REVIEW OF 2007

2007 has been a brilliant year for me. Here are some of the highlights (in no particular order):-

1. Going to New Zealand and all the amazing things I did there, including but not exclusive to - whale watching, glow worm caves, Franz Josef glacier, pancake rocks, Wanaka, Kaikoura, seal colony, little blue penguins, patting a tiger, hand feeding birds, kiwi's, tuataras, shotover river jet, everything really!
2. The birth of my niece Lily Marie Murphy
3. Toffee joining the family
4. Going to a shooting range
5. Flying a harris hawk
6. Meeting Jewel Staite et al in Blackpool
7. Going to belly dance classes
8. Getting a part in a meteor ad
9. Staying in a 5* hotel
10. Getting a new car
11. Getting a Nintendo & wii for Christmas
12. Going to the first horse race on the new track in Dundalk
13. Hiring Humphries
14. Going to the horse show in the RDS (3 days)
15. Going to dog training classes
16. Becoming Nathan Fillion's Myspace friend
17. Visiting a friend in Dorset
18. Getting the Five Muses for my birthday (best birthday present EVAH!)
19. Getting St. Brigid's Beats the Band for Christmas (as well as Snatched and Through the Theatre door)
20. Being an extra in two productions

Will winning DNOTY 2007 be the cherry on the cake?

DNOTY poll results

Seems like you all think I should win DNOTY this year,which is a great vote of confidence (and is wonderful, as you are coming to check out my blog so I am glad you are voting for me to win!). Thanks dear readers for another year of supporting the Inkpot Files!

Poll results: -

Me to win 44%

Valpot to win 22%

Mungo to win 11%

Parsley or Marvin to win 11%

October and November to win 11%

Sparkie to win 0%

Who will win? Only Judge Pamela knows, and she is keeping her lips tightly shut until the big night on December 31st.

Happy Christmas everyone

Wishing you all a happy and holy Christmas this year

Hellyboy II - the Golden Army

Just saw the trailer for Hellboy 2, out next year, and it looks AWESOME! I really enjoyed the first movie, and while I thought it was a good action flick with a cool tough guy hero supplying plenty of expected one line quips, it was the deeper underlying themes of good and evil, choice and free will, destiny and love that won me over and kept it fresh for me when I rewatched it (several times). I hope that the second movie also has a deeper theme that goes beyond the action, but from the trailer at least, the action and cool effects certainly do not seem to lag. They have left in Doug Jones' real voice for this movie (he plays Abe Sapien, the aquatic guy, who was voiced in the first movie by Fraiser's own David Hyde Pierce). Now, I am in two minds about this. I think Doug performed Abe brilliantly, and I am all for actors keeping their own voices*, but Niles' dulcet tones suited the dancer like grace of Abe's character to a t. From what I have heard (and it is only one line in the trailer), Doug's voice lacks the refinement I would like to hear for Abe's character. However, a whole movie might swing me around.

I can't wait to see it!

*however, performing a creature character in full make up is not the same as also voicing that character. The history of movies is full of guys in suits who were voiced by different people, and usually this was a good thing. Imagine how different Star Wars would have been if Darth Vader had a west country accent.

The King

Where does time go?

I really don't understand time. I am very lazy (I think there is something about creative pursuits that attract the lazy person) and usually when the end of the day comes and I have nothing to show for it I know why. However, today I cannot blame my lethargy. I didn't watch tv or have a nap once today. I did read my book for a little while, but that was when I was waiting for the computer to do something and reading also counts towards my book total, so it is a good thing. I even got up at seven this morning, yet I feel I have nothing to show for a day filled with business (and unfortunately no writing). Therefore there is only one culprit to blame - time. I do not understand you.

Things I really miss about New Zealand

Of course I miss the holiday spirit, the friendly people, the kiwi accent, the warmth, the scenery and the wildlife but what I miss most of all is the light. That bright light you never really get in Ireland, even during the summer. The sort of light that burns your eyes at 7am and is still bright come 8pm even as the day softens. There is no light in Ireland at the moment. I find it very confusing. When I wake up in the morning I don't know if it is day or night, if it is morning or whether I have fallen asleep in the middle of the day, if it is Tuesday or Sunday - you get the idea. Today is a particularly dark day. Come 3pm I feel like it is time for bed. I am living in Dark City.

Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year 2007

It is almost time again for the Disresponsible Nodpot of the Year Award ceremony (takes place on the 31st of December) and this year there are an unprecedented number of Nodpots eligible for votes - 8 out of 10 in fact. Apart from the first year of voting, four years ago, when all the Nodpots were nominated automatically, the DNOTY has been voted on a system of points accumulated during the year for writing and other Nodpot related works, and then the members with points are eligible for nomination. The first year the point system was introduced, only a few members were up for voting - Valerie, myself, Marvin, Parsley and possibly one of our mascots (would have to look up the minutes from 2005 to make sure). Last year Mungo got points and went on to be victorious. This year, three more Nodpots have succeeded in accumulating points throughout the year. Two for starting a blog and the third for fulfilling a task he has been assigned for the last ten years. With eight members in the competition, it will be an interesting night to see who comes out on top. My tip for favourite is Valerie, who had an article accepted for publication this year, as well as entering two competitions, writing two excellent books, getting the LD professionally edited, writing a story for The Five Muses and helping the other Nodpots as she always does. Going by points accumulated over the year, Sparkie is another hot favourite. However, I wouldn't count Mungo out of the competition and after his success last year, I wouldn't put it past him to creep up on the outside and romp home to victory.

Happy Birthday Michael Shanks

37 today

Brain Freeze

Writing isn't working for me today. I am too tired and too cold to be able to think of anything, and even if I could think, I am unable to type.

Yes, there are days like these.

Writing Competitions

I have decided to enter two writing competitions a month, if I can find ones interesting enough and/or with good enough prizes to enter. My competitions for this month are:-

1. The Santa Fe Writers Project 2007 Literary Awards

Closing date: 31st December 2007

Prize: 1st $2,500, 2nd $1,500 3rd $1,000

Guidelines: Entries consist of 25 pages of related short stories, essays or the first 25 pages of a longer work. (I estimate 25 pages to be about 6000 words)

2. Wanna be a writer? Novel writing comeptition

Closing date: 31st December 2007

Prize: 5 day writing course in Wales (27th July - 1st Aug. I know, that's the Nodpot Anniversary and, while it is in Wales, I don't think it is in Port Merrion!)

Guidelines: Entries consist of the first 1000 words of a novel.

Writing and other stuff

I woke up early and finished a short story I started before I went away. It was great, I got about 2000 words written before breakfast. I wish everyday started as well. I was worried that the word count would exceed the submission guidelines of my chosen market, but I just came in with a couple of dozen to spare. It is a miracle. I will leave it for a few days, read over it and submit it. Choice.

I re-read some of my blogs from New Zealand today and found them surprisingly well written. I can't believe that a month ago today I was experiencing wind chill in the Antarctic centre and being chased by ducks in Willowbank, let alone catching my first glimpse of Kaikoura and the south pacific. That song by Dido keeps running through my head - 'two weeks away feels like the whole world should have changed'.

Lots of writing competitions coming up this month and next month. I think I'll give some of them a go. I'll keep you updated.

Christmas

This day two weeks is Christmas day. You know that dream when it is Christmas and you haven't bought any presents and you aren't prepared? Well, I feel like I am living that dream at the moment. I still think it should be summer and I haven't got my head around the winter weather, let alone the festive season. I thought I was doing ok until about 3pm today and then I crashed. I suppose it will take me about 10 days to adjust. I don't know how the Monster is managing having to work in an office. At least I can take a nap if I need one.

I'm back...

in Ireland, and it feels like I've never been away. My adventures in New Zealand are like a wonderful, beautiful dream. I can't believe that robins danced at my feet, dolphins swarmed around me and I tickled a tiger behind the ears. I also can't believe how cold it is in Blackrock. Is winter always like this? I haven't been warm since I got off the plane in Heathrow. Getting used to driving has been weird as well. I still think the indicators are on the right side of the wheel, and my car feels so heavy after Yari. Blackrock is like a metropolis after the South Island. People on the street sound like they are putting on heavy brogues. Still, it is good to be home again, to see my family and friends. Janna and the cats haven't forgotten me. I got a great welcome from Janna, Fudge practically mugged me and Blueberry has been equally affectionate. It has been good to get back to writing as well. I've missed my trusty laptop. It is a pity I didn't bring it to NZ with me, there was Internet access in all the motels we stayed in. I've been reading some of the stuff I started before I went away. It is good, but I can't remember where it was heading, will have to look up my notes. I can't believe Christmas is almost upon us. I am still confused why it isn't summer. What a year 2007 has been for me. 2008 will have to work hard to top it.

Au Revoir

Dear readers - I am going away.

Leaving the country, that is, for the next month to swan around New Zealand, have lots of fun and hopefully bag a rich sheep farmer for the Monster. Unless you have crawled out from under a rock in the last few days (or you don't know me and have never read this blog before), you will know how long the Monster and I have been planning and looking forward to this trip. Even though I am leaving tomorrow, I still can't quite believe it.

The bad news is, I probably won't be blogging here while I am away. I have my November Adventure blog, about writing a novel in a month - while travelling! and the Monster and I will have a blog as well, so you will have to be content with those blogs until I get back. I hope you will visit and read them, enjoy them and even get the odd chuckle out of them.

Until then, thank you to everyone who reads this blog (or any of my blogs) and comments. I'm sorry I haven't been able to acknowledge your comments recently, but I have been really busy writing (for a change!) over the last few weeks and it cut down on my on line time. Imagine!

Until December, lots of love

Inky

Mad Dog

I am so angry with Janna. I got up early this morning to write. She wanted to go out to the toilet, so I took her out and she got a drink as well, and then I took her back to my room. She usually curls up on her bed, but this morning she was really restless and was pacing up and down. She came over to me and jumped up on me. She knows she is not allowed to do that, and I told her to get down. She seemed to settle down, so I took my laptop on my knee and continued writing. Then Janna came over again, jumped up and raked her massive paws across the laptop key board. Two of the buttons went pop and flew off. I was so cross. I found the buttons, but I can't fit them back onto the keyboard and now my laptop looks like some junk yard reject, plus B is really hard to type. I am so annoyed with Janna. I don't know why she did that. I hope I can get my laptop fixed. Argh.

NaNoWriMo Starts!

It is hard to believe that this time last year I was collecting together my group of fledgling NaNoWriMoers and having weekly write ins, as Co-ML for the Ireland:Elsewhere region. It seems like another life time now. Ah well, I have an equally exciting journey ahead of me this year, what with writing and travelling at the same time. Can it be done? Wait and see. To avoid repeating myself this month, check out my WriMo blog at A November Adventure.

Happy Halloween

I had the privilege of being invited to a family get together of a friend this evening to celebrate Halloween. There was a fire and fire works (which were lovely when they worked properly and went into the sky before exploding, but not so nice when they stayed on the ground or, worst of all, careened towards my car), followed by a meal, ghost stories and a discussion of the spirit realm. It was the second Halloween party I have been to, the first being about 16 years ago. I much preferred this one.

Ponderings

I was listening to one of my favourite songs today. It is in Italian and sung by Andrea Bocelli, and I don't have a clue what it is about. The song starts well and has a good middle, but it is near the end that it really takes off. The music swells and Andrea's voice rises up, he holds the note and then crashes over like a wave into the rest of the song. To me, it is a affirmation of life, and a vocal representation of those moments when everything is going well and you think 'yes!'. It makes me thrill just to listen to it. I get goosebumps waiting for the best bit to come along. If I have my ipod in and I am listening to it, I grin and quicken my step at that point. There are several other songs, movies and books that have this effect on me with these kind of climactic scenes. It got me thinking, wouldn't it be wonderful to collect all these great climactic pieces together and make a super feel good motivational boosting collage of moments. However, without what has gone before, would they have the same impact? Would Ripley's defeat of the alien in Alien or Aliens mean as much if you hadn't followed her journey throughout the movie? Would the collection of the nine bells have spine tingling importance if you hadn't read the Abhorsen trilogy from start to finish? Would Andrea's jubilant high note make you tingle if you hadn't heard the build up of the song? It made me question whether these high points are truly great in isolation, or is it the sum of all that has gone before that makes them great. Like our own lives, do we have one defining moment of wonder, beauty and greatness, or is the significance of our greatest victory actually dependant on all the little ones that have preceded it along the way?

Count down to New Zealand