Comments on: “Snakey” by Roger Britton

By: Anne Skyvington

Anne Skyvington — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 11:03:23 +0000

In reply to tomorrowdefinitely. Yes, this is one of my Teachers' College classmates from 1961-62. We've got back together through our love of writing. He writes about past experiences and asks me for editing input. But he's needing this less and less of late. I'm fairly sure this is based on facts, perhaps slightly dramatised. Keep in contact.

By: tomorrowdefinitely

tomorrowdefinitely — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 10:48:41 +0000

Great writing and suspecting it’s ‘based on a true story’ makes it even better and naughtier 🙂

By: Anne Skyvington

Anne Skyvington — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 04:33:36 +0000

In reply to Anne Skyvington.

Hi again, Carol. Visit me on Facebook. I still use my single name.https://www.facebook.com/anne.skyvington

By: Anne Skyvington

Anne Skyvington — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 00:08:46 +0000

Calling all creative writing editors!!! Given that they say that you shouldn’t use more than 1 or 2 exclamation marks within a story or novel, does that apply here, too? Should Roger delete some of these (!) within the dialogue as well, or is it made an exception therein?

By: Ian Harry Wells

Ian Harry Wells — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 05:21:08 +0000

Only knowing Roger these days through his writing (it’s fifty some years since I last saw him!) I have no doubt he would have given as good as he got. His pupils would have been at a disadvantage as any mischief they could have come up with he had already done and would have been ready for it. “Gotcha! Been there, done that, think again!”

By: Anne Skyvington

Anne Skyvington — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 04:30:23 +0000

In reply to Ian Wells. Exactly, Ian. That's how I felt when I read it the first time. Do you think he got his when he started teaching, or was he just as bad at Headmaster Thumper?

By: Ian Wells

Ian Wells — Wed, 20 Jan 2016 01:04:29 +0000

I read somewhere once that the way to be a better writer is to find the thing you CAN’T NOT write about. Find the story do you NEED to tell. Discover the themes that draw you to them again and again. Uncover things that draw you to them, not the other way around.

With Roger the writing magnet seems to be pithy humour with just a tad of ribald or titillating misadventure. This usually paints Roger as the naughty boy who leaves his readers shaking their heads and muttering, “That damned kid!”