In 2010

Well, I've seen quite a few of my fellow bloggers doing this; New Years Resolutions! Normally I avoid such things (which might explain why I never do anything), and I certainly never make them public. I suppose it's time to change that, and hopefully I'll get somewhere with my writing as a result!

Okay, here goes... ready? I'm not... Okay, I'm digressing (or distracting you...)

• Spend at least five hours a week reading something that's not college related (unless the pressure of college mounts up and I have no choide)
• Spend at least five hours a week writing or editing my own work (unless college + pressure = no choice)
• Blog at least twice a week, because I've become very bad at that, and it really needs to change
• Review every book I read from now on, including some of the ones I've already read (this will work in conjunction with my YouTube channel, I think)
• Start a bookclub on my YouTube channel
• Start my autograph boook (or at least get more than one signature - thank you Jackie Kessler!)
• Finish Meet Sam - 2010 is my year, I know it. I can do this. I have to. Then I'll get my other work noticed, like The Jump and The Magical Emporium of Magical Things (I started that three days ago - nice title, eh? ^_^)
• Complete NaNoWriMo for the third year running

Okay, that's enough targets for myself. They'll keep me sufficently busy for the year, especially with college exams, meet-ups, potential holidays, birthdays, illness and laziness. The forces of procrastination might also show their ugly faces... wish me luck, and Happy New Year!

My Greatest Adventure to Date

It’s been too long since I blogged last. Far too long. So, I guess I better explain myself. And while I’m at it, I think I’ll go through my entire first semester at college; it makes sense to do this all at once.

Okay, so some of you (the Twitter folk who are online when I am) might have seen that I have my own room now. Well, this action resulted in the modem being disconnected from the room I am currently in. Now, this would have been a very simple process of reconnecting it in the other room if the cable was long enough, but it wasn’t. No, instead my brother said he’d replace it. He didn’t. Our neighbour did, eventually, at which point my NaNoWriMo novel was in distress of not being finished. I had to verify my word count in college!

Anyway, I digress. See, even when we got our Internet connection back up, I couldn’t get on my laptop. The reason? Drama. Lots of drama. Starting on Monday, November 30th, here were my plans, which also included college Monday to Friday:

• Monday: Drama at 7 until late.
• Tuesday: Drama at 7 until late.
• Wednesday: Drama at 7 until late.
• Thursday: Choir at 8 until late.
• Friday: Setting up flats at college for the Drama, and Christmas shopping until late.
• Saturday: Work and a mass until late.
• Sunday: Dress rehearsals all day, until late.
• Monday: Plays on stage; at college at half five until late.
• Tuesday: In DIT for competition until late.
• Wednesday: College choir service until late.
• Thursday: Plays on stage; at college at six, then to college Christmas party until the early hours of the morning.
• Friday: Recovery (though I still attended college)
• Saturday: Work, then work Christmas party until early hours of the morning.
• Sunday: Work... then I collapsed in front of the TV.
• Monday (i.e. yesterday): Ice-skating.

It’s been hectic for two weeks, as you can see. Fun, but hectic. The plays we put on were Donalbain and Bang Bang You’re Dead; the first a parody of Macbeth, in which the title character leaves for Ireland (as scripted) and ends up in Playboy of the Western World shortly after its ending (every character was aware they were in plays – great craic!) and the second play was a serious piece of work written after the shooting in Columbine High School in April 1999.

I had roles in both plays; I was Witch 2 and Attendant 3 in Donalbain, which meant I had to be high pitched and hilarious (could have been worse... Witch 3 was gay!) and I was Actor 3, the Witness and the Principle in Bang Bang You’re Dead. So what did I get out of the Drama? Well... (list time!):

• A greater understanding of Drama (a big help considering it was one of my modules for the semester... and the whole “I’m a writer” thing)
• Confidence in front of a large crowd (for the audiences were quite large!)
• The ability to speak loudly without shouting (thanks to Emma O for that!)
• A huge group of friends (*ahem* Laura, Ronan, Eileen, Siobhan, Colin, Emma O, Emma B, Anne, Megan, Rónán, Niamh, Bobby, Cabrina, Mark, Fian, and the all-important directors Deezie and Nigel)

So take that? Seriously though, Drama is highly recommended at third level. We had so much fun, especially when Nigel made fun of my inability to be loud in his play (Bang Bang) despite the volume of my Gingerbread Man impressions from Shrek and my acting as the Witch in Donalbain. Then the lead (Colin) copied me with that little trick of not speaking louder when Nigel says, “Louder!” Good times...

Aside from Drama, I made lots of friends in class. I’m part of a big group of ten people, three of whom were in the plays, and it’s made the transgression from Second Level to Third Level so much easier! We “fooze it up” daily, have great laughs at lunch and constantly point out that Kevin’s dad is a lecturer. (seriously, Kevin’s dad lectures us!)

Readjust yourself in your seat, I’m not done yet!

In choir, we were approached by a woman trying to organise a Liturgy Committee for the choir, so that the priests know what we’re singing in mass, and so that we actually can sing it all. Fantastic news, really, since I had to organise a mass liturgy for college and spent the entire first semester learning about it.

In work, I have lots of extra hours for the holidays. And I had that super fun Christmas party! It was my first time out with the job, so it was a new experience... but very fun! We had pizza, then they all got drunk. Some more so than others... Fun... (seriously though, it was fun).

Writing... oh yeah, there is the small matter that I finished NaNoWriMo! Take that new room, with your eating up eight days in the month on me! The book isn’t finished, and with Drama I haven’t even touched it in a fortnight, but I won! I got fifty thousand words in 30 days (less, really, considering the unholy distractions). And I’m sure there’s more...

Yes! I got a poem published in the college magazine. It’s on YouTube. See my little bar at the top of the post to see the video (or go to my channel http://www.youtube.com/writeranonymous and look for Little Bo-Peep, the Revised Edition).

And I have my plans for a couple of plays. And more notes on The Jump. And a plan for a straight to blog book. And and and... that was bad grammar. I’m not sorry, though.
Now to abandon you just when you thought I might have more to say. I have books to read, things to write... ah, more lists I suppose!

To read:

• Columbine
• Tales of Mystery and Imagination
• Metamorphoses
• Let the Great World Spin
• Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
• Playboy of the Western World

(and that’s just for now...)

To write:

• More nursery rhymes
• More poetry
• A play called Down
• The Jump
• The Wedding Singer

Okay, now I’m done. I’ll try blog more as stuff comes up. But yeah, an interesting semester at college. Lots of friends, lots of writing, a new hobby, new literature (to read and to write) and a whole future ahead of me. This is my greatest adventure to date.

A Very Late Update

Hello all!

Well, things in NaNoWriMo are now officially good. In my earlier days this month, I wasn't doing too well. I had a low word count and was actually behind on my word count at the end of the first week. That wasn't encouraging. Then I went to Write or Die on drwicked.com and boom! At the end of Week Three I have 45,313 words at the time I'm writing this. To get to the site, click: http://writeordie.drwicked.com -- I advise using Kamikaze mode, Strict timing, and with a word goal of 200 words for every 5 minutes. That'll make sense when you click the link.

What next... oh of course! My friend Sophie and I are putting together a book of poetry called Poetry Against Cancer, in aid of St John's Ward in Crumlin, Dublin. It's Ireland's only children's cancer ward, so it's a very worthy cause. We're looking for public submissions by December 15th. More info @ http://poetryagainstcancer.wordpress.com -- Please submit and spread the word!

Is there more? I can't remember... Well, I plan on writing a book that will go straight to a blog, but I want to know what the audience will be like first. I suppose I'll have to start writing it for that. But first, I need to edit Meet Sam. I'm hoping that between the end of The Wedding Singer and the end of my second semester at college I can edit it and get it sent off to a publisher.

Rebecca Woodhead and I were only talking about this on Twitter recently. We now refuse to use the word "if" when talking about us being published. It's now "when" we're both published. We've promised to do an event together, and sign our respective books for each other. I look forward to that day, whenever it might be.

Also related to Rebecca, because she's one of the coolest people ever (!), I'm going to be sending her a copy of the Poetry Against Cancer book when it's published. ^_^

Christmas is in less than five weeks - I have to get everything ready for it! And next Friday is Andrew's birthday party thingy, so I have to get wrapping paper for his present. And a card for him. I can't wait! ^_^

That's it, for now. Check out those two sites I told you about... OR ELSE!! (I love that term when it's in caps lock...)

Beatha agus sláine,
Paul

The Day Before The Music Began

Tomorrow is NaNoWriMo. Or at least, Day 1 of NaNoWriMo. Alarm set for 8 am, I'm ready to tackle a month of extreme novelling; The Wedding Singer will follow up Meet Sam, with less of a main-character-hearing-the-narrator feel to it. However, I liked the narrator last year, how I wrote with her voice in my head, so I'm going to write like that this year too.

I have my first sentence, which will be posted here tomorrow night. I'll tell you this though - Sophie Byrne will wake up at the same time as me. She'll live in the house across the street, sing her heart, break it a few times, fall in love, love a dog (but in a different way) and follow the ChartJackers. Yes, the ChartJackers.

Now, onto business. Darren Shan (AKA my HERO!!!) agreed so many months ago that I could Interview him. We tried to offer it to the public... they essentially said no. Soooo we're letting the public ask questions instead! I've announced it on Twitter, on Bebo and on the forum (better mention it on Facebook too!) - follow the hashtag #q4shan on Twitter to see the fans' questions! I'm super excited about this one, and will even try get to Limerick to see him for the Interview.

Please ask questions! ^_^

Need magazine help

Hello readers,

An idea arose the other day when the lovely Rachel Phipps came looking for an assignment for the Literary Den Magazine. I suggested something on an Indie Bookstore that was local to her, and from there, my idea expanded. What if we followed a different Indie Bookshop each issue?

That's where y'all come in.

I need volunteers to go to their local Indie Bookshops, or even just their local bookshop if it's not Indie, and check out a few things (details to follow, upon signing up). One important thing I need though, besides your valuable time and questioning of booksellers, is a photograph. Don't worry, it doesn't have to be you in the photo (generally if one is taking a photograph, one isn't also in front of the lens). No, I want the photo to be the view of the shop from the front door, or the view of the front door, or the most interesting point in the shop. The photographs will then all be put together as a collage to build up an important image for what could very well be the first cover of the magazine.

So please please please help! Anyone who does will be entered into the draw for one of three signed copies of our 2009 Anthology, upon submission of the final piece. Simply email me at literary_mania(at)yahoo(dot)ie and tell me you're interested.

Thanks a million!

Shan the Man

On Sunday, I met my hero.

Darren Shan, in the flesh, signed my books.

Darren Shan knew my name.

Darren Shan choke me for a photograph.




Now I'm going to direct you to this video, which contains the inscription he put in my book. Hoo hoo I'm so happy!

And with this short blog post done, I bid you adieu!

Review - Hell's Heroes

The End is Nigh. The Demons are here, the heroes are falling, the world is at its end. So not much has changed then!

Darren Shan, the Number One Master of Horror (as far as kids are concerned) released, just 10 short days ago, the last book in his best selling Demonata Saga. 10 books, three protagonists, millions of demons, magic, science and all sorts of spiritual mumbo jumbo later, and I still love them.

I expected Hell's Heroes to go off with a bang. WARNING: SLIGHT PLOT SPOILER It slowed down a bit at the end. No big battle, but mainly because that would have undermined everything Shan had led the story to. He couldn't use the big weapon to kill the Demonata, because that would mean that it could have been done very easily in the past instead. And there would have to be a cheesy party at the end, which would have resulted in literary suicide for Mr Shan. His characters can never be eternally happy. That wouldn't work. That wouldn't make his fans happy. So in short, the ending was neat, tidy.

The rest? Fantastic! I still like the ending, but the rest of the story was.. wow! Blood, guts, vendetta, betrayal, death, Death and more DEATH! What more could you ask for?

It's suitable for children. I should point that out. Not very young children, but anyone 11 up should be able to get through this book without being too scared. There are far worse things out there than Demons in books. Afterall, it's an episode of Doctor Who that stops kids from sleeping (Blink). Darren Shan.. well, he's never kept me awake with fear, but he has turned my stomach on enough occassions. And I love him for that.

The man is a legend. Pure and simple. And the book, the SERIES, is a reflection of that greatness. When I say he's my hero, I mean it - I want to be like Darren Shan if I ever get published. Not physically, obviously, because I'm happy with how I look. The popularity...well that's always nice for authors. But the way he deals with his fans - that's how I want to be. I want to go on big signings because fans love that sort of stuff. I want to answer emails and write letters and blog and all that stuff that lets fans keep in touch. Because he does that. He keeps in touch more than any author I've ever had the good grace to read (except perhaps Samantha Priestley, but she's my good friend via the Internet, so that doesn't count.)

Read the books. You will love them, especially the early scenes of wonderment and gore. Lord Loss - plenty of stuff to start exploring. Demon Thief - oddities you've never imagines. Slawter - the first taste of Demon power on earth and what it can really do (and lots of blood!). Bec - the history of it all, in ways you never imagined (my personal favourite!). And it keeps going on. From that point, the stories are cronological, and fantastic! I'm 18 and I still love them, so you have no excuses!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a signing to get to. Mr Shan..! I'm COMING!!