The verdict is in

The Gender Genie has spoken and concluded that I am male.

What does it have to say about you?

The Book I'm Reading at the Moment

Writing Smiting - the movie!

You may remember my post at the beginning of the month about being blocked up and wanting mental Draino. The title of the post was Writing Smiting . While I think the imaginary in that post was pretty clear, here is a short animation to illustrate it, just in case you were waiting for the movie adaptation.

A treat for you

Instead of a Sunday Toon this week, I thought I would introduce you to my true self.

Don't get nightmares now!

Tweet the Meat

As soon as Twitter opened its virtual doors a whole host of Twitter based zines started up. Tweet the Meat is a horror fiction market publishing Twitter only stories. It is accepting submissions from today (only accepts submissions at the weekend) and will launch officially in May. It publishes horror/surreal tales of 140 characters or less. The payment is $1 per story, which isn't bad.

To read submission guidelines, visit their blog here.

To read some sample tweets or follow them, visit their Twitter account here.

Danger!Danger!

I found an intruder trying to get into the house through the patio door yesterday.

Luckily he wasn't much of a threat.

Character Building

When I prepare for an acting role I play very much by the Stanislavski rule book. I read through the script and see what the character has to say about themselves, what actions they make and what the other characters have to say about them. I think of my character in terms of what colour or what animal would best describe them, and then I step inside them and I try to figure them out on an emotional level. What has led the character to the place they are now at? Why are they the way they are? How would a typical day run for them? How would they react in a supermarket, on public transport, at a disco?

Some characters have simple motivations and are easy to work out. Others are more complex, but it is important to remember that all of them are performing actions because they are driven by want, desire and need. Characters don't see themselves as good or evil. In their mind, they are the hero. They may do things that are selfish or that hurt other people, but it is because their good intentions went wrong, or they feel threatened or they are seeking revenge for wrongs committed against them or their loved ones.

When you write a book, you have to get under the skin of each of the characters, not just one. I find this particularly interesting when it comes to the villain in Gift. I think I have created a well rounded character in the antagonist, and I hope other people will think so too. In fact, perhaps some people will even root for the 'bad guy'.

Then again, I hope I have managed to portray the complexities in the other characters as well. In many ways the main character is as much the villain as the one I have labeled the antagonist. After all, no one is wholly good or evil, and isn't it much more interesting when characters have flaws as well as strengths?

Novel Writing Update

I like to keep track of my writing and I use a spreadsheet to do this.

On the first page I record my daily word count, with horizontal columns for the months and vertical comments for the days. At the end of each month I tally the words and divide them by the number of days I have written to get an average daily total.

On the second page I record the number of books I've read, by month, including the start and finish dates and my overall rating.

On the third page I list the short stories I have submitted to markets, the date they went out, the number of words, the date I received a response and the payment and publication date if any. I also colour code all stories that have been responded to (red for rejection, green for acceptance) so I can tell at a glance which markets I haven't heard back from (they remain black).

So far this month the second and third pages of my spreadsheet aren't getting much use, but I am pleased to say that the first one is. I love to see the word count rising at the bottom of the page. It gives me a thrill.

Writing Distractions

It was so warm and sunny yesterday I kept the patio door open while I wrote. Mid morning, Fudge lured me outside onto the decking to play with him. The sun was warm, the air was fresh and the world was still. I felt so relaxed and peaceful. Playing with Fudge made me happy. Some say heaven is a perfect moment captured for eternity. If that is true, then moments like these will make up my heaven. For about ten minutes I was at peace, relaxed and without a care in the world as I enjoyed a simple game surrounded by nature. It is hard to focus on writing when I have distractions this good to tempt me.

And the Honest Scrap Award goes to...

L R Bonehill has very kindly awarded my blog the Honest Scrap Award. Check out his blog here and his beautifully horrifying short story 'In the Garden' here, in 52 Stitches.

The Award and Rules:

This award is bestowed upon a fellow blogger whose blog content or design is, in the giver’s opinion, brilliant.

The rules are as follows:

1. When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to the said person so everyone knows she/he is real.

2. Choose a minimum of 5 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have five friends. Show the five random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with Honest Weblog. Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon.

3. List at least ten (10) honest things about yourself. Then pass it on!

I'm not going to follow rule 2 and pass on this award because it is MINE, ALL MINE! but also because I know that some people don't like receiving blog awards (silly people) :). However, I am honoured L R, thank you.

As for rule 3 - ten honest things? Really? Oh, ok...

1. I was home schooled for most of my life because of illness.

2. I really want to get a tattoo.

3. I used to have a dwarf rabbit who was great friends with my two cats and dog and played with them all the time.

4. I started watching horror films when I was 3.

5. I'm the youngest of ten children.

6. My favourite game as a child was pretending to be a wolf or a panther and hunting people.

7. When I'm rich I'll use my money to travel the world and explore cryptozoological sights and take photographs of long thought to be extinct animals.

8. I have a plan in place for when the zombies take over the world.

9. I'm allergic to Tommy Girl perfume.

10. The song Dela by Johnny Clegg and Savuka (from the movie George of the Jungle) always makes me smile.

Sunday Toon

Thanks G. C. for inspiring this one.

BIP #7 - Comments Galore Wrap up Post!

Kim planned two weeks for this but unfortunately I only discovered it a couple of days ago. Therefore I don't think I can really write about what new techniques I used for making my blog more comment-able.

Every blogger wants to see comments on their posts. It shows that their blog is being read, that they have connected with their audience and comments give vital feedback on their content. I have learned a lot from comments on my blog and I love catching up with my other blogger friends through their comments.

I have found that the blog posts I get most comments on are

1. Highly interactive, such as the Friday Challenge.

2. Have something to say or solid content and, while perhaps posing a question, don't just exist to pose a question.

3. Have caused a debate, either on the post itself or in reaction to comments left on the post.

For a really good list of other reasons people comment, check out Shadowthorne's response to my earlier post on this topic.

When it comes down to it, what prompts me to comment on someone else's blog? I guess first and foremost it is content. If the post has something to say, and is said in an interesting manner I want to add my two cents worth.

A Gift for You

Because I've updated three days of posts in one fell swoop, I thought I'd give you a little gift today - to thank you for reading and commenting, and to help you chill out after a tough week.

So here it is, the sound of Brittas Bay, Ireland.

I hope you like it, I find listening to it very relaxing.

Talking of relaxing, what helps you de-stress at the end of the week?

The Boundless Living Challenge

I blogged about this in November last year, and my hair brained scheme to get a literary agent in 45 days.

Round three of the challenge has rolled around and this time I have officially signed on, with my first Boundless Living Challenge blog and everything (I know, there is a danger of spreading myself too thin, but it is only for 45 days).

The Boundless Living Challenge was started last summer by Bob Doyle to help people change their lives in 45 days. You pick an area of your life you want to work on - your goal can be as big or as small as you want to make it - and then you use the Ning community to help you reach your goal. There is a lot of help and support and, I think the main idea behind it, accountability to your other participants make sure you reach your goal.

The Challenge is completely free and some people have achieved amazing things in the last two rounds.

Now it is my turn.

My challenge for the next 45 days is to write the complete first draft of my new novel Gift. For those who follow the blog, you know I've already started work on the planning stage. Now it is time for the writing. I don't plan on using the next 45 days for a Nanowrimo like dash of creative out pouring either. I want to write the best darn first draft I can, and from the preparatory work I've done, I think it is going to be a pretty good novel when it's finished.

You can see my first challenge vblog entry here (don't I look pretty).

So what would you change in the next 45 days if you took up the challenge?

BIP #7 - Make your blog more commentable

Once again I'm the chubby rhino from Jumanji running along five minutes behind the rest of the Blog Improvement Project herd. I've just found out that April is Focus on Comments month and that the wrap up for the first task is on Saturday 18th.

Oh well, I'm not too worried. As long as it helps improve my blog, what does it matter that I am taking longer to do it than the other BIPpers - right?

So, making my blog more comment friendly.

A lot of the articles about this on BIP mentioned writing open ended posts, posing questions and making sure to reply to comments (something I have been very bad at doing lately - sorry).

Now, I thought I would incorporate a few of those techniques into this post and ask you, dear readers, to tell me what makes you comment on a blog post. What is it that really makes you get out your keyboard and type? What are the things that turn you from a lurker to a participator? And what are the things that really annoy you and make you leave a blog in disgust?

I look forward to

(is that open ended enough?)

An open letter to television *spoilers*

Dear Television

How long have we been best friends? You've had my back for more years than I care to remember. There were the glory days of The X Files and Firefly, of Futurama and Frasier. We even managed to weather the lean years when Sex and the City nearly drove us apart. But now we have come to this. Three shows over the weekend that let me down. Big time. Television, how could you do this to me? Does our friendship mean nothing to you?

More...

First there was Red Dwarf. Ah, the nights I would stay up to watch you show me the adventures of Lister, Rimmer, Kryten and Cat, muffling our laughter so we wouldn't wake the others in the house. You've been teasing me for weeks with the prospect of a new episode, after a decade of RD being off your screen. What happened, TV? Yes, the crew returned in the three part special titled 'Back to Earth', and I must admit it was good to see their faces again, but the magic was gone. The first part was one long set up without any jokes and no explanation of how or why the crew were back together. The second part was cliched and what a bad idea to bring in Coronation Street. The third part was derivative and ended abruptly. I know you say it was a homage to episodes in younger, brighter days, but when does a homage become rehashing of old story lines?

I could have forgiven you the Red Dwarf incident if - within a day - you hadn't hit me with a double whammy of despair. Even after the last few days I find it hard to make my fingers write about them. You know what I'm talking about, don't force me to say it, Telly.

All right, I will.

DOCTOR WHO!

We've had good times with the doctor, T, don't get me wrong. We've both loved David Tennant as the 10th regeneration and followed his journey eagerly. I'm sorry to see him leave, but you promised me four specials this year to see him out. Specials. Notice the word, Television. SPECIAL. There was nothing special about the hour long mish mash of Tomb Raider, Pitch Black and previous Dr Who episodes that was served up cold and greasy on Saturday night. If I didn't know better I would think you were trying to poison me.

What's that? You're trying to take the sting out of losing David Tennant by making me stop watching Dr Who before he leaves? I'm not going to thank you for that, TV. I wanted to burn my eyes out after watching Planet of the Dead. I don't know which part offended me most. Perhaps it was the inane Lara Croft wannabe Lady Christina who could hardly wipe the grin off her face long enough to say her lines, and squeezed in the obligatory 'kiss the Doctor' before she flew off in a flying bus. Maybe it was the atrocious over the top scientist played by Lee Evans and the idiotic bumblings of UNIT that would have made the Brigadier blush. It could even have been the fact that the paper thin story centred once more about strange things happening in London, that the characters had no emotional depth or the fact that I've seen darker stories with deeper meaning on the Teletubbies. You know what hurt worst of all? It was boring, Television. I almost fell asleep watching it.

Perhaps I could have recovered from the stab wound in the heart that was Doctor Who, but then you kicked me when I was down. Your crowning effort, Television, was to pummel me in the kidneys with Primeval, ITV's answer to Dr Who.

It's always been ropey. The science fiction wouldn't pass in a 1950's B movie, it is traditional monster of the week fare, but over the three series I've grown fond of the characters and, let's face it, series two was a real corker. It was darker, and started to lead the characters down an interesting path. I've been disappointed by the first three episodes of series three, but I've learned that sometimes you have to give things time to bubble in the first few episodes until they thicken into a more satisfying whole. You've taught me that, Television. I never thought you would betray me with your own lesson.

You killed off Cutter. Never mind that he was the lynchpin of the series - I could forgive you if you had killed him in an interesting, dynamic way. But no, you just shot him in cold blood and ruined the only truly interesting part of the programme - the power struggle between him and his pretty amazing anomaly hopping wife. I could even have forgiven that if the preview for next week's episode hadn't featured that brain dead, stereotyped police man from last week. Bring him in as a new character and that's it, we're over Television. For good. I mean it this time.

You know that this pains me more than it does you, but you really have to pull your weight in this relationship if our friendship is to continue.

Yours

Inky

I'm all of a Twitter

The poll has closed, the votes have been tallied and the result is in.

Twitter is the winner!

I have set up my twitter account - you can find it here, or read my tweets at the side of this page. Now all I have to figure out is how to use it to promote my blog and what on earth am I going to tweet about????

Sunday Toon

Happy Easter

Novel Writing Day #3

Today I finished with my synopsis writing, character developing and scene charting. I'm pretty happy with the wad of paper work that I have accrued. What I found most helpful from doing the preparatory work using the methods I already mentioned was

1. Writing the story synopsis/out line from the other character's points of views. I usually put a lot of work into the non pov major characters and the notable minors and know a lot about them before I start writing, but I've never thought about what the book would be like written from their point of view before. For some of the secondary characters I found it a challenge to write the story from their pov and still make it dynamic and interesting. I learned a lot about my characters doing it, and about the blind spots in my writing.

2. Focusing on finishing each paragraph, bar the last, of the plot outline on a disaster (from the snowflake method). While I think you have to be wary of making your writing too formulaic and boiling it down to a science rather than an art, I enjoyed examining each scene to see exactly how it drove the story forward and how to make it page turning even when it wasn't action orientated.

I have also written out various words on a big sheet of paper to remind of things that I like in books and that I don't want to lose sight of while writing Gift. Things like MAGIC. I hope it will help keep me focused.

I hope to start chapter one tomorrow, even if it is only the first couple of paragraphs. It will be hard to get any serious writing done because we're celebrating Easter and I'm in charge of the vegetarian dish (I got off very easy). Also, I suppose I should take one day off. As we know, all work and no play makes Inky a dull girl.

Farewell Dr Who

Planet of the Dead airs on BBC 1 this evening.

It is the first of four special episodes wrapping up David Tennant's tour as the Doctor. I really like him as Dr Who. I think he brings the right mix of fun and seriousness to the role and he has become my favourite actor to play the 900 year old alien. I am looking forward to the episode tonight (the trailer makes it look suspiciously like the movie Pitch Black) but my excitement is bittersweet. I don't think I'll watch the show after he leaves. It's not because DT won't be in it anymore (although I will really miss him) but because I don't like the direction they are taking with the new Doctor. I dislike the fact that the Doctor is getting younger and younger with successive regenerations (he is from Galifrey, not Ork) and from what I have seen of Matt Smith, he is too close to the energy and mannerisms of DT. I'm sure he is a fine actor and I have nothing against him, but after the best Dr Who ever I want the next incarnation to go in a completely opposite direction to what we've seen for the last three years, and it doesn't look like they are going to do that with Matt. Shame.