Clickbait! The what’s and wherefore’s

My teenage son, Padawan-Nerd-in-Training, stayed over on the weekend (as he does every weekend, so nothing new there). Padawan is a YouTube fan and has a number of channels he subscribes to. I, being an antiquated, internet hating has-been, try to avoid anything internet related other than this blog. Padawan showed me a few videos that were really interesting, about why crap videos and news stories attract so much internet attention. This video talks about the theory behind clickbait, fake news headlines and human behaviour: For more about clickbait, the YouTube algorithm and why we as an audience click particular types of stories, check this video … Continue reading Clickbait! The what’s and wherefore’s

Scream. A Poem Of Dreams.

The angry tide The beach swept clean Refuse returned to the slumber of the sea The frozen snows Such bitter cold Ground disguised, glistening winter freeze The haunted house All empty rooms Cavities and mouldings hold mysteries The ocean ship Pitches, rolls away The storm that blows onward drunkenly   All these things Broil and seethe In relentless dreams I drown, I scream I dream about all sorts of stuff. I know you do too. Care to share? Continue reading Scream. A Poem Of Dreams.

Rain. A Poem.

I felt the rain more deeply than ever before It flowed like chaotic capillaries down my face It mingled with tears, a salty, alchemical mix   It touched my tongue, combined saliva and cotton mouth It washed me clean of tragic irony and bittersweet regret And when it stopped I stood there dripping, alone as always Contemplating when it would fall on me again Would I accept its cold, cleansing embrace Or would I shrink away to a warmer, dryer place   This poem is another experiment for me. I’ve been trying out different free verse structures and meters, and … Continue reading Rain. A Poem.

Be The Hero Contest (Gotham Writers Workshop)

Following is an email from Steph Spector, director of contests and conferences at Gotham Writers Workshop. If you’re a new writer and would like to enter this competition, click on the link below. Hi Steve!  Gotham Writers Workshop (is a) creative writing school based in New York City and online. I’m on Steve Still Standing because I was searching for writing blogs on WordPress, and yours came up. I was reading some of your poetry—it seems like you’re passionate about the craft of storytelling, and I thought you might be interested in sharing Gotham’s newest creative writing contest with your followers.  … Continue reading Be The Hero Contest (Gotham Writers Workshop)