For writers out there

Having trouble with your characters not co-operating, or your plot exploding, Holly Lisle has posted the first two of a series of writing tip videos (what she calls crash testing for writing).
She takes a sample piece writing and gives examples of how to make it more powerful...

The case of the exploding cat:

• Plot crash
  
• Characterization crash
• Style crash
• Structural crash

The case of the undead patrician:

• Viewpoint/filter crash
• Priority crash
• Human nature crash
• Structural crash

Part 1


Part 2


If I can work out how to get this as one video instead of two I will (for some reason I can't make the code on her site work).

Holly Lisle strongly believes in paying it forward in term of giving advice to writers and I recommend giving these a watch. Her website.

Music: Beats international
Currently reading: Still reading 'Palace of Impossible Dreams' by Jennifer Fallon

The Editing Letter

Lara Zielin has created a little video showing her first contact with "The Editing Letter" while working on her debut novel "Donut Days".
I got a nice chuckle out of this one....



Music: Madness
Currently Reading: 'The Palace Of Impossible Dreams' by Jennifer Fallon

Movies

Shifting from books to movies today... I saw Fast and Furious the other day so I thought I would blather aimlessly about my movie viewing plans for the next few months.

Fast & Furious: This movie carries on from the first installment "The Fast and the Furious". (Same cast as well.) If you liked the first one, you'll like this one. Fast cars, unbelievable special effects etc... There is actually more story/better dialogue than "Tokyo Drift" - but it doesn't take much to get over that threshold. Never saw 2 Fast 2 Furious - no Vin Diesel :)

Now for the things I haven't seen:

Wolverine: I enjoyed the X-men movies (although the first two were better than the third I thought) so I'm looking forward to this. Hugh Jackman reprises his X-men role.







Terminator: Christian Bale takes us into the future to join the fight against the machines. Again I liked the first two Terminator movies but the thought the third was weak (John Connor really wasn't believable as the prospective leader of the resistance, the girl had more gumption).

Public Enemies: Christian Bale, Johnny Depp, and writer-director Michael Mann, give this movie a jump start even before reading the gangster movie blurb. Based on a true story apparently - how closely? Well, this is Hollywood after all...



Star Trek: Prequel to the original series; we see the start of Kirk and The Enterprise. I'm not a Trekkie but this looks like it has potential to be a good yarn. Simon Pegg (from "Shaun of the Dead") plays Scotty, and a New Zealander, Karl Urban, plays Bones.






From this you can probably determine - yes, I like action movies; yes, I like Sci-Fi; and yes, some of these may include eye-candy.

No Regrets: The Best, Worst, & Most Ridiculous Tattoos Ever

Saw these and just had to share them with you.
Writer Aviva Yael got into a debate on the pros and cons of body art so she set about searching the internet and tattoo parlours for the best, worst and most ridiculous tattoos. See more.


Britney Spears shaved off all her hair, a truly timeless image. Hair grows back - tattoos are forever.

Taking customer loyalty a step too far...? "Do it" clearly did not apply to thinking.


What more can I add? He's already said it all.


If someone told me This belonged to the guy above I can't say I would express any surprise. NB: the ass pimples are the pièce de résistance.

Music: Marilyn Manson
Currently reading: 'To Catch a Wolf' by Susan Krinard
Okay, but so far (and I'm not finished the book) there is little time for the main characters to be together getting to know each other, so the tension is struggling to build between them. I need more than, "oh yay we're the same species" on which to build a relationship.

Even Demons Get the Blues

Damn, another nasty cold. Why are they picking one me? First a nasty head cold now a nasty chest cold - phah!

For those who love to win a chance to try a new author, debut author and fellow Kiwi, Maree Anderson is giving away a PDF ARC of Even Demons Get the Blues (an erotic paranormal romance from Red Sage), check out her website to enter.





Music: Hot Chip
Currently reading: 'Single White Vampire' by Lyndsay Sands.
First time I've read one of her books, very pleasantly surprised as I got a few nice laughs out of this :)

Happy Easter

Good Friday tomorrow and the start of the Easter break. Yay!!
Got lots of heavy editing plans - hopefully I find time to put said plans into action.
Hope all of you enjoy your break, catch up next week.


Music: The Killers
Currently reading: 'All Tangled up in You' by Christina Dodd

Battlestar Galactica

Been a bit slack posting this week due to nasty cold then lots of work.
Got a big stack of printouts sitting on my desk crying out for me to take the red pen to them but I've been slack on that too, I've been watching the end of Battlestar Galactica. Really enjoyed hte first three seasons but this last one i felt lost focus somewhat. There were quite a few flat episodes and the tension was lacking. The season felt a lost as the survivors. But despite my reservations a good story all up.

Two articles that tickled my fancy:
"Fiction world rocked as woman claims no sexual attraction to Neil Gaiman."
"TÖRdötCÖM’s plans for ebooks."


Music: Metallica
Currently reading: 'Unleash the Night' by Sherrilyn Kenyon
I've just bought Nalini Singh's new one 'Angle's Blood' and am looking forward to starting that.