JaNo Update and CWG meet

Hi guys

How you all?  Well firstly I'm a bit late blogging as the last CWG meet was on 20th January - lol.
It was a very good meeting with not one but two new members - Vicky and Andy.
Vicky had previously written songs and Andy writes bit of everything - short stories, screen plays, poems.

We all give each other an update of what we were writing and where myself, Laura and Dawn were with JaNoWriMo.
I did well first two weeks but have fallen behind and at the moment I am in middle of second story of the trilogy - bit peed off as was hoping to be completing third in trilogy by now.  Will try get onto it this weekend.

We also had a writing challenge - we had to write a short piece where the start of the story started
I could have avoided all that trouble if I had remembered to . . .

Came up with a spoof killer thriller piece which may expand.
Hope you enjoy -

In the wrong job

I could have avoided all that trouble if I had remembered to assassinate the right person, but its been one of those days.  How many Nickol Bockerglorys could there be in Russia?  I can’t believe there’s more than one!

The image of that sweet innocent little old man shakily opening the door to me will never go away.  I thought he didn’t look much of a Moscow Urban Terrorist, with the agenda of overthrowing President Putin’s reign.

It took him all his time to take off the many chains he had at the back of his door.  Usually it would have been a quick shot to the head with my trusty silencer but when he invited me in for tea and cream buns I had a double take and had to slightly change my plan.

Yes it had to be poison .  Although when his little chubby old wife came out of their small shabby kitchen with a huge smile on her wrinkled up face and a tray of tea and buns I knew I had to make it look  like a faulty gas pipe explosion in the small badly built flat kitchen.  As much as I didn’t like it I had a job to do.  For Russia.

JaNoWriMo update 15/1/14

Hi guys

Well not doing great on the above although have finished my first story on my Total Futures Trilogy and hope to start the second one tonight.  My CWG pals who are doing this with me are fairing better with Laura almost finishing her first draft and Dawn writing loads too - keep it up gals!

So hope to get first story on here at weekend - maybe second one too.

Keep your peepers peeled guys

neil

Hobbit 2: The Something of Smaug - Film Review

Hi guys

Actually managed to get to the cinema to watch the new Hobbit movie before it went out of the cinema and was very happy with it. An improvement on the first Hobbit which I thought was very good and all those involved in both films played their parts very well again including Martin Freeman as Bilbo and Sir Ian McKellan as Gandalf.
All the drawves were played well again although with so much going on it was a bit confusing knowing who was who - although the guy from Being Human had quite a big part in a B plot involving him falling in love with an Elf woman.
The action sequences again were fantastic including the spiders of Mirkwood and the barrel river run which reminded me of an old ZX Spectrum game involving an egg called Dizzy lol.

The parts with Gandalf facing Sauron were a bit confusing as can't remember that in the actual book "The Hobbit", plus wouldn't it cause continuity errors with Lord of the Rings Trilogy?
Another thing that bugged me about the film was Orlando Bloom back as Legolas which I'm sure wasn't in the book and his eyes were annoying me as they seemed different colour to the ones he had in LOTR Trilogy.
Benedict Cumberbatch proved very efficient as the voice of Smaug - the dragon of the title and it goes to show how good he and Mr Freeman is as tonight also watched them play very different parts in Doctor Who - I mean Sherlock.
Overall better than first Hobbit with plenty of action and story and looking forward to the third - seeing as screen just went blank to indicate had finished just as getting into it.
Score  9/10

Trailers - When I heard they were making a re-make of Robocop I wasn't happy as the original film is a classic - Robocop 2 - ok - Robocop 3 - crap.  I was very surprised when I saw the trailer to the new version - its looks ace and he even sports his familiar silver armour as well as the new black version - one I defo looking forward to seeing.
I, Frankenstein - also looks very good too - may try catch that too.

Neil

JaNoWriMo Update again

Hi guys

Hope all are well.  Been fairly busy this last week - new job location which meant more travelling although managed to do some reading on Wizards First Rule and actually did some writing and finished the short story Razorblade Symphony which will share soon once I've gone through it.  Will write the second story also this week and next weekend the third then back to novel.  So not done as much as I would like but more than I thought I would.

Will keep you all posted

Neil

CWG Meet 06/01/14

Hi guys

Had a good meeting tonight at Cleckheaton Writing Group - the first of 2014 - I really enjoyed it to say had a long day now commuting to Leeds early morning for work.
Also I think the agenda Karen sent us helped.
We also had a new member - a young woman called Sarah who liked writing children's stories and has recently started her first story - an Alice in Wonderland inspired tale - good luck Sarah - keep it up.
We all went through what we were writing at the moment and myself, Dawn and Laura updated everyone on our JaNoWriMo.
We also talked about upcoming writing festivals and author talks which we hope to attend.
Karen also gave us a timed writing challenge - we had 30 minutes to write a story based on a quote from writers magazine which was -
"What the most successful people do before breakfast"   - we had to imagine what they would do - all but one read the story out and the ones read out were very enjoyable.
Looking forward to next meeting.
Here's my timed writing story - apologies in advance to the celebs involved (I managed a small story too - lol)

What the most successful people do before breakfast! Or who they do!

It’s four am and I’m tip toeing out of Penelope Cruz’s bedroom, careful not to wake her.  I’ve left a note by her pillow to say I will see her at any films we will probably make in future.  The air is chill as I hurriedly get dressed in the hotel corridor.

I phone my personal assistant Andreas to pick me up in ten minutes.  Enough time to have a pick me up shot in the marbled lobby I’ve seen so many times before.

It’s now five am and I’m at the other side of LA.  Chewing gum as Andreas pulls up through the security gates of my next leading lady. 

She greets me at the door in a see through nightie.

“Morning Sandra,” I whisper in her ear.

She smiles, pulling me in the door.  I catch a glimpse of Andreas sat laughing at the steering wheel.

“mmm Miss Bullock, is this an undress rehearsal?”.

Four hours later now and it’s nine am and I’m starving.  I wave Sandra a cheery goodbye as myself and Andreas drive off.

“McDonalds please Andreas,” I call to my faithful assistant.

“Time for breakfast then the set,”

“OK Mr Clooney” he replies.

Off we drive into the LA sunrise.

It’s 6am and I’ve been chucked out of the club.  I danced so hard and fast and drunk so much.  I think I have a slow puncture.  Time to go have breakfast and find the meaning of the universe and science.  Just because I’m Stephen Hawking.

JaNoWriMo Update

Hi guys

Been fairly busy this weekend - had daughter most of it - so haven't done much writing or reading but have started on both.
Read 2 chapters of Wizards First Rule so getting back into that and hope to finish soon.
Also started -Razorblade Symphony- the first in a loosely tied short story trilogy called Total Futures.
Got to admit it's a bit grim and mainly a release for me to moan about certain things I feel are not needed and can be restricted - a kind of control of our lives!  i.e. You can't do this and that.  You got to live like this/that!

Anyway hope everyone well and I will hope to finish the first story by next weekend.

cheers peeps

JaNoWriMo/Writing runs in family - I hope

Hi guys

As per last post one of my New Years Resolutions was to write more this year and as last year wasn't good writing wise including NanoWriMo - the November writing challenge thousands of writers take up each November - I thought I would give the above a go.

Thought up by a fellow Cleckheaton Writers Group member who also didn't have much success in November a few of us are trying to write as much as possible in January.

Goals for me:  To Write as much as I can in January - this will be helped with my T.V blowing up tonight - so that's one less distraction.
My Goals, as with my Resolution is to keep people more updated by my blog and generally blog more.
To try and write 20,000 to 30,000 more words of my Wormhole Effect Novel.
Also to write the first short story in a loosely linked Trilogy which has been running through my head for about a year - Total Futures trilogy.
This is more of an exercise for myself and experiment with different writing styles - the last two days ideas and parts of it been going round my head like mad - in fact think will write most of it over the weekend I hope - wish me luck!!
I will also be keeping my fellow Cleckheaton Writers Group and JaNoWriMo pals updated by my progress over e-mail.

Got to admit started writing a little today - for my daughter - she wanted a quick story she could copy down herself - at first she started it but ended up wanting me to write it about her taking dog for a walk - lol.
I had vision of her going down a rabbit hole after dog chased a rabbit down and wanted to go the Alice in Wonderland route but would have been too much for her to copy - so she ended up in Australia - ha.

Anyway peeps it's getting late - the wind and hail outside is making me want to get tucked up in bed so goodnight guys and blog soon.

Neil x

Happy 2014

Hi Guys

Long time no blog - over a month ago I believe!!  Had a lot on I'm afraid and because of that haven't done any writing till today.  I didn't even finish the 10,000 words for the Richard and Judy competition which I am a little gutted about but was my fault as in 2013 was quite lazy in terms of writing and reading - I haven't even finished Wizards First Rule by Terry Goodkind which I started January 2012!!

2013 wasn't a great year for me and I had some bad luck - apparently a few people I know had a bad year also so maybe it really is an unlucky number.  So I am glad to see the back of 2013.

Roll on 2014 that is what I say - hoping it's luckier and maybe now I will be working in Leeds there will be more opportunity.

Anyway - New Year Resolutions - although I hardly ever make any as they seem to be broken within first month I will make them anyway - hopefully to motivate me and give me bit of a goal.

So my 2014 New Year Resolutions are:

- Go to the gym regular (although nothing to do with writing I feel it is needed as been lazy and put weight on I am also paying for it so take advantage of it.).
- Write, Write, Write - I am going to write much more than 2013 - last year I felt was a wash out as I hardly blogged and only wrote about 2 short stories.  I didn't even touch my novel - If I am to take writing seriously I will need to write a lot more - so 2014 - more stories, more blogging, more novel - maybe even some freelance work?
- Read, Read, Read - I am also going to read more in 2014 as I didn't do any other than blogs and a few magazines - I will finish Wizards First Rule then crack on with over 100 books I have got - I even bought a 10 book collection of Bourne novels from book club which will end up unread like so many others if I don't get my head sorted.  Plus working in Leeds will give me time to read the smaller books on the train to and from work.

Well they are the main ones - as well as spend more time with daughter and try manage money better - so wish me luck - If I keep to the writing resolution you will know as I will be blogging more frequently!

Hope you all have good resolutions to keep to and you all have a wonderful 2014 x

Will Blog soon.

Neil x