There and back again

School has been a lot on my mind recently and as so often happens there has been a knock on effect in the memory department.

For one lesson we were asked to bring in two newspapers. A tabloid and a broadsheet. I think I chose the Sun and the Telegraph. We then had to find the same news story in each and write about the different methods of reporting.

In another lesson we were told to take a subject we felt strongly about – I chose fox hunting – and do two write ups about it in the style of a newspaper article, one by someone pro and the other by someone anti.

It was an interesting exercise and although I am and always have been anti fox hunting I stepped into the mind of someone who is for it. It didn’t change my opinion at all, but I was flattered when the teacher asked me which was my view as she hadn’t been able to tell from the pieces I’d written. She may well have been humouring me. She knew very well my opinion on animal cruelty since it was the subject of all of my class talks.

For the past few days we’ve been treated to a variety of stories about the weather, ranging from “We’re all doomed” to “There may be a few snow flurries” – well okay, I’m exaggerating, but you know what I mean.

During the January snow one newspaper reported that we were on the verge of a mini ice-age while further down the page they told us that this summer is expected to be the hottest on record.

So where is all this leading? There and back again to see how far it is? Maybe.

When I write a story I don’t consciously choose whose voice to use. It’s just there. Once I start wondering who should be telling the story it turns down the road to nowhere.

I suppose in my usual meandering way what I am trying to say is to get it down as it comes to you and let your creative mind do its job without interference from you.

At the moment I am on the road to somewhere so I’d best get back to it before someone comes along and overtakes me.