No Friday Blogs

Well, not ever. But definitely more sporadic. Which probably doesn't come as a surprise to anyone who reads this place regularly as they've already been a bit spotty. Basically while I was a full-time writer, I had this place to take a break and write about sci-fi and games I wasn't being paid to write about, and everything was great. But bills were getting harder to pay and I had to get a job. This meant less time for writing, and I ended up using all that time just keeping here up to date. Which is the exact opposite of what this place is meant to be. This is meant to be me waxing lyrical about stuff I have to write about, not grinding an article for a deadline. More to the point I feel I wasn't doing a brilliant job of those I did publish. Not just missing posts, but the writing of some of them hasn't been up to the standard I expect of myself.

There's also one rather important fact, the one that really got me thinking. I haven't been finding the time to write fiction. The stuff I really want to write. So I sat down, and decided something had to give. It was the random Friday posts or Doctor Who that was on the chopping block. I'm keeping my jaunts through Time and Space because I'm really enjoying writing those, and there's very little chance of me falling behind as I've got so many banked. Plus Capaldi launches tomorrow night :D

So Friday becomes a non-update day. Or at least not a regular one. I'll still write about the big stuff like when the next Marvel movie comes out. But it's when the mood hits me now. Or at least till the writing starts paying the bills again.

And A Happy New Year

Hello Twenty Twelve. Not Two Thousand and Twelve. Embrace the future people!

So what's the plan from here on out. Well, the last few weeks of 2011 didn't really contain any major writing, in fact it was pretty atrocious. But it was the holiday season, so that's my excuse.

But, it's the new year and it's time to press on. In fact, I'm just back from lunch and I already have over a thousand words clocked up today so not a bad start. I intend to have the first draft of the novel finished by the end of January. Of course the fact I've been offered that deadline by a friend with promise of a rewards helps (though I'm ashamed to admit I need it).

After that I'm not sure. Ideally this novel should be done in the first half of the year. I've got a few ideas where I want to go, and the website needs that overhaul finishing so I can put it back up. But first draft first!

Wait! That wasn't there before was it?

You noticed some posts appearing from when this place was on hiatus? Don't worry you're not going insane, I'm moving some select pieces from GeekGasms.org here too. I'm doing it mainly because at some point I'll be pointing people to my work and I'd rather send them to a place with everything rather than two places with gaps.

GeekGasms.org

My mates and myself have decided to step this whole internet malarky up a notch. To do that we've opened GeekGasms.org up. This week's blog, as well as all future posts, will be found over there.

As well as being the new home for my weekly blog its also features our podcast, The Pubcast, cleverly named by myself. Other bloggers are Andrew Smith and Jon Keatley with more to follow. As well as flash games and an insight into the gaming industry from a wide variety of sources through out the UK.

Back with the Whole Truth

I'm finally resurrecting this place, never actually meant to abandon it in the first place, just got busy and kept saying to myself that I'd do something as soon as something big came out. Then Iron Man and Dark Knight came along and it had been so long since I'd written for the place that I forgot. With Smith and me forcing each other back into writing, and Smith doing a better job I'm ressurrecting this place. So on with a review of David Baldacci's The Whole Truth.

Baldacci goes from playing in Grisham's backyard and steps up to a more Tom Clancy arena. I'm not sure for the better either. Normal Baldacci protagonists are ex-Government agents investigating murders or Washington conspiracies and its all quite low key. Sure near the end there'll be a chase scene with the CIA agents or the President nearly getting assassinated but it was always the slow build.

Here we've got a psychopath that some Shady Organisation has managed to tame by placing a tracking device in his head and threaten to kill if he steps out of line and a alcoholic reporter. The reporter works quite well, but the characterisation of Shaw, the aforementioned psycho, just never seems to quite work. He just comes across as a indestructible thug with a soft spot that's exploited for story purposes.

The plot seems disconnected as well, Shaw and Katie, the reporter, are running around totally ignoring the main plot until Shaw's soft spot is taken advantage of, even then they're on the back foot right until the last minute. The way they finally deal with the guy behind it all is good but it felt like they'd almost fluked the victory more than anything.

If you're a fan of Baldacci then its good, but if you're new to him I'd suggest going with Camel Club or Split Second.

TV Round Up

Another month and one post. You know, it strikes me I'm my own worst enemy with these things. So starting this week I'm going to try and post once a week, on a Thursday no less. I'll even force myself to come up with topics. Now I'm pretty sure I've said something like that before but I'm determined to do it this time. That said, this week I'm going to do my old fall back of the quick round up, this time on two TV programs.

Torchwood season 2 is well under way and is pretty good so far. Things have certainly improved on the first season anyway. It seems to have a higher budget, better guest stars (James Marsters for instance) and the hits now out number the misses on the story side of things.

The new Knight Rider, you know, I wish I had enough to make a full post of this one as this is another one of the big childhood passions. Unfortunately the movie was OK and that was about it, I will be happy if it get turned into a series though. My problems are all little things that bug me like KITT should call Mike 'Michael' even if everyone else in the show calls him Mike, I mean he doesn't use connotations, why nick names? The woman was annoying but I get that she was a necessary evil for the movie and hopefully will have a greatly reduced role in the series. The theme song was atrocious, why mess with one of the all time great theme songs? The car was amazing though and Hoff's appearance was pretty cool.

I've yet to watch the Sarah Connor Chronicles but I've got a bunch just sitting there waiting so shouldn't be long now.

There Can Be Only One

I bet you're wondering where I've been? Well probably not but I like to pretend anyway. Well after my 3 week trip to Canada, which was great thank you. I just got home when work asked me to go to Cardiff to help look after the new people in that new office. They also gave me a semi-promotion, so I'm now looking after IS Support while someone gets round to actually advertising for the positions there properly.

So I'd been home a week when work sent me to Wales for another week, which has to be said was a great time as well. Anyway, I'd not had a huge amount of time to dedicate to the promise I made myself and to the good people at Heroic Images. That of getting my website back up and running once I got back from Canada. I got one night on it before going to Cardiff and we're nearly there and since I've got three days off from work I hope to get more down this weekend. Then I've just got the DNS to sort out and we should be ready to go.

Last night, having only slept for 2 hours on Thursday and traveling, I was shattered and in need of a film. So I watched Highlander: Endgame, against Chris' recommendation. Well his recommendation wasn't far off but it wasn't that bad. But as Chris put it I've watched quite a lot of the show and he hasn't. Which I feel is one of the main problems of the film. Its big thing was that we finally had Connor and Duncan together properly for the first time, and it was good for some of that, we got to see there history together, and why Connor wasn't about for the series. In other ways the film really didn't manage that.

The main villain, apart from being extremely cheesy and over the top, was someone that had been plaguing Connor for centuries but had nothing to do with Duncan, yet it was Duncan who had to take him out at the end. This seemed to be the problem for the film as a whole, they never managed to find someone who had real resonance for both of the MacLeods. That said, it's not like Christopher Lambert is in the modern day setting a huge amount, which is probably a good thing since how old he looks these days. Not really the nest thing for an immortal. Also some of the blue screen was absolutely shocking as well and all three people watching laughed out loud.

It's not a great film by any stretch of the imagination and unless you've watched the series you're probably going to disappointed.

Long Time No Update

So nearly a month and no update, and God knows how long it's been since my site's been updated. Hell the thing isn't even working right now. Well I've had nothing to rant or rave about, nothing I've seen has really given me any strong feelings. It's going to be even longer. On Wednesday I'm off to Vancouver on holiday with Drew for three weeks. Right now I'm telling myself when I get back I'm going to get back on track.

Civil War is still going great and I'm not bothered at all about the delays, I'd rather have it all told well by Millar and McNiven than put up with some fill-ins, a personal hatred of mine. I'm thinking of having a major upheaval in what I buy. Two comics have already been cast aside. Marvel Team-Up is finishing and I'm thinking of giving up on Birds of Prey. Speaking of Gail Simone, I finally got to read her 5 issues of Deadpool. Absolute Genius! Some of the best Deadpool I've ever read. Really need to get hold of her Agent-X now.

Stargate season 10 is pretty good, and Blade has improved but still isn't that amazing. Need to watch the new Fantastic Four animated.

Games wise I've got plenty on my plate. Currently been paying attention to Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, which seems to improve the further you get in the game. Also Chris bought Guitar Hero and it is brilliant. Wish I had an X-Box 360 for Dead Rising, the demo of which blew me away (Damn you Smith!).

Well I'm off to go get drunk again. A celebration of my four of Flat 28 are all single at the same time, the first time it's happened since we met six years ago.

Cheered up and Inadequacies

Like Smith, I promised myself I'd not using this as a diary but felt I really needed to today.

Well I feel a whole lot better. I’ve been pretty down recently for various reasons and been trying various things to cheer me up, none of which have been working. It’s amazing what a quiet night in the pub will do for you. After the initial quick bitching session and catch up, we had a very long and very geeky conversation with both of us cracking the other up. We even managed to fit in a quick rant about women in. Thanks a lot mate ;)

Also figured I'd talk about why my comic has not been updating for over a month now. See in interviews with professionals they go on about how good a storyteller their artist is and how they pass on so much through the imagery. Due to a total lack of artistic talent I use sprites, so fixed camera angles and no real expression. Plus I don't make my own sprites, Alex makes them for me (which I am eternally grateful for), therefore I've got a set of sprites to pick from and if I do need a new one I have to give Alex a weeks warning. All in all these leads to a very frustrated writer. I'm not saying I've stopped. I needed a break, I reckon it should be back soon. I determined to get to the next few storylines where I've got people interested in doing guest arcs. In the very least I'll give me time to seethe over the inadequacies of my chosen format. Anyone fancy drawing it?