Confessions Of A Horror Movie Wimp
I’ve talked before about how rubbish I am with horror movies. Let’s face it, I’m an embarrassment to my hardcore-horror friends. I immerse myself so deeply that a quick cut to anything, be it zombie or kitten, makes me jump out of my seat and as a result breaks the immersion. As a result the majority of horror doesn’t work for me.
I’ve been reading the entire series of the Walking Dead comic book and absolutely loving it, but still I’ve not watched the television series. Is that because I’m worried they will change important elements of the comic books’ plot? No, I desperately want to watch this show. It’s because zombies jumping out at me will make me jump. I’m such a pussy!
Fan Made Final Fantasy Advent Children Trailer
There are elements of anime that I absolutely love. The hyper-reality where everyone’s abilities are ramped up to superhero proportions, huge frickin’ swords and the way that fantasy and SF mix as if it’s no big deal. Japanese storytelling is very different to the 3 act structure you commonly find in the west and as a result the story is rarely something you can guess.
I love the Final Fantasy Advent Children movie for all these reasons. And I’m not that huge a Final Fantasy fan. I get how the movie might not be everyone’s cup of tea and to be honest there are elements that don’t exactly fit for me either, but still, it’s something I really vibe off. It pushes creative buttons.
So in looking for a piece of music from the movie, I came across this fan-made trailer which uses Clint Mansell’s Requeim For A Dream (best known to most of you as the music in the trailer to The Two Towers). I like how the clips match the flow of the music.
If you’ve not seen movie, I think it’s worth a watch, even if there may be bits you hate.
The One Page Synopsis
Submitting to agents and publishers is a bit like applying for a job. If you’re trying to go for a good one, you’ll tailor your submission specific to the role you’re applying for.
Whilst all agents and publishers share similar submission requirements, each have their own quirks. Some want sample chapters, some just want a synopsis. And so with each submission you make there’s often some tweaking.
The Publishing Process (Or Why I Don’t Have A Book Deal Yet)
I realise that a lot of people who read this blog are writers or publishing types who have an expansive and detailed knowledge of the publishing industry. But I also have a lot of friends and family who don’t fully understand the process, so I thought a good blog topic would be to explain how a book gets to be published. That way, when I get rejections they can nod and tell me “well it’s a tough business” rather than look at me as if there must be something wrong with me.
So apologies if I’m going over information you already know here. Hopefully this will have some new insight for some of you.
The Joys Of Warcraft
I’ve talked before how I love MMOs. There’s something about the depth of worldbuilding needed for the sheer number of quests that make them incredibly immersive games.
My first MMO was Star Wars Galaxies and we had a great guild with our own city until the NGE came along and just wrecked everything we loved about the game.
My friends and I migrated to World of Warcraft but it always seemed less immersive than Star Wars Galaxies. The crafting wasn’t so complex, there was no housing and so most of them dropped off, consigning their MMO experience to an enjoyable history.
Deciding My Next Writing Project
The agent search continues and it’s quite tiring. I keep telling myself that these things take time and that there are no guarantees , but still there’s this nagging feeling that people around are starting to question why you don’t have the book published yet. Were you lying about how good you thought you were? Surely you should have heard something by now?
I have to keep telling myself that it’s only been 6 weeks and that’s no time in publishing; no time at all.
But then thoughts turn to the next book. Should I get on with book 2? If book 1 turns out to be a trunk novel, what good would starting on book 2 do? Or should I instead work on another idea? It’s not like I don’t have loads of them.
Star Wars Memories Update
You may remember me telling you that SciFiNow had published an article over on their blog on my memories of Star Wars? What? You don’t? Are you paying attention?
Anyways, my friend Matt informed me that part of it appears in the latest issue of the Magazine (#59 to be exact, the one with a Fringe front cover). Ever willing to feed my ego and see my own name in print, I went out and purchased a copy, and low and behold, not only is my name there, but it is in bold. Bold, I tell you! It never gets old, seeing your name in print.
The Walking Dead
I think one of the reasons I’ve never really got into horror is because I jump easily. If I’m watching a movie, the cinema disappears and I’m there in the scene. Consequently when anything jumps out at the screen, I jump out of my seat, whether it be zombie, serial killer or fluffy kitten.
My friends find it hilarious, but I find the jumps take me out of the movie. Plus, the tension as the scary music indicates something – either friend or foe – is about to jump out, is, frankly, unbearable.
Danny MacAskill – “Way Back Home”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj6ho1-G6tw
I’m becoming a real sucker for these extreme sports music-style videos that have been cropping up on Youtube of late. I’m no BMXer but Danny MacAskill shows some serious skills. And even if you don’t appreciate the athleticism on display, the Scottish scenery on display makes it worth a watch.
Larry Hama Interview From 1998
I’ve written about my love for Larry Hama’s GI Joe comic series before (see HERE). As far as I’m concerned, Larry is one of the most influential writers to inspire me. Through his comic series, I learned how character drives plot, motivation and the power of great words. GI Joe is not what springs to most people’s mind when they think of great comics, but to me, it’s the greatest.
Digging around on an old hard drive the other day, I came across this interview I did with him in July 1998. This was published on my old website to help promote the limited return of the toy line, but reading over this some 13 years later, I see a lot of it speaks about the craft of writing which I find fascinating in a way I did not back then.
So I thought I’d share that interview with you. Enjoy!