R. Jackson-Lawrence's Blog, page 6
September 19, 2013
Five ways in which GTA5 can ruin your life
Today I need to start with another apology - I have done no writing, none at all, since 00:01 on the 17th September. The reason?
GTA 5
Queuing at midnight
To my fan, (or maybe fans now? I'm sure a second person out there has read it?), this is a personal apology to you, from the very bottom of my heart. It's true, I'm addicted. I'm an addict, and the first step (I'm told) is to admit it.
The problem is, I don't really want to stop....
GTA 5 really is that good, but I have discovered a few problems with it, however, that I felt it was important to share with the wider world. These problems could have a significant effect on yourself, your friends and family, and your personal safety. They could even, wait for it,
SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Or not, who knows. Certainly not me.
1. Driving.
In the UK we drive on the left. The LEFT! I have to keep reminding myself of that every time I stop playing for a few minutes and go to the shop or collect my daughter from school. Also, red traffic lights actually mean stop. They do not mean weave between or around the parked cars or just floor it and ram them out of the way. They do not mean drive on the pavement. In fact, NEVER drive on the pavement, ever! Pedestrians will get hurt, and your insurance premiums will go through the roof!
2. Language and speech.
I have friends, I have family, and I have co-workers and colleagues. I do not have 'homies'. I have never and will never have 'homies', and I don't live in 'the hood'. Also, remember the instructional videos you saw when you took the job? The HR lady is right, believe me. It is never, never ever, okay to refer to Stephen in accounting as 'my nigga'.
3. The police
Just because you hear a siren when you are out and about, it doesn't mean that they're after you. You do not need to accelerate and drive erratically, steal someone else's car, or drive into a local garage and demand they repaint your car right there and then. In addition, getting out of the car and crouching behind a fence for a couple of minutes is probably unnecessary too.
4. Food and drink
If you find yourself injured (maybe you've been ran over by a car, been shot several times, or somehow fallen off of a roof because you pressed x instead of square), go to a hospital. Eating a chocolate bar or drinking some cola will not heal you. It just won't. Doctors, nurses, surgery, that's what you need for major life threatening injuries. A Snickers just doesn't cut it. Dial 999 and ask for the ambulance.
5. Swimming
If you're lucky enough to live near the beach, change your clothes before you jump into the ocean. Maybe you're an excellent swimmer, I don't know. Maybe you've even swam across the Channel. Ether way, doing it in a pair of jeans and a hoodie is not ideal. In fact, it's downright stupid. That's right, I said it. Stupid. Speedo's exist for a reason, people.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and remember, be careful out there.
GTA 5
Queuing at midnight To my fan, (or maybe fans now? I'm sure a second person out there has read it?), this is a personal apology to you, from the very bottom of my heart. It's true, I'm addicted. I'm an addict, and the first step (I'm told) is to admit it.
The problem is, I don't really want to stop....
GTA 5 really is that good, but I have discovered a few problems with it, however, that I felt it was important to share with the wider world. These problems could have a significant effect on yourself, your friends and family, and your personal safety. They could even, wait for it,
SAVE YOUR LIFE!
Or not, who knows. Certainly not me.
1. Driving.
In the UK we drive on the left. The LEFT! I have to keep reminding myself of that every time I stop playing for a few minutes and go to the shop or collect my daughter from school. Also, red traffic lights actually mean stop. They do not mean weave between or around the parked cars or just floor it and ram them out of the way. They do not mean drive on the pavement. In fact, NEVER drive on the pavement, ever! Pedestrians will get hurt, and your insurance premiums will go through the roof!
2. Language and speech.
I have friends, I have family, and I have co-workers and colleagues. I do not have 'homies'. I have never and will never have 'homies', and I don't live in 'the hood'. Also, remember the instructional videos you saw when you took the job? The HR lady is right, believe me. It is never, never ever, okay to refer to Stephen in accounting as 'my nigga'.
3. The police
Just because you hear a siren when you are out and about, it doesn't mean that they're after you. You do not need to accelerate and drive erratically, steal someone else's car, or drive into a local garage and demand they repaint your car right there and then. In addition, getting out of the car and crouching behind a fence for a couple of minutes is probably unnecessary too.
4. Food and drink
If you find yourself injured (maybe you've been ran over by a car, been shot several times, or somehow fallen off of a roof because you pressed x instead of square), go to a hospital. Eating a chocolate bar or drinking some cola will not heal you. It just won't. Doctors, nurses, surgery, that's what you need for major life threatening injuries. A Snickers just doesn't cut it. Dial 999 and ask for the ambulance.
5. Swimming
If you're lucky enough to live near the beach, change your clothes before you jump into the ocean. Maybe you're an excellent swimmer, I don't know. Maybe you've even swam across the Channel. Ether way, doing it in a pair of jeans and a hoodie is not ideal. In fact, it's downright stupid. That's right, I said it. Stupid. Speedo's exist for a reason, people.
Anyway, thanks for reading, and remember, be careful out there.
September 4, 2013
Struggling with book 3
Just a quick post today, a look at my process and how I am trying to sort out a detailed plan of where I go next. I finished chapter 2 yesterday and then started chapter 3, putting me about 25k words into book 3 of the Benjamin Knight series (new Light). Chapter 3 is planned out nicely, but it was when I started to map out chapter 4 that I ran into a 'wall'.
I know where the characters are, and I know where they are later in the story, but how they get there just wouldn't come! Hence me spending yesterday and today scribbling notes on bits of paper, brainstorming ideas and eventually drawing a timeline map of the major characters and where they go and what they do from one day to the next.
It's huge.
Seriously, it covers one wall of my office.
Look (but beware SPOILERS!)
And just the top
With maps and charts and working out how to convert knots into mph, I think I finally have an idea of how book 3 will pan out. Of course, it's still fluid and most of the detail will come out in the writing, but now scenes are linked into chapters and no one does a 1000 mile journey in a matter of hours or anything daft. Everyone gets to where they need to be when they need to get there.
Let's hope it's still worth reading when I'm finished!
I know where the characters are, and I know where they are later in the story, but how they get there just wouldn't come! Hence me spending yesterday and today scribbling notes on bits of paper, brainstorming ideas and eventually drawing a timeline map of the major characters and where they go and what they do from one day to the next.
It's huge.
Seriously, it covers one wall of my office.
Look (but beware SPOILERS!)
And just the top
With maps and charts and working out how to convert knots into mph, I think I finally have an idea of how book 3 will pan out. Of course, it's still fluid and most of the detail will come out in the writing, but now scenes are linked into chapters and no one does a 1000 mile journey in a matter of hours or anything daft. Everyone gets to where they need to be when they need to get there.
Let's hope it's still worth reading when I'm finished!
September 2, 2013
One week in Haven
Back from a great week away with the family in Haven at Primrose Valley, and we all had a great time. Now I'm back at the keyboard and cracking on with Book 3 of the Benjamin Knight story (New Light).
As for the holiday, we got to do a lot of fun activities. We went to Flamingo Land and did all the rides and spent a long time wandering around the zoo. We did archery which was awesome, and aquagliding which was even better! The children did water walkers in the big hamster balls and my wife and I had a blast with target shooting.
Everyone had fun and now it's back to work for all of us (or school, or college for my son - good luck on your first day catering!).
Time to go break some friends out of prison...
Flamingo Land Zoo
Seal Lions
Seal Lion show!
My daughter's glitter tattoo
Water Walkers
As for the holiday, we got to do a lot of fun activities. We went to Flamingo Land and did all the rides and spent a long time wandering around the zoo. We did archery which was awesome, and aquagliding which was even better! The children did water walkers in the big hamster balls and my wife and I had a blast with target shooting.
Everyone had fun and now it's back to work for all of us (or school, or college for my son - good luck on your first day catering!).
Time to go break some friends out of prison...
Flamingo Land Zoo
Seal Lions
Seal Lion show!
My daughter's glitter tattoo
Water Walkers
August 19, 2013
Darkest Before Dawn AVAILABLE NOW!
Second post today, I was going to combine it into the same post but the news is just too exciting to mix with something else!
DARKEST BEFORE DAWN IS OUT NOW FOR KINDLE
visit
http://bookShow.me/B00EN4IWK4
and pick up your copy now for £1.95 or $2.99
Or, if you ask me nicely, I am giving away some review copies - just let me have an email address and your preference of mobi or epub (the pdf comes in at 35MB so is too big to send by email....).
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
DARKEST BEFORE DAWN IS OUT NOW FOR KINDLE
visit
http://bookShow.me/B00EN4IWK4
and pick up your copy now for £1.95 or $2.99
Or, if you ask me nicely, I am giving away some review copies - just let me have an email address and your preference of mobi or epub (the pdf comes in at 35MB so is too big to send by email....).
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Knightfall Book Tour
Hi all, sorry for posting this late, had a slight family emergency but that seems to be sorted now - here's me wishing my dad well as he recovers from his surgery!
Knightfall has been on a virtual book tour since the 16th August and continues until the 29th August with an associated prize (woo hoo!).
Visit the blogs below, and be sure to have a look around at the other books they've reviewed too!
August 16th – Amina Black (www.aminablack.com)
August 17th – Raftul Misterelor (www.raftulmisterelor.wordpress.com)
August 18th -Rachael’s Raving Reviews (www.rachie123abc.blogspot.com)
August 19th – Blog is I Feel the Need, the Need to Read (www.ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com)
August 20th – A Book Blog from Ecuador (www.readinginecuador.wordpress.com)
August 21st -Valsul Fluturilor (www.valsulfluturilor.blogspot.com)
August 22nd – Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog (www.wiccawitch4.blogspot.ca)
August 23rd – Bawaka’s Book Fair (www.bawakas-bookfair.blogspot.com)
August 24th – Teen Blurb (www.teenblurb.org)
August 25th – That Artsy Girl’s Book Blog (www.thatartsygirlsbookblog.wordpress.com)
August 26th – Printre Pagini (www.printrepagini.wordpress.com)
August 27th – Nervi de Toamna (www.nervidetoamna.blogspot.com)
August 28th – My Midnight fantasies (www.mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com)
August 29th – Candy Coated Book Blog (www.sweettreatblogblog.wordpress.com)
Knightfall has been on a virtual book tour since the 16th August and continues until the 29th August with an associated prize (woo hoo!).
Visit the blogs below, and be sure to have a look around at the other books they've reviewed too!
August 16th – Amina Black (www.aminablack.com)
August 17th – Raftul Misterelor (www.raftulmisterelor.wordpress.com)
August 18th -Rachael’s Raving Reviews (www.rachie123abc.blogspot.com)
August 19th – Blog is I Feel the Need, the Need to Read (www.ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com)
August 20th – A Book Blog from Ecuador (www.readinginecuador.wordpress.com)
August 21st -Valsul Fluturilor (www.valsulfluturilor.blogspot.com)
August 22nd – Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog (www.wiccawitch4.blogspot.ca)
August 23rd – Bawaka’s Book Fair (www.bawakas-bookfair.blogspot.com)
August 24th – Teen Blurb (www.teenblurb.org)
August 25th – That Artsy Girl’s Book Blog (www.thatartsygirlsbookblog.wordpress.com)
August 26th – Printre Pagini (www.printrepagini.wordpress.com)
August 27th – Nervi de Toamna (www.nervidetoamna.blogspot.com)
August 28th – My Midnight fantasies (www.mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com)
August 29th – Candy Coated Book Blog (www.sweettreatblogblog.wordpress.com)
August 14, 2013
Kick Ass 2 Review
Just back from seeing Kick Ass 2 at the cinema, sequel to the 2010 hit about a regular guy who tries to do the right thing and become a super hero (check it out if you haven't seen it, it's awesome). First, the Kick Ass 2 trailer.
Now, it's rare for a sequel to be as good as it's predecessor (more on that below), and sadly, that's the case here. That's not to say it's bad, far from it. It's got plenty of action, extreme graphic violence, swearing inappropriately and special effects. It just seems to lack some of the 'heart' of the first film.
Slipping into SPOLIERS territory here, I found myself enjoying the sub plot of Mindy trying to find out who she really is (and it's Hit Girl, obviously) better than the central 'I want to gather a team of super violent criminals to kill Kick Ass and burn down the city just because', and the Mindy side plot wasn't that great.
The cast did a fantastic job again, and Jim Carey was excellent for the few scenes he had (whatever he might be saying about the movie in the press), but far and away Hit Girl stole the show whenever she was butchering some bad guy for the hell of it.
Overall, a good movie, and if you enjoyed the first one it's definitely worth a watch. If you haven't seen the first one, go get it now and watch it, you won't be disappointed! (And if you really want to see something at the cinema, Alan Partridge is better, in my opinion.)
Score 7/10
Now, onto films where the second film was better than the original (not the third film as in Army of Darkness or Iron Man 3 or series like Lord of the Rings where really it's just one extra long film)
Empire Strikes Back
Superman 2
Godfather part 2
Despicable Me 2 (saw it a few weeks ago with the children - amazing!)
Rambo (First Blood part 2)
Terminator 2
Aliens (many may disagree with that one)
Blade 2
The Dark Knight
X-Men 2
Spider Man 2
Star Trek 2 - The Wrath of Kahn
Dawn of the Dead (original)
Those are just from looking on my shelf, I'm sure there are many others, let me have your thoughts below!
Now, it's rare for a sequel to be as good as it's predecessor (more on that below), and sadly, that's the case here. That's not to say it's bad, far from it. It's got plenty of action, extreme graphic violence, swearing inappropriately and special effects. It just seems to lack some of the 'heart' of the first film.
Slipping into SPOLIERS territory here, I found myself enjoying the sub plot of Mindy trying to find out who she really is (and it's Hit Girl, obviously) better than the central 'I want to gather a team of super violent criminals to kill Kick Ass and burn down the city just because', and the Mindy side plot wasn't that great.
The cast did a fantastic job again, and Jim Carey was excellent for the few scenes he had (whatever he might be saying about the movie in the press), but far and away Hit Girl stole the show whenever she was butchering some bad guy for the hell of it.
Overall, a good movie, and if you enjoyed the first one it's definitely worth a watch. If you haven't seen the first one, go get it now and watch it, you won't be disappointed! (And if you really want to see something at the cinema, Alan Partridge is better, in my opinion.)
Score 7/10
Now, onto films where the second film was better than the original (not the third film as in Army of Darkness or Iron Man 3 or series like Lord of the Rings where really it's just one extra long film)
Empire Strikes Back
Superman 2
Godfather part 2
Despicable Me 2 (saw it a few weeks ago with the children - amazing!)
Rambo (First Blood part 2)
Terminator 2
Aliens (many may disagree with that one)
Blade 2
The Dark Knight
X-Men 2
Spider Man 2
Star Trek 2 - The Wrath of Kahn
Dawn of the Dead (original)
Those are just from looking on my shelf, I'm sure there are many others, let me have your thoughts below!
August 8, 2013
Smell my cheese! My review of Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
No, not a quote from the movie, but a scene that makes me laugh out loud when I just think about it (as I'm doing now in actual fact!).
Like many people in the UK, I've enjoyed Alan Partridge as a character for many years. From his early appearances on The Day Today (particularly the scene where he believes that jockeys must be children!)
To his talk show on the BBC - Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
To his down and out times in a Travel Lodge (Would you like me to lap dance for you...?)
And back to relative fame doing various shows fictional radio station North Norfolk Digital and Radio Norwich
If you like Alan Partridge as a character, the movie is an absolute must see. It's like an extra long episode of Alan Partridge at his best, and I really didn't want it to end. There wasn't a section that seemed forced or unnecessary , and I can honestly say that I laughed constantly through the whole thing.
I didn't think I'd see another comedy this year on a par with the Worlds End (another excellent movie), but Alan Partridge certainly exceeded my expectations, and I hope he gets a chance to appear on the big screen (or the small screen) again.
Finally, I really do have to share the smell my cheese scene, I can't get it out of my head!
AH HA!
Like many people in the UK, I've enjoyed Alan Partridge as a character for many years. From his early appearances on The Day Today (particularly the scene where he believes that jockeys must be children!)
To his talk show on the BBC - Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge
To his down and out times in a Travel Lodge (Would you like me to lap dance for you...?)
And back to relative fame doing various shows fictional radio station North Norfolk Digital and Radio Norwich
If you like Alan Partridge as a character, the movie is an absolute must see. It's like an extra long episode of Alan Partridge at his best, and I really didn't want it to end. There wasn't a section that seemed forced or unnecessary , and I can honestly say that I laughed constantly through the whole thing.
I didn't think I'd see another comedy this year on a par with the Worlds End (another excellent movie), but Alan Partridge certainly exceeded my expectations, and I hope he gets a chance to appear on the big screen (or the small screen) again.
Finally, I really do have to share the smell my cheese scene, I can't get it out of my head!
AH HA!
August 7, 2013
Review of Kyrathaba Rising
Intriguing high-brow sci-fi
I received Kyrthaba Rising as part of review exchange with the author William Bryan Miller. It tells the story of the surviving pockets of humanity, who live underground after Aliens have attacked and destroyed the surface through a nuclear assault.
Four survivors manage to insert themselves into a virtual reality full of Orcs and magic, that may be more than it seems, whilst the humans and androids in the underground bunker of A3 deal with murder, intrigue, deception and a full on alien attack.
I enjoyed the book overall, it was very well written and with excellent editing and proofreading (I don't think I encountered a single error that comes to mind). It isn't what I'd normally read, but I'm glad I did, and with how it ended, I would be keen to read books 2 and 3 to discover the rest of the story.
My only gripe is that the reveals at the end of the book didn't completely gel with what I'd read in the book so far. Maybe the details of the how and why will be revealed in later books, in which case I applaud the author for drafting such a complex metaphysical tale!
Score 4 out of 5 stars
Review system5 stars excellent
4 stars very good
3 stars average
2 stars below average
1 star poor
Available from http://www.amazon.com/Kyrathaba-Rising-The-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00E3YJ4HY/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375879540&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=kyrthaba
August 5, 2013
The New Doctor
So, Peter Capaldi? He has a slightly quirky look to him, but seems a lot darker than Matt Smith and even David Tennant to some extent, I hope he has darker stories to go with it. I was hoping that the BBC would come bursting through my door at 7:25pm last night, but it didn't happen. Oh well, maybe I'll get the gig next time....
Another 5 star review for Knightfall overnight, this time from William Bryan on Goodreads (make sure to visit his blog here at http://williambryanmiller.com/) and I am also reading his debut novel Kyrathaba Rising at the moment as part of a review exchange. I'm not as fast a reader as him so I'm only about half way through, but I'm enjoying it so far. Check it out on amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3YJ4HY
It's a sci fi story set about 250 years in the future where humanity has been almost wiped out by an alien nuclear assault, and the last few pockets of humanity live deep underground. There's murder and mystery, aliens and a virtual reality that might not be all it seems!
Back to book 3 again today, I can hear Alexander preparing his torture equipment already, he can't wait to get started....
Another 5 star review for Knightfall overnight, this time from William Bryan on Goodreads (make sure to visit his blog here at http://williambryanmiller.com/) and I am also reading his debut novel Kyrathaba Rising at the moment as part of a review exchange. I'm not as fast a reader as him so I'm only about half way through, but I'm enjoying it so far. Check it out on amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3YJ4HY
It's a sci fi story set about 250 years in the future where humanity has been almost wiped out by an alien nuclear assault, and the last few pockets of humanity live deep underground. There's murder and mystery, aliens and a virtual reality that might not be all it seems!
Back to book 3 again today, I can hear Alexander preparing his torture equipment already, he can't wait to get started....
July 26, 2013
My process
I have finally got my new computer up and sorted. It's a laptop (Lenovo Z580 if anyone is interested, cheap but lots of memory), but I'm using it hooked up to the TV in the office. I've finally managed to get it to look exactly like my old computer (desktop, files etc) so it's like nothing's different! Got to love that OCD....
Got a nice new keyboard too, really springy keys that let you know when you've hit them.
Anyway, today I thought I would talk a little about my process. I am working on book 3 of The Chronicle of Benjamin Knight, started it at the beginning of the week and I've done the prologue and the first four scenes of chapter 1. I know where book 3 is going (as I've said before, it finishes the story of Alexander and the war), and I know certain pivotal scenes that occur, but everything else is fluid. I have been trying to organise the first couple of chapters today, so I sketched out a timeline of what will occur on each day, to try and help get the scenes in order.
As always, beware SPOILERS!!!! (That is if any of you are actually able to read my terrible writing!)
From the timeline, I can then see what scenes need to occur and try to organise them into the correct order, and I end up with something like this.
I've tried doing it on the computer, but it's just not the same. I need to be able to scribble on it, cross bits out and draw arrows showing where things get moved too. I'm sure there are programs that would let me do just that, but for now I'll stick to what I know. Maybe when I write something else, I'll consider a different method.
I feel a lot happier when I have it all set out, and I can then just sit at the computer and write 2-3 scenes a day (depending on length and free time), and then start the process all over again. I tried planning a lot further ahead with book 2, but things changed in the process of writing the story so I ended up redoing a lot of it in the end.
Anyway, back to it, I have a very large battle scene to write....
Got a nice new keyboard too, really springy keys that let you know when you've hit them.
Anyway, today I thought I would talk a little about my process. I am working on book 3 of The Chronicle of Benjamin Knight, started it at the beginning of the week and I've done the prologue and the first four scenes of chapter 1. I know where book 3 is going (as I've said before, it finishes the story of Alexander and the war), and I know certain pivotal scenes that occur, but everything else is fluid. I have been trying to organise the first couple of chapters today, so I sketched out a timeline of what will occur on each day, to try and help get the scenes in order.
As always, beware SPOILERS!!!! (That is if any of you are actually able to read my terrible writing!)
From the timeline, I can then see what scenes need to occur and try to organise them into the correct order, and I end up with something like this.
I've tried doing it on the computer, but it's just not the same. I need to be able to scribble on it, cross bits out and draw arrows showing where things get moved too. I'm sure there are programs that would let me do just that, but for now I'll stick to what I know. Maybe when I write something else, I'll consider a different method. I feel a lot happier when I have it all set out, and I can then just sit at the computer and write 2-3 scenes a day (depending on length and free time), and then start the process all over again. I tried planning a lot further ahead with book 2, but things changed in the process of writing the story so I ended up redoing a lot of it in the end.
Anyway, back to it, I have a very large battle scene to write....
