Specsavers Crime Thriller Book Club

Hi guys

Hope your all well and enjoying reading and maybe writing various things - fiction, non-fiction ect.
At the moment I am nearing the end of my short story challenge - A Chase in Time.

Due to various events I haven't been to Cleckheaton Writers Group (CWG) for last 2 weeks but hope to go to next one.
In the meanwhile I have been watching the above the last 2 Mondays on ITV3 hosted by Bradley Walsh.
It has been very interesting and I think goes on till mid October.
It features a mix of book and crime t.v reviews, author interviews and profiles and a crime quiz.

Tonight's show featured a beginners guide to Lewis where it mentioned Lewis and Morse creator Colin Dexter was involved in part of writing for the show and was also in each episode - Hitchcock style.

There was also a profile on Crime author Patricia Cornwall and revealed before she was a novelist she worked in a mortuary.  Which came in handy for some of her novels.
She revealed she wanted to be a writer since before college and wrote 4 novels before she was took up by a publisher with Post Mortem which was the best 1st Crime Novel in Britain and put her in the public eye.
She also revealed for her Dr Scarpetta series she researches a lot and learned to scuba dive as her character does that and has visited a gun factory
Patricia also revealed she will never kill off her character Scarpetta as would be too traumatic for the fans.
Also revealed she is nervous when starting a new book but once gets into it is fine.

All in all a very insightful show and one I will watch till the end in next couple of weeks.

See you soon

Neil

Despicable Me 2 - 3D - Review

Hi Guys

The other week took my daughter to the cinema in Halifax - the new VUE cinema and went to see the above film in 3D.
And what a treat it was - probably more for me than daughter - lol - as it was the first time I had gone to see one of the new 3D films that are the norm these days and I glad I saw it in 3D.
The 3D effects were amazing and before I went and it I was dubious as the last time I saw a 3D film was when I was little with the old blue and red glasses which didn't work at all - ha.

It really looks like things like bubbles are coming out towards you and I had to hold off reaching to touch stuff coming out of the screen - there was also alot of depth to the screen especially when on the ocean.
I not sure what live 3D films are like but got a feeling these animation films are best to watch in 3D.

The film itself was hilarious with Gru now retired from being a bad guy and trying to make a normal life - soon he is sucked back into the world of good versus bad with very funny results.

Although the stars of the films were the minions which were very funny and I will be watching their own film if it comes out.

Overall the 3D and effects and voice overs plus action set pieces and slapstick made for one of the best films I had seen in ages and better than the first film.

Rating = 10/10

Peter Robinson - Author talk - Watching DCI Banks

Hi guys

As per last post regarding the Peter Robinson talk I am now actually watching DCI Banks on ITV3 which is a bit of a coincidence and have to admit I am quite enjoying it.  Stephen Tompkinson is very good in the role although because I haven't read the DCI Banks books I have nothing to compare them with.

Might start watching it more often.

Anyway cheerio folks

Neil

Peter Robinson - Author talk - 12/09/2013

Hi Guys

I'm treating you to some photos in this post.  Like the Andy McNab author talk at Huddersfield Town Hall last year I went to see above author Peter Robinson - famed for his crime novels in particular the long running DCI Banks series - which has been turned into an ITV drama lately starring Stephen Tomkinson - also shown above.

It was a very enjoyable evening in which Peter discussed a little bit about his new book Children of the Revolution.  He read a part of it that occurs near the beginning so there would be no spoilers then took a Q&A session.

What we learned is that Peter grew up in Armley, Leeds and used to visit the local library a lot.  He relied on these when younger.  In 1969 Peter also lived in Huddersfield on Leeds Road.
He eventually moved to Canada.

Peter revealed that he started writing poetry and moved onto fiction later on.
Also that in his new book DCI Banks reflects on his mortality as the victim is the same age as Banks so he starts to question his future.
Peter let slip that Banks ages slowly in the books and he would like to keep Banks going yet do more standalone stories so he has no plans to stop writing maybe slow down.

Peter mentioned that he doesn't outline his plots he goes with the flow and sometimes he doesn't know who has committed the murder until the end and didn't see Bank's wife leaving him.  He said his plots work out in the end but likes to start his novels with a place - somewhere a body may be found like a dried up river.

With the T.V series starting he tries not to think of Stephen Tompkinson's version of Banks as he is a different type of Banks and he has a different image of what Banks looks like.  Peter's version of Banks is shorter and stockier but Stephen has grown on him and even went to visit Peter on his holiday in Florida so he could discuss playing the part of DCI Banks.
Peter was an extra in the first episode but not involved in the scripts and the T.V series differs to the books.

Well hope you enjoyed some facts on Peter Robinson and his character of DCI Banks and gives you something to think about if you are maybe writing a novel - particular a crime novel.

See you soon folks

Neil x

CWG Meeting 2/9/13

Hi guys

Long time no blog (again) will need to keep it up more often - oo-er.  Just been busy with other things lately but now back on form - almost finished the fan fiction short story competition now and I hope to post Prague photos on here at some point.

Anyway to business - as well as not writing, blogging for almost 2 months I also hadn't been to the Cleckheaton Writers Group - the dates clashed with a few things - one of them being Prague.

So I was back tonight with Karen, Dawn, Daniella and Pauline - we had a catch up of where we was at writing wise - Myself and Pauline not done much, Dawn had started something new and waiting to hear from agents - good luck Dawn, and Karen was finishing last draft of Thorde as well as contemplating her next story.
After showing her a Crime novel competition I had spotted in Pauline's Writers Forum she would finish her crime novel hopefully in time for that.
Karen also brought her challenge story which she had also tweaked for a magazine competition - so good luck Karen.  A urban, sex in the city type story - very good.

Feedback was also given on five chapters Daniella had wanted us to review although some of the content was very touchy so feedback was given where needed but I missed some of it as I had a contact lense malfunction which I had to deal with and even had to go to Opticians today to sort out - all done.

All in all a good meeting - here's to the next - it good to be back in the writers seat.

Will speak very soon guys

Neil