Funny you should say that...

Chatting at work with Becca, something she said jogged my memory, and suddenly I was remembering half-forgotten people. These were internet-based memories about people I had never met, but had spoken to many times. A lot of names had gone from my mind, but they had all influenced my thinking while coming up with some kind of plot for my newest story. Becca probably thought I sounded very strange. Wouldn't blame her, as I think I am, too. Once home, I dived onto my laptop and searched for a few things. Lo and behold, someone said a name on TV, and then Sting sang a song called Soul Cake, both of which references are part of this tale!
A sign, perhaps. Well, I'm having a lot more artistic thoughts these days than I have been. Maybe I'm picking up on things - things I should have been more aware of. But then again, maybe I was aware of them, but it was a subconscious thing.
Agh! Stop analysing. Just write!

Miracle on 34th Street

One of my favourite films; this one and the original. It must be wonderful to be able to dream of something, and then for it to happen. Wishes are not just for Christmas, but it's a marvellous time to wish for something. I think a few of us could do with a wish or two coming true, and I hope for you that they all do.
And so, as I now retire to watch the rest of this lovely film, to everyone who has ever stopped by, and to everyone who regularly does (not that there's much to read here, these days), I hope you have a great Christmas and a very happy New Year. And I hope that whatever wishes enter your life turn out to be the kind of wishes that do come true x
All the very best
Es

Falling leaves...

I keep seeing them. How they relate to what I'm about to write is up to me, I guess, but they seem relevant. They seem to represent death. But it's what they become, not what they are, that is the key.
I've settled on a certain new first chapter. One that carries links with the past in the tale, but which also foretells danger for those who are left to carry on. I'm not entirely sure that this is the right way to go, or even that it is necessary, given that I like the original first chapter (now the second chapter). But the scene I'm writing seems to have no place later in the story, and the very beginning is as natural a point for it to exist as I can find - meaning that I was going to write it (it's in my notes) but hadn't found a place for it up until now.
It's possible that, after writing it, this may still not be a first chapter. But it will have been written and I can make a decision afterwards. I guess, after having the original first chapter there, in front of me, for ages makes it difficult to view another one in its place.
Still, on with it. See where it goes!

Where's foxy?

Well, the council have been out in force, cutting stuff everywhere - at least it looked like the council. To the point where, to my horror, the copse looks rather ragged and threadbare. Anyway, foxy has gone, or seems to have gone. I've left food there, and it disappears, but that could be anything. Just there's no sign of the little mite. Hmmm. I hope he's all right.
Mind you, it doesn't have to be the hand of man that upsets anything. It's quite nice looking at the woods and the wildlife, listening to the noises and stuff, but I came across some kind of hawk tearing a wood pigeon to pieces. What a shock! I was both fascinated and horrified at the same time. Nothing I could do, of course. Darwin had a point, and who was I to even attempt to interfere. Nature's cruel, but that's life in the wild. Strewth!
Still, I'll keep putting food out for a while and see what happens.
On the writing front, I've written nothing. Talked about it, thought about it, going through things, but not written anything. Just there's not much urgency in my head to do it right now. I don't know why. I will be looking at it tonight. Atmosphere; opening words. What am I missing? I need to study things. Let's see how it goes...

Clean-up

Had a bit of a tidy of my blog. Youtube's messing with videos and references has caused one or two vids having to be removed. Some vids have just gone missing completely. Pehaps they'll come back. I might've buggered off by then lol

Oh, to be a vegetarian...

You know, I did wonder why I gave young foxy a pork pie, when I've always liked pork pies. And today, with some odd reluctance, I cooked up a chicken dinner. This reluctance was confirmed by my lack of enjoyment while eating it. Not like me, I can tell you. Seems like I'm going off meat, for some reason.
I've got stuff for sandwiches, soup in the freezer with meat in it, leftover chicken, bacon n stuff.
None of it appeals. I'd rather just have something plain, like wheatgerm bread and butter. And fruit juice rather than fizzy drinks. Hot chocolate as opposed to coffee - well, some of the time!
A symptom of getting older, perhaps?
Absolutely no idea what's going on internally, but I feel like I'm changing. Maybe it's moving to this new place. Perhaps I've discovered a new outlook, with it.
Soon it will be 2010.
Tried to find a play on words with Space Odyssey and food, but I couldn't.
I need a beer!

Help! again...

Yep, the Fabs are on tv tonight - 10.45 pm on BBC2. Great fun! I'll watch it tonight. They don't make 'em like this any more.
On the subject of help (tenuous, I know), I've had another conversation with Noel the Ultimate Proofreader. Noel has revealed that he likes the poem at the beginning and the name of the young girl, and that one of his favourite bits is the last line of the third chapter, which refers to a cat. He also enjoys the atmosphere, which I build from the beginning of the current first chapter, and the fact that I have enough in the form of people in the story to create interaction and events that mean something. Noel hopes that the cat will play a larger part as the story goes on. No worries on that score, I assured him!
Solvey believes that the story has great potential, but, like Noel, feels the beginning needs some kind of punch or memorablity to be more effective as a beginning.
I'm writing an opening that, I hope, reveals danger to the audience and also gives more information to the audience than the hero is allowed. It's not a reversal, but it is death by murder - a strong event that will only work if I write it well enough.
The original and now-removed prologue is a rather flat flashback that is probably unnecessary - perhaps the other flashbacks will be emphasised because of this removal. I don't want many of them, for sure, so we will have to see there.

Into the void

At last, I've begun to write the chapter that may be the first chapter. Lol, how many first chapters did I write in my previous magnum opus? Not nearly enough, I suspect. It's a tentative step, though only the successful writing of it will convince me that it's the correct one. This new chapter must illustrate the danger the hero and his friends are in. Otherwise it will fail and I will revert to the beginning I have.
The beginning I have, with the prologue now removed, is a good one. The chapter I'm now creating must be at least as good.
I remember a conversation way back at Litopia, where Oscuridad (Dave Bartram in their podcasts) said that he had written a story that was full of intrigue and politics, yet it seemed that the more successful stories he was looking at, at the time, were more likely to contain murder, or attempted murder. Something along those lines.
It's a fact that if the reader is not placed in mortal danger through the people in the story, then if the genre in which the tale is set requires such a scenario, your story is in mortal danger, too - of failing.
I will be attempting to illustrate this in the new chapter. Failure will only be temporary, as I really will need to move on to the rest of the tale. Future writings may reveal a truer opening chapter. But let's see how I get on.
p.s.
Little foxy got a pork pie out of me, yesterday. At one with nature...

Prologue-less

And there it wasn't!
I've removed the prologue as a part of the story itself. I will keep it for reference, but for now we have the poem and then the opening lines of the first chapter.
Obviously, I need to consider whether the opening chapter should be the opening chapter. Should there be another chapter before that?
Of course, I can't say for definite right now. It's difficult looking at the beginning without the prologue being there. I have what seems to be the perfect type of opening in my head, but I must remember that my first chapter 'as-is' seems like a good one to me. Why change things further?
Watching The Da Vinci Code last night shows what a beginning can be. Does it need to be like that? The one I have in mind is like that. But will it now look like everybody else's first chapter?
Well, the prologue is no more. Small steps for now.
Food for thought...

What now?

So, I now have three chapters that actually run together at the beginning of the book. I hope I've illustrated the hero as a good guy and someone worth following. The problem is, it is more than likely that I haven't written an opening capable of attracting an agent, or even whoever reads it first at an agent's office.
I like the poem. There are more later in the book to illustrate certain abilities and happenings.
I like the prologue, which may never see the light of day. Unless, as solvey has rightly suggested, I add more to it. However, adding more to it might make it too long. The prologue was necessary in order to form an idea in my head. Now it's there in my head, perhaps the prologue is a detractor, or a distraction. I don't know, really I don't. In any event, the prologue will never be sent to an agent. But it will be there as added information if it is ever needed. Everything I've done may be taken down as evidence! Evidence I can write? Or not...
There is a strong probability that I'll write an opening very soon, and take out the prologue. I think Solvey and Noel would expect that. Forward momentum, as both have impressed upon me.
Right! Roll 'em!

2-0

Just about unanimous. Both Solvey and Noel say the same thing: the first chapter has to be dynamic and it has to grab the reader immediately. The 'reader' being the agent in the first instance, and then the editor.
In short, although I have no problem writing lucid and entertaining prose with a dash of style ;-), I probably would grab no agent or editor with the first chapter I created.

I don't think I can write a new first chapter right now. I need to consider more of what my story is about. I do believe I have the chapter at hand, but I won't write it until I'm sure. As the chapter I have in mind doesn't involve the hero of the story, then it may not be the right way to start.

However, nothing I've written will be discarded, as I may have to put them back, or use them anyway as they need to be there.

The Lord Of The Rings had no great and wondrous start. Neither did The Hobbit. Neither does Use Of Weapons, nor Seize The Night. Nor does Great Expectations. All my own personal points of reference. However, they may not hold the key to my latest work with regard to the opening chapter. I need to think, and to do!

However, I must also be careful not to write a beginning that causes changes to the text already conceived and written. I like what I've done, so any beginning has to fit the story as I see it. If I really can't write a beginning that has a humdinger of start then I mustn't worry. First and foremost, everything must be well-written and carry style. Then there must be a story worthy of the name and memorable people to populate it.

The beginning will reveal itself, I'm sure, just it doesn't need to be written until I'm ready to write it. That's the nub of it, really. Solvey and Noel are absolutely right. But I'll probably not know how it should start until after I get further in. I may never know and someone else may suggest it. It's fun, though - no need to get depressed about it. There's a long way to go, so I mustn't rush and then ruin everything.
Thanks guys, I really do appreciate your help.
Keep you posted...

At last!

The beginning has been finished! At least, the beginning as I see it. I've sent it off to Noel, Dave and Rich. Hopefully, these three masters will let me know what they think.
Ah well, on with the rest of the show...

It's gonna be a long season...

I shouldn't be bothered that we didn't win the Community Shield, but to give up a lead so easily against Chelsea? I don't know why De Laet didn't play; nor why Valencia was on the subs bench. Those two decisions probably cost us. Rooney was marginalised for almost the whole game, too, until the goal he scored right at the end.
And why was Nani presented as free-kicker-in-chief? His goal was good, but the rest of it promised more than he could deliver. Shame about his injury, as he deserves a chance, but he wasn't building on the goal.
Yep, a long season all right!

Back On The Road

A hard road, actually. Solvey has asked some serious questions of my stuff and he hasn't seen the new beginning yet! What's he gonna be like when he finds my offering in his email inbox???
The opinions of Solvey, Rich and Noel count for such a lot. If I can get this past them then I will know I'm on the right track. Not long now, actually, as it's a matter of typing up and then smoothing out a few kinks. A few days at most. Mind you, I've quite a few months of work ahead of me. This really is the beginning.
Meanwhile, check out the interviews on Maria Harris' blog. Great stuff and shows how far she has come and gives a fair indication of how far she will go. I'm rather envious, but in a good way: it's great to see success happening and growing. Proof that it does happen.

A brief pause

Sometimes you have to stop - not because you want to - but because it's necessary. I've written a new beginning to Chapter 2 and I know I'd better call a halt and think a bit.
I like what I'm doing, but I don't want to move in a different direction to the pictures I have in my head. I need to check. I've moved a scene from second place to the forefront of the chapter. Dialogue and information are contained in this chapter, as well as movement and scene-setting. I know that the story moves into itself from Chapter 4 and the only explanations after that should come from the flashbacks - sparely used and strategically placed shows. Boy, do I have to be careful with these. I need to make sure I am going in the direction I want to, and not get dragged into places that really surprise no-one and will impress no-one. It's gonna take a while, as I seem able to write this story only when I have to, as opposed to chipping away at it or sparing time to write.
Can I do it all? We'll see.
Anyhow, the revised beginning will be completed in the next few days. Solvey, Rich and Noel the Ultimate Proofreader will get their copies and I will know from the reactions from these three masters if I'm on the right track.
Very soon, coming to an email inbox near you...

Back to nature

So, I'm writing now. The final part of the beginning, and revision of the beginning. One problem I have is that the settings are, in the main, real places, and one of them closes at night so I can't go in when it's dark. I can look inside at night, but there's no substitute for actually being inside the place. Still, I've been there during the day, so I just gotta use my imagination.

Having been off work for a week, I realise I haven't been watching my diet, with the inevitable result that I don't feel too good. I've got a load of stuff in that should ensure the disappearance of any yukky feelings. I have to stick to what I've got. Chips are out lol

Anyway, after my latest bout of food shopping, I stopped off at a small copse not far from my new place. There lives a little fox. The poor fella seems to be starving and his coat is rather raggy and mottled. In the absence of any knowledge of foxy food, I'd got him some scotch eggs (don't ask!) Now, a good friend of mine, David Hartmann, once told me that if you gave a fox some eggs the fox would immediately start sniffing around, looking for the chickens! Ha, after biting into the scotch eggs, that was exactly what the fox did! Then he wolfed (!) the lot down. Good!
Feeling better...

Chariots Of Fire

I went out for a couple of drinks this lunchtime. On my return, I was presented with a meal of mince and dumplings by my new next door neighbour and her husband. Could get used to this!
I'm now watching Chariots Of Fire, which features the most lovely and fragile music composed by Vangelis. Inspirational stuff, and I don't want to miss it.
Later tonight, I'm off to the Riverside pub to watch a good friend, Brian Houshby, doing a 'turn'. He's hilarious and highly entertaining. So much for spending time writing, but I feel I need this break tonight. I'm off on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, during which time I should have finished the beginning of the story.
Then the critiques from Noel, Solvey and Rich should confirm my abilities, good or bad!
Roll on 20th July, when I'll be off for two weeks. Thinking of going to Ireland then...

School's out!

Browsing blogs as I do now and again, and finding less than ever that I felt I could comment on with any authority, I came across a post on Peter Cox's blog (Maria Harris's agent) concerning the lack of interest-worthy school subjects. A friend of mine has just had a baby girl (congrats Kay!) and I remembered a conversation I'd had with someone else. I just happen to feel that most people leave school totally unprepared for life. Typical of me that my attempts at leaving a comment were unsuccessful. Obviously, school has left me unprepared for internet life, too lol

However, I also spied a podcast on Pc's blog about writers' clothing style. Now here is a subject of which I've had lots of experience: shopping unsuccessfully for clothes. Depending on which shop I go to, any kind of trouserware has me veering from 30" to 36" waist and short to regular leg - nope, never extended to long - and large to xxl shirts (especially in FCUK) where I always used to be 'M'. I always thought M stood for 'medium'. It seems M must now stand for 'massive'!!! Underwear, too ;-)

Now I've just bought a leather jacket, for which I really need the arms of an ape. Major surgery seems to be the only answer - on the jacket, I mean!

Writing life...

Youtube is beginning to suck

They keep removing stuff, or something. Now The Last Midnight video has gone missing. How dare they!
Hmmm...

A new place...

Well folks, I've moved house! I'm no longer by the River Tyne, which is great as it's so much more peaceful now. In this place, I will finish the first book of my latest work. (lol there I go again, writing sentences backwards!)
The area is quiet, even at its busiest, so I believe I will be quite productive. No excuses. No regrets. If I fail, then it is me at fault. Or with no talent, one of the two. Let's see, though. Now, where was I...

Words

A long, long time ago, a good friend of mine painted a rather striking picture full of words, originally entitled: Words.
Millions of years later, we bumped into each other and the first thing that entered my head was this picture. And yep, the picture still exists.
Funny that, as I don't have the opening words to the beginning of my second chapter. God, if I could have just dipped into this picture for a while and grabbed some! A friend in need... indeed!

The Words.

The Words.

It's not writer's block. There's a spark of inspiration missing. It's coming, I do know that, just it's hiding in a corner, somewhere dark, somewhere quiet, whispering to me, slightly out of earshot, tantalising. I'm listening, just not recognising. Yet!
I've got four days off next week, and I'm hammering at the door of creativity, believing the face of this book's devil will be reflected in the words of the 'good people' on the other side of the door. Good people? What is 'good'? It's all relative, I do assure you. I need to reassure myself - maybe that's the problem. I gotta think!
I took my time over the opening words of the tale, and I'm hoping, believing, that the story will write itself, like the beginning did. (Great english, that!)
I'm close to finishing this chapter. What on earth am I worrying about? Opinions, probably. I gotta live up to the hype. My hype, actually.
I'm cracking up. Probably, too.
Madness!
Writing life...

Lions and tigers and bears - Oh my!

Yep, I watched The Wizard Of Oz on Sunday, and before it Easter Parade. Two of my favourite films and in my top five list on Facebook, too.
I fully intended to complete my rewrite of Chapter 2, but this wonderful boost of light relief was very much needed: the darkness of my new work can have the effect of colouring my thoughts. It was great!
Another reason for not writing too much is the previously-referred-to Dickensian addition to the tale. Having now accepted that this must happen, a rather crazy conversation between two people in the story sprang up inside my head, which, if I manage to pull it off, should be illuminating as to the thoughts and attitudes of people towards the hero. A bit of show, and no tell!
Soon, Solvey, Rich and Noel the Ultimate Proofreader will get their copies of the new opening poem, prologue and first three chapters. Not because I'll be sending them off soon (they won't be sent, as I now understand I can't do that until the book is almost finished), but because I'm going to need their opinions. And these three opinions will count hugely towards my new thinking of the future of the story.
So, on with the show!!! Monday is gonna be a big day... a big writing day.

All I want for Christmas...

... is a green witch! Dontcha just love the Orange phone network advert? The wicked witch made The Wizard Of Oz so much more interesting. And she's come back. I just love witches - the star of Into The Woods is the witch, and the title of this blog is her song, which I had to play again.
I hope there are more adverts with this green witch. She's a star!

What the Dickens!

Ha! Something straight out of Dickens has entered my story. It kept flashing at me every now and then, and although I wasn't ignoring it, I kept putting it to one side to think about later.
Actually, it isn't from Dickens - that is, he didn't make it up, just it is an association with his memory, his work.
It's taking me such a long time to move on into the rest of this story, especially this Chapter 2, and I've been getting worried about the future: where would it lead, end, take me. Now I understand that my hesitation is probably founded in this new addition. It's also part of the middle section, the river. Hey! It's a result!
And probably means I'm still in the planning stage.
Perhaps.
Oh, what do I know...

Ghosts

Whilst finalising my thoughts about Chapter 2 (revised), I began to look through all of my notes. Checking things over in case there was something I had missed, I told myself, preparing for the movement into the tale itself. In actuality, I was re-familiarizing myself with the story and its inhabitants. Almost shaking hands with ghosts.
I surprised myself by what I had recorded in these notes with regard to the beginning and the end. I also surprised myself by what I hadn't written with regard to the middle.
I understand now that I have no middle, mainly the movement from the beginning into the tale itself, and then the ending (a possible choice of endings which I have yet to totally set out). I love what I have done so far, but I get a feeling that I may be hampering myself by not properly exploring the main event. Guess I've been too busy thinking about the beginning to have had many thoughts about the hero's journey after that. Then again, the beginning is vitally important, so I shouldn't be too rough on myself for that.
Perhaps, when Ch 2 is done, my mind will free up and I'll be able to explore what really should happen next. The flashbacks are great, for one thing, and hold up very well after looking at them with a fresh pair of eyes. Fitting them in should be fun, and I have to remember that I wrote them, so I shouldn't be worried I won't be able to write what is going to happen around them.
You gotta have faith, boy!
Cracking up? Probably...

You and I are yesterday's answers
The earth of the past come to flesh
Eroded by Time's rivers
To the shapes we now possess

The Sage, Emerson Lake and Palmer

Just musing while watching Alien Resurrection...
Were the stars put there so that we can admire them, or were we put there to admire the stars?
Either answer implies a consciousness behind the reason. That is, someone (?) must be behind it all.
The one constant I can find in anything - in the absence of the proof of life beyond our current knowledge - is 'light'. Light travels from one star to...... where, exactly? Where does it go after most of it passes by us? Does it stay together, or expand into next-to-nothingness, or is eroded by planetary forces as it brushes past, or all of these?
And what is the purpose of light? Is there an intended purpose? Just why is light?
I know we can say why to anything, making the question an almost redundant nonsense behind which particular smokescreen all answers to existence may hide. But light intrigues me more than anything - apart from emotions, because without them no reason of any kind could exist. Well, you wouldn't ask any question and care about the answer if emotions did not exist, would you?
So I wonder: does light have another purpose to those scientists know of? And could it be alive, organic? If it is not alive initially, does it become so while travelling through Dark Matter?
Are we actually part of light's own self? Is it possible that if we find the true reason for light's existence, we may find the answer to our own existence?
The words of Ed Wood JR spring to mind in one of his masterful (!) films. He hinted at the existence of the Solar Unite. A force that linked all planets across the universe. Silly, I know, to listen to the ramblings of..... But I guess he had a point. Is light some kind of solar unite?

The above was created without the use of alcohol or other substances of any kind. I promise!

Technology - Huh!

Can't seem to get Blogger and Youtube to agree to show the video I want. Oh well, maybe another day...

Happy New Year!!!!!!

Happy New Year everyone.
Would you believe it, I just opened a fortune cookie from a Chinese meal. It said: You have a potential urge and the drive for accomplishment.
Glad I don't write that way, but the sentiment's good enough for me lol