Precious Little Dracula

I finished reading Dracula yesterday. That's right, I finished it at this new place I won't be working at for very long because I hate long distances and my job in genral. How I wish I was breaking rocks at a bookshop closer to home. Something I'm sure I'd love a lot more than moving around a warehouse putting little boxes away.

Anyway, I finished the book and I'm very happy to say that I could see a lot that was happening within it. That's a good thing. I saw the scenery and characters and the story was a lot more easy to follow than it was the last time I tried to read it. Having all of those different points of view worked out well also because you can hear about everything that's happening first hand.

One part I was able to see in exact detail was the night Lucy Westenra died. It was night, storming, wind, and there was Lucy with her mother about to die. A lot of action was taking place and I really saw the part where the window was thrown open and Lucy went all "Yep, I've had a good run." All was well, very happy, hope the new movie will be bitchin.

In the meantime I'm about 3/4 of the way through Push by Sapphire. I'm liking it a lot, although I'm not one for enjoying childhood brutality. Reading it is a little difficult also because it's told from the perspective of Claireece Jones who is illiterate and can't spell, but it works well. Hope Sapphire writes another novel one day.

Also I got my appraisal back from the writer's centre and it was very helpful. Hoping that will appeal to the publishers...

She's Actually From Nepal

Back to the Priya Tsetsang thing, I was most pleased and satisfied by the episode Belonging, with the exception of Fox8 pausing and skipping little bits at the beginning, by the way, bastards. But I liked and enjoyed what I say, as well as the episode of Lost the night before entitled Dr Linus which was Ben Linus heavy. Very nice and character driven, and to see him redeem himself for letting Alex Rousseau (his daughter) get murdered by Martin Keamy. Some good things are on as of late.

Apart from that there's very little to report on, except that I'm nearly finished with reading Dracula and I should be getting my manuscript appraisal back soon. Hoping for a lot of feedback because I want my novel to be great. Not a massive fluke like M. Night Shyamalan's early movies.

Waiting For Priya Tsetsang

I'm a huge Joss Whedon (also known as God) fan, and tonights episode of Dollhouse which is named Belonging is supposed to be really good, so say the US critics who believe in mercy. When it comes to different cultures, Whedon isn't really known for incorporating Australian elements into his work (he usually does European and Asian), but not anymore.

Tonight's ep focuses on the character Sierra and her origin story. Actress who plays her, Dichen Lachman (who was some idiot on Neighbours) is a Tibet-born Aussie who is playing quite possibly the only Australian character Whedon has ever worked with, Priya Tsetsang who is getting milked- sweeeeet! There have been other Aussie elements in Buffy and Firefly, like a Watcher being killed in my capital, a demon summoning didgeridoo and the ocean world of New Melbourne, but nothing as big as Tsetsang.

I am very excited...

IAMS: I Am My Sister

Well, today I saw Avatar for the fourth time- yes, that's right, the fourth time, and it was in 3D. Sadly the greater number of cinemas have stopped showing it in 2D, and so I had very little choice in the matter because the good mother wanted to see it, so I saw it in 3D. I was hesitant because other three dimensional films have given me headaches, but I'm convinced now that practice makes perfect.

It was good, I could see and understand everything that was happening. Vundabar! Mum enjoyed herself to, and that's led me to believe that us seeing sci-fi's together isn't so bad, after all Star Trek paid off. She even knew who Spock was after one second. That's all to report on, other than Iron Man 2 and Clash Of The Titans is on my agenda now, and the new Melina Marchetta book, The Pipers Son. It's a sequel to Saving Francesca and it's possibly told from the point of view of Tom McKee. Bring it on.

Alice Didn't Do It For Me

Tomorrow I'll be seeing Avatar for the fourth time, and so I guess I've finally become my sister, crap! But no matter, I felt I should talk about something else that was movie related, like the new Alice In Wonderland, and I feel rather confident when I say it was terrible. Really, really terrible!

The film just looked so artificial- I know it was in 3D and had to be all blue screens, but I don't care, and that's not what Tim Burton does. He always used real sets and props and that, and everything in this movie just didn't work... and then you've got the damn screenplay to bitch on about. Didn't work, and I'm confident about this because I called up my buddy Stephandra and told her that if we ever met Linda Boyd we would kill her. YEP, IT'S COME TO THAT BIOTCH!

But I will compliment one, or maybe two things about the film. All right, two. Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter kind of hits the spot with his essentricness (is that a word) and madness and instability and all that, and the Cheshire Cat was his usual lazy and laid-back self. Those things worked for me, Topsy and Ches, and that's about it.

Shall we have a bit of tea?

About Him, The Vampire

Something I should've brought up in my last posting, I've learnt of a new Dracula film to be directed by Alex Proyas, an Aussie, which will be called Dracula Year Zero, which will have Sam Worthington playing the titlular role. I was a little worried since there haven't been that many good Dracula films since Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation. However, I came across an article saying that it will be going back to the origins of Vlad the Impala, mix in some magic and not be so comercial.

When I learnt Worthington was playing the lead, I didn't know if it would be good. Others who've played Dracula in the past haven't done well, such as Dominic Purcell and Richard Roxburgh (PS Istanbul used to be Costantinople douche!) but they were in cheap looking action flicks that screwed around with the novel and myth and that's what let them down, a lot. But I must admit I had the same thoughts about Heath Ledger playing the Joker, and I was proven wrong when he wasn't slapstick or artificial, so I guess the same will happen for Worthington. Also they're both from Perth and everyone in Perth is good at doing just about anything from what I've learnt.

And finally I wanted to announce my disappointment that Avatar did not pick up the best picture award today at the Oscars. Yes, I am bummed but it got three other awards including best art direction and visual effects (of course). Also I'm going to look into seeing the film Precious: Based On The Novel "Push" By Sapphire. I've been seeing and hearing good things about it, and Mo'Nique did a good job in it and comedians playing unloveable bastards and bitches always pull it off. And a special shout out to Kathryn Biggelo, the first woman in history to win best director!

Things Have Changed

Obviously a bit has changed, like the template of my blog. I decided the brown look wasn't doing anything for me, so now it's blue. I also think I stole the idea from my friend Janet, but I'm unsure, so we'll just have to find out. What else has changed, or will change, I don't know. Maybe I just want to be surprised... but this is what I am sure of said the Professor to Maryanne.

The Oscars are on tomorrow, and with the big BIG exception of seeing Ryan Seacrest and Richard Wilkins exist, I am very excited. I'm very eagre to see if Avatar will clean up, and if District 9 will win anything because if they did I will be really, really happy. People are liking sci-fi more and more which is sooooo good, and if the was more of Tricia Helfer on the screen that would top everything off.

Um, okay, apart from the stuff above, I've started to read Dracula (giving it a second crack more like it) and I'm getting into it a lot easier. I've had my copy for years and I do appreciate a good vampire tale about sin and viciousness, which from what I've heard have dwindled since the vampire has become the subject of innocent little fantasies schoolgirls have been reading. SHIT! For instance I was over at the bookshop recently and they have a whole section devoted to vampire fantasies. It's crazy, but it doesn't mean I'm against it.

Another reason I'm reading the book is because I'm planning on writing a vampire novel, which has been a plan for many years now. My idea is simple... and sinful, and is based around a new born vampire man who is trying to figure out what the hell he is. Sort of mixed with Let The Right One In, except without the bad haircuts Swedish men have become victims off. It shall take place over twelve months as the man, whom I'm calling Ash, tries to find and establish his identity. I'm not so good at doing horror, but that's what it's going to be. None of that Twilight bullshit.

Basically my good Ash will make right all the problems Edward Cullen (or Edwart Mullen in the comedy version) caused for a generation of readers, and he will do all the women he wants, drink human blood and sleep- yep, my dead people can sleep and they don't twinkle in the sunlight. Don't know what the hell Stephenie Meyer was thinking.

And I guess that's all there is to it. Wait, my manuscript appraisal will be ready soon so I'm off to the city whenever they call and it'll be Nando's for lunch. No more chicken tandoori.

PS Oryx and Crake may not be finishable. Nothing like The Handmaid's Tale.

This Won't Be Pleasant

Okay, I lost my actually really good job today. The overlords whom I've lost some fondness for sent me to this factory that specialises in gardening supplies and I actually liked it there. People were nice, work wasn't so hard and the pay was good. To me, it was a really good job and they ditched me because I was too fucking slow for them. FUCK!

I hate working for casual agencies, I hate getting pushed around and I hate not getting anything when I give so much to the people around me. You know that shitty end of the stick... I'm the sorry bastard who always gets it! This wasn't meant to be a good or memorable posting. It was meant to tell people that I'm pissed off, unhappy and bitchy and none of it needs anyone's criticism, okay!

That's it!

About The Mermaid And The Manuscript

I didn't submit to Pan MacMillan. A little yet convincing voice in my head told me that I shouldn't and that maybe one of those appraisals the Writer's Centre does is the answer to my problems. So, that's what I did. I went into Melbourne on Monday with a copy and too much money, got lost on Elizabeth St before learning that the centre was right next to the library (the website needs to mention location markers), and I did the big handover thang.

Other than that I was surprised to learn that the centre was a lot smaller than I expected, and that my buddy Janet was there. She was doing a proof reading as part of her internship and we had a bit of a chat. She told me she was organising spoken word arvos in Nunawading and I invited myself to her booklaunch. All in good spirits.

Anyway, I gave them the copy and I went for a walk down to the Yarra because I had two other endeavours to take part in on my Odyssey. For a while I've been meaning to try out some saffron rice at this Indian place in Southbank, and I finally did along with two different types of chicken- butter and Tandoori. I have to say that I like the rice, but if I had a choice I'd only have the butter chicken from now on. Tandoori is hot and a little dry for my liking.

That said, my second endeavour involved a book... and wait for it, this was a picture book you would have figured out was The Little Mermaid. I found this copy a few months ago and I was taken back by the traditional illustrations which lit up the pages. There was another copy there but it wasn't as impressive. The copy I have was naturally written by the crazy Dutchman Hans Christian Andersen, translated by Naomi Lewis (love both of those names) and illustrated by Christian Birmingham. Sorry, no catchy remark.

Anyway, I'm very confident that I'm going to treasure my copy forever, and it was such a welcome relief from that Disney version (they get everything wrong). Besides, I needed the book because there's a character in my series whom I want to base around the little mermaid a bit, and I can really do that because I've done my homework. Also I liked the sea witch a lot more and I hated the stupid prince cos he can't bloody settle for the mute girl who feels pain for him. DOUCHE!

PS I'm taking a lot more time with Oryx and Crake than I expected. It's nothing like The Handmaid's Tale.

As I Sit Here

As I sit here waiting impatiently for the final season of Lost to begin (I'm eager to find out what's happening with Claire and Cindy), I'm also a little confident if not a little ambitious about my next attempt at getting a publishing deal. I was knocked back by the Australian Literary Management today, and I was bummed. However, the letter said they weren't interested simply because they weren't excited about my novel, so that's good I guess.

So I'm looking ahead, and I'm going to try out Pan Macmillan in Sydney. I checked their website and they don't ask for agents or any of that crap, so I'm gonna do it. They do all of Matthew Reilly's books, so mine's bound to come off as intelligent compared to his, eh. I'm affraid that's all I've got to say, other than I hate my effing job and it's way to hot in these parts.

Have a good life...

My Faith Returned People!

As of this very moment, today has been a good day. A very good day, and I wanted to bring up the highlights as fast as I humanly can.

1. I figured out how to use my bloody iPod. I still can't stand all of this new damn technology, but at least I get to listen to my toonskies without going out to buy new batteries.

2. I got my job in the store at the timber yard back. Sure, I'm gonna have to put up with intrusive idiots who can't keep their ugly faces out of my business and DAMN oak, but I can do the work and I'll be losing the poundage at the same time. Sweetish.

3. TransitLounge got back to me with my third official rejection, but it was a nice rejection. They told me that they were focusing on travel books (like Lonely Planet I guess), but they also said my sample chapters were a good read. The fingers are crossed from now on!

That's all for now, that I'm happy and waiting for the next big thing to happen for me.

My First Time With Olympus, But Sadly No Persephone

Well, today meine good self and the mother went to the zoo, and we had a lovely time which could have been awesome had I remembered- wait, been told to put the better memory card in my new Olympus digital camera which I recieved for my birthday. It was a gift from Mum's side of the family, but I'm pretty sure it was just my aunt and uncle who did the purchasing. Anyway, thank you Dale and Max, but for security reasons I'll call you Daotkav (Dear Auntie Of The Kick Arse Variety) and good Auntie Maxie. LOLNESS.

Moving on, we arrived at the zoo and I wanted to start taking pictures, but after getting about two of them, I realised the grave mistake I'd made. I was pissed of course, and really really pissed because I wanted to get many, many pics of the animals. It was also a good day with many Kodak moments, so my eyes are filled with red flames at this point of time.

I eventually calmed myself down and accepted that today wouldn't have its memories in photo form, but luckily I got this one. This gorilla was sitting under its tree and looking at everyone, as do many of the earths creatures. I got myself a shot, and it was after that that I realised that it was missing one of its hands. I felt a bit sorry for him/her, getting a little Sigourney Weaver in Gorillas In The Mist at the same time. But I'm happy I got this shot because it was good and I learnt by using the zoom-in option, I'm able to get many more from this day forward. Just half an hour ago I got one of my dog Mack. Yay.

Also, I wanted to bring up that I've started penning a draft of a short story I think will be good. Not great (which would be nice), but good. It's a story of two lovers, Cheyne and Everlee, uniting after being seperated, and I'm writing it in many different scenarios or ways (whatever way you like). So far I've had them in the real world, WWII era England, and I'm working on them orbiting a blue world named Andala, amongst others.

Guess a lot of it's been inspired by the film The Fountain which I liked but nobody else did. Hoping it works out. Today at the Japanese Garden I saw all of these turtles and Koi Carps swimming up to the surface, and I decided to add them in. Should add to the imagery. A lot of fun to be had. Cheers y'all!

The 21 Effect

As my title suggests, I'm now 21 years of age, and it's a freaking wonderful experiences. YEAH! But I must confess not all of it has been primrose and daffodils. My 21st was last Saturday and everything went all right. I enjoyed myself because it was the type of party I enjoyed- completely informal, and that we got more family invitees than we did at my 18th. But a major thing that I hated about the night was how so many of my friends decided to give me the flick. Some of them had the courtesy to call up and let me down, but a lot of them decided not too. Brilliant I thought. JUST BRILLIANT!

What else is there to discuss. I got the first three seasons of 30 Rock, this hilarious comedy Tina Fey created so I'm gonna be busy for a while, and I thank the family for doing this for me. However, they got me a tone of other stuff too. Stuff I neither asked for nor really need, and that annoyed me a bit. Like how they got me the DVDs, they were set for a year. I didn't need anything else. I was just happy at that. I don't even know what'd happen if I tell them all of this.

But then there are some brighter topics to discuss, like how I watched District 9. You know, the South African sci-fi. It was brilliant and different and stepped so far out of the box. I loved it! I ordered in my copy of Oryx and Crake today, so all I have to do is pick it up and be wowed by another dystopian novel. I just wanna know what happens. And then there is the bit where the Australian Literary Agency in Sydney has agreed to look at my novel. I'm very excited, but scared. I'm really hoping that they'll take me on, because like I've said so many times before... I REALLY NEED THIS!

That's all y'all!

The Handmaid's Tale

Today I finished reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, and I was really happy with it. I love the dystopian genre and how you can do just about anything with it these days, and this book is deffinately up in my top five or so. Before I offer my own personal thoughts, I'd like to thank some certain individuals for bringing my attention to this work of speculative fiction.

My good brother Babette who gave me my copy for Christmas, I pestured you sufficietly and it paid off. To my old literature teacher whom I've been calling Grace, thanks for bringing it up in class. Sadly I didn't read it at the time (all the books were optional) but if I had I would've brought so much to the class discussion. And finally to my good friend Yushka whom is a huge Atwood fan, thanks for making me aware of this genius of a woman! You've all been great.

Now, what I enjoyed most about this book was how it displayed the perspective of a female narrator and how women percieved the dystopic environment. Offred (whom is also June and Kate in the film) was just honest, fierce and tough through-out the whole 300 odd pages. I really felt her feelings when the Aunts (crusty old bitches who should die) were "reprograming" her and how she reacted to losing her husband Luke and her daughter. So much honesty, but I wanted to see more in her relationship to Nick, the underground man who saved her.

Other parts I enjoyed, but the one I loved the most was when Offred's friend Moira escaped the cruelty of the Aunts. I thought it was one of the strongest elements of the story, how she escaped and stuck it to oppression. I was a little bummed when she wound up in the brothel Jezebel's, but she seemed happy so I'm happy. The book was brilliant and I liked the final chapter where future academics are studying The Handmaid's Tale in the year 2195.

As much as it was nice learning that the oppression of the Republic of Gilead (the world America became in the book) came to an end and Offred finally got out to England, I just enjoyed the names of the professors. Atwood has a nack for creating interesting and likeable names from the smallest words in the English language, so I loved hearing about Maryanna Crescent Moon and James Darcy Pieixoto. It added a great touch to the ending.

I'm deffinately an Atwood nut, much like my good Yushka. She's got some other dystopian books out, including Oryx and Crake, and I'm gonna get a copy as soon as I can. I think I displays the male view of the future mixed with genetic engineering with animal and human DNA.

Looking forward to it!

Everyone Keeps Pissing On My Waterboy!

There are way to many characters out there who can control the seas, and I am not happy with it amigos. First I had to put up with Tracy Strauss from Heroes, and now theres Percy Jackson from these yankee kids books that got adapted to the screen. I am not pleased, because I wanted to break with traditions of firestarters and throw in a powerful aquakinetic. Angry face.

Also, I wanted to bring up the issue of 3D in cinemas. I saw Avatar today for the third time (yes, that's right) and it was in the ever popular 3D form, which I have to say gave me a tremendous headache. There wasn't that much of a difference either. 2D is deffinately for me from now on, and sadly I've forgotten what else I wanted to write about. So that is all I guess.

Wait, I just remembered, I've decided to lay off Avatar until the DVD is out. James Cameron's Titanic was a massive thing for my sister Cactus Pete (who saw it four times) and Avatar is doing the same for me, but I won't be like my beloved sis. I'll either see it two more times of not at all, for I'm going to be the better human, and I won't make futile attempts at stalking the male lead either. Maybe the ladies if I've got time, but Worthington will not have to deal with me hiding in the bushes outside his window.

PS. Oh, I just wanted to make a shout out to sfauthor who commented on my last posting. You're the first person I don't know whose commented, so thank you.

What Avatar Did For Me

Happy Boxing Day to all, hope you've all been well. Been a while since my last post, bout a month maybe, but I've got something good to talk about. Eh, you wanna hear. Actually I've got a few things to bring up, like how Little Miss Shifty and Little Miss Honeybear ran up to me willingly yesterday, which was Christmas Day. However, I knida think they made the mad dash because I was carrying the bag with the presents in it.

What else is there, I'm finally reading The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood, which I'm enjoying a lot. Thank you Babette, my good brother, and I read Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris, which is the book that inspired the series True Blood (Sookie Stackhouse kicks Bella Swans arse any day of the week). Also, like the rest of the movie loving world, I saw Avatar last Tuesday and IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

I've been wanting to see it since I saw the trailers on YouTube, and it was brilliant. At first I thought it was all going to be special effects and little story, but I was relieved when it got all intriguing. I enjoyed the actors too, like Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Michelle Rodriguez (she makes anything work) and Sigourney Weaver. The imagery was spot on and the alien wildlife was interesting and something to look at, no questions asked. To me, the movie was ALIVE!

Now, the one special thing I wanted to bring up in this posting was how the search for the movie helped me out heaps! I get a lot of my info off the Wikipedia, so I looked up the movie on said abomination and I came across the Avatars of Hinduism (in India lesser thinkers) and I came across this religious quote.

Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increases I send myself forth.
In order to protect the good and punish the wicked,
In order to make a firm foundation for righteousness,
I come into being age after age. (4. 7-8)

Bhagavad Gita (c. 3138 BC)

I'm not a religious person (however I'm willing to accept some things) but I am all about this quote now. If you haven't heard, I am writing a dystopian fantasy series and I want it to be so big that it's quote worthy, like Philip Pullman's His Dark Material series. I've been looking everywhere for the right quote (which I want in the final book) and I nearly decided to use song lyrics by Pat Bennitar (think that's how you spell her name). Anyway, I found this one and I shouted hooray!

That's it for now, and I'm going to post something about THT by Atwood. Cheers for now, and have a good new year.

Its Been A While, I Know

Okay, I've been pretty distracted for the last couple of months, what with watching girls flash me at the Deni Ute Muster to just can't being stuffed to write anything down. But I do have things to share with whatever following I may have.

1. I saw the last Heath Ledger movie ever made, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnasus, and I'm a little freaked out. I got the plot and liked the characters (Tony not so much), but I felt it was just too mad. Also I didn't like the special effects, except for the monastery made up of elephant carvings. I think Terry Gilliam's old movies were better, like Twelve Monkeys. Think he shouldn't rely on the effects so much and stick to a smaller budget.

2. I read the last part of Matthew Reilly's trilogy, and I hated it. The Five Greatest Warriors was to me the greatest waste of time ever. There was no depth, characters were flat and cliched and the dialogue was shit. The 11 year old kids talk like adults too much and whenever someone gets out of being captured they wind up getting caught by someone else. I think the biggest let down was introducing the new villain Vladimir Karnov, one of those stereotypical Russian villains with half his face made out of metal. He just came out of no where and took control- totally ****ed up!

Then you've got everyone turning out to be a traitor of some sort- Diane Cassidy, Cieran Kincaid etc, and Reilly makes the protagonist feel like they've been betrayed by the closest friend. BULLSHIT! Huntsman just met these people! WHY DOES HE FEEL LIKE HE'S GOT A STICK UP HIS ARSE YANKED OUT! Another thing about these villains is that they've too full of themselves and like to talk to much.

Finally, why is it that some writers keep putting the most boring people in charge of saving us all. Jack West Jr was flat, annoying and somewhat narcacistic. I keep saying this whenever I learn about a hero who just shouldn't be (John Connor, Jack Shappard, Peter Petrelli ect) "Let the world burn. We've had a good run." If people wind up saying stuff like that, the writer has failed! That is all.

3. I've recently sent my manuscript off to another publisher, this time it is TransitLounge. I think I might have a chance, since they asked for more than a 3 chapter sample. I'm hoping the wickedness of the Alchemist will urge the good people over there to want more. Also on the topic of the chronicles, I've been working away on some character development. To date I've been tweaking Andrew Natalis, Penn Lewis, Tracy Woods, Samuel 'The Hurricane' Guevarra, Marcus Sawyer, Kristen Yeow, Carey Luttrell and my all time favourite, Wes McCarthy.

I'm also planning something big and hopefully horrific for the fifth part of the series which I'm praying will make me one of those writers who'll go anywhere in his/her work. That's it for now, and I hope to be adding more the blog soon, and that people will read it.

The Magician's Nephew

As my title suggests, this posting is about the novel The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis whom many would know was the writer of the Chronicles of Narnia. So, I'm writing to say that I've just finished reading the book and was very happy with it. I liked learning how everything fell into place such as Aslan, Jadis and the Wardrobe, as well as the many religious references. I like when writers use those.

Moving on, I guess my real reason for reading it was so I could learn a bit about Uncle Andrew, who is possibly the most despised character in the entire book. He was self obsessed and selfish and didn't care for anyone else really, but I feel somewhat inclined to disagree with some of those elements, mainly because without Uncle Andrew, the whole adventure of the chronicles could never be told. He was the one who granted access to Narnia.

Uncle Andrew had good intentions I've decided, but he tried to achieve them through selfish means, such as sending Polly Plummer to the Wood between the Worlds and not going himself. He wanted something good but got it the wrong way, and that's why I read the book because I was in a way doing research on a character for my own series, Andrew Natalis.

Andrew Natalis in a way was the one character who set everything into motion in my series The Hands of Sage Chronicles. There are some differences though. He did a generously good thing which had terrible consequences. Some characters refer to Natalis as "the most selfless son of a bitch in the world". That line's going to be used in the second part of the series.

So that was why I read The Magician's Nephew, aside from the fact that I enjoy classic stories, to learn how to create my own Uncle Andrew. As you can tell, they share the same first name which is an obvious shout out, but his surname "Natalis" is the Latin word for "birthday". It inspired the name Natalie and its variations also.

Aside from the Chronicles, I'm also drawing elements from other works of fiction, many of which I picked up on in my Literature class last year with my teacher Grace (I'm pretty sure I'm calling her that on the blog). The other stories I'm drawing on include the following-

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen
The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Cicade de Deus by Paulo Lins
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I'm also drawing on elements of Little Red Riding Hood and Beauty and the Beast. As for me I'm going to go and start on the rest of the Narnia stories as well as get my hands on Alice in Wonderland, mainly because the movie is coming out next year and Lewis Carroll was a left hander like myself.

Cheers.

It Is Done

I've been up to a lot lately, and I must admit I'm feeling rather buggered. The past week has been very eventful, such as me lugging myself around the city doing my sisters bidding on Tuesday (I finally went into Sticky- not bad), doing the drive up to Bendigo today with my bickering parents in the front and my grandpa in the back who was just laughing on the inside... and let's see, what else did I do? I sent my manuscript off to a publisher.

I was really excited about that, and hopeful that the recipients take interest in my story. My proof readers enjoyed it and helped me improve my tale by turning it from a 309 pg manuscript into a 308 one. Sweet. Anyway, that's the biggest thing on my mind at the moment, but there are other things too.

Let me see, there's my temp agency calling me up with some work because I am just poor. Seriously, I'm not enjoying it friends. I'm also waiting to see the new Roland Emmerich movie 2012 (I'm not expecting anything dramatic, but the trailers looked good- I'm going to be scared shitless in three years also) and there's The Time Traveler's Wife as well. Fingers are crossed that they're good also.

Also, I'm trying to get a short story down which my main idea will be about friendship. This "thing" came to me when I came up with the names Danny McCabe and Amy DeLeigh, and I decided that they would be life long best friends who would comfort each other when times were grim. All of these images come into my head like seeing them dance ballroom style in lounge room and a burning stable with horses running out of it. I just want to write it dammit!!!!

And then there's this little novel I've started on the side which will be heavily laddened with fantasy. It's meant for younger readers (older primary school) and I've got some good lines and images down on paper. I started writing it all down after I saw my little cousins, Little Miss Shifty and Little Miss Honeybear, a few weeks ago, and they tell me that monsters aren't real. Anyway, it dawned on me that the stuff I write isn't appropriate for them and so I'm going to do something about that Seamus. Fingers are crossed.

And that's that. I'm gonna try and post some drawings soon. Promise.

PS. I'm also getting published again. Go Wonderland!

The Reward

As I sit here waiting for my turn to use the kitchen (I'm going to make fancy pancakes), I felt that I should display my thoughts on the book Atonement which I finished last Saturday night, and I'd just like to say that it was a very enjoyable experience.

In my own words I want to say that it felt like I was reading art. Strange one might think, and it may be impossible to read art... but who cares. Last year I saw the movie on DVD and enjoyed it very much, but the book was so much better. The plot hit all the right spots, the characters were intriguing and I felt as if I could see it happening at the same time, so two thumbs up. Dialogue, which was mostly scarce for several pages at a time was a kind treat as well.

However, I did have a few minor problems with it. One, the second and third parts of the book were primarily focused on Robbie Turner and Briony Tallis, who are two of the three main characters. The third, Cecilia, is featured heavily in both parts... but why isn't there a part devoted to her? I found that a little odd at times.

Something else that caught my eye was that several chapters in part one were focused on Briony and Cecilia's mother, Emily with the migraines. It became obvious in parts 2 and 3 that Emily held a great resentment towards Robbie and was somewhat of a domineering bitch, but I don't think those additional chapters about her were really needed.

Also, the character of Paul Marshall (who is easily one of the three most hated in the book- along with Emily and Lola Quincey) doesn't seem to get anything thrown at him by the books heroes. The moment he rapes Lola (who becomes his wife) and concurs with everyone's suspicions that Robbie did the naughty, he goes on and lives the life of luxury.

What I'm wondering is that why didn't Cecilia or someone else confront him or condemn him? I'm reminded of the character Joe Pritchard from Shameless who is somewhat similar. He goes about beating his girlfriend Mandy Maguire and abusing her sister-in-law Karen, and finally gets beaten unconscious by Karen's husband Jamie. Not only that, when he comes to, Mandy's family all threaten to kill him. That's what I wanted to see happen to Paul. It felt right, damn it!

So that's all I've got to say. Atonement will be one of my most favourite books from now on, and it helped my put my horrid memories of reading Twilight to rest. Also, I want to thank little Sophie and Alice for giving me the piece on Saturday night to finish the book. Good girls. Now I plan to read Tim Winton's latest book Breath. Here goes.