simply took what they wanted because they could.

When did our world become like this?  When did it become okay to harm others simply because you can?