Here Comes The Fuzz

First marks in!

2009-11-11T03:04:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy these last few weeks - taking 100 kids bowling, DJ'ing all over Manchester, Christening's, getting loads of birthday presents, and of course my full time job. So my creative writing took a short backseat after I handed in my work.

Well I got my marks back yesterday and it's fuelled my interest back into the course and i'm ready to crack on. I'm probably about 3 activities behind, but i'm catching up quickly and should be back up to speed in no time.

I was fascinated at the weekend to DJ at a 30 yr reunion of a Manchester Medics Course. Everyone there seemed like they had thousands of stories to tell, and it wan't just a room full of doctors. In their speeches there were mentions of gardeners, singers, actors and farmers, but they all studied at one time in medicine.

It made me think about people in general, and how quickly people can change their views on life. It certainly will help me think more when creating my own book characters.

I got 81% by the way!! WOOOOO!!!!

Poetry Memories

2009-11-04T12:04:00.000-08:00

The activity was to write a short bit of writing which encapsulates a certain time frame, and also includes some sensory perceptions. I wrote a poem, but as always for me, began to think I was turning it into a kid's poem.
Is this too 'unsophisticated'?

I had never been to the Ice Dome before,
with no thick cotton socks I was under prepared
The cold air from the ice tingled my nose,
My skates scraped and scratched, nobody cared

I stepped on the ice, gripped firm to the edge,
the sound of 90's dance was bellowing out from above
I built up some courage and skated off,
to the powering tune of Haddaway's 'What is Love'
'It's much easier when you go fast' Lee Brooks said with
aplomb as he raced by my shaky physique,
His advice was flawed, My legs left the floor,
I quickly hit the ice with my rear cheek
The plan, of course, was to impress the girls,
and act as cool as Mark from NKOTB,
The freezing pain through my shellsuit let me know
i'd failed, Mr Blobby was more graceful than me.

(please bear in mind we haven't got up to studying poetry yet :) )

Character Building

2009-10-19T03:33:00.000-07:00

I spent some time yesterday doing some character building similar to an activity we did on Saturday. I was hoping for maybe some feedback or some ideas about the character, perhaps some improvements or suggestions for traits the character might have. I'm perhaps going to use this character for my TMA so any help would be great.

His name is Henry Mathers, and he is a journalist, specifically working on stories in the field of science. He's been a journalist for nearly five years, having done a physics degree at University and deciding that wearing a lab coat to work every day was not for him. He is average build, with light brown, unkempt hair and he occasionally wears grey thin rimmed glasses.
He is currently engaged to a woman slightly older than him, who already has a 4 year old child. He loves her and would do anything for her, and gets on well with the child, but he finds it difficult to act as a father figure, knowing he isn't the child's true father.
He never wears a suit, but often wears an unbuttoned shirt.
He is waiting to discover something phenomonal and brand new, and has been all over the world with his job in order to find it, chasing up small leads in the hope of a big story.
His dad is a school teacher, and whilst generally supportive of his son, feels he isn't using up all of his potential.

The character is about to find himself very alone.

(in a science fiction sort of method)

Any thoughts?

A creative mess....

2009-10-16T03:41:00.000-07:00

Couple of bits today since i've finished my maths course: I've also published my freewrite for the first time - it just makes me chuckle and has inspired me to do a focus freewrite about living with animals.

My maths exam is out the way.
I think i've passed, i'm pleased to say,
Tho I can't reflect on it another day
Since my creative course is underway!

Each tick is thunder
Every precious second
Flies out of my reach

I have never been to Australia. Hot sticky but seems pleasant. Lots of people I know seem to go there, drawing them closer like a neon light to flies. The bright lights of Australia, Beaches, white sand lights up under the moonlit sky. Paradise. Pleasure and Pain. Not forever, too many tourists spoil the scene. Trees with spider like branches atop thin brown trunks. Animals that no country can see, blind to other countries. Would they enjoy living in this country? Too cold but perhaps more to do. No deserts. A snake sliding down the west end, checking out the latest musicals 'Koala and the technicolour dreamcoat'. Animals and humans co-existing, would we get on if we all talked? Would we still enjoy a lamb shank after spending the night having a few pints with a sheep down at the Nag's Head, whilst playing pool against a Nag? Dr Doolittle must have been a vegetarian. Unless vegetables could talk too. Then he'd be screwed. A glossy magazine with the latest trends for pigeon's and how to keep snakes away from selling you double glazing. Slimy, sneaky snakes slithering up the front path while you scramble to turn off the lights and pull the curtains. Too late, that snake knows your home and he has the latest in economic and enviromentally tested glass samples in his little brown satchel.

I love my freewrite - I'm now imagining a world where animals and humans talk normally, where bears make great policeman, and eating meat is an prohibited underground activity (parody on drug culture perhaps)

I've got my universe, but what about the main story? Any suggestions or thoughts would be most welcomed!

An exam approaches...

2009-10-07T01:27:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love to spill words onto a blank piece of paper. Creative writing is such an exciting pastime. However, it has to take a back seat for the next seven days, as the countdown to my Open University M208 Maths exam next wednesday begins.

I should have been revising more. The BRB came calling for my next course and I coudn't help take a peek. 3 weeks later and i've forgotten any maths work i've done in the last eight months. It's time to open up the dusty maths cupboard in my head and get back on it.

In peculiar Open university marking strategies, i've worked out that there is only one mark that I need to surpass - 55. If I got 100%, it would be the same mark as if I got 55%. Any lower than that, and i'll drop a grade.

My mind has been open to creative wonderfulness in the last few weeks. I have to get back into the swing of rights and wrongs, the analytical and the proven, the formulaic and the limited, the integration and the differentiation. By next Wednesday my mind will look like scrambled egg.

See you on the other side.

Some Sports Haiku's?

2009-09-30T03:39:00.000-07:00

A crack of willow,
The sound of a village summer
Cherry ball takes flight

A crunching tackle,
Fear; Pain; Anger; Revenge;
So it continues

A Colourful Blur,
Engines like roaring lions
Hunting down the prey

Haiku!

2009-09-25T08:22:00.000-07:00

A haiku is a constrained lyric of a descriptive scene, and it has to be in the format of five-seven-five in terms of syllables used.

here are my first goes at it -

Waves crash with purpose;
A rusty rowboat floats by,
Unloved and alone

For glory and pride;
but is foolish and untrained,
He slumps to the ground

(and my favourite so far)...

A deadly silence,
He smiles, winks and takes his bow
Explosive applause

please feel to free to criticise!

:)

The Beginning

2009-09-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

This is my first blog at blogger, to go alongside my journey to become a better writer. I say better writer, but I actually haven't written anything of note in my life. Got loads of ideas though!

So hop on board my journey, be extra critical of everything I write, and let me know how I can improve. (You can also give me good feedback too if you want!)

I'll also maybe have a rant or two along the way.

Strap yourself in!