What I've Learned From NaNoWriMo

As November comes to an end, NaNoWriMo is also ending. People all across the world have been furiously writing and crafting novels. For some this is their first novel and for others this is standard routine. NaNoWriMo churns out thousands of novels as writers get together and try to write an entire novel in a month. As a Creative Writing graduate I decided to get involved. Having recently landed my first publishing deal for a collection of short stories I'd written I found myself wanting to move onto the next project. That said I have to report that I don't think I'll be finishing my novel in time for NaNoWriMo. Though I may not finish until December I've learned a great deal from the NaNoWriMo challenge:

• I've learned how much discipline it really takes to write a novel. I'd tried to write a novel in the past and found it so hard to stay focused. I'd eventually abandon my project as soon as I didn't know where to go with it. I think the method of sitting down and giving yourself a time limit whilst focusing on a minimum daily word count is a good thing. I can definitely see myself sitting down and using the NaNoWriMo website in future to keep myself on track but I think I'd maybe give myself two months rather than one. I don't know if people really appreciate how much work it takes to write a novel unless they've written one themselves. I had to start setting myself little goals like "I will go make lunch in another 500 words," or "1,000 words more and I'll go to bed" and other such prompts. I think I have so much respect for novelists now. Writing and re-drafting an entire novel is pretty hard.
  
• I've learned how good I am at procrastinating or finding new projects. During my novel writing process I heard of a book rather similar to the one I was writing. Fear struck my heart. I began to worry if I had wasted two weeks of writing on a story that already existed. I got the book and started reading it and thankfully found that my book is totally different so I started writing but, after fearing my efforts had been fruitless, I stopped writing and was suddenly several days behind. In that time I had started writing another novel because I'd become so used to writing. It was hard to go back to the novel I'd started NaNoWriMo with now that I was in that beginning romance with a new novel. Later, in the third week, I even found myself penning the notes for a sequel to my NaNo novel. So maybe I've not stayed focused on the one novel but at least I have other projects in the wings to pick up later on.
  
• I learned that I don't write things in a linear/chronological order and I doubt that I ever will. I like to start with the beginning and then hop about writing my stories in fragments. This is the way it has always been for me and it has really kept me sane through the novel writing process because I'm not tied down to specific moments on a linear trajectory.
  
• Writing a novel is actually much easier than it seems. Even sitting down and dedicating yourself to 2,000 words per day will get it out of you in no time. You just have to put a pen to paper or your fingers to a keyboard and let the words flow or force them if you must. If you don't like it then you can go back and edit it. The hardest part of writing a novel is arguably writing it There were days when writer's block would set in pretty hard and overcoming it presented a real battle. Once you have something that is over 50,000 words with a beginning, middle and end then all you have to do is write it and craft it. I don't know why I was so full of trepidation in the past. Actually finishing a novel seemed like this elephantine task. I've now learned how to minimise and manage the act of novel writing. It's so much easier to manage than I thought it would be now I've taken the plunge.
  
• I've learned how wonderful the NaNoWriMo community is. The idea of getting together at the same time to write for this challenge means so many other people are going through the exact same things that I'm going through. I've sent and received messages of love and positivity to other people involved with the challenge. One girl even said that my words made her open up her novel and start writing again when she had given up. I too received some wonderful support from people in the writing community which was utterly refreshing and really helped to cheer me on. I really loved the NaNoWriMo word sprints held on Twitter where people doing the challenge would literally do a writing sprint: writing for a given amount of time and then sharing how many words they'd been able to write in that time.
  
• I honestly don't think that a decent novel can be written in a month but it can help you get that first draft out on paper. I think this is definitely something I'll do in the future. From this point on I need time to go back and re-draft and really work with what I've got but for now at least the story is out of my head and officially written down.

Did you do NaNoWriMo this year?
If you were then did you learn anything?
Let me know in the comments section below:

Song of the Day: Ashes and Wine by A Fine Frenzy

Now for another tune from the wonderful "A Fine Frenzy"
A slower love song. 

Enjoy,

Angelo Merendino gives heart breaking TEDx talk about his wife who passed from breast cancer

Seeing as it has just been Thanksgiving it's important that we consider what we're thankful for. I am certainly most thankful for the people that I love. It is therefore crucial that we turn our minds to those who spent the holidays without the ones they love. I watched this video this morning and it completely shattered my heart and then built it up again. The video is a TEDxUSU talk from Angelo Merendino as he talks about his wife Jennifer. He explains with boyish charm how he married the woman of his dreams and how their lives changed when Jennifer found that she had breast cancer. It's a long video but I assure you that every moment is worth watching. Please remember your loved ones. 

Check out Angelo's website My Wife's Fight With Breast Cancer: The Battle We Didn't Choose and, if possible, consider buying his book. Half of the money Angelo gets from his book sales go right back into a charitable foundation that provides financial aid to women living with cancer as they receive treatment.

Song of the Day: Fools by Lauren Aquilina

Time for another lovely tune from the charming Lauren Aquilina.

This song is entitled "Fools"

Enjoy,

Film Trailers For Movies I'd Like To See.

Whenever I feel low I find it a comfort to head to YouTube and search for trailers for upcoming films. I hop from one to another to another. It often makes me feel better. I love getting quick glances at a movie like a passing flirtation. I decided it would be great to start sharing my finds with you. This way we can all try to access and watch a wider range of films. There are so many movies out there being made and I want to create hype and help to signal boost film projects.

Here are some film trailers I've seen lately for films I'd love to see.

Belle

A historical tale of prejudice and love based on the lives of real people. This film looks superb from the detailed costumes worn by each character to the beautiful set. It looks superbly shot. It's forever important to share stories of the hardships that people, minorities in particular, have had to endure. I really want to see this film.

Seventh Son

I'm loving the return to fantasy at the moment.
Maybe it was brought about by the popularity of Game of Thrones but fantasy is definitely my favourite genre. I love the idea of Julianne Moore in a villainous role

Devil's Knot

This murder mystery style drama seems gripping at a first glance. It's the story of a small town murder and the possibility of Satanic cult activity. For anyone who enjoyed the recent show The Following this seems like a film you'd be interested in. Also kudos to Colin Firth on the awesome accent.







Noah

We all know the story of Noah and the Ark but it seems like Aronofsky has taken on this mammoth story and done something interesting and beautiful with it. The film boasts and excellent cast and hey - who doesn't love a film with lots of animals?









Divergent 

Hunger Games fans, step right up.
If you're not already familiar with the young adult dystopian "Divergent" series then you probably will be soon.
Featuring the awesome Shailene Woodley in the lead role this, we can predict, will be the next been teen screen saga.

Neighbors 

This looks like a silly, fun film.
A college fraternity moves into a quiet suburban
neighbourhood much to the dismay of their sweet neighbours. In time their patience with the antics of their frat boy neighbours gets to them and, I hope, some hilarity ensues.

The Adventurer: The Curse of the Midax Box

This trailer looks like it's a film full of fun and adventure. It has a Victorian and almost steampunk vibe. It has gadgets and intrigue and possibly an element of classic Greek mythology? The title suggests that it's part one of a series so it's probably worth a watch now. It boasts a really awesome cast of some of my personal favourites including Michael Sheen and Lena Headey.





Well that's it for now.
I hope to do this more regularly. In sharing interesting film trailers with you all then hopefully we'll be able to broaden our horizons and watch a wide range of brilliant movies together.

Evan Rachel Wood criticises MPAA decision to cut sex scene from her movie.

The wonderful Evan Rachel Wood has criticised the Motion Picture Association of America via Twitter recently for apparently censoring a sexual scene between her and a male co-star in her upcoming film "The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman"

Wood quite rightly decided to comment on and criticise this choice. I've seen plenty of films where the sexual proxemics have been reversed and we've seen a woman pleasuring a man on screen in various situations without any form of censorship. I'll reserve further judgement until I've seen the film but Evan Rachel Wood seems justly annoyed at this decision. We should always question and interact with media choices to explore representation.

Song of the Day: You by Ofra Haza

"Late in life 
You came to me 
And you put a sign 
On me"

Film Flash: Movie Recommendations and Reviews for November!

Often on this blog I'll do individual reviews of films but I've decided to start writing shorter posts on several films that I've watched recently and would recommend. If anything it's just to be efficient. It means that I can put several reviews in one place and work on them throughout the month.

So here is a quick post with recommendations of a few films I've watched in the month of November. I'll try to keep everything relatively spoiler free for you. I hope you enjoyed these movies or, if you've not seen them, that you go check them out:

Legend

I recently watched this cult classic for the first time. I was utterly prepared to hate the film but, strangely enough, I came to learn why it's considered a classic to some. Of course it's full of cheesy moments but it's a decent enough attempt at a dark, Gothic fairytale. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

If you enjoyed films like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Princess Bride, etc then I'm sure this is a film you'll probably also find yourself enjoying. Tim Curry gives an excellent and villainous performance as the Darkness.

Up In The Air

I watched this film simply because it was on. I had previously known absolutely nothing about the film other than the fact that Anna Kendrick stars in the movie.

It had a really fresh, interesting vibe. It perfectly captured the different and very human responses people go through when they lose their jobs. George Clooney gives a characteristically slick performance. For a film about a man who has flown thousands of miles it reminds us sometimes that, in life, we're not actually travelling anywhere at all. This is a feel-good film that makes you reflect on your life and the important people and things within it.


The Great Gatsby

OK, so I saw the film earlier this year but I recently bought the DVD and watched the film for a second time. I cannot recall a film that has come along and so strongly captured my heart and admiration. I wanted to sit down again and further discuss why I appreciate this movie so much. One thing I love about The Great Gatsby is that there are moments of overlapping dialogue where people talk over each other which lends a more natural touch to the piece. It feels a little less scripted and somehow more natural. I think Luhrmann really outdid himself with this movie. There are, of course, changes from the novel but there are other places where the film literally takes lines directly from the book. It adds to the original text nicely in a way I really appreciate, particularly as a reader and fan of the book. I loved the novel and I love all the subtle on screen changes. The Great Gatsby is quite a short novel and I therefore feel that the Baz Luhrmann touch is exactly what it needed. I know not everyone does, but I certainly do. I love the idea of the film starting after the events of the book with Nick Carraway being made to write down what has happened in an effort to cope with his emotions and the aftermath of it all. Everything is perfect from the Valley of Ashes to the mixture of contemporary and classic music styles. It so wonderfully showcases Luhrmann's own signature style. I think he makes a lot of bold, stylistic choices and is very creative with his vivid brand of film making. The film is a visual feast that still captures a lot of heart whilst keeping elements of the social commentary and criticism found within the novel. It's always an ambitious and dangerous task. DiCaprio did such an amazing job of portraying such an iconic character: I'd avoided the DiCaprio craze having never fallen for him in any previous roles, but I totally fell for him in this film simply in his portrayal of Jay Gatsby. He's stern and mysterious but captures a real essence of the hope that Gatsby just exudes. I normally don't like romantic films, they rarely bring any real feeling from me, but The Great Gatsby certainly did.

The Great Gatsby, as a film, is a real triumph and a perfect marriage of style and substance.
To anyone who disagrees...

Oh yes!
I'm also really happy that they kept the character of the strange man met in the library, fondly known as "Owl Eyes", because I love to indulge in the theory that Owl Eyes is, in fact, T.J Eckleburg.

28 Days

No zombies in this film.
This is 28 Days, not 28 Days Later. It's a film about a pill-popping, alcoholic journalist who is sent to rehab after ruining a wedding. This is a film that I think fans of Girl, Interrupted or Orange Is The New Black would appreciate this film. It boasts Sandra Bullock in the lead role and Viggo Mortensen as a hunky supporting character. This film is written by a women, directed by a woman and focuses on a female lead.
Sandra Bullock delivers a fairly emotional performance. It's a film about addiction and it's a film about healing.
It's a film that inspires you to take a moment to check in with yourself and has a few feel-good moments.




In Their Skin

In an age where we already converse with people less often, resorting to internet communications, perhaps the last thing we need is a film that will make us nervous about interacting with our neighbours. In Their Skin is a home invasion thriller. It's definitely not a film to watch it, like me, you can't stand horror films when a family pet is killed off. When there's ever a dog in a horror film I instantly worry for the canine character. When I initially read the synopsis I was thinking the film would be a bit like the Lars Von Trier film AntiChrist but it's actually a lot more like The Strangers. The film features some really uncomfortable and potentially triggering sex scenes. This film has a strong enough opening but kinda flopped. This film is almost instantly forgettable.

Song of the Day: 3 Libras by A Perfect Circle

"Threw you the obvious 

and you flew with it on your back

 a name 

In your recollection down among a million same
Difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed 
And passed over 

When I've looked right through 

to see you naked and oblivious 

and you don't see me"

I'm sure that we all have songs that can magically transport us back to a certain moment or time of our lives in wonderful, unbroken detail. This can be good and this can be bad but it is one of my favourite songs of all time.
Enjoy,

Recommended Reads

Well it's Wednesday which means it's time for recommended reads! This is, of course, a segment where I recommend a few cool things I've seen around the internet lately that are accompanied by a pretty but usually irrelevant image. This week it's a picture of some giraffes. Brilliant.

We're coming to the end of NaNoWriMo but I wanted to include a few more writing related reads for you today while it's all still relevant.

• Ten Rules For Writing Fiction: These are some rules and advice for writing set out by some wonderful and well known authors.
• Check out these adorable hand drawn cartoons that a wife made to welcome her husband home from the hospital, seriously cute stuff.
• Check out this seriously adorable story of an old woman and her best friend, her cat. It's actually really sweet. It's a story primarily told through photos of the pair demonstrating their close bond.
• 21 Stories That Will Restore Your Faith In The Internet. We are forever aware of the threats that strangers on the internet can pose but this post shares 21 wonderful stories about ways in which the internet has helped to bridge gaps and revolutionise lives. It wasn't long before I had a tear in my eye. I totally recommend reading it.
• Are you a book fan? Recently engaged? Here's how to plan the best literature themed wedding.
• 8 Songs That Perfectly Match Books
• They say you can't judge a book from the cover. Well here someone took several books and judged them by their cover and then said whether or not their assumptions were correct.

Who? Where?

I'm forever happy to see people all over the world stopping by to read my humble little blog that I started with no major plans for it. I find myself trying to keep track of the many countries that my blog is accessed from and my blog has been to more countries than I have. Here I am, many months later, and still raking in views from all over the world.

Here is a list of the countries that have stopped by my blog so far. Thank you for reading and making me feel awesome on a daily basis. Don't forget that you're awesome too:

United Kingdom
Latvia
Bangladesh 
Mauritius
United Arab Emirates
Zimbabwe
Pakistan
Macedonia [FYROM]
Singapore
Israel
Colombia
Nepal
South Africa
Trinidad and Tobago
Georgia
Peru
Moldova
Taiwan
Estonia
Kuwait
Croatia
Slovenia
Saudi Arabia
Portugal
Hungary
Norway
Tunisia
Belarus
Morocco
Poland
United States
Germany
South Korea
Brazil
India
Indonesia
Finland
Argentina
Puerto Rico
Bulgaria
Greece
Sweden
Mexico
Turkey
Romania
Serbia
Philippines
Japan
Canada
Netherlands
Spain
Venezuela
Chile
Switzerland
Italy
Ireland
France
Malta
China
Hong Kong (as special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
Vietnam
Malaysia
Czech Republic
Russia
Ukraine
Australia
New Zealand
Belgium
Denmark
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Argentina

15 Incredible Rat Tricks!

I've already put this into an upcoming edition of recommended reads but it's so good I decided to dedicate an entire post to this video because I simply have to show it to you. This is a video of 15 tricks done by a pair of very talented rats and orchestrated by a very patient and talented trainer/owner. By the end my jaw had dropped and I was seriously in awe. I used to have rats. My pet rat played fetch with a little ball and played "Spiderman" where she'd climb upside down and hang from the top of the cage but I wish I'd taught her some of these. Just watch, this is absolutely amazing and hopefully this will persuade you that rats are some of the best pets ever:

Song of the Day: The Killing Type by Amanda Palmer

"But I would kill to make you feel
I don't mean kill someone for real
I couldn't do that, it is wrong
But I can say it in a song, a song, a song

And I'm saying it now
I'm saying it so
Even if you never hear this song
Somebody else would know
I'm saying it now
I'm saying it so
Even if you never hear this song
Somebody else will know"

26/11/2013

I've spent today doing chores and now I think my chores are all almost wrapped up. I think I'm going to run myself a bath and relax with my copy of Wildthorn by Jane Eagland that, as promised, I've started reading. I'm looking forward to chilling and being warm. I'm currently freezing. I've just been outside doing farm work in the cold.

I don't think I'll be finishing my novel in time for NaNoWriMo but I do expect to finish it some time in December. It's really hard but I don't feel bad. I'm happy and proud of how far I've come already and have no intention of stopping. It'll get there in the end.

George R.R Martin to make Game of Thrones cameo?

As a writer I am sure there is no greater privilege than to see your writing adapted for the screen. George R.R Martin, author of the Song of Ice and Fire series, has been lucky enough to have a good level of involvement with the show based on his books but he could possibly have a cameo in season four of Game of Thrones.

Martin reportedly had a cameo in one of the pilot episodes at the wedding of Danaerys Targaryen but of course that version never made it to our screens. Instead we hope to see George in the future so that he is, in some way, actually in Westeros. See his interview on the topic of cameos here.

Film Review + Response: Gravity (2013)

So today I managed to experience something I'd only previously dreamed of: I got to watch a movie with no one else in the cinema... Yes guys, I was living the dream. I've wanted a cinematic experience like this for some time, just me in that dark room and the big screen, must my heart and mind open to that narrative like it's something intimate just for me. I didn't want to put up with other people chatting and gasping or rustling with sweet wrappers. I'd wanted to see this film for a long time and I appreciated the intimacy of the viewing.

...And what better movie for this special occasion than Gravity? I sat in the middle of the empty cinema and never before have I sat watching a film and sorta feared for my life whilst feeling a blend of claustrophobia and fear of wide open spaces simultaneously...

What I like about this film is that I entered with very little knowledge of the content. The trailers I'd seen hadn't given away too much. This film didn't feel too formulaic in structure either. The overwhelming sense of peril had me sat in the audience experiencing everything Bullock's character Ryan is feeling. Never before has a film so effectively put me into the middle of the spectacle. This film felt almost Artaudian in approach and it certainly worked. This film is visually stunning and doesn't substitute substance for style. This is a film that puts you into some of the situations experienced within the film. I felt a part of the peril. I felt a little anxious and excited in ways no film has ever made me feel. I found myself gasping, clutching a hand to cover my mouth, covering my ears/eyes and I'm not someone who often physically responds to film like that. I highly enjoyed this movie. It's beautiful, well acted and a thrill from beginning to end. I totally recommend you go out and see it. 

Song of the Day: The Theme song from "The Abyss"

OK, so this is different from the usual songs of the day.

I just hadn't listened to it or seen the film in ages and it's such an iconic piece of music that I kinda just wanted to share it. I tried to find it on Spotify for my NaNoWriMo playlist and just couldn't find it there so here it is.

Enjoy,

Hobbitmas

Is it bad that I may be more excited for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug than I am about, you know, Christmas?

All of the Lord of the Rings films came out in the winter and now The Hobbit films are following in a similar tradition and earlier I was listening to "The Misty Mountains" from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and I could imagine the joys of stepping out of the cinema into the cold and snow outside and then thought "Oh yes, I forgot Christmas is around that time of year too."
Maybe I should just call it Hobbitmas and be done with it.
I can't even express how much I love Middle Earth and all that Peter Jackson has done to portray it.

Money Saving Tip: Free Music!

Who doesn't love free stuff?

This is just a friendly reminder that getting free music (and doing so legally) is actually much easier than you think.
If you check the iTunes store weekly you'll notice that on the left hand side they have a "single of the week" that you can download for free. Yes, you can get a free song every week. It's a song picked by iTunes and they're often lesser known or up and coming artists so well worth checking out. Also take a look in your local Starbucks. Many Starbucks coffee shops will have little cards near the till that give you the iTunes code for a free song though they sometimes give away free e-books or episodes of TV shows too. This is definitely a deal worth grabbing.

Filming Has Officially Wrapped on Game of Thrones Season 4!

According to recent reports the filming for season four of the acclaimed HBO show Game of Thrones has officially wrapped. The filming takes place across Northern Island, Croatia and Iceland thus making it a truly mammoth affair. The show will probably air some time next year in March/April which gives HBO plenty of time to edit and promote the upcoming season.

I for one cannot wait for season four. There's some really exciting stuff ahead that I cannot wait to see. I'm really thankful that the season 3 DVD comes out on February 24th since that's the day after my birthday. I reckon that'll be a nice little birthday gift to myself that I'll be picking up.

Song of the Day: Losing You by Solange

"Tell me the truth boy, am I losing you for good?
We use to kiss all night but now there's just no use
I don’t know why I fight it, clearly we are through
Tell me the truth boy, am I losing you for good?"

Protip: Winter Lip Care + How To Make Your Own Lip Balm At Home!

As winter rolls in and everything gets colder our lips often suffer. The cold dries them out and our lips get chapped and cracked which leads to bleeding lips and scratchy kisses. Who wants that?
The best way to keep your lips smooth and supple during the cold of winter is to regularly apply lip balm to moisturise them.

Here's a quick YouTube tutorial to show you how to make your own lip balm at home:

Film Review and Response: A Knight in Camelot (1998)

After the Doctor Who 50th Birthday/Anniversary celebration I'm watching another kooky film about time travel: A Knight in Camelot featuring Whoopi Goldberg. This will be a bit of a raw blog with some collected thoughts at the end.

I've not seen this film since I was little. I had it recorded onto video tape. Then a sister was born and several of my films recorded onto tape were recorded over. I've not seen this film in so long. I only really remember the eclipse scene.

This film could arguably act as a subtle commentary on the colonial gaze.

Calling it "The Kablooey Project" because fuck science.
I like how this film gets straight down to business. Within five minutes she is in Arthurian England.

"My life depends on this...please?"
I know your feels, Whoopi. My laptop is my life too.

Whoopi Goldberg = master of sass.

"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated," - wonderful reference back to Mark Twain there.

Well I enjoyed that. This is a really great family film. It features such a funny, intelligent woman as a leading protagonist. This would be a great film to put on for the kids around Christmas time. There is some swordfighting which makes for some slight peril but it's more comical than anything. This is a truly fun film with clean humour, silliness and positive messages for younger viewers. The ending has a very Doctor who vibe with Vivian and Merlin off travelling through space and time. This is perfect for young Doctor Who fans.

Stupid Face.

It’s 10am and I’m dressed up with my hair and makeup done because I have to take some author photos today for the promotional stuff for the publication process of my chapbook. 

I have to do this because I am some sort of dick and most of the photos of me aren’t appropriate because the lighting is terrible or, and this is true of most photos of me, I’m pulling faces every. fucking. photo.

Good call, past self. Good call.

So here I am all dolled up to stand out in the cold and take some artistic photos of my looking brooding and intellectual. 

Suffering for my art, I suppose...

Queen of the Damned: The Book VS The Film

Before working on this post I had only seen Queen of the Damned once in my life. As an Anne Rice fan I vowed never to watch this dung pile of a film ever again. That was until I decided to compare the film and the book for you dear readers. I'd even said I'd do a review of the film for Halloween and then Halloween came and went and I still didn't want to bring myself to watch this damn movie. Now it's on TV by coincidence so I sat down and I'm going to watch it again. Admittedly I haven't read the book for many years but after this I probably will soon for refuge more than anything. If there's anything I miss then I'm sorry. As I've said, I haven't read the book for some time. I have a long to read list but I think I'm going to revisit a lot of the Anne Rice's soon having re-read Interview with the Vampire this year.

I want you to know, blog-ghosts, that I'm doing this for you. I hope you appreciate this. This is going to be a raw blog where I blog along and just blurt out my thoughts for you. Why? Because I'm not going to go back to watch parts of this film for any scholarly analysis. No thank you.

Any time someone tells me they enjoyed this film I can automatically assume that they have not read the book.

Stuart Townsend, what is your accent at the beginning? Is that meant to be partly French or are you just hamming out a Bela Lugosi-esque performance?

I have to be honest though, the music in this film is pretty good.

I'm thinking about how you'd feel as someone unfamiliar to the books at this point. It goes straight into this narrative without explaining who Lestat is or anything about his past. So far it hasn't given him a reason for having been asleep for one hundred years. Also it goes straight to Lestat and the band being famous. I'm just trying to clear my mind and imagine I'm watching this with no prior knowledge of the Vampire Chronicles. Anne Rice writes in a lot of detail. In fact it's interesting to point out that even she is embarrassed of this more than unfaithful film adaptation. Firstly Stuart Townsend isn't right for Lestat. Lestat is meant to have blonde hair and greyish eyes.

What genre would you even put this film in? Horror? It isn't scary. I guess, though, you could call it horror for violently butchering the original source material beyond recognition.

"I'm very ticklish,"
And I'm cringing, Lestat.

I can't believe this guy was actually considered for the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films. He pulled out just before filming was set to commence.

Marius did not make Lestat. Marius did not make Lestat. Marius did not make Lestat. Marius did not make Lestat. Marius did not make Lestat. Marius did not make Lestat.

Fun story: In my first year of university I had two pet rats named Maharet and Mekare since they were two of the same litter, almost identical and Mekare had a reddish tinge to their fur.

David in this movie is just wrong. 

Marius in this movie is just wrong. 
I recall that Armand later turns up in this movie and is totally wrong. Armand in this film is more like a good Loras Tyrell. Marius and Armand are my favourites. Don't get me wrong. I adore Louis. I adore Lestat. I just love Armand and Marius that teeny bit more, I guess, therefore it pains me to see them so poorly portrayed. Even in the Interview with the Vampire film... I think that Antonio Banderas made a wonderful vampire but a poor Armand. He was so utterly wrong for the character.

Ha!
So Lestat is feeding from Marius and Marius says the line "Good, is it not?" in relation to his own blood. I remember laughing so hard about that with the girls I watched the film with and was at school with at the time. Then Lestat sits up awkwardly and goes "More."
Guys, I'm cringing.

I mean...
Who doesn't want to wake up in a castle without their pants on?

I do love the violin bit on the beach.
Not the scene, the actual music being played by the violin.
Lord.
Suddenly Lestat has golden eyes like a werewolf, Marius has darker eyes like a lycan from Underworld. Can I just watch Underworld Awakening instead?

I've just remembered, I don't recall Khayman featuring in this film at all... Does he appear at all?



Let's play a game. It's called "Who made a better Lestat: Tom Cruise or Stuart Townsend?"
The answer: I don't know but even thinking about it makes me want to start drinking gin.

Lestat chained to a bed whilst Marius looms over? This is the stuff that fanfiction is made of.

Ugh. Cue cringe-worthy "Goth" club scene featuring Jesse with Miley Cyrus hair. It's scenes like this that perpetuate bad images of Goth clubs as hostile or more focused on the sexual and fetish exploration. Don't get me wrong - I'm not hating on fetish clubs but the amount of times I've been to a Goth club and people have stood there looking confused like "why are you just dancing to Southern Death Cult? Is that all you do? Let me grind up against you now."
No.

This film is super campy. Maybe I didn't realise it when I first watched it but my God this is camp, borderline B-Movie quality in places.

You really expect me to believe that a vampire would wear a turtle-neck sweater? Puh-lease, girl. *sassy snap*

Wait. Maybe I haven't paid enough attention to the film but has it even touched on why Marius is keeping Akasha and Enkil? Has it even mentioned why Akasha and Enkil are... oh wait, I'm stopping mid sentence because Aaliyah is on screen and she is stunning. I love her outfit. Maybe not the head piece but the outfit itself is amazing and she moves her body like some sort of cobra. What is this sorcery?

The forced Jesse and Lestat love story is painful. Oh God, a moment of prolonged and dramatic staring. I guess we know where Twilight learned it. Here you see them drastically alter Jesse's character. Jesse turning into a vampire in the film and in the book are totally different. God, I'd forgotten so much of this movie. Remind me to never watch it again for good this time.

"HELLO DAVID"
Oh God, that's another line that had my friends and I chuckling.
"I MUST SHOW YOU MY NEW PAINTING SOME TIME."

ARMAND YOU GRINNING FOOL, JUST STOP IT.
YOU LOOK MORE LIKE CLAUDIA.

Marius landing on the stage with a Zoolander-like expression on his face: priceless.
"Good, is it not?"

The movie is called "Queen of the Damned" and yet that queen, Akasha, hardly features in the movie. It's like Beetlejuice; the titular character actually takes up such a small percentage of the film itself. They should've just done a Vampire Lestat film.

I do dig Akasha's eye make up with the long flick from her lash line and the line curved from the tip of her eyebrow...

So Jesse just wakes up and is magically at Maharet's Sonoma compound with absolutely no explanation. The poor people watching this film who didn't know the book and were probably trying to keep up with what on Earth was going on at this point...

The vampires in this film are messy, drinking blood in a sloppy manner, but Anne Rice's vampires are meticulous and do not spill a drop. Vampires in sunlight? It so far hasn't even really explained or explored Akasha's aims. It hasn't introduced Armand and Panroda and the other vampires. This film is really messy. 

Even in the film they're forcing some sort of relationship with Lestat and Jesse but they've only really known each other for, like, ten minutes meeting only a few times. This actress is terrible.
"No aunt Maharet, it's what I want..."

It's also so silly that in this film Pandora should die where Armand, a much younger vampire, does not.

That's not how Jesse becomes a vampire.
That's not how Akasha dies.
Pandora doesn't die.
That's not what happens. Stahhhp.

The film mentions nothing of the twins. Mekare doesn't even seem to feature thus far and I don't think she does at all.

"A wild Marius appears... He uses Hello David. It is super effective."

"HELLO DAVID."

OK.
Film over.
Final thoughts.
I'm still laughing my head off at "Hello David."

I'm sure the disjointed narrative and unexplained, under-developed characters made this a difficult film for many who are unfamiliar with the books to keep up with. Though, I suppose, you could probably say the same of those who had read the books. It lacks the Anne Rice charm that an adaptation of her work truly deserves. For Anne Rice fans this film is a waste of time. Characters like David, Pandora, Armand etc were hardly even introduced creating a truly disjointed film of fan favourites from the books that are utterly rejected by being pushed to the back to make way for nonsense. What a steaming, unpolished turd of a film with a decent soundtrack woven in throughout. 

This film should retire into a coffin and not come out. Ever.

While we're on the topic, I'm pretty sure that the film rights to The Tale of The Body Thief by Anne Rice were sold long ago. I genuinely have hope of a good Vampire Chronicles film. I really can't wait to see Angel Time being adapted for the screen and I'd love to see what could be done with The Wolf Gift. This film, however...

In conclusion:

The Business of Bodily Insecurity.

On top of all the bizarre cosmetic surgeries in existence I've just seen an ad for toe shortening surgery.
Stop selling new insecurities. 

It seems sad that people seem to be resorting to new ways of making people feel that their bodies are inferior or anything less than beautiful to sell unnecessary surgical procedures. I can't wait to grow older. I greeted the beginnings of a wrinkle on my forehead with excitement because, if anything, it means I make a lot of expressions in my face from laughing and smiling wide. I want to grow old with grace and comfort in my own body but constantly being told that your body is anything less than perfect and functional when it comes to trivial and unimportant things is arbitrary. If it's a surgical procedure for something that will ease pain or improve your health, then sure.
Are we really officially now being made to feel ugly from head to toe?

Song of the Day: Failure's So-Called Sting by Julia Mascetti

''Sing of all my broken dreams 

The left undones and could have beens

Sing of wasted time and chances 

And the people that I won't prove wrong

But you need thirty more years

Of bitterness and disappointment before you can say that my girl

Yes you need thirty more years

Of being less than you can be before you can really complain''

Yup.

So I spotted this charming graphic earlier and I hate to say it's heartlessly true. NaNoWriMo does kind of make you want to drink your feelings and pull your hair out. I've got to admit that I'm a little behind BUT I'm still doing well. Even if this novel isn't finished by the end of November I'll certainly keep working into December. NaNoWriMo doesn't have to end when November does.

Keep writing, you majestic authors.

Song of the Day: Demon Woman by Flight of the Conchords

I was going to use this as a Halloween song but I actually had too many songs!
Ahh! I was actually too organised. I thought we'd go for something a little more light-hearted today so this is "Demon Woman" from the excellent HBO show Flight of the Conchords. 

Enjoy,

Is James Arthur Burning His Bridges?

When you live in the media spotlight you have to be aware of everything you say and do. If you slip up there's a good chance the public will know eventually. It's a tough life to live but you learn to work around it. You can put on a smile and try to pull a Mother Theresa act to persuade people to buy into the idea that you're a good person. There are some, however, that just don't even bother. Ex X Factor contestant James Arthur seems to be trying to offend as many people as possible at present, currently he's been aiming shots at former friend and openly gay  ex X Factor contestant Lucy Spraggan.

Arthur was recently criticised for using the homophobic slur "you fucking queer" in a derogatory manner in a diss song of his. When Spraggan took to Twitter to address this casual use of pejorative, homophobic language Arthur attacked back.  Apparently Arthur sent several text messages to Spraggan.

See a link to the tweet from Lucy Spraggan here, follow for the photo attachment:

"Is it coz you're a gay rights activist!" Actually, Yes. Well done @JamesArthur23, you did it again. @stonewalluk pic.twitter.com/zJoGECFwzR
— Lucy Spraggan (@lspraggan) November 20, 2013

Arthur says "Lucy what are you playing at having digs at me? Is it coz you're a gay rights activist you had to say something as extreme as "people kill themselves every day over words like queer" are you for real?"
He says "gay rights activist" like it's a bad thing. Also studies have shown that, suicide rates aside, a startling amount of queer youth have self harmed or contemplated suicide at some point and are diagnosed with depression and anxiety disorders. As a straight male it's often easy to write off queer issues if you've no experience in that area but to belittle it seems rather dismissive. Arthur then apparently went on to taunt Lucy for having lower record sales than himself. You shouldn't expect to say something homophobic, something that will marginalise and offend a huge group of people, and then get upset when you're called out on it.

I think Arthur needs to remember that as a celebrity he is very visible. If you're going to be homophobic or say derogatory things people will call you out on it.

Well, whatever. I have Lucy Spraggan in my iTunes library and absolutely no James Arthur.

Grief: How To Cope With Loss And Grief And How To Support Someone Who Is Grieving

Grief and loss are probably the worst experiences we have to deal with in life and can be incredibly hard to deal with. Every case of grief is entirely personal. The emotional devastation of grief is a heavy burden and the first time we cope with extreme grief can be an utterly unmanageable experience. It's something that pretty much everyone goes through at one time or another so here are some links to help you through such difficult times.

• Some people experience a sense of loss and feelings of grief when coming out of a relationship or when going through a divorce. It's not as extreme a grief as losing someone who has passed away but it's still a hugely upsetting period. If you're experiencing the heart break that follows a romantic separation, then there is more information for you here. It's important to give yourself time to heal and to release your emotions. Here's a video by Sex+ educator Laci Green on how she copes with break ups.
• Here is some information on the Five Stages Of Grief that we experience when coping with loss. 
• Remember that not all grief occurs when a person leaves your life. Many of us experience feelings of grief when we lose a pet. It's often intensified by the feeling that we were in charge or them. Sometimes we blame ourselves or begin to question what more we could have done for them. Check out this article for further information on coping with the loss of a pet.
• Here is information on coping with grief and loss. Grieving is a natural response to loss. It reaffirms how much you really cared for the person. Don't forget that grieving is healthy. Don't deny yourself the experience of openly grieving as it's important to really experience and handle these strong emotions. The pain won't go away if you just ignore it. In fact pushing those emotions away means they might resurface in a stronger, unhealthier manner later on. You don't have to simply be strong in the face of this loss. Showing your true feelings and sharing them with others helps you all to handle what's going on. You're allowed to cry. Grief can be a long or short experience, it's different for everyone, but once you start to accept the reality of the situation and really open up to your grief you can begin to feel better. 
• If you know someone who is grieving and wish to help them here is information for you. This is a time when they will need the support and love of those around them.

Grief is a horrible and often intensely personal experience. Many people experiencing grief often feel alone with their troubles. Though you'll miss someone, probably forever, the pain of grief will slowly leave you. If you've recently lost someone and are mourning them then I give you my deepest sympathies and want you to know that I'm sending you love. 

Song of the Day: Girls! Girls! Girls! by Emilie Autumn

Here's a quirky number from Emilie Autumn.

Entitled "Girls! Girls! Girls!" this song discusses the treatment of women with mental disorders in Victorian London. The treatment of women's mental health has long been an interest to Emilie Autumn and in this fun she tries to have a little fun with the conventions of Victorian asylums. 

Gone Girl...

Hey readers!

Sorry I've not been posting as much lately. I'm currently trying to cram in a huge amount of novel writing along with job applications and doing some of the behind the scenes stuff for the publication process of my upcoming story collection. We're now into thinking of ways to promote my work and focusing on what to do once the story is published. It's a fun but crazy time and I'm very anxious and excited and tired one moment but wired the next.
I've got "song of the day" posts scheduled for the next several months so you're sure to get song recommendations each day even when I'm not here but I hope to be back and writing for you soon.
Thank you for your patience if you're a regular reader expecting content.

Night Blogging: Carmina Burana.

When I was younger my favourite Disney film was The Hunchback of Notre Dame . I grew up loving opera and classical choral music (particularly Carmina Burana) but I think I liked the film so much because of the fireplace scene.

I think what all the other Disney films need is the lingering threat of eternal damnation and the desolation of the human souls of characters trying to deal with their insatiable lust.

Or something...

So having thought of The Hunchback of Notre Dame I was lead to thinking about Carmina Burana.I then decided to listen to it.At about 5am in the morning.I truly hope my neighbours were terrified as "O Fortuna" began playing on the night air...

So there I was, listening to opera in the early hours of the morning, feeling like a classy young rogue.

In Taberna Quando Sumus, (roughly translated to something along the lines of “When We’re In The Tavern), is probably the best freaking drinking song ever. Like I remember performing this opera and being so mad that the guys got to sing this and I didn't:.

Wouldn't it be kinda cool to get drunk and see who could try to make it through this songs getting the most words correct?Also this video for it is oddly hilarious.
Then...

OH GOD
I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF LISTENING TO TEMPUS EST IOCUNDUM
WE'RE INTO SOME SERIOUSLY DRAMATIC OPERA SHIT
AND THEN SPOTIFY PLAYS AN ADVERT
AND MILEY CYRUS STARTS PLAYING
JUST OUT OF NOWHERE
"I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BAAAAALL"
YES MADAM,QUITE LITERALLY.
GOODNESS.

Song of the Day: Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey

OK so it isn't summer so this song isn't too relevant but as you all know I like my Lana Del Rey.

Enjoy,

Recommended Reads!

Hey gang.

It's Wednesday so I'm sure you all know it's time for recommended reads.
What's recommended reads?
I'm glad that you asked, blog-ghost.
It's a segment where I recommend things for you to read on the internet so you can do something other than checking your emails and playing Candy Crush.
Let's go...
Also I've tried to throw in a few NaNoWriMo related reads for you. Don't say I don't care...

Here are my picks for this week:

• 33 of the Deepest Thoughts that Legolas has ever had.
• Feminist Taylor Swift - an excellent Twitter that puts a feminist spin on Taylor Swift lyrics.
• Probably the scariest Miley Cyrus video you'll ever see. It's a tweaked version of the Wrecking Ball music video but it would fit perfectly into The Exorcist. It's like Miley Cyrus... posessed by demons.
• Drunk teenager parties in Yorkshire, UK... then wakes up in Paris. Read more here.
• Neil Gaiman and his NaNoWriMo pep talk. Keep writing, you majestic creature.
• If you're writing a sex scene for your NaNoWriMo novel, try not to do it like this! This is a list of 13 examples of TERRIBLE sex scenes in literature. [NSFW.]
• Reasons why proofreading is SUPER IMPORTANT.
• From Huffpost: 10 Life Lessons You Should UNLEARN
• Here are some interesting weight loss secrets from around the world. 
• If you're doing NaNoWriMo and haven't signed up already then check out their website because it actually gives a useful tool in managing your writing by taking data you put in about how much and how often you write that it can roughly calculate when you'll finish your novel. This is my first time using their website and I'm certain that I'll use it for all future novels too.
• Here author John Green discusses his own attempt at NaNoWriMo and his thoughts on it. It's an old video but it's classic.