Self Challenge: Tim's 2013 3Ws (Weading Writing Watching)

[Jud]

I couldn't get it out of my head every time she spoke, it was followed by

"That's the episode with 'cool Hwhip' and 'Hweird' oh yea the movies on..." very distracting

[Tim]

I do remember the Cool Hwip (I quote it often enough!). Perhaps I'm just not a big enough FG fan...

[Jud]

I haven't seen the more recent stuff (I think I'm a few series' behind) but I do love FG.

[Tim]

Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton
Hardback, Epic space opera/police procedural, 1087 pages

Part police-procedural, part monster-attrition thriller, part space opera set in a future where travel to distant worlds is just a step through the gateway away.

I have to say this book had me completely absorbed from beginning to end. Hamilton weaves a story that is both vast and intricate in its complexity, yet it doesn't get bogged down. The world-building has a richness and a vibrancy to it; the characters are well-rounded and believable. There are plenty of twists and turns, some predictable, others not, as the story in Newcastle and the story on St Libra cross back and forth and gradually merge together.

Five claw-blade-handed stars from me, sweets.

[Tim]

Film 17: Side Effects. (15, 106 mins)

An excellent psychological thriller in the Hitchcockian tradition. Compelling, disturbing, sinister, and gripping in equal measure (Oxford Comma there, guys ;)) but also visually sumptuous, with just a hint of nightmare about it. 8/10. Full review & trailer on the blog.

[Kath]

Oh, we notice Oxford commas; those of you living thereabouts have every excuse to use them. I don't find them a problem myself. They're belt and braces I think.

[Tim]

Film 18: The Croods (U, 98 mins)

Dreamworks animation penned by John Cleese, that was originally going to be an Aardman stop-motion called Crood Awakening. Not on general release until next week, my local had an early showing today. After the (cough) awful The Guardians, DreamWorks is back on form with this one and firing on all cylinders. Gives Pixar a run for their money: brilliant animation and that slightly dark and edgy Cleese humour. Go see it.

[Tim]

Film 19: The Incredible Burt Wonderstone

Steves Carell and Buscemi prat about being magicians in Las Vegas. Then when you think it couldn't get any worse, Jim Carrey shows up. Olivia Wilde, James Gandolfini and Alan Arkin co-star. 3/10, but only because I like 13.

Film 20: Welcome to the Punch

Stylish British crime thriller, funded/exec produced by Ridley Scott, and starring James McAvoy, Mark Strong and Andrea Riseborough. Somewhat predictable, but nevertheless this is what last year's The Sweeney should have been. 7/10 (full review on blog)

[Tim]

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
(YA/SF. kindle, 371 pages)

Okay-ish dystopian tale about a boy who is dumped in the middle of a maze full of monster-machine hybrids, with no memory. A flat, uninteresting protagonist (most of the other main characters were much more interesting), hokey made up slang and too much full on emotion (Thomas was totally shocked/surprised/scared/whatever by *everything*. If a butterfly flapped its wings, Thomas would be totally shocked...) spoiled an otherwise interesting story. (3/5)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Maze-Runn...

[Tim]

Not made a Writing post in a while...

Book 2 (Hunted) is now underway and plotted out. I've signed up to Camp NanoWrimo for April, http://www.campnanowrimo.org with a target of 50k words (less the 4k already written) I've decided I need to be pushed, and this seems like a good way to do it. That would have me on track for finishing the first draft sometime in May, which would be good.

April is actually quite a busy month, with a trip to Liverpool for location scouting, and a production of The Admirable Crichton, so I think it's going to be tougher than the regular Nano in November.

We shall see...

[Tim]

Must post more often...

Bunch more books read:


Bunch more movies watched:
21. Identity Thief (4/10)
22. Jack the Giant Slayer (7/10)
23. G.I. Joe: Retaliation (3/10)
24. The Host (6/10)
25. Trance (8/10)
26. Oblivion (8/10)

Nearly done with the final edit on Wanted - cut out lots of dead wood, added some new action scenes & beefed up others, & laid a few foundations for book 2. Much tighter and pacier now as well, and slow but sure progress on Hunted. I'm spending a couple of days in Liverpool next week for research... Also got a couple of shorts on the go, and looking at a comic book script for an indie game developer. :)

[D.D. Chant]

Wow Tim! You've been busy!!! Do you have a release date for 'Wanted' yet???

[Tim]

I should hopefully be done with D5 by the end of the weekend (subject to not getting dragged out etc). Now the only real issue is that my writers group critique got split into two sessions, and the second session isn't till the end of the month. The first session had some really good feedback - they have some enormously talented people on the editorial panel - and a lot of the D5 changes are based on that. Now I think I've pre-empted most of what they're going to say about the rest, and I'm pretty sure that by next week it'll be in a state where I could happily publish (cos I know there's at least two people want to read it...), but at the same time, I don't really want to be issuing an update a couple of weeks later.

Put it this way, I'd still wait for the rest of the report before sending it to an agent...

[D.D. Chant]

Tim wrote: "I should hopefully be done with D5 by the end of the weekend (subject to not getting dragged out etc). Now the only real issue is that my writers group critique got split into two sessions, and the..."

Isn't it irritating when you have to be sensible and patient and all those other grown up things??? But you're right of course, you only have one first go at getting it right.

[Tim]

Bit of a YA/PA-fest over the last couple of weeks:


In Breathe by Sarah Crossan, oxygen levels in the atmosphere have plunged to just 4%, and what remains of the population lives in dome habitats. The rich can afford supplemental oxygen, but the poor are taxed on the air they breathe. Alina, Bea and Quinn are forced out of the dome after a resistance mission goes wrong. Their only chance for survival is to find The Grove, a mythical grove of trees that is protected by a group of zealous rebels...

Divergent by Veronica Roth is set in a future fenced off Chicago, where the people have been split into five "factions" - Candour (honesty), Abnegation (selflessness), Dauntless (bravery), Amity (peace), and Erudite (intelligence). At the age of 16, everyone has to choose the faction in which they will spend the rest of their life (assuming they pass the initiation). But Tris discovers she is suited not for just one faction but three. And that makes her Divergent. And dangerous...

Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the sequel to Divergent. High stakes and shit hitting the fan is what this book is about. No plot spoilers, because it closely follows Divergent, but while Divergent is concerned mostly with Abnegation and Dauntless, we no get a good insight into the other factions; Amity, Candour and Erudite. And the factionless.

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, audiobook brilliantly narrated by Lenny Henry. Fat Charlie doesn't know he has a brother, not until his father dies (in the middle of the dance floor on karaoke night). Then he finds out that not only was his father the god Anansi, but his hitherto unknown brother, Spider, inherited all the goddy bits. And then Fat Charlie invites Spider to come and stay. Oops.

[Tim]

Finished by Mark R Faulkner. Contemporary horror. Meh. Didn't enjoy it - really not my "thing". Not rated.

Finished by Scott Westerfeld. Book 2 of 3. Continues the YA saga of a bunch of peeps who live an extra hour at midnight. The darklings go on the offensive... Much better than the first one. Still not keen on 1st person viewpoint though. ★★★★

Finished Six Years Left by Courtenay Hereward We all know this kids short story by a talented 11 year old. Makes me want to find out more about the Caspian Seals. ★★★★

Started by Hugh Howey The self-pub-to-big-six success story of the moment. Does it live up to the hype?

[Mark]

Ah well, can't please everyone. I'm under no illusions though that Flux is very much a 'marmite' book. Maybe you'll like the next one?

[Tim]

Yeah, I have similar feelings about marmite - not for me! Still, if we don't try new books and genres, how will we know if we like them? (It's no reflection on the writing, btw - I thought it was well written, I just didn't like it.)

Love the cover though :)

[Kath]

Hey! I lerve marmite! Had it on toast with one of Emily chicken's eggs this morning!

[Tim]

bok! bok! bok!

[Kath]

Hey! You've met?

[Mark]

you'd be amazed how many people give bad reviews simply because they don't like something. I much prefer not rated.

[Tim]

Okay, so I've hit my target of 50 movies already (actually 51, with Kick Ass 2!)

59 books, which is slightly behind target. And still going with Hunted...

[Elle]

I hit 75 movies today! Perk of working in a theatre I suppose - it really did bump up my count LOL

[Tim]

I'm limited to what my local fleapit Cineworld is showing, and sometimes decent movies get blocked by some "blockbuster" that's sitting in 3/5 screens for weeks on end. If I go somewhere else, it gets real expensive real quick (to the extent that buying the blu ray is cheaper)

Also there some films I missed because they were only on for one day and that was a day I couldn't go.

Plus, I really hate when they trail decent looking films, but don't actually show them.

[Tim]

55 movies now, and 64 books...

[Jay-me (Janet)]

Tim wrote: "55 movies now, and 64 books..."


I don't think I've seen 55 films over the last 10 years........

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

I haven't been to the cinema that many times in my life...

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Rosemary wrote: "I haven't been to the cinema that many times in my life..."

Neither have I! Been twice this year so-far.

[Tim]

What can I say, I'm a sad old git... ;)

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Excellent numbers, I don't think I've been to the pics that many times either

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

Tim wrote: "What can I say, I'm a sad old git... ;)"

I'm not saying there's anything wrong with seeing that many films. I'm deeply impressed and a bit jealous.

[Rosemary (grooving with the Picts)]

Me neither - I would go far more than once a year(!) if it weren't such a trek. But the thought of either finding city centre parking and a 45 minute drive each way or the desperate run to the station to avoid missing the last train home kind of puts me off...

[Gingerlily - The Full Wild]

I have that getting home problem too, unless I go to the one which is 15 minutes walk away from my house. But its so far away from my friends I would be going on my own, which I have done occasionally.

[Tim]

The harsh realities of 21st century life... to see a film with my mates will cost me a 30 minutes each way drive into Oxford, parking, then paying full whack for tickets and a beverage. Basically no change out of 20 quid. I could trek to the station and take the train which might save me 3 or 4 quid, but that'll take an hour each way.

And it takes a week to organise a night that everyone can make. By which time there's a good chance the film isn't on any more.

Or

Five minutes drive to the local fleapit, free parking, free ticket, 25% off all beverages, total cost £2 if I buy a drink (cheaper than a Costas). But I go on my own. I can discover a film is on, stop work and be deployed in my seat in 15 minutes flat. And I'm home 10 minutes after the movie ends.

It's not much more cost or overhead than bunging on a DVD. And actually more sociable. And you get a 60ft screen!

[Elle]

i go to the cinema in the centre of belfast. since i have a bus pass it doesn't really effect my payment. i pay about 4.50 for a movie, sometimes i get it for 3.10. (i always go on the cheap day at the cheap times).

i almost exclusively go on my own. my friends arent huge film fans and if they go see something its generally a mainstream comedy which i avoid like the plague in general

[Tim]

The only films I really avoid are horror (not a fan of horror movies), and the worst of the gross-out comedies. Oh and those horrible boy band/girl band things. And teenage girlie dance movies (just feels too pervy somehow!)

But I'm a real sucker for chick flicks & rom coms, believe it or not (but you won't ever catch me reading a romance novel!)

[Elle]

the only films i really go see in the cinema anymore are action/fantasy.

i should add the the only films I *PAY to go see

[Tim]

I only pay for them in the sense of my monthly Unlimited card sub. Then after the first two films everything is effectively free. Some of the films I definitely wouldn't bother with if I had to buy a ticket!

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

I really must try going alone, but my local pics is expensive. there is a cheaper one but harder to get too. I'd like to go more though

[Elle]

I get paid to see most of the films I watch. Tisn't a bad life ;P

[Jay-me (Janet)]

TBH there haven't been many films that I have wanted to watch enough to make the trek over to the nearest pics. I'm quite happy to wait until they come out on DVD to watch them, then I can fall asleep/switch off for a break/go and make a brew/other activity if bored. Having said that I must have only bought about a couple of dozen DVDs over the last few years (including 2 sets of Star Trek series)

[Tim]

57. Pain & Gain (6/10)
Supposedly based on a true story, ultra-violent tale of kidnapping, extortion and murder set in Florida. "Only in America" as they say. Stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson, directed by Michael bay. Cert 15, 129 mins

58. About Time (9/10)
Story about a chap called Tim (so what's not to like?) who discovers that all the men in his family have the ability to travel back in time and affect the future. A second chance if you will. While it's billed as a rom-com, and there i certainly a romantic element to it it's much more a character piece about the relationship between a son and his father.. Stars Bill Nighy, Donhall Gleeson & Rachel McAdams. Written and directed by Richard Curtis, Who Can Do No Wrong. Cert 12A 123 mins.

59. Riddick (7/10)
Interesting start to this threequel in the chronicles of Riddick series, but somewhere down the line it turns into a man vs monsters war of attrition rehash of the first movie. Vin Diesel kicks arse, proboscis and tentacles, but there's nothing really new. Some nice tech though, and features Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica). Cert 15, 119 mins

[Tim]

Finished The Scar by China Miéville

His world building is amazingly detailed and intricate. Prickly cactus people, people bio-engineered with gills so they can work underwater, a massive pirate city built from ships all tethered together and pulled along by a giant sea creature deep under the ocean... But he does go on a bit (very like Stephen King in that respect). You could easily cut 30% out and not even notice.

[Jud]

I've had China Mieville on my tbr list for ages do you recommend her?

[Tim]

Him. ;)

As I said above, awesomely detailed world building, however, short books he does not write. But if you're looking for something to get your teeth into, then go for it. Read Perdido Street Station before The Scar, as this is kind of a sequel. It's not really "sci-fi" or "fantasy" as such, it's just stuff that happens on an alien planet...

[Tim]

So, end of the year, and how did we do?

Wanted was finished and published. Hunted was written, and is currently being edited, the third of the trilogy, Tested (current title) is about 25% written in 1st draft. Add to that, two novelettes - Socko's First Case (out now) and Socko's First Day, an expanded vision of the short from Salmagundi, out in January. So not too shabby. :)

At the movies, I've seen 78 films at the cinema (go to the top of the thread for the list), some of them more than once ;) That'll be up to 80 before the year's out.

I didn't reach my original 100 book reading target, but I did manage over 80 (and the longest book, Great North Road is over 1000 pages, plus several more over 600). So again, not too shabby. :)

Roll on 2014...

[Desley (Cat fosterer)]

Congrats Tim, think that is very impressive, even if you didn't hit your book target