Writing Hashtags

Season's Greetings, Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas. I hope everyone has got the presents they wanted, had plenty to eat, and aren't nursing too bad a hangover. 2018 is almost upon us, and I have to admit that I haven't been too happy with 2017. Working in a full-time job means that I haven't written as much as I'd have liked, and the bulk of my creative output for the year has been blogging and Twitter.

With that in mind, I'd like to talk about a couple of hashtags I discovered in the past few months. There is a big community of hashtaggers, which make the Twitter experience something akin to an episode of I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue or a "Scenes We'd Like to See" from Mock the Week. However, I'm specifically looking at a few hashtags aimed at writers.

The first one I'm looking at is #AuthorConfession, which is hosted by Jessica Julien and J.M. Sullivan. Every week, they post a series of questions for each day, pertaining to writing, usually with a seasonal twist depending on the month. One day will usually involve taking a picture, and another will involve shouting out other writers on Twitter to help them build up a network.

Next is #WIPTruthOrDare, hosted by Melanie Thurlow and Heather Hayden. This is similar to #AuthorConfession, but there are two sets of questions each day: a "Truth", which often involves answering questions about works in progress; and a "Dare", which is more about sharing lines based on a particular subject similar to the "Truth" question.

Both #AuthorConfession and #WIPTruthOrDare have their questions set out at the beginning of the month, so you'll know the running themes. For example, October's questions would often relate to Halloween, November's would be about National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), while December's have a Christmas theme.

Another one I found was the newly-developed #CharactersTell, hosted by Manuel Arbanassi. In this one, you answer a different question each day, but you roleplay as a character from your story. The questions from the first week were directed at protagonists, the second week was about the antagonists, the third week was dedicated to a secondary character, and the fourth week involves developing a background character to answer questions.

Finally, there were two similar ones: #WritersPatch, hosted by Alexandra VanHorn every Sunday at 10:00 am Central Time (4:00 pm where I am), and #JustAddTea, hosted by Elizabeth an hour later. These sessions are also about answering questions about writing, but there's a lot more discussion involved.

While some writers might not be keen on discussing WIPs, I think these tags are a good way to share ideas and possibly advice, all while developing a bigger network of writers. I look forward to seeing more of these hashtags in the New Year.

Happy writing.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Well, it's that time of year again when Disney releases another Star Wars film. Last year it was the anthology film Rogue One. This year, it's the next instalment in the main saga, The Last Jedi.

Picking up from where we left off, the Resistance have been forced to evacuate their main base, but The First Order are close behind. The ace pilot Poe Dameron carries out a heroic but costly assault on one of the First Order's most fearsome ships, and is demoted by General Leia for his recklessness. After she is taken out of action in an attack led by emo Darth Vader Kylo Ren, Vice Admiral Holdo assumes command of the fleet, but her apparent inaction puts her at odds with Dameron. In another thread, Dameron sends reformed Stormtrooper Finn on an unauthorised mission to sabotage the First Order's flagship in order to help the Resistance escape. Finn enlists the aid of mechanic Rose Tico and the droid BB-8, travelling to a Roaring Twenties version of the Mos Eisley cantina to find a computer expert. Meanwhile, scavenger Rey seeks out Luke Skywalker and tries to persuade the cynical former Jedi to train her in the Force, but soon finds a mental connection with Kylo Ren and realises she has to confront him. Oh, and there are Porgs.

So yeah, there's quite a bit to take in. I've stated previously that The Force Awakens was pretty much a rehash of A New Hope, but that was more or less what people wanted. The Last Jedi, not so much. I did think that Rey's story arc does seem to be re-treading old ground from both The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, but I will give them some credit in that they try and play with alternate outcomes of the scenarios we knew and loved.

It's quite a long film, and I think some of the brooding scenes could have been cut, but the action is great and I love the snarky humour. I'm also glad that they didn't put too much emphasis on the Porgs.

Overall, it's no Empire Strikes Back, but it is nonetheless a superior follow-up to The Force Awakens.

Right, same time next year for the Han Solo movie.

WriMo

Tools of the Trade

One of my co-workers at my first job had a sign which said "Aim low to achieve your goals and avoid disappointment".

November has come and gone, bringing with it the annual writing challenge known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, which I previously discussed on this blog this time last year. You can read about that here.

Anyway, I opted not to do it this year, as I don't think it's the best challenge. The fact that I'm working in a job that's five days a week rather than four days doesn't help either. However, I still wanted to take something from my previous attempt.

With that in mind, I opted to pay lip service to the challenge by simply doing WriMo. This notion took on the following differences:

1. No enrolment. NaNoWriMo involves registering on the website to monitor your progress with your circle of Writing Buddies. I did nothing of the sort, but I did keep in touch with numerous participants on Twitter, offering encouragement.
2. No special projects. I've heard that many participants often use NaNo to experiment with genres they don't normally write in. I originally did that, but this year I focused on my existing WIPs.
3. No word count goals. In order to keep on target, you have to write an average of 1,667 words a day to meet the 50,000 word goal for the month. My goal was simply to write every day, as I've been a little out of practice lately.

So, what did I manage? Well, I managed to write every day, but there are good days and bad days. Work is quite numbing, and I attend a writers' group some evenings, but even then I managed to write at least a paragraph. I've not made a lot of progress, but what I have written has been quite well-received. On top of that, I've started taking a notepad into work, and am often sketching out scenes. So, if anything, this home-spun challenge has taught me to become a better planner.

Whether you managed to write 50,000 words or not, I'd like to offer my congratulations for managing to make it through the month. Seeing it to the end is something to be proud of.

Happy writing, and if I don't post anything else here soon, Merry Christmas.

Book Review - Kindred Spirits: Tower of London

I love a good ghost story every once in a while. A while back, I'd won a competition after taking part in a launch event with a few other Swanwickers, and opted to pick up Kindred Spirits: Tower of London, the first book in a series of paranormal historical novels by Jennifer C Wilson.

Taking place in contemporary times, we follow the numerous ghosts inhabiting the Tower of London as they interact with each other and play tricks on unsuspecting tourists. I suppose the main plot thread is about the last Plantagenet king Richard III as he seeks the ghosts of 'The Princes in the Tower' - his nephews whom he had been accused of killing. Meanwhile, he asserts his leadership over the other ghosts in the tower, including Henry VIII's former wives Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard.

If anything, I think there are lot of characters to follow, so much that there is less attention paid to Richard's story about finding the princes; to the point where it seems more like an anthology of shorter stories than a novel. However, when the main story arc is involved, it pays off really well. Richard seems like he is searching for inner peace, seeing the public's perception of him as a historical figure while seemingly regretting his actions in life.

However, are the other events and diversions a bad thing? Not at all. Despite more time being spent on the ghosts' numerous interactions with each other and human visitors, they still work off each other really well. All the ghosts were actual historical figures (there's a dramatis persona at the end of the book), and their interactions seem reminiscent of Old Harry's Game, a radio series set in Hell which I'm also fond of.

If you're interested, you can find the book on Amazon here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindred-Spirits-London-Jennifer-Wilson-ebook/dp/B016TRKU2A/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

If you fancy a few ghost stories, then I recommend it. I certainly enjoyed it.

Wild Tales

It's been an odd couple of days. I turned 24 last Thursday, but I lost out on a chance to read some of my work on the radio, and I'm having to deal with some of the most mind-numbing bureaucracy at a job that's already eating my valuable writing time. This road to the breaking point has led me to an interesting piece of world cinema: The 2014 Argentinian film, Wild Tales.

 The film is divided into six vignettes:

• Pasternak features a group of passengers on a plane who slowly realise they all share a connection to one man;
• The Rats follows a waitress at a diner who must deal with the man who ruined her family, and the cook's offer to poison his food;
• The Strongest is about two motorists who try and out-do each other on a desert highway;
• Little Bomb tells the story of how a civil engineer's life comes crashing down over a disputed parking ticket;
• The Proposal is a "Bonnie Situation"-style scenario about a wealthy man trying to cover up his son's involvement in a hit-and-run;
• Till Death Do Us Part shows what can happen when a bride learns of her husband's infidelity at their wedding.

All these stories are built up really well, and include some of the funniest pitch-black humour I've ever seen in a film. It's sick, but it's also something we can all relate to in one way or another.

I originally saw this film last year, after having a minor breakdown in my previous job and leaving obscene notes on the front desk. I saw a strange irony in the fact that this was the running theme in the film: stories about ordinary people who are pushed to violent extremes by a society which makes no sense to them. Even if foreign language films aren't your thing, I highly recommend that you check this one out.

And if you were wanting to hear me on the radio, you can see what I'd originally planned to read here: https://authorvalpenny.com/2017/10/27/the-emporium-a-short-story-by-guest-author-andrew-roberts/

Or here: https://bookreviewstoday.info/2017/10/27/the-emporium-a-short-story-by-guest-author-andrew-roberts/

Special thanks to Val Penny for publishing the story. I hope it makes some interesting Halloween reading for you. Happy writing.

Upstart Crow - So You Think Shakespeare's Boring?

"So You Think Shakespeare's Boring?" - That was the title of a project I had to do as part of the English GCSE. I'm just going to let it all out: I hated learning about Shakespeare at school. It's rarely taught well. Having to stay up all night translating one scene from Much Ado About Nothing into modern English is a surefire way to really kill someone's interest. Especially if that someone is 14 years old and believes that evenings are better spent playing Call of Duty.

Anyway, I'm not here to do another rant about bad blood from my school days. I'm here to look at something that might get someone interested in Shakespeare: Upstart Crow. This sitcom from Ben Elton follows David Mitchell as William Shakespeare trying to make a name for himself as a playwright. Unfortunately, his common background is a cause of contention with the Oxbridge-educated playwright and Master of the Revels Robert Greene, played by Mark Heap.

The series has a great cast of characters, and takes place around three principal locations:

1. Shakespeare's London lodgings, where he writes his plays while plagiarising accepting inputs from his servant Bottom (Rob Rouse) and his landlady's daughter Kate (Gemma Whelan) who aspires to be an actress. Also present is Shakespeare's close friend Kit Marlowe (Tim Downie), a suave fellow playwright and spy.
2. Shakespeare's family home in Stratford, where he interacts with his wife Anne Hathaway (Liza Tarbuck), their grumpy teenage daughter Susanna (Helen Monks), and his parents Mary Arden (Paula Wilcox) and John Shakespeare (Harry Enfield). The home scenes often include a rant by William about his commute from London.
3. The Red Lion Theatre, where Shakespeare runs his plays with actors Henry Condell (Dominic Coleman), Richard Burbage (Steve Speirs), and William Kempe (Spencer Jones).

The stories in each episode often allude to Shakespeare's works, and he is often inspired or dissuaded by these events. And because it's Ben Elton, there are plenty of stabs at modern issues, but it's done in a way that fits in well with the setting, often in the form of people joking that it will never catch on. I especially like how everyone frequently criticises how loquacious Shakespeare is, most notably with the line "Wherefore art thou?", which is seen as "Where are you, Romeo?". Yeah, it mocks Shakespeare just as much as it lauds him.

If there's anything I do take issue with, it's the character of William Kempe. He's supposed to be similar to Ricky Gervais, but I don't really see the point of that. I just don't think he's very funny - and I wasn't that keen on The Office to begin with. Besides that, the series is solid comedic gold. Speaking as someone who hated studying Shakespeare at school, I find it very therapeutic. And speaking as a writer, I find that I can almost relate to the protagonist, as I'm sure most writers trying to get their lucky break would.

The second season of Upstart Crow has just finished, but there's a third season and a Christmas special on the way. I highly recommend that you find it. If you liked Blackadder then you'll love this one.

Blood and Bone China - Vampires in Stoke

Stoke-on-Trent is hoping to become the UK's "City of Culture" in 2021. And since it's October, and we now dedicate the entire month to Halloween, I figured I'd take a look at something that puts them both together.

Blood and Bone China is a 12-part film serial directed in 2011 by Chris Stone, paying tribute to the old Hammer Horrors. Taking place in 1897, we follow Anthony Miles as Dr Newlyn Howell, a country vet from Buxton who travels to Stoke-on-Trent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his brother Richard, played by Simon Hooson. He is aided by Sentinel reporter Anna Fitzgerald, played by Rachel Shenton, and Alexander Pyre, an enigmatic friend of Richard's played by John James Woodward. Soon, their investigations lead them towards Linus Hemlock, a reclusive pottery magnate played by David Lemberg.

When looking at the characters, I have to say that Newlyn's a bit of a wimp. That's fair enough though: horror is all about vulnerability, so I can't really fault that. Meanwhile, Anna is the classic "intrepid reporter" and Alexander is later revealed to be a Van Helsing-style vampire hunter. Nonetheless, they share a good dynamic with both Newlyn and Anna getting plenty of witty snarking. And wimpy or not, Newlyn still goes through a rough hero's journey so I still root for him.
Meanwhile, Linus Hemlock is delightfully hammy yet still menacing, almost like a Bond villain. And even he gets a sympathetic moment (in a flashback).

The visuals are stunning. The film has been shot in and around some of the most gothic parts of Staffordshire, and the low-lighting helps to deliver a haunting atmosphere. The cliffhangers are all suitably tense, especially once the vampires turn up.

The whole series is available online at http://www.bloodandbonechina.com/index.html, and I do recommend that you watch it. It's a good way to spend a dark October night in.

Western Weekends - 3:10 to Yuma

It's been a while since I've done one of these. But a Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer was released last Thursday, and it's been on the mind since then. I thought today I'd go for a recent film, 3:10 to Yuma, based on the short story by Elmore Leonard. There was a adaptation released in 1957 with Glenn Ford and Van Heflin, but I'll discuss that one when I've seen it. The one I've seen was released in 2007, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe.

Christian Bale plays Dan Evans, an impoverished rancher living near Bisbee in Arizona. In an attempt to alleviate his financial burdens, he joins a posse to escort Russell Crowe's Ben Wade to Contention, where the notorious outlaw will be put on board a train to Yuma Territorial Prison. We follow the posse as they travel to Contention and overcome numerous pitfalls while being pursued by Wade's gang, led by his right-hand man Charlie Prince, played by Ben Foster.

I think Christian Bale and Russell Crowe work off each other really well. Evans presents himself as a morally upright figure, who doesn't seem interested in the reward or even delivering justice. Meanwhile, Ben Wade is a charismatic and cunning manipulator, who acts like a wild card and even helps his captors at times. The posse also includes the elderly Pinkerton agent Byron McElroy, played by Peter Fonda, and Bisbee's vet Doc Potter, played by Alan Tudyk.

It's quite a dark film, with two of the posse members being as bad as Wade - you'll be glad when they get killed off. It offers a savage morality which mirrors the setting, and I think it pays off. I'm not going to say how, as I don't want to spoil it.

At the time of writing, this version of 3:10 to Yuma is available on Amazon Instant Video. I'm sorry that I'm not comparing the original, but I might do if I see it. I guess sometimes it's interesting to see a remake before the original.

Favourite Video Games #1 - Red Dead Redemption

If you've been reading the Western Weekend posts, you could probably figure out that I'd have Red Dead Redemption - 'Grand Theft Auto in the West'. Well, not quite. Yes, it's the same publishers and a similar engine, but this game offers an epic tale of redemption in the twilight years of the American West.

Taking place in 1911, we follow John Marston - a retired gunfighter and bandit who is seeking to live a peaceful life as a farmer with his family. Unfortunately, the world he knows is changing and he finds that it isn't easy to escape his past when agents from the Bureau of Investigation come knocking. As an alternative to prison or execution, John is offered amnesty if he agrees to hunt down the old members of his gang. He agrees, but his wife and son are detained to ensure his cooperation. Thus, John sets out on his odyssey through the south-western United States and northern Mexico.

I love the game's open world, with deserts, canyons, plains, forests, swamplands, and mountains. Compared to open worlds like Just Cause or Elder Scrolls games, it's actually quite a small world but it feels big. There's plenty of activities ranging from picking flowers to chasing wanted criminals, along with a variety of random encounters as you travel around. Vehicles are simply horses, wagons, or trains, but there are some missions where you can ride in an automobile. There's a wide variety of characters, both good and bad, but as the game goes on they become more morally grey.

On top of that, there's a pretty good multiplayer mode where you can either play traditional deathmatch games or free-roam in the world with other players. There's even a co-op mission pack that's free to download.

I could rattle on for a lot longer, but I'll finish by saying that I'm really looking forward to Red Dead Redemption 2. It's such a shame that it's been delayed until next spring. Take your time, Rockstar. Make it worth the wait. Perhaps a re-release on the PS4 will help pave the way.

I'll probably disappear for a bit now. Maybe I'll post again if I can think of another top ten or franchise review. Happy writing.

Favourite Video Games #2 - Deus Ex

Every time somebody mentions Deus Ex, someone somewhere is re-installing it. This cyberpunk espionage game mixes first-person action with RPG elements to create a fantastic adventure that's been re-playable for seventeen years now. Seventeen years of wearing a trench coat and fighting conspiracies.

Taking place in a dystopian future, the world is being ravaged by a virus called The Grey Death. There's a vaccine, but it's in short supply and reserved for governments and corporations. With the collapse of social order, the United Nations Anti-Terrorist Coalition (UNATCO) is formed to deal with the rise of terrorist groups around the world. You assume the role of JC Denton, a UNATCO agent who has been given superhuman abilities through nanotechnology. His missions soon get him entangled in a conspiracy which has him questioning his loyalties.

While Deus Ex has a linear story, the gameplay allows you to complete your objectives through any means necessary, whether through stealth, open combat, or a mix. As stated above, there are strong RPG elements too, in which you can invest points into improving skills. For example, a higher level Computer skill allows you to hack computers and even reprogram security systems - shutting down cameras and ordering the automated gun turrets to attack your enemies rather than you.

I think Deus Ex may have been the first game I played which features moral choices as a core element. For example, you confront a terrorist ringleader, whom you have been ordered to eliminate. However, he surrenders and offers to share some important information when your ruthless partner shows up, leaving four choices:

1. Proceed with your objective.
2. Try to hear the leader out, at which point your partner kills him.
3. Leave, again prompting the partner to kill him.
4. Kill your partner, in order to listen to what the leader has to say.

I used this example to minimise spoilers. Some of the early decisions can impact the late-game, but I'll leave you to guess those.

I recommend the Steam version, as that one runs a lot more smoothly on newer computers. They even released a re-skin for the game's 15th anniversary.

Well, we're almost at the end now. And if you've discovered this blog at some point in the past year, you can probably guess what the top pick will be.

Favourite Video Games #3 - Super Mario World

What can be said about Mario? I've grown up playing most of his games, but I think my favourite has to be his debut on the Super Nintendo - Super Mario World.

Story-wise, it's business as usual for our working class hero. His royal love interest Princess Peach has been kidnapped by Bowser, and Mario must embark on a quest to Dinosaur Island to rescue her. Aiding him is Yoshi the dinosaur, who is trying to save his kin from Bowser's seven kids. What follows is an epic journey spanning a variety of locales, including forests, caverns, haunted houses, castles, and even "Chocolate Island".

I think the cover art sums up the game's best features: The cape and Yoshi. Don't tell Edna Mode this, but the cape can be acquired by obtaining a magic feather and it allows Mario to fly, providing that he can get a running start and he maintain his momentum. Meanwhile, Yoshi the dinosaur can be ridden and can eat enemies.

The game offers a wide variety of power-ups, fun challenge, a catchy soundtrack, and a vast map with branching paths and secrets aplenty. However, the game is notoriously difficult, albeit not as much as some games from that era. In fact, to this day, Super Mario World is the only Super Nintendo game that I've actually managed to beat, and even that wasn't 100% completion. In fact, this might be one of the first games to do that kind of thing.

I'd be amazed if my Super Nintendo still works, especially on my TV setup. But if the opportunity presents itself, I'd love to play it again with the original controller in all its glory.

Favourite Video Games #4 - Half-Life 2

I can't think of a first person shooter franchise that's better than the Half-Life series. Half Life was a brilliant and challenging game ahead of it's time, trying to tell a story without pulling you out of the gameplay. The second game continued that and surpassed it, but I'd like to talk about both.

In the first game, you assume the role of the voiceless theoretical physicist Dr Gordon Freeman, a research associate at the Black Mesa Research Facility. An investigation into a mysterious mineral causes a 'Resonance Cascade' which opens a portal between Earth and the alien world of Xen. Gordon is tasked with escaping the facility, navigating structural weaknesses and fighting off aliens from Xen while being monitored by the mysterious G-Man. However, things get complicated when the military take over the facility to deal with the alien threat - which also involves covering up the incident by eliminating anyone associated with the project. Gordon's mission soon changes to helping the Lambda team try and close the dimensional portal. For 1995, the game was innovative.

Anyway, Half Life 2 takes place twenty years later. The earth has been invaded by an alien empire known as The Combine. Gordon, who has spent the past two decades in temporal stasis, is pulled out to become a messianic revolutionary. The sequel features an all new physics engine to add more ingenious puzzles and sometimes allow you to use the environment to your advantage - with a special Gravity Gun to accomplish this. There was a lot of creativity, which was continued with the episodic follow-ups, but after a while the set pieces do tend to repeat themselves.

It's such a shame that Half-Life 2: Episode 2 has been on a cliffhanger for ten years now. While the action is repeating itself by this point, the story was beginning to get interesting. Another Half-Life to me is just as mystical and foreboding as winter is to the Starks.

Favourite Video Games #5 - Saint's Row 2

I've not played the original Saint's Row, but I've heard it's just a Grand Theft Auto clone. However, the sequel very much impressed me, taking a much more comedic tone.

In the first game, you assumed the role of an unnamed and completely customise-able protagonist who joins an up-and-coming gang called the Third Street Saints. He/she embarks on a series of missions to eliminate the other three major gangs of Stillwater, culminating in them assuming leadership of the Saints before falling victim to a yacht explosion. Anyway, Saint's Row 2 takes place five years later, in which The Boss (as you're now known) wakes up from a coma in a prison hospital with the help of fellow inmate Carlos. In the five years that have passed, the Saint's territory has been renovated by the Ultor Corporation, and other gangs have emerged and taken over the city.

I really enjoy the creative freedom you have with customising your character in this game. In fact, I love the complete freedom you get compared to the more linear Grand Theft Auto. All activities and shops are available from the beginning of the game, although I do think the respect system seems rather odd - you have to earn a certain amount of respect before you can do the next story mission. However, this isn't a serious issue, as the side missions are hilarious.  I think my favourite activity is 'Fuzz' - you have to help someone obtain footage for a police brutality lawsuit by dressing up as a police officer and taking part in a reality TV show called Fuzz.

There are sequels, but the only one I've played is Saint's Row: The Third. It's good, and even sillier than the second game, but I prefer Saint's Row 2 myself.

Oh, and my advise is to do the base-jumping mini-game as soon as possible. If you land on the car in the drop zone, you become immune to falling damage.

Favourite Video Games #6 - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I don't play as many RPGs as I do first person shooters or real time strategies. I guess I never really got the hang of the whole side-quests and levelling up side of things. However, that's not to say that don't play RPGs - I think one of my favourites is Bioware's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. It's a Star Wars game done right, a prequel done right, and an RPG done right (for my tastes anyway).

Knights of the Old Republic takes place four thousand years before any of the films, meaning a whole new cast of characters and a conflict between the Galactic Republic and a Sith Empire spearheaded by Darth Malak. The player assumes the role of an unnamed soldier/scout/scoundrel loyal to the Republic and their growing number of companions, who escapes from the Sith-controlled city world of Taris, learns the ways of the force on the lush planet Dantoonie, and ultimately embarks on a mission to find the 'Star Forge' believed to be the source of Malak's fleet. The game takes you on a variety of planets, including the desert world of Tatooine, the forested Kashyyk, the oceanic Manaan, and the volcanic Korriban.

The game is fairly linear, but each world offers a myriad of side quests. Speaking as a writer, I'd have to say that the main protagonist seems like a blank slate, but it's an RPG so that's expected. However, it's the other characters who make the game great. My favourites include Jolee Bindo, a grumpy old "grey" Jedi who has both Light Side and Dark Side Powers, and HK-47, an assassin droid who gets all the best lines.

I recommend the PC version over the console versions. Like many (but not all) the games on this list, it's available on Steam and doesn't cost much.

While the Star Wars games are a thing of the past, what with Disney's closure of LucasArts back in 2013 and the licensing in the hands of Electronic Arts, this one is a strong indication that the Force is still with us.

Favourite Video Games #7 - Evil Genius

John Milton once said "It is better to reign in Hell than to serve in Heaven" (I got that quote from a game further down the list). If there's anything I think personifies that thought, it's this tongue-in-cheek Sims-style spy thriller from the now-defunct Elixir Studios.

Evil Genius puts you in control of a 1960s Bond villain with a secret island base (complete with boiler-suited minions), with the simple goal of taking over the world (of course). Well, maybe not simple. You have to build and manage the numerous facilities in the lair and maintain a valid workforce, and carry out acts of infamy around the globe in order to build up your notoriety. On top of that, you have to conceal your activities from tourists who visit the island, and the Forces of Justice - five government intelligence agencies dedicated to fighting Nebulous Evil Organisations.

What I really enjoy about this game is the humour, which parodies a lot of spy thriller cliches. This includes having piranha tanks as one of the unlock-able traps. There's also the strange personalities of the named henchmen you can recruit to your cause - including the explosive-obsessed (but impractical) Red Ivan, or the ghetto mob boss Eli Barracuda. While your minions are pretty much expendable (providing you have the ability to train the higher level ones), the henchmen can be incapacitated but not killed. This is until you become notorious enough to attract the attention of the five Super-Agents from the exotic seductress Mariana Mamba to the suave playboy John Steele.

If there's anything I do have issues with, it's the lack of any sort of "open play" there's only one campaign, with three different masterminds to play it through. It's only a minor thing, but a lot of these management games usually have a sandbox mode where you can mess around. Nonetheless, the campaign's a great one - although the difficulty curve ramps up on the second island.

Oh yeah, I've heard there's a sequel in the works.

Favourite Video Games #8 - TimeSplitters 2

Time to shift to the first person shooter territory, with this classic from the GoldenEye 007 development team. I've not played the first TimeSplitters, as it was a PS2 exclusive and I had a GameCube, but TimeSplitters 2 very much impressed me.

In 2401, a race of aliens known as the TimeSplitters have waged war on humanity - pushing them to brink of extinction by taking their war into the past. We follow Sergeant Cortez as he seeks to recover the Time Crystals used by the TimeSplitters in order to turn the tables on them - a quest which takes him through history to recover them.

Each mission is relatively self-contained, with Cortez jumping into someone else (which has been compared to the series Quantum Leap, but I haven't seen that), and fulfilling different objectives in addition to recovering the Time Crystals. Settings include infiltrating a biological weapons facility beneath a Siberian dam in 1990 (a tribute to GoldenEye), an Untouchables-esque story in 1930s Chicago, and a Hammer Horror tribute set in 1890s Paris.

The GameCube version isn't online, but is great for local multiplayer games. This can be playing the story mode cooperatively, or head-to-head in the massive arcade multiplayer. You can unlock more maps, modes, and characters through story mode, the arcade league, or through challenges. There's even a map-making tool.

The follow-up game, TimeSplitters: Future Perfect, was more of a mixed bag. The campaign used a more over-arching story, and was a bit more comedic. It's still a great game, but I preferred the second one.

A lot of people want to see TimeSplitters 4. I don't know, myself. Everything was wrapped up quite nicely in Future Perfect. But I'd like to see these games on the current generation of consoles.

Oh, and there are monkeys. Everything's better with monkeys.

Favourite Video Games #9 - Age of Mythology

I grew up playing the Age of Empires series of real-time strategy games, but my favourite of them is definitely this Ray Harryhausen-inspired spin-off. Like its siblings, the game is about starting in a small village, gathering resources, building up an army, and crushing your opponents. While the other games in the series were based on historical settings, Age of Mythology takes place in more of a fantasy world based on Greek, Egyptian, and Norse Mythology.

The factions in Age of Mythology are more clear-cut from one another, so they all play a lot differently compared to the different factions in Age of Empires. Each culture has three different major gods, with different bonuses, and as you advance each age you choose to worship different minor gods who grant different technologies, mythical creatures and god powers. This divine intervention can range from boosting the output of farms or healing your troops to unleashing tornadoes and earthquakes on your enemies.

In addition to the random map skirmishes, the game features an epic campaign following the Atlantean mariner Arkantos. An ageing classical hero, he spends his days protecting Atlantis from pirate raids, but after leading an expeditionary force to Troy he finds himself on a journey which takes him across the world to foil the schemes of the cyclops Gargarensis.

While I'm here, I'd like to mention the expansion packs. The Titans, was released a year after the game's release. This introduces the Atlantean culture, which is less grounded in mythology. There is also a much shorter campaign taking place ten years after the first one, as Kastor, the Son of Arkantos, seeks to help establish a new Atlantis for his displaced people but unwittingly releases the imprisoned Titans who were deposed by the Greek gods.

The second expansion was released only last year: Tales of the Dragon, which introduces Chinese mythology to the game. There is a new campaign, but it's not really related to the other campaigns. At least, the scenarios I played weren't. It was quite buggy so I didn't get very far in.

Strategy games aren't everyone's thing, but if they are, I recommend this gem if you haven't got it already. There's even been a HD reboot on Steam. It hasn't added much, other than a zoom function, but it's kept the original game in all its glory.

Favourite Video Games #10 - Commandos 2: Men of Courage

First on my list is this squad-based stealth game from Spanish developer Pyro Studios. Based heavily on the works of Alistair MacLean (specifically The Guns of Navarone), Men of Courage follows a team of eight British Commandos during the Second World War as they carry out numerous missions behind enemy lines: a hand-to-hand expert, a frogman, a sniper, a driver, an explosives expert, a spy, a thief, and a seductress.

You have to make use of the team's different skills in order to fulfil the different objectives while trying to avoid direct combat. One of my favourite characters is the spy, who has the ability to walk around unmolested if he's wearing a uniform. And if he's wearing an officer's uniform, he can order guards to look the other way while the rest of the team sneaks past. It's what I like best: there's not always a clear solution to fulfilling the mission goals, and there's a lot of trial and error.

If there's any issue with the game, it's the notorious difficulty curve - even on the tutorials. I recommend having multiple saves when you carry out a mission. Nonetheless, once you get used to it, there is a fun challenge factor which provides excellent replay value. I'll be using that term a lot during this countdown, but I'd make the argument that it's why these games are my favourites.

The game is available on Steam for a pittance, and I do recommend that you buy it. If you have a headset with a mic, there's even a co-op mode in which the different players control different commandos.

Top Ten Favourite Video Games

According to Twitter, today is Video Games Day. I've got a bit of a backlog of stuff to play, and the writing's slow again. So, I figured that I'd do another Top Ten series about my favourite video games.

I've already done TV shows and films, and I think this should round things off. I'll have the first post later tonight.

A Society of All Work and No Play

Credit to Giphy

"Everyone's a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid." - Albert Einstein

It's September. Schools and universities have started again. Fortunately, I left school five years ago, but I'm still holding a grudge and I want to get this off my chest.

Education is one of the most invasive things in life. You go to school five days a week, spending around six hours sitting in dreary classrooms. And once you escape for the day, you get however many hours of homework in the evenings or the weekends. To top it off, there seem to be exams lingering around every corner - so there's always a need to revise. All to appease some faceless bureaucrats who are scarcely on the same page.

Back in January, I recall sitting in a restaurant where I picked up a conversation at another table (I'm a writer, so I eavesdrop). Some kid was being asked by her parents about revision for an exam. This kid was probably not even in secondary school yet, and was being given the January exams that were the bane of my life during my GCSEs and A Levels. Does anybody else think that's messed up? What parent wants their kids to be under so much pressure at that age?

To add insult to injury, you hardly use any of the stuff you have to study. For example, I did A Level Maths, which is full of calculus and trigonometry. Unless you're an engineer, what are the chances you're going to use any of that in later life? I've even heard that the "creative" GCSEs are being scrapped from the curriculum.

So, if school hasn't given you a nervous breakdown (or worse), what then? Go to university? No thanks. I'd had enough of exams by that point. The last thing I want is to deal with both that and debt. Besides, employers these days are more interested in experience than qualifications. I qualified as an accounting technician two years ago, and I have no interest in pursuing further education on that topic. And I certainly haven't used any calculus or trigonometry in that field. If you're lucky enough to get through the Catch-22 malarkey of needing experience to get experience, you're essentially made to become a machine - with only four weeks out of every year to escape.

So, I guess the bottom line is that "Learning is fun. Education isn't." I've probably learned more from research for my writing than from any classroom. I've previously spoken about my bitterness against "The Society of All Work and No Play" that we seem to be living in. I feel like I could convey this in my fiction. But full-time employment is numbing for a creative mind, so I guess I feel I have to discuss it more overtly.

I Should Be Writing Right Now

They certainly do

It's been one week since I've come back from Swanwick, and returning to work has brought with it the infamous "Post-Swanwick Blues" - sitting at a desk wishing I was writing.

I'm going to annoy a lot of writers by making use of the phrase "I'd love to write - if only I had the time." I know, if you don't have the time, you make the time. However, I'd like to lend my own perspective on that grating phrase. I think I've established that I'm a notorious procrastinator (what writer isn't?), but if I do start writing, I can keep the ideas flowing for a while in ideal conditions.

Since I'm not published or writing commercially, I have a job; I'm an accountant by trade. It seems like a nice idea; on top of the fact that I'm earning, it gives me some insight on how people interact, which can provide some material for my work. 

Unfortunately, it's not always ideal. My previous role was four days a week - having Fridays off was great for working on writing. However, I changed jobs at the beginning of the year, and this one's five days a week in a much busier role. So, I have to make time, but if I do manage to write in the evenings, I don't get any sleep. Time's one thing, but energy's another. The busier times of year can get very numbing, and I've found that if I go too long without writing much then I often start getting night terrors.

Well, let's look at it from the other side - if I don't have a job. Those times are great for catching up on lost sleep, but then I'm being pressured to find a job. I like to ignore the phone when I'm writing, because I find it difficult to get the words flowing if I'm interrupted. If I'm looking for a job, I'm expecting calls from people, so I'm doing less writing.

So, I think a compromise is needed. Perhaps a three or four-day working week to get some income and contact with human beings, with the other days to catch up on lost sleep and get some writing done. Until then, I have the feeling that the most writing I'll be doing is posting on this blog...and a bit of sneaky workplace Twitter.

Before I go, I'd like to thank Rayne Hall for giving me permission to use the image in this post. Her website can be found here: http://www.raynehall.com/

Swanwick 2017 - Thursday: Icebergs

Advanced Characterisation

I might be bold enough to say that they saved the best for last. Thursday's short course was a look at Advanced Characterisation with Simon Hall. The basic concept taught was that every character is an iceberg - hence the title of this blog post. The first session involved making a character based on this notion, beginning with what's above the surface: appearance, clothing and props, and mannerisms.

The second session continued this by going below the surface with a structure knows as "DEEPS". This consisted of Daily life, Emotional attachments, "Euchs" (Flaws in a hero, redeemable qualities in a villain), Past, and Secrets. As before, I was applying this to my protagonist in my current WIP, and I'm hoping to apply the same thing to the other characters.

As for the evening events, we had a semi-formal event on the lawn known as the Dregs Party. After dinner, there was the Swanwick Farewell. This included an awards ceremony for the Page to Stage performances (The Swannies), and in lieu of a pantomime this year, there was a sing-song. But the most important aspect is definitely John Lamont's famous Writer's Anthem. It wouldn't be a farewell without that.

Credit to The Writer's Circle

I'd like to close this series of posts by saying it was such a great pleasure to be back at Swanwick, and to thank them for such a wonderful experience. I look forward to returning in 2018 for the school's 70th anniversary.

Happy writing.

Swanwick 2017 - Wednesday: I Need a Hero

Heroes

We all love our heroes, don't we? Wednesday's short course for me was Steve Hartley's look at Heroes. I attended Steve's course on the Psychology of Characters last year, and this one could almost be considered a continuation of that course but from a place you easily pick up.

The first session looked at what type of hero a story can have. These could be a classic hero, an anti-hero, or an underdog hero. There was a group exercise with a list of heroes from fiction, with the task to distinguish what type of hero they were. Going through, we agreed on what traits the three hero types have, and where they can overlap - whether it's their motivations, flaws and failings, or their methods. The second session took a look at the Hero's journey, looking at whether or not the hero and the situation are ordinary or extraordinary. With that in mind, there was another group activity to make a hero.

Trying to apply what I learned to my work, I've realised that despite trying to create two distinct anti-heroes who I want to see getting into all kinds of adventures, I've realised that it's actually the female character who goes through the hero's journey. And before anyone mentions, I'd like to think that "hero" can be a gender-neutral term - unless it's romantic fiction, then you would have a "hero" and a "heroine". Terminology aside, I think a POV change might work to the story's advantage.

As for the evening events, Wednesday night is the night of the Page to Stage performances I discussed previously. However, I didn't attend, as I was joining a group of other writers for a "closed mic", where we could read out our work but to a significantly smaller audience.

Swanwick 2017 - Tuesday: Mindful Procrastination

Mindfulness for Writers

Tuesday is what Swanwick refers to as Procrastination Free Day - so they don't normally run courses. Last time I went, they ran a panel on writing crime fiction in the morning, with an intense group writing session you can sign up to. The afternoons are reserved for planning and rehearsing entries for the Page to Stage contests.

This time around, they didn't run the specialist courses, but they ran short courses in the morning sessions, and I opted to visit one titled Mindfulness for Writers, hosted by Zana Lamont. This discussed living in the moment, along with the types of thoughts, concepts of self-kindness and common humanity, and some sessions of meditation. There was also a free-form writing challenge involving dreams. Although we didn't share them in the session, me and a couple of other attendees read out what we wrote to each other - which was described as 'wholesome writing'.

The rest of the day was fairly quiet - just focused on writing, and maybe a film to get some inspiration. The evening entertainment this time was the busker's night. Some good performances mixed with a few (off-side) jokes. And before anybody asks: no, I didn't sing at that one. Sorry.

Swanwick 2017 - Monday: Cold Showers on Standby

Writing Intimate Scenes

My initial plan for the Monday had been to have the afternoon off in order to work on my writing. However, I later decided it might be a laugh to attend a course on Writing Intimate Scenes hosted by Liz Hurst. After all, one of my protagonists is the archetypal rake - perhaps I could pick up some interesting advice. I'm still young. Now's a good time as any.

The first session involved some basic tips about using the senses in such a scene, but there was plenty to laugh at too - discussing The Guardian's Bad Sex Awards and making a list of slang terms for...the members. No stuffy Victorian values here. This was followed after the break with a look at "alternative relationships" (i.e. not monogamous) and existing taboos. This culminated in a writing challenge in which a character is putting on a show for someone monitoring them via a hidden camera - with the rule that no nudity is permitted. The results were interesting and hilarious.

Anyway, one cold shower later, there was a busy evening ahead - a prose open mic night and a Wild West-themed fancy dress disco. Now, I'd signed up for the prose open mic with a performance piece I'd previously written for a "story cafe" at the Gladstone Pottery Museum in Stoke-on-Trent. This time around it was to an audience three times the size (dressed as a cowboy), but I'm told that I nailed it. I'd say the overall experience was like some advert I saw once. I think it was this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bJAhIwC_8M

Have Pen - Will Travel

I'm also told it was a pretty wild night, and that my line dancing needs some serious work.

Swanwick 2017 - Sunday: Finding a Voice

My Voice will Go With You

As I was looking through the Swanwick programme, I was lamenting the fact that all the short courses being taught on the Sunday sounded really interesting. Given that I lacked Hermione's Time Turner, I eventually settled on a course titled My Voice Will Go With You, hosted by Bridget Holding.

Advertised as philosophical and psychological, this course was looking at the concept of having a unique voice as an author. This included a look at how to make writing authentic, discussing the authors who inspire us, and what we are the most afraid of writing as a means to develop this voice.

Sitting through the course, I've been wondering if I could put my "voice" to paper. Well, first of all, I have a fondness for the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories of Fritz Leiber: Two fantasy heroes with a realistic chemistry between them, written to be closer to human nature than the other fantasy heroes of the time. But that's Fritz Leiber, so here's my voice: Growing up, I was often told that 17 is the age you're supposed to enjoy life. Unfortunately, this notion was dashed by doing A Levels - always an exam or coursework around the corner - and then immediately going into the world of work. So, not much time to "live" there. The kind of pressure from both, along with the seemingly "all work and no play" attitude they both convey has left me somewhat bitter, and I guess I wanted to convey this bitterness as a voice: A desire to be irresponsible, but acknowledging the destructive side of such a desire. And because I'm afraid of reality, I'll fit this in a swashbuckler series with two characters who convey both sides of the voice.

Anyway, that was Sunday's course. In the evening they had a poetry open mic night. I'm not a poet myself, but there was some really poignant verse being read out at this. Although I must admit that the main lounge does get quite stuffy after a while. Fortunately, the other evening events were moved to the main conference hall because of this.

Oh, while I'm still here, I'll mention that I didn't attend the speaker sessions after dinner. I tend not to because I find that the bar is a lot quieter then and I can get some decent writing done.

Swanwick 2017 - The Triumphant Return

It's good to be back

Well, it's August, so I once again took a trip to Derbyshire for the annual Swanwick Writers' Summer School. It was great to re-unite with the people I met last year while also making new friends. Although it has to be said that my current project may need a serious re-write.

An ideal work space

I'll say right now that I think I enjoyed Swanwick more this time around than the first time - feeling more emboldened to enjoy the experience more fully. With that in mind, I'm opting to give a day-by-day account of this year's trip - well, the short courses and the evening events.

While I'm here, I'll discuss the specialist course on writing popular fiction with Sue Moorcroft. I regard myself as a pulp writer, and figured that popular fiction is supposed to be the modern-day equivalent. Taught over the week in the morning sessions, this included pointers on the avenues of how a writer can get published, whether by traditional publishing, through an agent, or self-publishing. There were also discussions on the genres of popular fiction, how to plan a story, and even some editing techniques.

Writing Popular Fiction

Now, one of the big "popular fiction" genres seems to be romance. Given that my current project is a swashbuckler, a genre which often has a romantic element to them, I figured that I could use that particular project to work with what was being taught. Oh yeah, advanced warning: I'm going to be making references to this particular project, as I've been applying it to what I've been taught here. This is because I want it to be a long-term series, so I'm giving it my all - when I'm not procrastinating on here or on Twitter.

I'll be posting the other details of my week over the next few days, so I'll leave it here for now and see you soon.

Dawn of the Dead

I read last night that the legendary zombie film director George A. Romero has passed away. So, I thought I might spend a moment to look at one his best and most influential films: the 1978 cult classic, Dawn of the Dead.

The set up is this: the recently deceased are returning to life and attacking the living, and after three weeks society has collapsed. In Philadelphia, TV station staff members Stephen and Francine plan to steal the station's traffic helicopter and make their escape with police officers Roger and Peter. While stopping for supplies at a shopping mall, they eventually decide to stay and establish a stronghold to wait out the apocalypse - while indulging in their materialistic desires.

I think the opening scene is one of the most ingenious methods of exposition I've encountered in film. Taking place in the TV station where Francine and Stephen work, there are no zombies - just a futile attempt to keep things organised as everything descends into chaos. The zombies show up in the next scene as Roger and Peter are part of a police raid on a housing project - with some possible social commentary.

Both groups of characters soon realise that it's best to cut and run, but they are nonetheless sympathetic and you want to root for them. I think they work off each other really well - especially Roger and Peter as they hatch a plan to block the entrances to the mall using lorries from a nearby depot. I hope to make use of their dynamic as an influence on my own writing.

If you're interested, I recommend the American theatrical cut. While the European version is well-paced and focuses more on the action, they cut a lot out which helped the world-building.

So, rest in peace Mr Romero, and thanks for the great legacy you left on the popular culture. And if by some bizarre occurrence you do come back, we'll just head to The Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for all this to blow over. After all, we couldn't have done that without you.

Castlevania - The Series

I'm normally wary of TV shows and movies based on video games, but I did just finish watching the Castlevania series which premiered on Netflix this month - based specifically on the NES title, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse.

We open in Wallachia in 1455. Lisa, a young woman who aspires to be a doctor, travels to the castle of the reclusive Vlad Dracula Tepes to seek his advanced knowledge. Dracula, voiced by Graham McTavish, is intrigued by her courage and offers to teach her what he knows while she helps him regain his faith in humanity. Well, it's still a better love story than Twilight. Sorry, I couldn't resist making that.

Anyway, we flash forward twenty years and Lisa is burned at the stake as a witch. Dracula learns of this and warns the people that he will destroy everyone in Wallachia in a year's time. One year later, the archbishop laughs off this prophecy when karma comes to bite in the form of Dracula's demonic army which took a year to summon. The next three episodes follow Richard Armitage as Trevor Belmont, a jaded monster hunter from a disgraced noble family who's walking the earth. Soon, he ends up saving an old scholar from religious authorities and gains a companion in the form of the magic user Sypha Belnaldes, with the finale seeing them joined by Adrian "Alucard" Tepes, the half-human half-vampire son of Dracula who had opposed his father's plan.

There are only four episodes, and the first two are mostly just world-building. There seems to be a greater focus on opposing the region's corrupt church leadership than fighting monsters, but given the setting, I can kind of understand that - power corrupts, after all.

When the action does take off, it goes for gritty fight scenes rather than entertaining ones - the fights are shorter but more intense. The anime-inspired visuals do well to bring in the Gothic feeling which is reminiscent of the old Hammer Horrors. There's plenty of snarky dialogue, and I do quite like the way they made Dracula an almost sympathetic villain.

It's not the best series around, but it's better than I thought it would be, and it's kept me interested enough to want to see the next series.

But if there's anything I will deride, it's the lack of the music from the games. The score is orchestral, but there aren't any versions of Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, or Beginnings. Look for those online to hear what you're missing.

The Musketeers

Yeah, I'm procrastinating again. Between a dayjob and indulging my quarter-life crisis by grinding Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom, I'm also doing the occasional Netflix binge. And this time I've finished watching through The Musketeers, the BBC's adaptation of the novel by Alexandre Dumas. Well, I say it's an adaptation, but really it's a series of stories using the same characters and setting.

We follow Luke Pasqualino as d'Artagnan, a Gascon farm boy who travels to Paris and ends up seeking to join The Musketeers, an elite group of soldiers who protect and serve the childish King Louis XIII and his consort Anne of Austria, played respectively by Ryan Gage and Alexandra Dowling. d'Artagnan is taken under the wing of three of regiment's finest men: Athos, a nobleman with a shady past played by Tom Burke; Porthos, a boisterous carouser played by Howard Charles; and Aramis, a womanising yet deeply religious libertine played by Santiago Cabrera. The series follows the four as they go on numerous adventures while serving under Captain Treville, played by Hugo Speer.

The first series features Peter Capaldi as Cardinal Richelieu - an amoral high-ranking politician who schemes and plots for both his country and his own benefit. Capaldi's previous role had been Malcolm Tucker in The Thick of It, in which he plays an amoral high-ranking politician who schemes and plots for both his country and his own benefit. To the show's credit, Cardinal Tucker doesn't seek the throne for himself like in most adaptations. But he does seek to control it, and is ruthless to the core - often utilising his agent Milady de Winter, played by Mamie McCoy. However, a lot of the stories tend to have a villain of the week. After Capaldi left to work on Doctor Who, we get a new antagonist in the form of Marc Warren's more unpredictable Comte de Rochefort.

While there are a fair few dark moments, the series overall is your typical mindless swashbuckling with swordfights, romance, conspiracies etc. The drama isn't always great, but the chemistry between the main characters keeps me interested enough to watch through to the end. When you get down to it, all you really need is some action.

Yes, it's a little cliched, and it's odd that everyone in 17th Century France sounds like they're from Eastenders - yet anyone who isn't French speaks with their native accent (with the exception of one very Irish-sounding Italian priest).

All three seasons are available on Netflix at the time of writing, and I do recommend them to pass the time. It's all for fun and fun for all.

Favourite Films #1: Pulp Fiction

Quentin Tarantino has certainly established himself as a lover of violent cinema. I think this is his best work - an anthology of interconnected crime stories  with an ensemble cast.

The film opens with Tim Roth and Amanda Plummer as a pair of stick-up artists who elect to rob the diner they're having breakfast in, which is cut short by the credits. Following this, have Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta as Jules Winfield and Vincent Vega, two hitmen who are recovering a mysterious glowing briefcase for their boss, Marcellus Wallace, played by Ving Rhames. What follows are three main stories:

• Vincent Vega and Marcellus Wallace's Wife follows Vincent as he entertains the seductive Mia Wallace, played by Uma Thurman.
• The Gold Watch follows ageing boxer Butch Coolidge, played by Bruce Willis, as he is paid by Marcellus Wallace to take a dive in his upcoming fight.
• The Bonnie Situation returns the action to Jules and Vincent as they recover their glowing briefcase but end up in an...awkward position which requires the aid of the suave professional cleaner Winston Wolf, played by Harvey Keitel.

Jules and Vincent have a great dynamic, with a lot of punchy dialogue. A lot of their conversations seem rather casual, but come into play later in the film. Vincent is suave and charismatic, but it later transpires that he's not the most competent criminal mind due to being strung out on heroin all the time. The other characters serve the story equally well. There's an especially memorable scene with Christopher Walken as he visits a young Butch and presents him with a family heirloom. It's a touching story, but then takes a sudden turn that only someone like Christopher Walken could pull off.

Unusual running order aside, the film has engaging stories with memorable characters, great dialogue, and a really catchy soundtrack.

So, those are my top ten favourite films. Feel free to compare and contrast, and maybe I'll get some actual writing done in the meantime.

Favourite Films #2: The Big Lebowski

The works of the Coen Brothers are so weird they should be their own genre. I think my favourite of their films is this 1998 tribute to the mysteries of Raymond Chandler.

Jeff Bridges plays The Dude, an unemployed slacker who loves bowling, marijuana, and White Russian cocktails. A case of mistaken identity and a soiled rug leads him to a cantankerous wheelchair-bound millionaire played by David Huddleston who shares his birth name, Jeffrey Lebowski. Soon afterwards, he is caught up in a kidnapping plot and asked to secure the release of The Big Lebowski's trophy wife Bunny, played by Tara Reid - which is made complicated by the involvement of The Dude's short-tempered best friend Walter Sobchak, played by John Goodman.

I can't go into any more detail without spoiling it. What follows is a meandering journey with an array of wacky side characters - including The Dude and Walter's bowling rival Jesus Quintana, played by John Turturro. Sam Elliott plays The Stranger, who narrates the film but thinks it's a western. He even makes an appearance in the middle of it. But I think the most compelling character is The Dude himself. It's actually quite touching that he doesn't have much of a life, yet he's content with what he has.

The film is by and large a mystery, but there's some slapstick, a couple of surreal dream sequences, and some of the funniest lines delivered by a well-picked cast.

All I can really say is "The Dude abides."

Favourite Films #3: 12 Angry Men

Not all heroes need to be action heroes. At the time of writing, I've not served in a jury - but if I do, I'll be sure to have this movie on the mind.

That's basically the story: A jury deliberating on the guilt of a teenager from a slum who is on trial for the murder of his abusive father. It's apparent that all the jurors have already made up their minds about the defendant's guilt, with the exception of a lone dissenter played by Henry Fonda - who is unwilling to send a boy to his his death without taking the time to discuss it first. The rest of the film is about him trying to persuade the other jurors to have a reasonable doubt.

With the exception of the beginning and the end, the whole film takes place in real time within the confines of the jury room. The trial itself is not shown, but all the important details are mentioned during the deliberation.

The film's biggest strength is the characterisation of the jurors. Henry Fonda is well-mannered and displays a great deal of patience during his battle, and he is contrasted by Lee J. Cobb as the main antagonist - an emotional, short-tempered and disrespectful man who is obsessed with delivering a guilty verdict. Between them is a great array of characters - such as E.G. Marshall as one of the other main supporters of a guilty verdict but is driven by facts and logic rather than emotion. In another vein, we have Jack Warden as an obnoxious and indifferent juror who is more concerned about leaving quickly so he can attend a baseball game.

Every juror gets their moment to shine, providing an inspirational tale about constructive arguments and one who stands against many but slowly wins support.

Favourite Films #4: A Clockwork Orange

I'm not a fluent Russian speaker, but I did pick up a couple of words from this surreal and disturbing Stanley Kubrick classic based on the novel of the same by Anthony Burgess.

Taking place in a dystopian future, we follow Malcolm McDowell as Alex DeLarge, a sociopathic teenager with a fondness for classical music and ultra-violence. After being arrested for murder following a botched robbery, Alex eagerly volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy because it will reduce his 14-year prison sentence to just two weeks. Unfortunately, the treatment leaves him vulnerable to those who want revenge or seek to use him for political means.

They say that protagonists should be likeable, and if not likeable then compelling. Alex certainly isn't likeable, as his actions are reprehensible and his motivations are shocking; he doesn't go on his nightly crime sprees for money or any physical rewards, but because he loves to do wrong. So, how is he compelling? Well, it's intriguing that someone his age is doing all this horrible stuff, but also knowing how much he's enjoying it.

I might even dare to say that he's sympathetic post-treatment. That's the overarching theme of the movie; choice. Alex wasn't forced into the life of ultra-violence. He chose it. However, the treatment he receives would render him incapable of choice. That's the meaning of the title: an organic being incapable of making choices.

Characters aside, the bizarre visuals make a great setting, combined with the classical soundtrack. Put it together, and you get some real horrorshow cinema.