No One

Poor ill-fated blog. I'm sorry!

*ahem* I apologise for that. I had to comfort my blog after my absense.

A lot has happened these past few days that I haven't had the good grace to write about. There has been good things, and bad things. Since I hate ending on a bad note (happened before at mass "singing" and I came off the alter laughing and red-faced), I'll start with the bad point. My head is melted. Not literally of course, but my writing brain is dead for the time being.

To compensate (people like compensating) I've begun a YouTube vlogging session! That's the first of the good news-y bits! I get to chat a lot about nothing in particular... yet. People say vloggers are vain and that they just want to record themselves so they can watch/listen. I think that's a bit... stupid? I'm certainly not doing it for that reason. I hate how I sound and I don't like the camera pointing at me. I do, however, enjoy talking. Communicating, rather. It's easier to do on YouTube because no one will interrupt. Plus, I like seeing the viewing numbers go up.

And that, oddly enough, brings me onto more good news. I have a new TV show to watch! It's the forecasted topic of my next video - Doctor Who!! I have to blame Charlie McDonnell for that. See, at the Den we blame people for good things. It's Claire's fault, for example, that we released an anthology last year. And when I blame people like that, I'm really thanking them and giving them credit. So yes, I love Doctor Who. Just wait 'till you see what I can pronounce! (I can't spell it though...)

Now, to celebrate my return to my blog, I'm leaving you with a poem. It's called No One, hence the title of the blog. It's not much of a poem, but I liked the idea a bit. Here we go then..!

No One

No one heard me scream.
No one came to help.
No one watched me die.
No one was a witness.
No one came forward.
No one...

Rubbish, innit?

Anyway... le link for the channel if you want to watch my videos! http://www.youtube.com/user/writeranonymous

You can subscribe if you want, but it's not mandatory. feedback, however, would be nice.

Well, until next time - Cheerio!

Fantastic!

Well, I'm back from Barcelona. It's a great city, had a great time, yadda yadda yadda...

That's actually not what I'm talking about today. No, "Fantastic!" is the catchphrase of the first of the new Doctors in Doctor Who (played by Christopher Eccelston). The reason for the catchphrase invasion? Well, I've just watched the entire first Season of the new DW. It's amazing!

I first decided I wanted to watch Doctor Who when I started listening to Chameleon Circuit (interview with Charlie McDonnell who helped put it together here). I was like, "That sounds like fun." And it was! I fell in love with the quirkiness, the originality, the genre! I can't wait to buy the second Season!!

Doctor Who has always inspired my own little time travelling story. It's still in the mental workshop at the moment, all the details being smoothed out, but I should be able to start planning it soon!

Aside from all that, I've not been doing very much. Well, I've been helping two writers with their books (my friends Sam and Aimee), working as an editor of sorts for them. Rachel Phipps from the Den also wants someone to help her, and I've volunteered my services. I don't charge. I just like doing it.

Take care!

The font I use...

I've noticed this became a big thing with writers - the fonts they used. It's all about style, presentation, and just what sort of story it is.

For me, not so much. I have my preferred fonts, of course; Times New Roman is a bit boring, but easy to read; Arial is less boring, and even easier to read; Comic Sans is more fun and just as legible. However, my favourite font isn't on the desktop I sit at now!! Calibri, which came with my laptop, is such a great font! It's simple, stylish, and new.

That last one is very important. New. It embodies everything my writing has become. I'm not the same writer I used to be, and my work is improving noticably. I want to symbolise that in the font I use, because it's a statement of my rebirth as a writer. When I wrote Meet Sam, the entire thing was in Calibri. It was excellent. Not the book (I'm much too modest to make that remark) but the way it looked. I could read it, it looked cool, and I didn't get bored with it.

What are your favourite fonts, and why?

(yes, this is just a boring blog, but I got an idea and I couldn't put it away)

Writing Magazines

Well, during my ventures yesterday in Dublin's City Centre, I purchased a few things. One is an album you're not interested in, and a couple of books that I'm not interested in telling you about at this point in time. I did, however, also make a couple of purchases in Eason. I don't normally like to do this, but it was a special case - magazines.

Two of them, to be precise, with another arriving in the post at the same time. Writing Magazine and Writers' Forum are now added to my collection, alongside my two-year subscription to The Stinging Fly. The latter is pretty much made up of short stories and poetry, and I received the subscription from my brothers for my eighteenth birthday.

The other magazines are all about writing. I'm experimenting with them at first, to see which I prefer. I might like them both, but for now I'm going to assume that's not the case, for my bank account's sake. Starting with Writers' Forum, I've already discovered some interesting things to help me in my endeavors that I will be partaking in, namely trying to freelance.

This is added to the multiple novels and short stories I'm already working on. And do you know, I can't wait.

While I'm here, I may as well remind the delightful public about the Literary Den magazine and giveaway. Click here for the full story, with info on submitting and the prize.

Review of The Sorceress

I'm going to be entirely honest: I love this series! The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel is hugely addicting and creates a whole new outlook on Mythology from across the world. Author Michael Scott is renowned for his expertise in the field, and it shines through in these books.

The Sorceress is the third book out of six, preceeded by The Alchemyst and The Magician. Following the adventures of Josh and Sophie Newman and Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel, while also encompassing a whole range of people from history and myth, the story literally brings us around the world!

Everyone, except Sophie and Josh, existed at some point in time. The Flamels were both real people, and were truly suspected of being immortal (helps when your grave is empty!) They also left France poor and returned stinking rich, hence their ability to fund several hospitals across Paris during their lives. The villain we're first introduced to is Doctor John Dee, a very famous Englishman who in this tale serves the "bad guys."

Now, I know several people read the name Flamel and stopped thinking, "He was in Harry Potter." Yes, he was. Rowling stole him from history and made him a secondary character. It's the reason people started by calling this series "the new Harry Potter." Nobody wants that anymore. People want to be continually enjoyed, not the big thing that everyone loves until it starts getting on their nerves. However, the story does have a few similarities with Harry Potter. Magic for one. Then monsters. That's about it.

And it's better, you know? It's better than Harry Potter. The characters feel more real. They don't hate for the sake of it (if they do, there's usually a reason... like magic or dementia.) The twins (should have mentioned, that's Josh and Sophie) get along, but they argue too. And there are secrets! They don't all come out at once. And they don't just conveniently get into trouble every book. They're special, and they have something the bad guys want. That's why they get into trouble.

And it's all taking place in a few days, as the Flamels age at a hyper rate. This is apocalyptic stuff here; the one thing that can save the Flamels can also destroy the world!

So, where does The Sorceress pick up then? Well, modern day London happens to be one of the most dangerous places on the earth... in the story I mean. And that's right where they've headed. I don't want to spoil too much, but if I recommend these books! Start with The Alchemyst. You'll love it if you like YA Fantasy!! And it only keeps getting better. The Sorceress was definetely the best so far. Now I have to begin the wait for The Necromancer!!

Baibai Sci-Fi

Okey dokey, here we go! I've given up. Not all together, just on one thing. It's a Sci-Fi writing competition. My entry was going to be something similar to Geneticide (which in turn is similar to Heroes) but I just can't do it! It's not possible. My attention can't stay with it. I can't visualise the characters. Nothing is working in it. I don't even have a plan. It's one of those novels that can really afford to end as a long story, but not publishable. Ever. It never would have reached 80 thousand words.

However, my writing is not all dead. I've still got Meet Sam to edit this summer, and another novel to write. It's a YA fantasy that will tear away all the premises about fairytales, myth and of course, "Good VS Evil." I'm keeping it's name a secret for now, but it's going to be good. I know, I've been dreaming about it.

See, that's how I plan sometimes. I just dream it. Unlike a friend of mine, Andy Walker, I can't make out loads of character notes. I simply wouldn't know where to begin. I just imagine everything happening instead. I do what feels right. And I do that wonderous thing: I write what I know!

It's something people always forget to do. They start something far more complex than their heads can comprehend. If I asked some people about what they wrote, they wouldn't have an answer. They just wouldn't know. This ficticious world they've created is limited to what's been written down, in the book. I can't do that. I know so much about this story, because it's been in my head for over two years, unwritten.

Sorry, that's not entirely true. It's been written. About three chapters of it. And they're useless now, because the tale has changed. The very fabric of time and space has been torn apart since then. The protagonist is younger, but he's not quite "evil" like he used to be. Okay, I know I'm trying to get away from that point, so here we go... he's what people would call "good" if they read the story, but in truth, even the "good guys" can be bad. They make decisions, have morals and live to an ethical standard. Mostly. There's the Big Bads that accompany all YA Fantasy that don't quite like being told what to do.

You see, there is no such thing as good and evil in this story. It's all about Power, and those who seek it. How they go about their mission is what defines them under one of the two words, based on the standards of ethics in the world. But then, killing millions is a bit bad, isn't it?

So there you have it, my guideline. It's not much, is it? Not for you, anyway. You won't know what the story's really about. That's the idea. But you know what it's not and that's important.