Shortcuts & slogans This Doctor Who episode, Last Christmas wore many of its influences overtly. Within a few minutes they could be identified as a formula: Alien + Inception + Christmas X 2 = Doctor Who. It's fine I guess. We can all rest and consider that we 'get' the episode. Any dream within a dream … Continue reading Doctor Who: Last Christmas Analysis
Reading
Art of Inspiration
Inspiration for writing comes from everywhere. For me, sometimes it's found in art. It can be through book illustration, or a visit to a gallery or a library (so much art at libraries), or using my own photographs. It can be through Pintrest (where many hours can be whiled away), or thumbing through art books. It … Continue reading Art of Inspiration
Genre-trification
This year I graduated with an MA in Writing and Literature. Throughout, the emphasis in the writing components was upon 'literature'. We could only use aspects of genre or sneak them sideways into our short stories or essays. However, I'm over artificially constructed barriers. Surely there is nothing unliterary with the works of China Mieville or Ursula Le … Continue reading Genre-trification
Review: The Graveyard Book
The care of the living for the dead and the dead for the living It's a pretty grand theme and is nothing less than one of the notions behind Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. I finished it recently. I think I like both this and Coraline better than American Gods, all three of which are … Continue reading Review: The Graveyard Book
Be the Hero?
The new Hobbit trailer is out, partly because of this, and because of The Hobbit fan competition, and Halloween and 'cons' I've been thinking about the fan phenomenon. As The Doctor explained to Charles Dickens it’s about fanaticism. I was going to say such devotion is usually motivated out of a deep appreciation or love, … Continue reading Be the Hero?
Stories: bigger on the inside
Analyse this? I came across a fairly thorough psychological interpretation of Harry Potter via FB recently. The page linking to it had a lot of comments - people were either upset as it had 'ruined' the books or they were angry that someone had 'bothered'. Whatever the complaint, there was so much entitlement, or ownership. I … Continue reading Stories: bigger on the inside
Some thoughts on American Gods: a review
Since completing my studies I've got a lil bit more time for recreational reading. Thus, I've made a start on my precarious pile of unread novels. It's largish as there are several handy places to pick up second-hand books near where I live. A while back I started on Cloud Atlas but couldn't get into it. … Continue reading Some thoughts on American Gods: a review
On Being a Writer and a Reader
Been working on the thesis and it's nearing completion. I am both hopeful of and dreading the outcome. What it is forcing me to be is to be a writer and a reader. Mostly you'll say this is easy, writers and readers share things in common, like language, and perhaps a love of and ability to … Continue reading On Being a Writer and a Reader
Ten-ish books that stayed with me…
Yet another list thing is going around and I'll do my bit by listing 10-ish books that have stayed with me in some way, but only because I should be thesising or something. So here goes: 1) Little Match Girl. First story I ever read by myself. It was in the school library. 2) Wind … Continue reading Ten-ish books that stayed with me…
First words of a green eyed girl
This is a story and the story is mine. It may explain why I’m interested in telling stories. It may even explain the title of this blog and why there were certain people in the world who once thought I could never have had a blog or a story published, or perhaps even a job. It's why … Continue reading First words of a green eyed girl
Writing Bec 