So here we are on day 4 of NaNo and I’ve had a complete change of plan. I just wasn’t feeling the story the story I started with. Instead I’ve decided to go with a series of short stories, Mistress of Potions being the first.
Of course this means I’m now four days behind but that’s okay. There will plenty of time to panic at the end of the month.
Less than 1 hour until the start of this years NaNoWriMo and as always I am totally unprepared. No idea where the story is going to go, no idea of who my characters will be and absolutely no clue as to what the hell is going on. So pretty much business as usual…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
So here’s wishing all the best to my fellow Wrimos. In the words of Kelsey Grammer in Down Periscope;
“Let’s kick this pig”
Oh and here’s my wrimo page for anyone interested: http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/437395
It’s almost that time of year again when I get to dress up and take candy from strangers. That’s right, All Hallows Eve is upon us.
Traditionally at work we try and get as many of the staff to dress up as we can, although in my department I’m normally the only one who actually bothers (miserable swine). This year, however, one of my new minions wants in on the act and has decided to turn up as the 11th Doctor Who. “Aha,” says I “wouldn’t it be cool if I then came as the 10th Doctor?!”
Now people are often surprised when I say I’m going to do a costume. I always respond with:
“Of course I’m doing one, I’m a nerd remember”
They are even more shocked when I tell them I do my own makeup (hello, majored in drama at school). This is probably more to do with my general lack of talent when it comes to anything remotely artsy.
And so began my mission to recreate the costume worn by David Tennant during his run as the errant Timelord. I could probably go out and search the web for pre-made costumes, but that’s really not my style (mostly because I’m too cheap 😉 ). To be honest I’ve never really been a fan of replica costumes. They always seem to be lacking something. Call it a certain amount of realism if you will.
So here are a few tips that I have picked up over the years:
Hair
I hate wearing wigs, especially if I will be costume all day. They’re itchy and hot and generally uncomfortable. Whenever possible try and style your own hair. Now this might need a bit of plan before hand to make sure you have enough hair to do the job.
The same goes for facial hair (sorry ladies, you’ll have to use falsies for this part). Make sure you leave enough time to grow any that you need. That was one of the mistakes I made in the Jack Sparrow costume pictured below. I had the basic shape but wasn’t able to grow it fast enough to recreate the beard dreads.
Props
These can make or break a costume. If you have the resources and time to make your own replicas then by all means do it. I have a friend who is currently recreating a Kadaj costume (which is going to rock by the way). She’s also a mechanical engineer so she decided to make the double bladed sword herself. And I have to say that compared to a lot of the pre-made props I have seen, this piece is amazing.
However, don’t be turned of and think that if you don’t make it yourself it won’t be as good. Just make sure you take the time to find the right prop piece. This is an area where it’s better to spend a little bit more and get the officially licensed product or a very very good replica (custom lightsabers spring to mind)
Clothing
The meat and potatoes of any costume is obviously the clothing itself. And this is where I think that the pre-made outfits fall short. They always look too new. How many items of clothing do you where on a regular basis that still look the way did when you bought them?
I find that one of the best sources for this step is no further than your nearest charity shop. This isn’t my cheapness coming out (well maybe a little), this is much more practical. Remember, there is a good chance that you will need to make alterations to get things looking right. What do feel more comfortable doing: Altering a pair of pants that you just bought for $60 from the nearest chain store? Or altering the pair you got for $2 from the charity shop?
Kind of a no-brainer really. Again, the Jack Sparrow costume below is probably 95% charity shop. The waistband was originally a shirt that was cut into stripes and sewn together. Now of course it can be a bit hit and miss as to if the charity store will have in what you need so sometimes buying new is the only option.
You shouldn’t be worried about gender specific items either (and this one is mostly for the guys). The shirt seen below is actually one of my ex-wife’s blouses. Use whatever works to get the desired look.
It’s that time of year again folks; NaNoWriMo is just a few weeks away.
For those who have never heard of it, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a yearly event that challenged writers to do a minimum of 50,000 words during the month of November. The prize? Simply knowing that you have achieved something awesome.
I wasn’t able to participate last year but I’m ready and eager to get going this year. Thanks to my recent vacation I have managed to get my basic concept down to two outlines. I really might have to toss a coin to decide which one.
I owe a lot to NaNo. It is thanks to this contest and more importantly to my dear friend Cherie for persuading me to do it, that I got back to writing.
I know we all have our projects, but sometimes it can be good to put those down and just have a bit of fun with our writing (yeah I know, “we must suffer for our art” 😉 ). And even if you don’t enter this year, you might be able to inspire someone else to do it. Who knows, it could be a life changing event for them. It certainly was for me.
For more information head on over to the NaNoWriMo website: http://www.nanowrimo.org/
Right now I am sitting in Salt Lake City International Airport waiting to board my flight.
Recently my boss came up to me and said:
“You’re a writer right?”
I nod tentatively. Experience tells me that I’m about to get handed a crappy job that everybody else managed to avoid.
“You know what you should write,” he says, a look of glee on his face “You should write a sitcom based around the day to day happenings around here.”
Okay I wasn’t expecting that. And I have to admit it’s a good idea. For those who don’t know I work as a sys-admin for an engineering college so there is certainly no shortage of material. The dilemma is if I should actually do this or not. Let’s forget for the moment that I have absolutely no idea on how to write a sitcom and get straight to the part where I can seriously damage my career.
Let’s face it; People see themselves in a certain way. And what might be hilarious to the rest of us is a matter of personal pride for them. And while the guy holding my pink slip is the one who came up with the idea, there’s a very good chance he wouldn’t like the caricature I create.
So on the one hand I have this cracking idea that has great potential but could cost me my job. The on the other I have the option to file it away for a later date when the flow constant flow of gut busting material is no longer available. I suppose the upside of the former is that I would have a lot more time to write if I get fired.
Hmmmm…where did I put my notebook.
Fields of emerald green, with halo of golden sands
There is an old saying that states “Blondes have more fun”. They are also more likely to be stalked, abducted and murdered in just about any psychological mystery thriller you watch/read. For some reason us poor brunettes seem to get looked over when it comes to mentally disturbed maniacs. Let’s face it, that maniac is more likely to be a brunette themselves. Talk about stereotyping!
Plain Jane, the new mystery thriller from Cristyn West, takes this idea and throws away the blonde.
While I don’t normally read a lot of thriller novels, Plain Jane had me hooked from page 1. This is one of those stories that will have you saying “Okay one more chapter” without realizing that it is two in the morning. What sets this apart from others is the level of detail that West has created. Not only do you end up getting into the heads of the protagonists, you then put the book down and start to wonder if they have been looking back at you the whole time. And perhaps still are. Plain Jane is an expertly crafted must read novel, that may just have you looking over your shoulder whenever you step out the door.
I haven’t put in much about the storyline simply because this I don’t want to risk giving away anything at all. This is one of those books that you don’t just read; You experience it.
Plain Jane can be purchased from Amazon.com or you can download the EBook edition by visiting Smashwords.com
This post not of the norm. Today I need advice on something very important and very dear to me. A little background info:
Thirty years ago in August of this year, my mother gave birth to a baby girl named Joanne (I need to double check that spelling). Because of the complexity of the situation at the time she was immediately put up for adoption. Basically I have a sister I know nothing about aside from her birth name and the name of her birth mother.
My question is this:
How do I even begin this search?
(Don’t you just love these easy questions?!)
Obviously being 8000 miles from our birth place is going to complicate things a bit. However, this being the age of the interwebs you have to believe that there is some way of getting around that little inconvenience.
I’m going to be pretty much on my own with this one as half the family won’t speak of it and the other half don’t know about it. Any suggestions or ideas would be very much appreciated.
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!
Why am I seemingly jumping for joy?
Well, dear reader, it all started with a recent phone call from the family back in Guernsey. Things were going as normal; Discuss the weather (we are British after all), speak about how fast my niece is growing, you know, the regular stuff that long distance families discuss. This call was to be different however. They had found the manuscript to ‘The Lighthouse’
You may have heard me mention ‘The Lighthouse’ in previous posts and on the Facebook page. This was the story that started it all, my first foray into the world of writing. It feels like just yesterday that a young, naive 17 year old JB was sitting outside the Coppercraft, cup of tea in one hand sticky bun in the other, staring out across the ocean at the Hanois lighthouse off Guernsey’s west coast. I had no idea that at any moment a fleeting idea would enter my head that would change my life and start me on my journey as a writer. Looking out at that lone tower in the ocean, I felt my first real flash of inspiration. That magical “AHA” moment that I know we all secretly crave.
So why is the discovery of the manuscript so important?
Aside from the warm fuzzies it gives me, this is the only copy of the story in existence. I wrote it old school(ish) using an electronic typewriter. It was a few years before I had my first PC and had been lost long before I ever heard the term OCR.
It’s also going to be a good reminder of how far things have come since those early, care free days. The general concept was good but I know that what is written is not going to be any kind of masterpiece. Who knows, one day I might get around to a re-write. Until then I’m going to enjoy this little trip down memory lane.
Now where is that mail lady with the package……
J B Angell - Author 