New Project: Film reviews

I decided last week that this blog needed a regular feature. The idea for one, as many good ideas do, came from my dear Other Half. His suggestion was watching all of our films in alphabetical order then writing reviews for each one. This instantly appealed to me. Ordering them alphabetically gives a good chance of getting something pretty different each time. Plus, with 182 films, if you don’t count sequels or trilogies separately, it’ll last a long while. Especially when you then consider that we regularly buy new DVDs which will then be added to the list.

So this evening we will be watching the first film on the list, which happens to be ‘About a boy’, a film I actually really like. As I look on down the list, I see lots of other films I really like, as you might expect given that I own them. Then I happen across films that really belong to my husband, either because he likes them or because he had to watch them for a past university module or that we bought thinking it would be good and it turned out to be rubbish but we just sort of shoved it further back on the shelf rather than actually get rid of it.

Now I like a good variety of films – everything from Sense and Sensibility to Kill Bill – but some of the titles on this list are making me groan with boredom already. But I will watch them and review them. For the sake of anyone who hasn’t had the misfortune of watching them yet and can be saved from that fate by my words of warning. You might also get some recommendations for films you haven’t yet seen that might give you a whole new outlook on life or at least give you a better mood for an hour or two.

So look out for my review of ‘About a Boy’ sometime tomorrow!

My Top Five Writing Tips

There is a huge misconception that great writers are just naturally gifted. To some extent, this is true. Some people are better at coming up with gripping story ideas or really believable characters. However, a great idea does not necessarily create a great story. Although I’m hardly an expert, I’d like to think I’ve learnt a thing or two through study and through research into publishing, I have picked up a few handy tips that I shall now share with you.

1. Make it a habit. If you’re anything like me, writing is something you do when the mood takes you or when a brilliant idea strikes you. That’s all well and good but when you’ve got deadlines for university assignments, a writing competition you want to enter or a publisher that has a limited window for submissions, you can’t always rely on the mood taking you at the right time. If you get into the habit of writing every day, even if it’s just a journal entry or a writing exercise that comes to nothing, it will gradually become a habit. I must admit, I still find this tricky and more than once I’ve had to rush an assignment because I waited for too long for inspiration to naturally strike.

2. Keep a notebook handy. Now above I said that waiting for the mood to strike can be a bad idea. But what is even worse is having a stroke of genius and nowhere to record it. Trust me, by the time you get yourself home and dig out your notebook and a pen, the idea has probably started fading. I find that if I get an idea on paper fast enough, it starts to develop immediately.

3. Try out some writing exercises. On first reading about writing exercises, I will admit that I was a little dubious. Writing ideas had always just come to me. But occasionally, inspiration dries up and a little digging into the recesses of your mind is required. Freewriting, which basically entails picking a topic then writing whatever comes into your mind without any concern for making full, coherent sentences, is a good one to try. It’s got me out of a case of writer’s block more than once and was extremely useful during my struggles with poetry.

4. Paint a picture. When I read a book, I only become really engrossed when I can picture the scene in my head. This doesn’t mean giving every single tiny detail about every setting and character but do include some details and not just about what can be seen. What can be heard and smelt? What kind of person is the character? Give a bit of background about them – it’ll make them sound more realistic.

5. Write what you like. It seems utterly ridiculous that I love science fiction novels, yet I’ve only just tried actually writing one myself. I enjoyed it far more than many other pieces I’ve written and I think the result was quite an improvement on my previous work. There’s no point trying to write a steamy romance if you’re not a fan of them yourself. While we’re on that subject, it seems to me that since the whole Fifty Shades craze happened, lots of people decided that writing erotic novels was a sure way to make lots of cash. It isn’t. I’m not just saying that because I’m personally not a fan. There also plenty of stories about witches and wizards that aren’t nearly as successful as the Harry Potter series, which I loved. If you take a look at some publishers’ submission guidelines, you’ll see that most of them are asking for something new and fresh, not what sold really well last year. Be original.

Do you have any writing tips to share?

Writing Update

I am all too aware that it’s been quite a while since I posted any writing on this blog. After the brilliant response I had from the serialised story I put on here ages ago, it now seems a shame that I haven’t posted more since. But I have been busy scribbling away, honest! So this post is quick update of what I’ve been up to and what you can expect to see coming up.

I’ve been busily writing for my Open University Creative Writing course. In fact, yesterday I submitted yet another assignment in the form of a science fiction short story. Sci fi is possibly my favourite genre so it just made sense to give it a go myself! I’m going to be submitting it to a magazine to hopefully be published. If it is accepted, I shall certainly let you all know. Multiple times. At great volume.

In other news, I’m already planning writing for over the summer. With my university course nearly over and the next beginning in October, I’ll have a few months to focus on getting my first novel finished and ready to start the equally scary and exciting process of trying to get it published. But I am going to try and get a few short stories posted on here too, so watch out for that!

Now I must get back to my scribbling – I have my final university assessment due in three weeks!

There goes the sun

I must admit to a little naivety on my part. Last week, we were finally predicted some sunshine. I immediately dug my sandals from their winter hibernation at the back of my wardrobe, purchased a new picnic blanket and replenished our supply of sun lotion. Summer is here! I stupidly thought. It was as if I had completely forgotten which country I inhabit. Britain is known for fish and chips and the Royal Family, not consistent weather. In fact, it’s well known for quite the opposite. So why on earth did I picture weeks of spending my free time in the park, notebook in hand, soaking up some sunlight?

The sunshine lasted a week. In that time, I did manage several trips to the park, though always with a small child in tow. The place was packed. Everyone had, like me, rushed into their nearest outdoor space the second the sun peeked from behind the clouds. I had been tempted by a day at the beach but it’s a long bus ride away and I really don’t like being on buses in hot weather (I am embarrassingly prone to overheating).

I dislike crowded places. Especially those that I often favour for a bit of peace and quiet. When I’ve got a couple of hours to myself and no chores to do, I thoroughly enjoy a walk in the park. Of course, it’s actually in a city centre so you have to venture in for a few minutes before the sound of traffic and sirens fade.

Walk into that same haven of tranquillity on a sunny Bank Holiday Monday and every inch of grass will be covered by picnic blankets and sun bathers. Now I’m not by nature an anti-social person. Far from it – I love the company of others. But now and again, as I’m sure everyone does, I need a bit of time to myself. This is rare enough when you share a home with two other people, one of which is dependant on you for almost everything they need.

I must find an alternative place to peacefully enjoy the sunshine when it makes another appearance.

Where do you like to go to enjoy the sunshine?

The Importance of music

The most incomprehensible thing I have ever heard was when an acquaintance told me that they do not like music. Not that they didn’t like modern music or popular music or whatever music I had just mentioned. They did not like music, at all. I simply couldn’t wrap my head around this concept. It had been my assumption that music is a universally loved thing. It seemed as strange not to enjoy music as not to enjoy food; you might not like the same food as another person, but you enjoy what you do like.

I have quite a varied taste in music, which causes a problem when people ask “What kind of music do you like?” I like at least one song from every genre I can think of. I try to avoid this by asking the question first. That way, whatever type of music they name, I can usually say “Oh yes, I like this song/album/artist of that genre”.

Despite this varied taste, I am quite picky about which music I like. For instance, I have recently taking a very strong disliking to a song because there is a glaring grammatical error in the chorus. My husband informs me that this is very petty and I can see his point, it is a little silly and pedantic to hate a song for this reason. But it cannot be helped. I now cannot hear this song without feeling very annoyed. This is not uncommon. I find that if I dislike a piece of music, I can hardly bear to sit through it. Equally, if I suddenly feel like listening to a certain piece of music, I find it very annoying if I can’t. I don’t usually voice these annoyances, mostly because I’m fortunate enough to live with someone who shares most of my musical likes and dislikes. Therefore, if he does play something I dislike, I can sit through it, secure in the knowledge that he’ll almost certainly play something I do like next.

I often have music playing for much of the day. I must admit to hoovering while listening to Queen’s ‘I want to break free’. If you’ve seen the video for this song, you’ll know why. If there are lyrics to whatever I’m playing, I’ll probably be singing along. For this, I must apologise to my dear family and to my neighbours. I am not vocally gifted.

In writing, I find that music can be very useful. The right music can provide just the inspiration I need. I try to pick something that will suit the mood. For example, if I’m writing about an angry character, Linkin Park or System of a Down are good choices. Right now, I’m listening to The Lumineers, a band I discovered after hearing ‘Ho Hey’ absolutely everywhere I went for about a week. In my creative writing studies, I have just started a section on Life Writing. I wrote a quick piece about a flat I lived in years ago. I recalled spending many days making Christmas cards at my desk in that flat with Lily Allen’s album ‘It’s not me, it’s you’ on repeat. Playing it brought back images of that flat that I’d entirely forgotten.

Music is, I think, so important. It can inspire us, it can remind us of forgotten times, it can make us laugh, weep or dance around the room (I hope this isn’t just me or else I live in a much more boring world than I thought). It can convey a powerful message or simply put one in a better frame of mind. As said by Abba, nothing can capture a heart the way a melody can.  

Love coffee shops but not coffee

I’ve found myself to be frequenting coffee shops rather a lot recently. Perhaps it’s something to do with being a writer, the two certainly seem to go hand in hand. Is it possible that I’m being subconsciously drawn into these places due to my career aspirations?

The other day I tried out a new place and found it to contain a number of solitary writers, typing away frantically at their MacBooks and occasionally sipping coffee. I suppose it wasn’t exactly a surprise; the café was on the ground floor of an Arts Centre. And I say coffee but it could have been any hot beverage, I wouldn’t want you to think that I’ve been sniffing strangers’ drinks.

It’s particularly strange that I would leap to the conclusion that one would automatically order a coffee in a coffee shop, since I never do. I rarely drink the stuff at all, just the odd cup here and there when I feel a little like a zombie first thing in the morning. My usual order in a coffee shop is a hot chocolate. If I’m feeling particularly decadent, it will be topped with whipped cream or perhaps marshmallows. If I’m feeling like I’ve perhaps indulged too much recently (or I’ve just seen myself in a shop window and despaired), I might go for a vanilla tea. As a little festive tradition of mine, I have mint syrup added around Christmas. But I really don’t think I’ve ever had a coffee in a coffee shop.

Aside from my expanding waistline, there’s another issue with my love of chocolate over coffee. It’s an extremely normal social convention (Christ, I sound like Sheldon from Big Bang Theory) to ask a friend or potential friend to “go for a coffee”. On several occasions, I’ve done just this and then had to explain when we actually got to the coffee shop that I’ll be having a hot chocolate as I don’t actually like coffee that much. This is usually accepted but it has happened, just the once, that my companion asked why I asked her to go for a coffee if I really wanted to go for a hot chocolate. I imagine I turned an unattractive shade of pink while stuttering out a response about it just being a turn of phrase.

Today, whilst out on a shopping mission for the Dear Other Half, I popped into a coffee shop that had been recommended to me by a friend, to whom I am now very grateful. I spent at least half an hour slumped in a tan leather armchair, sipping something called a Rocky Road (hot chocolate flavoured with cherry syrup and marshmallows, utter heaven to me). I found myself wishing I had thought to pop my IPad Mini in my handbag – it would be the perfect place to do a little writing. There is something quite appealing about being one of those artistic types that spends their free hours in quiet corners, tapping away at a keyboard or perhaps scribbling in a notepad, as cliché as it might seem. I think I shall be returning for another Rocky Road very soon.

 

 

Poet’s block

The part of my Open University course I’m currently studying is all about poetry. Now, I’m not really much of a poet. I enjoy writing haikus but that is about it. I’ve been hopeful that a bit of study would work wonders, since it’s improved my prose writing so much, but no such luck. 

I have tried going and sitting in the park on my own. I have tried walking around town and casually observing people I see. I have tried listening to various types of music. Oh, inspiration comes thick and fast, of course. But for stories, not poems. 

So I considered that I could make a poem from a story. Plenty of poets have done this. Poe’s The Raven is a brilliant, if rather creepy, example. However, this has not been going very well either. 

Has anyone else who has studied creative writing struggled with poetry? If you have any tips, I would really welcome them!