Nanowrimo 2011 Here I Come!

Nanowrimo 2011 is fast approaching, and I have decided to have another go at it. The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. It is a Big, Fun, Scary Challenge, but it's addictive and I love it. I am spending the last couple of weeks of October planning it, and hope to have a blast writing it next month. Here is the synopsis so far, it's called "Urban Sci-fi" (working title):

Urban Sci-fi

Earth, the fabled long lost homeworld of the human race has been found. There are billions of primitive humans living on the planet, blissfully unaware of the many extraterrestrial species eager to explore and exploit them and their little planet. In it's defence, an interplanetary Union despatches a covert team of human and non-human specialists to find and protect this planet from extraterrestrial exploitation. For some it is an exciting voyage of discovery, for others, an emotional journey to their homeworld, and discover the secret origin of their own species.

Yet just as they begin to uncover the mysteries of this planet, on the verge of discovering how the human race miraculously crossed over into space with no knowledge of their home planet, extraterrestrial enemies start crawling out of the asteroid belt, and prepare to wage war on them and their long lost planet.

You can follow my progress on the Nanowrimo website, my username is Green_Raven.

Wish Me Luck!

Hitch

Here's a short piece I tried to keep down to 100 words, but landed on 116 instead. It's inspired by the move Hitch starring Will Smith. I recently rewatched it and loved it. So here's a little Drabble Day style writing based on the main character...

Tall, dark, and handsome. That was how they’d described him. The description fit pretty good. A pretty generic description, although Alex Hitchens was anything but generic. With a suave style all his own, a walk and a smile that exuded confidence with every sway of his well built shoulders. One wink and a lopsided grin from him, and every woman he aimed it at, would gladly fall to her knees. No woman could resist him. Except the one woman who stole his heart. All the while he was busy teaching others how to win the woman of their dreams - it was the woman of his dreams that finally taught him how to fall in love.

Book Review: Vampire Diaries - The Awakening & The Struggle

I recently finished reading the first novel of Vampire Diaries - The Awakening & The Struggle (Books 1 and 2). I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I love the TV Series, and watched the first two seasons before reading this book. I got quite a surprise, the characters do not exactly match those in the series, sometimes it's just hair colour and history, and small differences in names, like Tyler Lockwood in the series, is known as Tyler Smallwood in this novel. But there are also large personality differences, and major plot differences, certain characters are killed and others turned into vampires that certainly hasn't happened in the series.

So in summary, if you are not too worried about differences between plots, characters and mythology between the series and the books, and you aren't looking for something to mirror the TV series you know and love, then happily read this book. Otherwise, I'd just stick to the series.

Writing Exercise - Describe a pen

I found a writing exercise I wanted to have a go at, asking me to 'Describe a pen!' Such an ordinary object, I think everyone knows what a pen looks like! So I've tried to give it a life of it's own, so that you can see it and imagine it with a personality! A fun little challenge that makes you think of the details! :)

"The cold metal pen felt alien in her hand. Even the raised 'MICRON' logo stuck out sharply, embedding itself in her hand. Almost as if trying to brand her."

Ghosts Of Time - Pages 2 & 3

Anya races down the corridor with superhuman efficiency, the stunned and staggering personnel in their blue uniforms, some dead some dying, don’t even slow her down as she weaves and leaps past them. She is a blur of deep red pvc and paper white hair streaming behind her, her artificial red pupil eyes fixed dead ahead in concentration of achieving her mission. Sparks fly and bodies strewn across her path don’t even slow her down.

Suddenly sliding to a halt in front of an access panel, Anya pulls a sidearm from her jacket and shoots electric bolts at one edge of the panel, burning a small hole through the locking mechanism. Smiling, she swings her right foot and kicks the panel in with one smooth movement. Replacing the firearm in it’s holster, she dives headfirst in.

Landing in a crouching position, Anya looks up to see she is in a smaller, more hexagonal corridor. Used more for maintenance than as a general access way. Though it would have to do for now. As she straightens up, she can hear an explosion behind her, and the screams of her comrades as laser fire fills the main corridor she just left, and the smell of burning flesh begins to seep into the access corridor she now stands in. Wrinkling her nose, she strides forward with renewed determination, putting as much distance between her and her enemy as she can. Reaching the end of the short corridor, she leaps up at a metal access ladder, grabs hold, and hauls herself up in double time.

Emerging from a hatchway in the floor, Anya finds herself in a small low ceiling compartment with various consoles and cables scattered around the edges. She closes and seals the hatchway beneath her. And rushes over to the console. Grabbing hold of what looks like a fancy dark green-grey metal cuff bracelet, Anya slips it on. She then starts punching keys on the console, and the viewscreen above starts lighting up with alien sigils. They had once seemed new and exciting to the human people, they had thought the aliens had come in peace, to share their technology with us. We should have learnt from our own past what happens when we discover new civilisations, at first we show them new and shiny things, then we want their land, and are willing to imprison and slaughter the so-called savage occupants of that land to get it. Only we aren’t the advanced civilisation arriving on new uncharted territory. This time we are the ‘savages’ fighting to keep our whole planet.

A bump from under the hatchway catches Anya’s attention away from the console. Startled, she looks at the hatch with wide eyes. “More time,” she mutters, “I just need a little more time.” With a shrug, she realises she’s in a time machine, time is the one thing she should have plenty of. Hammering away at the console’s keys, small windows flash up on the bright blue-lit viewscreen, only to disappear as more windows constantly flash up. Then one window lights up with a few short sigils and three dots after it. “Where to… ?” she breathes. Staring at the screen for a few brief seconds, Anya hears a heavy thud directly underneath the hatchway, making her shoulders physically jerk as her heart skips a beat. They’re close. She hits for keys in quick succession, hovers another second, then hit’s the bigger key on the right. Hovering paused a moment, Anya hears the reassuring sound of a whirring engine start up, and the whole compartment begins to vibrate. She smiles, she’s made it.

BOOM! The burst hatchway flies up into the compartment, hitting the low ceiling, and comes crashing down again, narrowly missing her nose as she ducks instinctively backwards. A deep throaty groan, and the ugly green skinned muscle-bound brute rears it’s heavy body through the hatchway. As it struggles, Anya draws her firearm, takes aim, and shoots an electric beam right in it’s eye, straight through what she thinks is it’s brain. The beast falls straight back down through the hatchway.

The compartment lurches and spins, so much so that Anya struggles to maintain her balance, knees half bent with her arms unsteadily held out, firearm still in hand. With a final lurch, and a blinding white glow all around her, Anya feels a wave of dizziness and nausea washing over her. She teeters, then her knees give way, she falls to the floor, unconscious before her head hit’s the metal grid floor.

Ghosts Of Time - Chapter One

Tumbling to the ground, Anya rolls onto her back and stares at the shuddering ceiling. The neon strip-light above flickers then sparks as it breaks loose at one end, dangling dangerously above her. Briefly flinching, Anya draws her arms and knees up to defend herself, sure her titanium bones will be able to protect her from any falling debris - so long as she protects her fleshy stomach. Why didn't they make bones to protect your abdomen? She's lost count of the amount of times some sharp instrument has pierced her gut.

A sudden hissing sound distracts her as she glances down the metal lined corridor to see the General stagger out of the lift shaft into the still-shaking corridor. He leans heavily on one arm propped against the wall. A portly man in a light blue military uniform, with plenty of honours emblazoned across his left breast pocket. In one lithe move, Anya flips her feet down to the ground, using the momentum to pull the rest of her body upright, and immediately salutes her superior officer.

"Enough of that," grunts the General, "I have a mission for you cyber-soldier."

Any snaps her saluting arm back to her side in fast military style. She nods in acknowledgment of his orders.

"The damned aliens have found us. You need to get the time machine and stop them." the General briefed her. "Go back in time, find where they have been before. They know our every move before we do. You might need a hacker." He paused, then added as an afterthought, "Don't use anybody alive. They might be a doppelganger alien. Only trust the dead, snatch them before they die, but cover it up. No one must suspect."

"Yes, Sir!" Anya answered obediently, as another shudder almost knocked them off their feet.

"And cyber-soldier?"

"Yes, Sir?" Anya replied.

"You're on your own. You screw this up, the whole damn world is doomed." the General warned. And as Anya eyes seemed to search his, he added, "Don't screw up!"

"I won't." Anya answered quietly.

For all her cybernetic enhancements, Anya was still human. A genetically grown and enhanced human, but she still had a living human brain alongside that cybernetic implant in her skull, she still knew fear, and pain, and hope. And she wasn't about to give up.

"Now go!" commanded the General.

Anya nodded, then turned and hurried away.

Watching Anya turn and hurry away, the General sighed, pulled out a small firearm, and pointed it to his own skull. "Godspeed you cyber-soldier, and don't let us down. We're all counting on you." he said grimly, then pulled the trigger. A short electronic sound, his body tensed, then collapsed like a heavy sack of potatoes and thudded to the ground, never to move again.

Drabble Day "Abandon"

I haven't attempted the Aheila's Drabble Day Challenge for a while, this week's challenge is "Abandon" - and it inspired me to write this. I hope you like it!

"As I inch forward on my belly, on the gravel-strewn ground of this godforsaken land, I close my eyes and let my mind wander to what I’d be doing back home at this time on a Saturday night. Dreaming of that mouthwatering smell of freshly fried chips, heavy with fat, curling tenderly over beautiful haddock, steam gently rising from them, as I happily hand over a crisp five pound note, eagerly anticipating the salty taste awaiting me.

The sudden metallic click beneath me brings me sharply back to the present. Eyes snapping open, inky blackness surrounding me and the gritty sand between my teeth, I glance down. A landmine freshly triggered beneath me. So far from home, I feel abandoned and lost."

I Want To Be A Skilled and Great Writer!

Lately I've been organising my somewhat chaotic bookshelves, and seeing what novels I want to read. I used to read a lot of novels when I was younger (in High School), and when I spent over an hour each way travelling to and from work. It was either that or fall asleep on the bus! But since then, I haven't read much of anything. I've joined the site Goodreads.com, you can find me as Sketching Girl here. I set myself a challenge to read 12 novels this year, and so far I've managed two, including a graphic novel.

I started reading one and found I didn't like it, the style of writing I didn't care for, the lack of description and not being able to picture what was happening put me off. I have read amazing books like A.C. Crispin's Han Solo Trilogy, and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series. They have amazing descriptions I can picture vividly, and main characters I can believe in, and thoroughly love learning more about.

But reading a book I really don't care for, and I believe has inferior writing quality, has really shown me what I don't want my writing to be. I don't want to get a book published only to be ashamed of it. I would hate for that to happen. So although in the future I want to be a successful and published author, I want to earn that right properly. I want to write and practice my craft until I consider it really good. I want to be proud of what I submit to publishers/agents. Please don't let me produce rubbish! Thank you to the poor author (who I shall not name) for giving me the spurt of inspiration to write more and to hone my skills. I don't just want to be a published writer, I want to be a GREAT AND SKILLED WRITER!

Researching A Novel...

I am currently researching my novel, (hence my apologies for not posting as much on here). The novel I am planning and putting together at the moment has a working title of: "Ghosts Of Time" - it's a science-fiction fantasy story about various people from different eras of time brought together to save the world from a hidden threat travelling through time. As there is a lot of travelling to different eras in time, and my characters all coming from different eras in time, I am finding this novel needs the most research. I am currently researching the Victorian era, an era I love also as I love dolls house miniatures, I find myself more familiar than I would normally be with the fixtures and fittings in a Victorian home.

Funnily enough, the more research I do, the more questions I seem to find I want answers to. Although I am finding out more about my characters, and there personal backgrounds, I also wonder what else I can do with them, and what other skills I can give them. I know the Victorians were very interested in the Occult and did seances and things, and I wonder if I can make my Victorian Lady character a witch? I know that prior to the Victorian period witches were hunted and burned at the stake, but that Queen Victoria got rid of the laws on witchcraft, so that they were no longer hunted and burned at the stake. Does this mean that witches were more accepted and more open? Or did they still feel the need to be in hiding? How open were Victorians about witchcraft, and did they consider seances to be a part of witchcraft, or just an interest in the occult and the afterlife?

Research does fascinate me and you can learn more to add to your stories, and more questions always seem to arise out of more research. For me, research is exciting and fun. I love discovering new things and picturing my world and my characters more clearly, and finding exciting new things I can add and adapt to my story!

But how much Research should you do? And at what point should you stop researching and concentrate on your story? I can easily get lost in research and planning and never start writing my story! Still, I'm having fun at the moment! Off to research some more now...

Drabble Day "Memory"

Here is this week's Drabble Day challenge, Aheila picked 'Memory' for us to do this time! I actually found this one quite difficult, and hope this didn't turn out too badly in the end. Please let me know what you think!

"Throwing the pen down in frustration, Emma rose from her desk and stomped over to the window. Arms folded across her chest, she stared at the dark streets below, almost feeling the weight of the dark clouds sinking into her already stooping shoulders. Her vision blurring with anger. When she could hold them back no longer, she squeezed her eyes shut caging her tears as they defiantly stung the backs of her eyes, as if they too felt the anguish raging in her heart. Turning back to the photo frame slammed face-down on her desk, she poured all her spite and malice at it through those piercing eyes."

Drabble Day 100 Word Story: "Analogy"

This week's Drabble Day challenge by Aheila is Analogy. I found this one much harder this week, but after thinking a moment on what my novel is mainly about, then comparing it to an event that happened outside my house last night, I found inspiration for this. I hope you like it!

"Time is like a car on a highway, it flows smooth and almost neverending. You think you are in control of it, you can bend it to your will. You can make the journey veer this way or that way, depending on which way you turn the wheel. You think you are in control, you think you know what you are doing. Nothing can stop you. Yet you forget to pay attention for a split-second, and your whole world is turned on it's head. You're spitting gravel and you've no idea how you got here. Or how to turn back."

Drabble Day 100 Word Story: "Ghost"

Eloise lifted the silver chamberstick to her lips, with the tiniest breath the candle went out. Smoke rising in a soft weaving plume. Behind her, a sudden white glow caught her attention. She turned to see a white lady, dressed in a waterfall of silk, with long white curls over pale skin.

“Will you come with me?” whispered the white lady, slowly extending a pale white hand out to her.

“To where?” Eloise asked.

“To Dream’s End, and new beginnings.” she whispered back.

Eloise shakily took her hand, and the white glow enveloped her. And all that she knew paled into insignificance.

Drabble Day 100 Word Story: "Edge"

Today I found Aheïla's Drabble Day post, a challenge to write a 100 word story, give or take five words, on whatever word prompt she chooses. Today she chose Edge. I really enjoyed having a go at this, I've never tried to write a piece of fiction so short, it really taught me to be concise with my writing, and find shorter ways of saying what I wanted. Thank you Aheïla for such a great challenge! Here's my story:

"Standing on the edge of a mid-nineteenth century roof, Anya gazes out over a golden haze covered skyline, smog slowly rising above the dark and soot stained London rooftops. Anya stands out in stark contrast with gleaming white hair, dark red eyes, and an almost matching red pvc military uniform.

Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, Anya sighs, then in one swift movement she dives head-first off the tower of London. Falling like a missile with the ground rushing up to her and the wind whistling through her hair, Anya smiles. And for one brief moment, she feels free."

P.S. This isn't where the story ends, it's inspired by a science-fiction novel I'm currently researching and planning!

BBC Writersroom - A Path to Success

I stumbled across the BBC Writersroom whilst looking for a writersroom equivalent for ITV, when I happily stumbled on some BBC writersroom success stories. I love reading success stories, they fill you full of enthusiasm and make you believe that you can succeed at television writing. And with so many more TV Channels these days, there's even more chance of succeeding.

One that caught my attention...

Paul Farrell
Paul sent in an unsolicited script that impressed us and was selected for a week long residential scheme to develop ideas for returning crime shows. He worked intensively on an idea and pitched it to BBC executives. It was soon commissioned to treatment, then to script, and his two-parter was broadcast in the 2006 season of Silent Witness on BBC1. Paul also took part in our BBC Films scheme to develop writers new to the department. He has since been produced for Waking the Dead on BBC1, commissioned for Primeval on ITV and is on a development scheme with Eon Films.

He worked on shows I am interested in, and I love that he can work between BBC and ITV. Some of the writers featured on the success stories page also did work for Channel 4, and a lot of the BBC Radio Plays too. There is great scope for working on a wide variety of projects for different companies. There are many opportunities out there just waiting to be explored!

The BBC Writersroom is full of writing tips, inspiration and sample scripts to read. They are actively seeking new talent, and have a page of opportunities with deadlines for you to check out.

Short Fiction Post - "Ghosts Of Time"

Here's a short piece of fiction I just wrote about a character I've come up with for my new Ghosts Of Time story idea. It's set in an apocalyptic future where we meet him. I've just written and not edited it or changed anything, so please don't expect it to be perfect!

"Jesse stirred slightly in his uncomfortable bed. He was lying on a dirty blanket and encased in wood, which for some reason was baking hot. His mouth was dry and parched as he tried to unstick his tongue from it. Blinking his eyes in the half-light, he turned to his right to peek through the vertical sliver of light outside his makeshift bunk. All he could see was a shaft of sunlight showing up the grains of dust that gently filtered through the air, down towards the weathered floorboarding beneath them. All was still and all was quiet.

In one weary movement, Jesse pushed the sliding door as far as it would go to halfway down his body, he rolled and slid out of the wall-lining cupboard. Around the edges of the room were dusty circuit boards and bits of clapped out old machines that no longer worked, laid out there just in case they came in handy. Jesse loved the pattern of circuits on the boards, they had a kind of art-form to them. One of the few pleasures left to him in this world. Making his way to his knees, and rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, he crawled over to another open cupboard and pulled out a small tin of food. The label was weathered, but if you looked closely, you could just make out it was an old tin of baked beans. Picking up a medium-sized screwdriver, which seemed to be left there for just that purpose, he carefully started to dig into the lid of the tin, and peel it open. Once he was in, in a well practiced move, Jesse slipped the screwdriver straight in his mouth and out again, in one sleek movement, and the shaft was clean. Carelessly placing the screwdriver on the side, without looking at it, his whole attention was focused on the juicy beans before him. Diving grubby fingers in eagerly, he scooped the beans straight into his mouth, guzzling them down cold."

What kind of writer do I want to be?

What kind of writer do I want to be?

I am asking myself this question so I can figure out what I want my 2011 Writing Plan to be. My end goal is to be a published writer. I would love to write for TV, but I would also like to write novels and short stories too. I've been looking at Sera Gamble's website, she is someone I admire greatly. I love the Supernatural tv series she writes for, which she has now become the executive producer and showrunner of. She has a great section for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) in which she answers many of the common questions she has been asked about becoming a writer. (Well worth a read). Reading this, and a recent blog post about why people stop following your blog (apologies I forgot where I saw it and didn't save the link), it's made me think more about my online presence.

I want to promote my writing on this blog, especially as I become a more skill writer (with lots of practice), but I also want to make it interesing and blog things people want to read. I recently read one blogger say they often type blog posts up ahead of time in their Word documents first before posting, and they always have a few ideas for blog posts they jot down before they actually come round to writing their blog posts. They also try to stick to a schedule for their blog posts, as there's nothing worse than a blog that's updated rarely.

With this in mind, these are my 2011 Writing Goals I want to work on this year:

1. Create a blogging schedule, possibly weekly.
2. Jot down a few blog post ideas so you have something to blog about when you do sit down to blog.
3. Comment on other similar theme blogs to increase your blog readership and make friends with similar interests
4. Practice prose fiction writing every day.
5. Create Writing Samples to show my work...
6. A Short Story
7. An Original TV Pilot Script
8. A Speculative TV Script of a critically acclaimed TV Series
9. A Movie Screenplay (original)
10. Create a new website as a Writer to show off my new writing samples
11. Practice Writing even more fiction!

A New Story for the New Year

For the New Year I want to write a new story. I have the idea of writing about an albino time travelling assassin/agent. She may travel back and forth in time, picking up people from different time zones. She could visit an ancient tomb, just before someone else is about to pick up a relic from there that will give them the power to conquer the world. Perhaps someone like Hitler, or Hitler himself would get hold of it if she didn't intervene.

They could be a specialist team righting the wrongs of the time space continnuum. I would love to have a Victorian gentleman, possibly a scientist. Though that would be difficult, as I would have to have an understanding of science, and an understanding of what science was around at the time.

What other specialists from time would you collect if you could? Who would you want on your team, that has died in their prime? Someone who you could travel back in time at the moment before their death, save their life, leaving all in the past believing they were dead.

I would love any ideas and suggestions. Who would you want on your team?

Short Fiction Post - 'Invisible Jet'

As it's the New Year now, I've decided to have a practice writing scenes and little bits of prose to keep my writing skills up, and hopefully improve them, if I just aim to do between a few minutes to half an hour a day, I should be able to make progress with my writing! Here's hoping!

Here's a short piece I wrote today inspired by the One Minute Writer Blog, whose prompt today is 'Jet.' Only I didn't time myself, so may have done a little longer than a minute! Ooops!

I hope you like it!

Invisible Jet

Anya brought the sleek invisible jet hissing gently down towards the shoppers on the main streets of London, reassured that the low hum of it’s engines would be lost among the hustle and bustle of local shoppers passing by and the festive music pouring out from the open shop doorways inviting you in with a warm glow to battle the chill December air outside.

Looking out the transparent view pane, Anya could see the shoppers completely unaware her invisible jet was there. She sighed, a little despondent at the sight of the humans so engaged with their shopping. As if it were a life or death situation whether or not they would have the best Christmas Log on their table, or if they would be sold out by the time they arrive at the shop.

With a deep breath, Anya tucked a lock of brilliant white hair behind her ear, the rest neatly swept back from her icy pale skin, and turned her dark red eyes back down to her console, twiddling dials and pressing buttons to emit a series of beeps as she ran the basic system checks she always ran when she landed.