Monday, June 29, 2009

Dr Horrible

I have a major crush on Neil Patrick Harris right now. I mean, come on! How friggin' talented is this man? He sings, he's hilarious, he looks good in a suit, and he says "awesome" better than anyone I know. I'm counting down the days until How I Met Your Mother season 4 is released on DVD. I watched Dr Horrible's Sing Along Blog in one sitting on Saturday night - highly recommended. Here's Act One, Scene One as a taster for you, courtesy of Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=apEZpYnN_1g -it lasts 7 and a half minutes.

(I tried to embed the video here, but for some reason couldn't copy and paste the whole of the text code - anyone know why?)

I'm still enjoying Dollhouse - wish the Sci Fi Channel had its own On Demand service. Get onto it, Virgin!

Have finished my Corrie Flint story. Wrote it in one sitting the day after the idea came into my head. Sometimes it's just like that - idea comes, pretty much fully formed, and explodes out of you. It was good to be able to write it like that, rather than having to wait until I found a second, like what usually happens. Have to snatch those opportunities when they appear!

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

New Story

Greetings again, this time from Essex. Hotel is quaint, quiet and tidy, though the two lamps by my bed don't work. There's only 5 TV channels, and Five is fuzzy at best.
I have decided to reread the Harry potter books, and have just finished the first, and I'm also reading The Host by Stephenie Myer. It's not bad. Good idea, pretty well executed so far, though the love scenes are embarrassing. Plus, I don't get why having sex at 17 (post apocolypic world or not) is a bad thing. Guess that's mormons for you.
I have a new story in development - Corrie Flint, fire demon, auditions for America's got talent. As I started to write today (idea occured whilst in hotel room yesterday in Sheffield) I thought that I might like to write a series of short stories with intersecting characters, sort of Pulp Fiction style but without all the shooting. Not sure when ill have time for this grand project, but thought I'd document it here in case I forget.
Inter vivos tomorrow. Am locking myself in my hotel room in the hope I finish at least two chapters. There is a chance though that I instead go mad, a la the shining. Five TV channels, I mean!

Monday, June 22, 2009

What To Eat?

Greetings from Sheffield! I am currently sitting in a bar drinking lemonade, trying to decide where to go for dinner, whether I'm actually hungry now, and whether I can sick on ice cubes long enough so that the bar staff don't throw me out before my appetite arrives or they force me to buy another drink.
It is weird eating in restuarants alone, especially commercial ones that are geared towards families or couples. Even in this bar right now there are kids running around. I don't mind doing it, but I wish people would lay off with the pity stares.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Top Bum

Over the weekend, I watched Top Gun. Isn't it the most homoerotic film of all time? And Tom Cruise stabbing that woman with his tongue ("kissing"??!!) whilst backlight by blue light - how icky does that look? Don't think I had watched it all the way through since the early nineties, so had never noticed those things before.

Busy time at work coming up, not really looking forward to, but perhaps I can use it to become more focused with my time again. I know I keep saying it, but I really really want to get IV finished.

Finally - urgh, too hot and raining. My hair is now a ball of frizz.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Rutland

They're early starters in Rutland. I arrived here at ten past eight and already the supermarket was full and people were browsing shop windows til they open. Though perhaps the world is normally like this, but I usually sleep right through it. Uppingham is very quaint, and its surrounded by countryside, rolling hills of green spotted with cows and sheep. Am an hour early for my event, so have found a café to hole myself up in. Quite pleasant, early morning aside.
The problem with Inter Vivos is that I can't get the scenes right where Nox is possessed by the heart. I'm trying not to worry about it at the minute, but know ill need to fix it when I come to edit it.
I think when I get home this afternoon I might have a nap.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

I Better Blog Soon, Else People Will Think I've Vanished!

I've written so far 99,840 words of Inter Vivos, and have eight chapters (and possibly a prologue) to go. Which means hopefully when I come to editing, my word count will still be reasonable even after I've got rid of all the guff. Excellent.

This week I've been finding it difficult to find time to write. I've had work commitments each evening, and I start my travels again soon. I know, I need to get motivated again and just plough through. Will try starting tomorrow, as have another work engagement tonight too. Oh to be a student again!

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

240th Post!

It's been too hot to write recently - I mean, seriously, how do people who live in hot climates get anything done? Though I guess air-conditioning (which is very rare in the UK) has revolutionised the world in which we live. How else could you attribute the economic success of hot places like Singapore and Brunei? (That's a joke, people).

European Elections tomorrow. One thing that confuses me (I don't know much about politics mind), is how some people are very anti-Conservative, when really what they are referring to is the Conservative party some 19 years ago (Maggie Thatcher), rather than their policies today? I also get the impression that Labour (as in New Labour)'s policies are very similar to the Conservative party policies today anyway. I'm not planning on voting for either of them, but it just seems a little strange. I'm reading manifestos right now, something I've not done before, as I'm hoping to make educated decisions from now on, rather than just voting for the person whose name is prettiest. ;-)

I'm watching Arrested Development at the mo, and it's really good. Have you seen it? It's really funny, and the writing is just so tight - there's not a bit of dead wood anywhere (up to series 2 at the minute). And I care about all the characters, which is quite an achievement these days.

Bit bitty this post. Will try to be more coherent next time!