Pumpkin Pie

With the dawning of halloween comes the usual stream of messages on facebook proclaiming costumes, drinking and generally good times.

The downside to this is, of course, the supposed evil undertones. Until I grew out of it I was prevented, by my parents, from partaking in halloween activities of any sort. Supposedly halloween was the work of the devil, and they didn't want me celebrating it. As far as I can see, if it brings people together does it really matter where it came from? Times change. Scary movies come out all year round not just on halloween. That said, I wouldn't want the children I may have in the future going trick-or-treating simply because I wouldn't want them on the streets at night, no matter how safe I thought our neighbourhood was.

Television is going halloween crazy too; there was always The Simpsons, sure, but even Glee has gone a bit crazy. Though the slaughter of the Rocky Horror Picture Show isn't really halloweenie, I mean that musical is popular at any time of year. I really am going to have to go and see it when it next rolls into town.

Guild wars is also celebrating halloween with an ever more accessible quest chain making the gain of sweet points, party points and drunken minutes all the more available and the market for such items flourish. With the quest chain currently set at three quests long and only the middle one a bother, halloween has become profitable for normal players and not just the elite and farmers out there.

The new costumes have also been added to Guild Wars, for a small fee you can dress up as the court members of The Lunatic Court (presumably the court of Mad King himself) or the fallen angels of Grenth. I must say, along with being highly dyeable and very slutty, they are also rather fun to run around in. The Lunatic set comes with three pieces: a flaming pumpkin head, a dress and a headless version of the dress. Running around as a headless monk was a strange feeling.

The return of Mad King Thorn is to be looked forward to as it is every year, with his pumpkin head and apparently new and lively sayings and games and jokes. He's also a symbol of new hats, and I hope, much better ones than last year. A witches hat of some kind would be what I'd like, but I won't hold my breath. But at least this year's celebration won't give us all a feeling of deja vu.

Enjoy it readers.

Yet More... Addiction

Yes, dear readers the monster of addiction has reappeared into my immediate life once again. It was self inflicted, I shall admit that, because I have recently purchased season six of Desperate Housewives. I know that upon this revelation half of you at least will sigh with exasperation. Obviously you judge this television show as rubbish. But have you ever watched it? Really? More than one episode? If not then how can you judge.

It's the same with films. Something is labelled in a certain genre and you won't go near it. Whatever! I mean there are more films out there right? But if you want knowledge of the world, of life, then everything has some value and in order to claim to have experienced life you need to have experienced whatever it has to offer. Or, at the very least, taken in as much as you can.

Anyway. The recent addition of this box set to my collection has whetted my appetite for it, and now that I've started watching them I don't plan to stop until the series is finished. The writing of the episodes is just as good as always, and the gripping plots and hilarious black comedy brings me to laugh, and loudly too, which is something I don't do all that much when I'm alone. With only six episodes left, and still only a limited idea of what will happen, I find myself ever gripped. My uni work, thankfully, isn't pressing at the moment, so I am finding enough time. I plan to watch the rest tomorrow and then work on uni stuff on Thursday and Friday of this week.

Other than this the count-down is on for Mark's visit to me on my birthday. With pretty-much all the creases ironed flat planwise, I find myself wishing the time would go quicker. I have actually been wishing that since his visit in September, but now that it's getting colder I find myself thinking of it more and more. To say the least I'm looking forward to having him in my arms again. I could easily become addicted to having him around.

My last year at uni is also going well so far, with one of my creative pieces already written and two more in the process, it's really just the critical pieces that need work, and they're the easier ones. There's plenty of time left to do them all too, the earliest due date is in two weeks time and all the rest are spread near the end of November and beginning of December.

That's it for now. Have fun readers.

Turning to Winter

As nights start to turn colder here, my mind turns to the joys and jollity of late autumn and winter and what all of that has to bring. This year should be especially fun and, with the next two months playing host to two separate trips from my beloved Mark, looks to be one of the best winters yet. Before the fun starts, of course, there needs to be work put in, some of which I am glad to say I have started and even if I haven't written a word it is guaranteed that I'm thinking about it.

Hayley seems to be getting on better this year too. She's mindful of the work she must do, which is a great improvement already, and she's started to panic over a week before the hand in, instead of the previous years in which she kind of panicked from forty-eight hours before and tried to get it done just a handful of hours before it was in leaving no time for editing and such.

I've also had the first of my FYP tutorials. It went well, although a last minute change of plans on what I was going to do has nullified the two-thousand plus words I wrote over the summer. Still, it's not all bad. All I'm required to do is one-thousand words every two weeks, which considering my writing history should be quite easy, and send it to him in advance of our sessions. I've already written part of it, and part of my meta-fiction piece, which is turning out to be very fun, yet challenging, to write.

As well as all these things there is still my birthday to look forward to. That's right people, in just over a month the great Faithzles will be turning twenty-two and into what I hope to be a great year, hopefully the best yet. A fun filled time is assured as Mark turns up the day before, arms brimming with long awaited hugs and lips spilling kisses. Mmmmm. And then on the day comes a trip to the market followed by the long awaited Harry Potter film and food of some kind. It's set to be a great day. But the day I'm actually looking forward to more will be the day after when I have Mark all to myself for the entire day.

The frost has started to form already, though it is only the end of October we have already had at least two. With the temperature dropping the Guinea pigs will soon need to come in, and our plans this year are to give them part of the aviary that my dad has just redeveloped. They'll be on concrete, which will help wear their claws down, and have loads of space all the time with a sleeping area filled with warm cosy hay and plenty of places to hide in. They'll be warmer in there too with a heater that kicks in if it hits too low a temperature.

All in all, winter looks bright if cold. But the cold is all the better for snuggling up with dreamtime tea and a duvet and that special someone.

Consequences and Chocolate Brownies

When I was younger, my friends and I used to play a game called Consequences with basically included a piece of paper each, a pen each and a hefty amount of imagination. The idea was to write down a boys name and then fold the paper over so that the name couldn't be seen and pass it on. The next person would write a girls name and do the same. The pieces of paper would travel around the circle and each time the next person would add another detail in the following order: a boy's name, a girl's name, where they met, what the boy said, what the girl said, and what happened in the end. Of course, with so many different people in the circle you could get the strangest things coming out; celebrities meeting people in the room, murders, rampant sex. You name it, it was in there. I recall one particularly vivid occasion with an octopus...

We were thinking today, in meta-fictions about the idea of shared authorship and how it helps to dispel the writer's "control-freakery". I am beginning to realise just how little control I will have over my own work when it leaves and flies into the world of literature. It'll be picked apart by people. They'll see and seek out meanings that I never intended. They'll read it in a light that I think vile. They'll comment that my characters are boring, without motive. And what will I be able to do? Nothing, that's what. Who would I be to tell them how to feel in the first place?

This, of course, is a scary prospect for any writer. Letting go of one's work is a bit like seeing a child off to school for the first time, deep down you know they're ready, but you're not sure people will be nice to them, you want them to make friends and become educated, but that's not always the case, and you know it.

All this called for chocolate brownies. That, and a rather large headache that had been growing out of my suddenly onset cold, prompted a chocolate brownie. I thought it would make me feel better, I mean sugar should've helped, seeing as I had skipped lunch due to lecture placement. But it didn't really. I guess this is just one more argument for eating healthily instead of compulsively. Still, that icing on top was worth it. Delicious.

Everyday Equations

Sometimes in instant message conversations I like to throw in a small equation in a word based format (if you have no idea what I mean I'll show you in a moment). These tend to make the conversation more light-hearted along with putting the point across. I guess you could argue that in that way they are a form of rhetoric as it can be pleasing and persuading at the same time. Get your friend to laugh and they're more likely to see your point.

Some examples (off the top of my head):

Hayley + Dino hat = Awesome
Therefore: Dino hat - Awesome = Hayley
and Hayley - Awesome = Dino hat


Monk - Infuse = Fail
Therefore: Monk + Fail = Infuse
and Infuse + Fail = Monk


Lion x Penguin = Lenguin
Therefore: Lenguin / Lion = Penguin
and Lenguin / Penguin = Lion


I realise, dear readers, that these are complete nonsense, that they mean nothing in the world of mathematics or indeed any other world. But I wonder what would happen if they did. I'm sure nonsense poetry has been written about more nonsensical stuff. I'm sure that stories have been based on less fact. So what if there were actually a world where things that people wrote down became true. What if taking the awesome out of Hayley produced a Dino hat? Well I guess there wouldn't be much awesome in Hayley anymore.

I love throwing random ideas about like this, because this is the real place that stories come from. Authors pretend they see things, or they base their stories in fact, but the best ones are the ones that begin with the question what if? Usually followed by something so absurd that the people around them give them looks like they're mad.

In reality everything comes from those who think what if? What if we could fly in a machine? What if we could land on the moon? What if we didn't have to farm?

Hmmm... what if...?

Communication Issues?

Over the last few years I've played agony aunt to quite a few people, listening to everything from home, relationship, and work related disasters to technological and writing crises; but one thing that always jumps out at me, especially with relationship issues, is the lack of communication that some people have in their relationships. Over time it just seems to deteriorate. It leads me to praying that Mark and I can always communicate as we should as a couple. But it's more than that really: communication summons images of telling the other person your innermost feelings. What most people in these relationships forget however is that not only do the concerns need to be told, they also need to be heard.

Without delving too deeply into the past, one of the major reasons that Alex and I broke up was because he refused to hear me when I told him how I felt. And time and again I have seen this happen.

Think about this: you, as an individual, demand that your needs be met, your partner listens and hears what you say, but then refuses to meet your demands. Well why? I mean they're your partner right? They should try their best to fulfil what you need right? Well, ask yourself this, are you listening to them? How long has it been since you asked them what they need in the relationship? Because if they're not giving you what you need, perhaps you're also lacking in that department. Not to say you're doing so on purpose, perhaps you're distracted by work, or maybe it's the kids, or your gaming thoughts. But still, if you're not meeting their needs, how can you expect them to meet yours?

I don't pretend to be an expert, but in my years in relationships I have learnt many things, and one of them is that they should be fair, and if they're not then there's something wrong. People's needs are ever-changing. In ten years this person you fell in love with may want kids, they may want a different job, whatever, and the question you need to ask yourself is: what I can to help provide them with something that can push them into where they want to be? Can I help them fulfil their passion? If so how? And am I willing?

The reverse must also be asked of course. Especially when placing value on a relationship: Are they willing to help me if I need them to? Because if they're not listening to your needs you can try and tell them as much as you like, but they may ignore you forever. And believe me, if they have the capacity to ignore you now, they can and will (happily) do it forever. If you can make them listen, so much the better, but if not, perhaps it's time to re-evaluate where you are with where you want to be.

Just a thought.

Ecto Jam = Delicious

Once again I am on the hunt for ectos in guild wars. Once again I am hunting them for chaos gloves, but this time for my Monk. After all, she's my main character now, she should have all the same perks that Maive does. Plus chaos gloves look damn awesome.

I'm around a third of the way there, taking it slower this time, but still making headway. The new guild wars 2 hall of monument's calculator is helping immensely. With the release of this device, the price of cloths of the brotherhood has sky-rocketed to 15k each. Today I sold 5. Yes readers, that is a lot of money. And it all went on ectos. 9 to be exact. But all this ecto hunting does have a downside, one which I am determined not to repeat from last time: obsession. Last time I became obsessed with ecto count. I dreamed of ectos at night, schemed about how many I could get the next day, for almost three weeks I didn't stop thinking about them. And then, once the chaos gloves were finally purchased I began to come down from my obsession. For a couple of months afterwards, the thought of setting foot in underworld was absolutely revolting to me. At the time we made jokes about how I could make ecto jam with the amount of them I had. After I got the gloves we made jokes about how Maive's hands were covered in Smite kidneys. I was proud of my accomplishment, it was a great sense of achievement, but just don't mention underworld.

Now, I find myself heading back there to get another set. Am I mad? Probably. I am trying my hardest not to turn this into a time trial. But I can't help thinking about ectos. I swear, if Hayley had my drive she'd already have her set of obsidian armour. I think the only thing that could stop me would be a gift of the remaining ones, though perhaps I would not accept them anyway.

Still with the promise of ecto jam all over my hands once again, how can I say no to collecting them?

Other than this I have the Hayley on Wednesday night. Fun and epic noms are planned, and possibly pancakes in the morning. This also means that Tuesday will need to be spent tidying my room.

Hopefully by then I will also have my newest electrical wonder arriving, as well as the reading list for this semester, or the majority of it at least. Until these days arrive, however, I am reduced to drinking this coffee and wondering how to produce fifty more ectos out of thin air.

Later readers.

The Inspiration Factory

Recently (and by recently here I mean this morning) I have decided that Stumbleupon really is the greatest invention ever for a web browser. Set your preferences and away you go. This morning it stumbled me to a site that told me that Keanu Reaves is immortal, which obviously made me laugh. But it also pushed my "Inspiration Factory" into overdrive. What would someone who was immortal actually do? What would they think? Would they still crave never-ending knowledge? These questions, of course, start my mind making storied, weaving them out of curiosity. I guess that's what most writers do after all. The thing is that for there to be a story there has to be an incident that would be considered out of the ordinary.

With me, out of the ordinary is something that means so out of the way of the character that it is considered unbelievable. I suppose this could be why I tend to write fantasy, because a car crash just doesn't seem like enough. Anyone can crash a car, but who can step through a mirror? Who can fall through the floor and end up in a completely different world?

Still, I wouldn't make the assumption that anything but fantasy was boring, because I'll read almost anything, but my own characters need something extra special to be tested to their zenith.

At the moment there are several stories itching to get themselves on paper. As yet though I'm not ready to start writing them. Soon, though, soon. My head is floating on several other projects at the same time, all of the creative ilk, all trying to take preference.

I'm also working for chaos gloves for my monk at the same time, although that's mainly when I have the drive to do so or when Mark is online. Of course I am slightly dreading when we start playing Starcraft two together, I don't want my monk skills to become dulled, I don't want Mark or I to get addicted, I don't want to neglect my Uni work. Yet here I am, neglecting everything at once because I'm just inspired from everywhere at once.

The Inspiration Factory seems to be going haywire and the longing to sit and do nothing is blowing everything out of proportion and becoming the one thing I must do. Oh well, I'll get there.

Other than that there's just the router in my immediate thoughts. It's not playing up much, perhaps a little slow, but it seems to be getting used to the load I'll put it under. Still, I would dearly love to cable this entire house so that we could go on the Internet with no problems at all, without even needing the wireless. I could do it to, if I had the tools. I'm not sure my dad or mum would agree. But once I move out I think I'll give up with this wireless bullshit and just wire everything in, I have enough skill to make the cables anyway.

That's it for now readers.

Routers

Today started well enough, a walk to Uni, in the rain that wasn't really rain. Meeting Hayley. Walking to Uni. And then, when we had arrived, not actually going to lectures, but deciding to go and do some shopping in Winchester instead. It was after arriving home that the melodrama started.

The router just didn't want to play ball. None of the computers would connect to it. After trying everything I could think of, I decided enough was enough and started to set up a new router. This worked fine, for around an hour it was perfect, and then, for no reason other than it seemed to feel like it, it too threw a hissy-fit and stopped working. Again, I tried all I could think of, and again it was no use. I then devoured one router after the next. At the beginning of this afternoon we had a pile of four spare "working" routers. Now we have got to the last one.

Let's hope it holds out.

In other news, my dislike for the taste of cheddar cheese seems to have vanished as I bought a piece today. Granted this particular piece of cheddar also has pieces of sun-dried tomatoes and spring onion in it; a truely delicious combination, it's almost like eating a pizza with extra onion. I also got the ever famous white stilton with apricot cheese, and my parent's got some more brie (which will likely be gone before the weekend). I treated myself to a platter of cheese and crackers, and was halfway through the sampling when the above mentioned disaster struck.

That's all for tonight I think my dear readers.
Enjoy your evenings.

Distracting Your Reader

One of my modules this year is entitled "Creative Vigilance: Fictions and Meta-Fictions". Now, I hear that question that rushes to your lips and flails on your tongue; what is a meta-fiction? Well that's a fiction where the reader is kept within no doubt that they are reading a novel or short story. When I say this of course, you'll reply that you know you're reading a book... but do you really? Isn't it true that getting lost in a book is a form of escapism? Isn't it true that once you get past the first paragraph you should be stood inside the setting? Those are no longer words, this is no longer a page, this is your reality, however brief it may be.

A meta-fiction is a piece of writing that periodically brings you back to the reality that you are, in fact, reading a book, making it nearly impossible to get lost in the places. You are now wondering what use this would have to writers, I mean surely the sole purpose of fiction is to leave the world behind? Right? Isn't that what you're being taught Faith, in your writing course? Well yes. But as with everything, this skill has it's place. A break in rhythm is often needed, and even if it isn't, perhaps it can be useful.

Think of it, you've just come past one of those scenes, a heart-wrenching scene, one that makes you want to cry, if you're not already in tears. Part of you wants to shut to book and never go back, part of you wants to keep reading forever, holding onto some vain hope that it might be a dream, that it never really happened to that character. Now you come across a single line:

"And now you sit, in your arm chair or on your bed, or in this train carriage, and you are sad about the character that has just died, and you want to put the book down, and you want to keep reading. Is there a happy ending? You ask me, the writer."

Sure, it breaks the rhythm by taking you out, but perhaps it also inspires thoughts in you. It could intrigue the reader to read further, it could stop the reader putting the book down. Is there a happy ending? Only you can find out.

Writers often set themselves as the narrator in books, but rarely do they step in, play with the characters directly. Why? Because it's distracting. But still, pauses are needed in reading so that the observer can take in all that has happened so far, the brain needs time to put the pieces together. This speed reading bullshit only gives part of the story. To get the whole one must read and re-read, slowly every time. Taking in each word, wondering about it's place in the story. Of course, this is just my opinion.

The purpose of this module, as stipulated last week, is not to produce award winning, earth-shaking art, but to rock the foundations of writing that we have learnt. We have learnt to write, this is true, but by knocking down all that we have collected we can pick up the pieces and look at them anew. Test the boundaries. Fulfill our true potential, or at least get the key to doing so. Because at the moment it's buried under all that 'knowledge' that has been imparted on us. We may become successful as we are, but pushing us could make us into the type of writers that make new rules and challenge the old ones.

That's all for now readers.