Joseph Hunt's Blog, page 5

Quotes: Inspire Yourself!

Whenever I'm feeling a little bit run down, or not particularly creative... I always go and look for a quote. So, I'm hoping to make someone's day a whole lot better, just by copying and pasting a bunch of quotes that I like a lot.



My two favourite places to look for quotes are BrainyQuote and Goodreads. Sometimes you don't find the quote you're looking for... but you will always find something, and they will always make you think.







“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”

― Anaïs Nin



“Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.”

― Anton Chekhov



“Tomorrow may be hell, but today was a good writing day, and on the good writing days nothing else matters.”

― Neil Gaiman








“If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original.”

― Ken Robinson



“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”

― Albert Einstein



“If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”

― Stephen King









“Thank goodness I was never sent to school; it would have rubbed off some of the originality.”

― Beatrix Potter



Creativity is not merely the innocent spontaneity of our youth and childhood; it must also be married to the passion of the adult human being, which is a passion to live beyond one's death."

― Rollo May




“No one ever discovered anything new by coloring inside the lines.”

― Thomas Vasquez







“Perfect is a dream that you wake up from and spend forever trying to remember.”

― Joseph Eastwood



“This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until its done. It's that easy, and that hard.”

― Neil Gaiman



“Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”

― E.L. Doctorow



I've been posting a lot of quotes on Facebook today, so head over there, and see some more images and some more quotes!




Joseph Eastwood




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I Am a Writer... It's all I can do!

I thought that the above quote is very fitting with what I'm about to talk about in this post.



My mum always asks me "what if writing books doesn't work out. What will you do then?" and I just frown at her, butt my lips a little, and then reply "it has to work out" and I know it might seem very big-headed of me to be all "oh, I'm going to be a successful writer--blah--blah" well, I never said that I will be a success, but I don't see myself doing anything but writing... it's what I'm good at... good being subjective as each and every writer out there is good in their own way, and it's up to them to shine and make other people believe that they're awesome.




Whenever people ask me what I do, I have to say that I'm student or else I'm faced with questions like "how will you make money?" "do you have an agent?" "are you already well off?" BUT not everything is about money... and although it seems that way, I'm not a writer because of the money, I am a writer because I have a passion and I just can't see myself living (oh the dramatics!) without being a writer.




As Mr Vonnegut says "the arts are not a way to make a living", and he died just before the Kindle and self-publishing exploded and now there is more of an opportunity to make a living from your art, so I have more faith that if I keep on writing, and never give up, and I keep on self-publishing, and continue to make sales... there will come a day that I will make a living from my writing...




I guess I'll just have to get by until that day.





Joseph Eastwood




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15 Year Old Me Wrote a Novel!

Hey guys! You might have already seen this image on your screen before... that is if you're a fan of my Facebook page, if not, and you're seeing it for the first time, what are your thoughts?



So, the other day I was going through some things on my laptop and sorting through some folders that I haven't yet unpacked, and I came across this... how could I forget it... I put so much time and effort into this... so much blood, sweat, and tears went into the creation of this novel, and yet I'd forgotten about it for almost 2 years!



I wrote Mage I, which currently stands at 60k words, when I was 15, so around 4 years ago... and if I was to look at the word document pages, I'd feel like that 15 year old who sat in bed at 3am with tears streaming down his face because of the emotional scenes that he'd just created.



This novel is the second novel that I wrote, and yes, it needs a lot of work doing to it because I was only 15 and I've learnt so much since then that I know how much better this can be... I just hope I can keep the pure emotion that I'd concentrated within the pages.



This is the description that I posted on Goodreads... that is until I can work a better blurb/synopsis.



Named "Loem" by his mother, and "James" by his father, Loem James Jesson goes by James. James is 16, and after a surprise party out in a forest, his world is turned upside down, but he's put back on the right path; the way his life was supposed to be.

James is a mage, and magic from a birthright that his father thought had been lost with the death of his wife, and James' mother. But it's there, and awake inside him.



I have created a page where you can add Mage I (Encrypted Bloodline, #1) to your Goodreads "to-read" list... so head on over and click "want to read".




Are you intrigued? Want to know more?





Joseph Eastwood




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I'm doing NaNoWriMo! Are you?

Last year I was so psyched to do NaNoWriMo, but guess what... it never happened, and I never finished it... just like every year, although sometimes I do skate by on writing absolutely drivel to hide in a box in some far away place... BUT this year is going to be different.



From the first of November you can catch all the latest on my project with my #NaNoDiary2012 I'll be using this as the blog title as well as a hashtag on Twitter to keep you all updated with my 140 word diary (@Joe_Eastwood) as well as this blog, and as of last Friday when I started vlogging... I'm sure that there will be a vlog or two in store for you guys!




So, are you doing NaNoWriMo 2012?




This year I'm not going to be starting any new project for NaNo... partly because I have way too much already planned that needs to be written... but because I have a story that's bursting to get out of Clandestine, and I'm giving it a chance to shine.



I'm already about 10,000 words into it, so I'm just looking for another 50k to get me up to 60k... and up to the finish of this book. I have been planning for this book for over a year and a half now, and I'm just excited that I'm finally going to get to let it shine.



It will definitely be published, I'm not sure when yet... but if everything goes to plan in November, then we're looking at a Spring release for this novel.



You can add it to your Goodreads account: Clandestine, so that you'll have it there, and by the time you get to it on your "to-read" list (if it's big enough) I'll have finished it and it will be available for you to read!



Working blurb:



Enter a world where the phases of the day indicate who's the strongest. The Light are powerful in the day, and the Dark are powerful during the night. Both sides are blessed with great strength and great weaknesses, so it wouldn't be wise for either to impose on the other.

Brandon Holmes comes from this long line of powerful men, and all it took was a heartbreaking argument and the realisation that he'd been lied to since birth about his real father. And now his real father is dead. Brandon is taken in by his grandparents after they offer him a new lifestyle and the chance of getting to know who his father was.

His grandparents suspect fowl play and that's when his journey begins, taking him to a remote part of Italy where a colony of Light phasers live. Brandon must figure out what happened to his father and why, without being caught and killed, or worse, starting a war.



I know that a lot of people are already excited to read this... well, don't forget to sign-up for emails on daily blog posts, and you won't miss a thing!





Joseph Eastwood




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Reviewing my Bucket List!

Back in June, a couple of days before my 19th birthday, I compiled a "bucket list" that I wanted to complete before I turned 20... It was "20 Things Before I Turn 20!" and I've already failed one of those.



The first thing on my list was about university and having a place for 3rd year... but things became complicated and I was removed from my course, so I'm doing another first year course... so I'd like to amend that and say "have a place for 2nd year"... in which case, I can probably still do it!



Okay... so I'll go through the things that I have already achieved, and then I'll go through the rest of them!



4. Publish Lumen!

Lumen was published in August, I'm not sure of the timing... but I'd say around the 21st! So, that's almost 2 months ago! I've sold a lot of copies, I think I've sold around 80 copies... and you're all amazing!

8. Move Out!

I moved out on the 10th of September! So yay! I'll be posting pictures and doing a blog post about my house, and my room... with the integrated desk ;p hehe

10. Start a YouTube Channel!

This is one of the most recent points that I've completed! I posted a vlog on YouTube on Friday... so, I do have a channel if any of you want to subscribe... because that would be awesome: YouTube

16. Paint something on a Canvas!







I did it! I painted something on a canvas... and I really like it! I just need some place to hang it now.

20. Just Be Happy!

I do that on a day-to-day basis... which were part of the terms and conditions of my bucket list! I have to be happy and wear a smile everyday! And I have been! YAY!



Now, for the things on my bucket list that are going to come!

Reach 500 followers on this blog: so I'm almost 200 people shy of achieving that... but I still have faith that in little over 8 months time I will have 500 followers on this blog. This ties in with my next point, to have over 200,000 page views here... I have over 70k at the moment... I just hope that with more followers comes more hits!



I want to become a vegetarian for a week, this is mainly because I don't eat any fruit or vegetables, and I really need to change that in my lifestyle... so that's still in my bucket list. I also want to get a part-time job, I've never really had a job, besides a paper route, and then a pot washing job for a couple of weeks in a Japanese sushi restaurant. Oh, also, go on holiday, I hope to accomplish this when I go to America... that, or I can take a weekend trip abroad or something... maybe from the part-time job I can save up.



I still want to publish Salem Gates, and I also want to publish Clandestine, this one is going to be my NaNo project for this year as I'm about 10k into it... it just needs finishing! (Look for future blog post on that.) I also have publish the collection of short stories on the list as well: I am 3 out of 20 into that. I still have write gay romance novel on my list: that will get Thomas Jay, a pseudonym of mine out there.



I really really really want to get a tattoo and by the time I'm 20... this will be achieved! I also want to learn how to make cocktails, and also learn French! I've figured that learning how to make cocktails will be a skill that I could use at parties, and it's always good to learn another language.



There you have it... that's a quick review of my bucket list... all the things that I have accomplished and all of the things that I will accomplish by the time I turn 20 on June 9th 2013: a Sunday... oh the joy!




Joseph Eastwood




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I Am Now a Vlogger!

I have finally done my first vlog... and here it is! it's a welcome vlog, just to get me started, and perhaps a little bit more confident with speaking to myself on camera.




I hope you enjoy it!







Hopefully next time I will write what I'm going to say before I say it to avoid the awkwardness!



Joseph Eastwood





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Forever Freebie: Down by the Garden!

Today I self-published another short story, this is a little overdue... but it's out now. This is the third short story from the Over My Spilled Blood collection. The short stories do not follow in any continuous narrative, so read them in any order if you like... most of them have actually been developed further since being published... that means there will be some novellas on the horizon following the action from the short stories.




The synopsis/blurb:



Agatha is a queen, living in a dank extension of a thriving land that she was once part of. She has her own colony of creatures who will fight for her. But she's dying, and only one thing can resurrect her from decaying into the pit of has-been... and that is blood; blood of the young.

This short story is 3k words long and is an extended prologue for a novella, The Faeflies. It is also the third short story from the anthology, Over My Spilled Blood.



You can get your FREE copy of Down by the Garden here:




Smashwords

Amazon US!

Amazon UK!




Note: Amazon hasn't changed its prices yet, so I'd recommend going to Smashwords to download your copy. You can always check the Amazon site... and even tell them about the price on Smashwords, the more people who tell Amazon that it's free elsewhere the faster it will probably be changed.




Have a great day! Don't forget about your freebie, and don't forget to tell everyone else! ;]






Joseph Eastwood




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I Want A Film... or a TV Series!

This is the 4th post of my post every day of October... and today I'm going to share with you guys some of my bigger picture goals... and I have a lot... I dream big, and rightly so, because if I put the effort it I don't know why I won't be able to achieve them.




I think my biggest goal, and this is something I want to achieve before I die etc. I want to have one of my books/short stories, created for TV or the big screen. That is my dream. I am a very visual writer... I write, and I have an image in mind, everything is sort of played out like a film in my mind, and I try and write it down like that.




I was talking with my friend, Tonya, and she asked me: which one would (if given the choice) you choose to produce into a film or TV series?




It's a little bit of a tough question. I don't know. I want all of them to become a film or TV series... but that's because I'm also a TV junkie.




I am just starting my writing career, and I hope that it's the start of something amazing. So far, everything has been awesome, and I've only been published for over a month... although, online, I've been publishing blog posts for a couple of years now.



I found this and thought to myself. Yes, that's what I am, I am a scripturient! There isn't a moment when I do not want to see my fingers on the keyboard and create a words from the tappy sound... I also love to write with pen and paper, and see my handwriting and words and it's an amazing feeling. If you don't understand what I'm talking about then you probably think that I'm crazy... I'm not going to lie to you, I am probably a little bit crazy, I think if you're going to be a writer then you must have a little bit of crazy in you, and if not, then please, step back, evaluate what you've got yourself into... and let the crazy inside... welcome it, embrace it... BECOME THE CRAZY!




Naturally, being a crazy person and a writer, I am going to want to be a super successful person who can solely rely on their writing... and I want to believe that I can... *cough* perhaps I can marry a rich man *cough* and then I probably will be able to. HA! However, I am going to strive and I am going to work my ass off for my writing because it's what I love. And off on a tangent I went.




Back to having a film or a TV series: Would I be mad to say that I would like to achieve that by the time I'm 30? Noooooooo... of course not. I'm only 19 now, so it gives me 11 years to do... which is a long time, and it would be amazing if it would happen.




I have currently only released 1 novel and 2 short stories, and by the time I am 30... I am sure to have quite the repertoire of books behind me. (Or so I hope.) Besides, I know that a few of my pieces will make awesome films, and that's my opinion, but if I can make you believe that they will also be amazing... then that's 1 more person, 1 more believer in my dream.




Do you think I'm aiming too high?

Do you have any crazy dreams like me?





Joseph Eastwood




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TV is Taking Over!

I love, love, love, love, love TV! I wish I could just watch TV all day and every day, and like every Autumn there is a huge selection of TV to add to me "to-watch" list.



This autumn I have a whole bunch of returning TV shows starting up, and then a couple of new ones... maybe they'll stick around, or maybe they'll be one time things.




Returning Seasons!


Supernatural is coming back for its 8th season! Yes... 8! I absolutely love Supernatural, however, it has lost a bit of what drew me into it originally, and that was the dark horror/fantasy mash-up that it had going on... now, it's a little less scary, maybe it's because I've grown up or because it has in fact lost a little bit of its scare. I will still watch the whole season, and maybe from time-to-time I will do a post on it.



I am excited to see what happens to Dean in this because he has *spoiler* just returned from Purgatory and we are allowed to see flashbacks of what that was like... and so far, it's drawn me back in because it's been quite messy and full-on.




What are some of your thoughts?


Glee is now in its 4th season! And I love it! I will admit to being a Gleek, but why not... Glee is awesome! I didn't think it would get to its 4th season so quickly, and so much has changed from the first episode, like dramatically. If you go back and watch, you'll notice how the actors have changed, and the producers have perhaps given them HUGE makeovers etc. plus, there are also huge stars... my favourite of those, being, Kate Hudson!



I want to know what's going to happen with Rachel as her life in New York is somewhat amazing. I'm also looking forward to the person who will be taking over Glee club... I think it will be Sue, as I bet she's also wanted a chance to take over the Glee club.




Do you like Glee? Are you Gleek?


Revenge is going into its 2nd season! I don't think there are going to be many seasons as I don't think there is much of a storyline to work from, unless Emily/Amanda becomes a serial killer or something totally off topic. However, that cliffhanger ending of season 1 is enough to get me watching the next season! Favourite character: Victoria Grayson! Who's yours?



If you've already watched it then you'll know all of the niggly bits about what's happened already... but what do you think will happen now?



The Vampire Diaries has reached its 4th season! There are no words to explain my excitement for the return of this show... but perhaps I can try: KJsSGdfFDsdgJHSGKdAHGsdAS! I cannot express myself in human words, but if any of you guys are translators, then please, tell everyone else just how excited I am.



I honestly thought that the series would end with the 3rd season because I was sure that everyone would die, and that would be the end... but no, apparently the producers and the writers had other thoughts... and rightly so! I am well and truly addicted to this show! Plus, Elena is now a vamp... I don't think there is any doubt about it, and I guess that's what I'm most looking forward to.




What are you looking forward to?


The Good Wife is also on its 4th season! If you're unfamiliar with The Good Wife, it's a legal drama following Alicia Florrick, she was married to a state's attorney, and then they split up, and she became confident in herself and became a lawyer... a super badass lawyer! Each episode is about the Florrick family as well as Lockhart and Gardener, the law firm that Alicia works for... it's an awesome series... each episode will follow 1 or 2 cases, and they'll suck you in and you'll be gasping and enthralled.



The first episode has aired... and so far it's been the best episode of the series! I am definitely looking forward to what happens in the rest of this season.




Anyone else watch The Good Wife?


Dexter is back from the cliffhanger ending to its 7th season! THAT ENDING! So, if you've already watched the first episode then you know how the cliffhanger resumes, and we're shown Dexter again, killing that man while Deb, his "sister", walks in and catches him. I rewatched the series before it restarted to refresh my memory and I was so psyched about the first episode... and it was more than I had expected... including such an unexpected killing.



A lot of people don't like Dexter because it's "gory" but I don't think it's all that gory. You see blood splattered and dead bodies, but there's no real gore in my eyes. I also have the books, but I was told that they are nothing like the actual series, so I'll save them for after the series is over.




Are you a fan of Dexter?


There are also a few comedy shows, and I really like them, but the above are the shows that have the huge storylines and are just awesome! The second season of New Girl, I have so much love for Zooey Deschanel! 2 Broke Girls is back... and again, I want to have my own cupcake business... although they don't make it look all too fun. And 30 Rock is back for its 7th season, sometimes I like this show, sometimes it drags... but I watch them anyway.



There are two new shows that are on our screens this autumn. We have Revolution, and we have Partners. Revolution is about the USA and it has been wiped of all electricity... I think it's a world wide thing, but it's main focus is the USA... like so many things on TV *sigh* haha, not hating, I'd like something to focus on the WORLD, especially if it's affecting the WORLD. And Partners is a comedy which I really enjoy, but I don't think it will be around much because there isn't much of a back story to it, and everything seems like it's there in place of a quick gag.



And I am sure that there are more TV shows, but I've tried to get as many as I know about, or that I watch. If you do have any TV shows that you enjoy and would recommend watching, please don't be afraid to list them in the comments below.




Joseph Eastwood




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Sims and No Sleep...

Second day into October and I haven't been true to my word... I totally spaced on the post yesterday... however, with a little bit of Blogger magic, I'll have this post set for the second. WOO!



This is probably going to be the lamest excuse for not posting a blog, or doing any work... I have been playing on The Sims 3. *insert very upset face* I am quite annoyed because I knew what I was doing when I pushed the disk into my disk drive. *sigh*



When I was younger I used to play on The Sims all of the time, and I never used to get any work done... I could waste weeks playing on the game and it never even phased me... that was until I started planning stories and time to write, and then when "sims time" ate into my writing time I got really down etc. which is quite pathetic really... and I'll admit that. I do love playing on The Sims, but I love writing even more.



So, on Tuesday I had no sleep, and I get really moody when I have no sleep, so I couldn't do any writing because I was just all "grrrr" so then I started playing on Sims, and the only thing I did on Tuesday... besides going into university for a couple of hours, was eat, drink coffee, and play on The Sims! But in defence of Sims, I had just downloaded all of the expansion packs... and there were a lot of new features.



I am now currently undergoing a "hide the sims" operation where I will give the disk to someone and I will have to go cold turkey.



The Sims isn't all that bad though, a couple of months ago I did try and rationalise my addiction as something that was helping me as a writer, and I do still stand by some of the points that I made because I love creating houses and locales for buildings and places that I am going to be using in my writing as it does help with the visual aspect of writing, as does creating the characters and also picking traits for characters etc. so with those in mind, it is helpful. But as addictions go, The Sims is mine... oh, and coffee.






Joseph Eastwood



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