Almost Didn’t Write Today

I was going to write an article about blockchain technology, I really was. The subject interests me, and Mondays are when I write about stuff I like that isn’t a theme. Then, I decided not to. Oh I am going to write that article, just not today.

Truth be told, I almost didn’t write this post at all. I don’t feel motivated, even right this second. I’m looking at the words I’ve written, and I’m thinking, “why am I bothering?” I know people are reading the things I post even if they don’t respond in the comments – a good friend of mine contacted me via messenger about one of my recent posts so, that’s not the issue.

There are times when I just don’t feel like doing anything, and there’s not a concrete reason for it. I just can’t seem to want to is all. I’m guessing it ties in with my depression though some have posited it could be a mental condition related to committing myself to doing something. I know there are things I need to do, but I find it hard to actually begin doing them. Once I get going though, I’m good to go.

So, why am I writing this post? It seems this is one of those times where I made myself do something and now, I’m okay with doing it.

I’ve also read, from many different sources, a writer should write something every day, doesn’t matter what it is, even a grocery list. This is my grocery list.

I seriously doubt I am alone in this issue I have about wanting to do something yet not wanting to at the same time, of having to make myself do something and once begun, getting into it and being happy I did it. If I am, write me off as being a weirdo and keep reading to see what I write next.

If you have issues like mine, or maybe something akin to it, feel free to comment. I read all the comments, and I reply to them – as long as they’re not sales pitches or something crude. I’ve had that happen to me which is why I approve all comments before they publish, or try to.

Still, I’m sorry to say my ennui remains even after this post so, I’m going to end this and go back to watching old episodes of Heroes. I never saw it when it was on television.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

The Spruce Crafts – The Basics

The posts I write or share on Fridays are usually about crocheting, and I decided to share The Spruce Crafts Beginner’s series. I have been using patterns and tutorials from this site for years, and I love it. They keep their pages clean and easy to navigate without a ton of clutter. This makes it a great deal easier to use and enjoy. I think you’ll find the entire site to be fun, but here’s the beginner’s series link:

Crochet Basics

Let me know what you think and if you have any sites you think would be helpful to share.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

Maximum Ride – Movie Review

Released in 2016 by Paramount Pictures and now available on Amazon. Films stars Allie Marie Evans as Max, Patrick Johnson as Fang, Lyliana Wray as Angel, Gavin Lewis as Gazzy, Tetona Jackson as Nudge, Zayne Emory as Iggy, and Luke Gregory Crosby as Ari.

This movie is supposed to be based on a series of books about a group of human/avian hybrids created in a lab who were removed from the lab when they were all very little and are now trying to make their way in the world without being captured and returned to the lab.

Right off the bat, the film differed from the book. Max has breasts. She’s not supposed to have breasts as she oviparous, and in the book she has a breast bone, not breasts. All they had to do was bind the actress or give her some to wear to cover it up. It’s not a small issue – it’s part of the Max character.

Iggy is blind, but he’s not skinny like he is in the book. He’s built. He makes for nice eye candy for the younger generation, but he doesn’t fit the character. His thinness is talked about in the series to some extent and while it’s not a health/performance issue, it does add to the fact he’s a bird person.

The rest of the cast is pretty decent though I don’t remember Gazzy being so into bombs.

A major thing is none of them have visible wings!! In the books, their wings are on the outside, part of their skeleton! They can’t pull them in, and Iggy actually wears an overcoat(missing in the movie) to cover his. This last part might be a misremembrance on my part – please correct me if I’m wrong. I am not wrong about them never pulling their wings into their bodies or having weird slits in their backs for their wings to come out of.

What made me stop watching not even a third way through the film was when Max’s wings emerged. They were tiny!!! Not only than, they weren’t even proper wings! In the book series, the wings are huge with the kids’ having around a 6 foot wingspan each! On the younger kids this is most likely smaller, but the older ones would have wings this size. The fact these wings were so ridiculous and unrealistic was a slap in the face, I think.

The fight scene that followed right after was sheer stupidity with the stop action I couldn’t watch a second more. Yes, it was 2016, but we had some kick ass movies come out that year:

Captain America: Civil War
Rogue One
Deadpool

That’s just three, but they all had great fight scenes! Paramount should be ashamed of themselves for turning a great series into a crap film.

I don’t recommend watching this movie. Read the books by James Patterson instead, you’ll like them a great deal more. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it, I’d never tell you what to do. I can only offer my opinion. Check out the movie, and the books, if you like and please, if you do, feel free to share. I’d love to hear what you think.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice — James Harringtons Creative Work

Okay, so it looks like I’m still getting a lot of publishing questions. These are recurrent questions I get on a regular basis, and while I want to try to respond to everyone who reaches out to me, I don’t want my blog becoming redundant. So I think I’m going to repost this on a […]
The Ins and Outs of Publishing, A Directory of Advice. #Writing #Author #Advice — James Harringtons Creative Work

I’ve been enjoying Mr. Harrington’s posts for some time now, and I did get at least one of his books – just need to find time to read it now.

I’m sharing the above blog post on my Writing Wednesday because it’s about writing. If you like what he has to say please, let him know. We all appreciate feedback.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

YouTubeTuesday: Cindy Bee

I am not a quilter per se, but when I saw this video, I had to share! Cindy Bee has a fantastic array of videos all about quilting, and many are as simple as this one:

I am planning to try this out as soon as I have some time!! My project list is getting LONNNGGG!!!

Check out Cindy Bee and if you like what you see, Like, Subscribe and leave a comment! If you don’t like it, let her know as well. Feedback is gold to us makers and creators!

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!

Personal Update – June 2021

I apologize for not posting anything last week – I went on a surprise mini getaway with my gentleman friend, and we didn’t have internet where we were. We were too busy enjoying ourselves for me to even think about posting to be honest. Still, I’m back, and I’m starting the week off with an update for this month. 🙂

Also, I am nearly to 300 total followers – this is counting everyone from WordPress and social media – I just need 5 more people to hit the milestone! Once this happens, I’ll do a random drawing and send the winner a signed copy of Crimson Knight!

MSAL

This is the block for May. It’s a much simpler design than the first two. I’ve already completed June’s block, but I’ll show it to you next month. If you’re also doing this Mystery Sampler Stitch A Long hosted by Linen and Threads please, feel free to share your work! I’d love to see what you’ve done!

Health

I currently weigh close to 200 pounds(that’s 14 stone, 4 lb and 90.72 kg), and I’m only 5ft1. My Body Mass Index(BMI) is 37.8 and is classed as Obese for people in my height range. I should weigh between 98 and 132 with a BMI of between 18 and 24.9. At my age, obesity can become life threatening.

So, I’ve decided to make a major lifestyle change. Well, not really major as I already eat pretty healthy. I have cut out sugar except what comes naturally in my food, same with salt, and I drink carbonated drinks about once a month. I am cutting out loaf bread and changing over to flatbread. I am going to be eating mainly polyphenol rich foods and add more protein to my diet. I am changing the way I cook – what recipes I use mostly. I want to eat more Mediterranean style recipes. My ancestors come from there, and they all lived really long healthy lives.

I plan to live to be 100 years of age so I need to get started on eating properly and shedding a great deal of this weight so I can reach this goal.

In addition to being overweight, I am entering menopause, and this is bring it’s own issues with it. I am actively looking for a natural estrogen replacement to help with the symptoms of this phase of my life. The thing I hate most is the added depression. I already suffer from chronic depression and now, I’m having to deal with depression brought on by a hormone imbalance. Craziness.

Hogwarts Blanket Project

I’ve been making mini blankets for my friend Chantal to put into her 1;12 scale Hogwarts Common Rooms when she gets them built. I have to completely finished:

For those of you who are fans of the world of Harry Potter, can you tell me which houses these two belong in? I have completed the body of the third blanket, and I’ve started on the body of the fourth. Once it’s done, I’ll do the edging on both of them. They’ll be off to Western Australia as soon as possible after that.

Writing

I’m still working on getting Golden Knave’s second draft on the computer. I can’t sit for long periods of time or my back and neck begin to scream giving me a major headache so, I have to pace myself. It’s not easy.

Still, it’s coming along, and I’ll be able to send it out to Beta readers as soon as it’s all on the computer.

Book Ends Project

I don’t have any pictures of this yet. I am making two book ends in the Lord of the Rings theme as suggested by my son, Joe, I am doing the left book end right now, and it features a scene from The Prancing Pony Inn. I am doing my best to be true to the scene, but it 1/2 scale it’s hard. I am a beginner in this too so it’s not going to be like the pros. I am making it for my own use so while I am going to share pictures when I’m done, I’m not going to be doing any changes. The right bookend doesn’t quite have a scene chosen for it yet – I have some ideas but nothing definite yet.

And that’s it for this month. I can’t think of anything else I want to share with you at this time. Feel free to comment on anything you’ve read here but be mindful of others. I am not easily offended, but someone else might be.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

Shop Titans – Game Review

I actually play this on my PC on the Steam platform. I had played it on my phone, but it’s much easier to play on PC. This game is also FREE.

This is a game where you basically:

Make things to sell from blueprints
Decorate your shop to bring in more customers
Recruit Heroes and Champions to go on quests to bring back items to create with. Things like Silver Powder and Glowshrooms
Upgrade your suppliers’ buildings to get your materials faster
You get a pet to help with charming your customers so you can get them to pay more for items.
You level up your blueprints to make more and more expensive and powerful items
You outfit your Heroes and Champions with things you make and buy from in game characters.

The game is very laid back, and you have no time limits to make things. There are guilds, I’m in one, and they give you perks like

Help you level up by completing bounties
Bounties give you items from Grab Bags once you get 100 guild coins
Leveling up buildings in the city is done by everyone and not just you
You get help with upgrading furniture in the shop
You can buy/trade with other members

I’ve been a member of the guild I’m in: Bastionhold for a month now, and I enjoy it a great deal. There’s no pressure to do anything, but I do because it helps me as well as the guild.

Gameplay is super easy, and leveling doesn’t slow down until you get around level 30. I’m at level 41 myself, and I’m the highest ranked – right now.

I really like how I can play and do very well without having to spend any money. The game does offer things for money and has three special suppliers in town you can only get if you buy them. They aren’t necessary to the game however – they simply add to it. I also like how on the PC, you don’t get all the ads like you do on the Mobile App. That gets annoying after a while.

I recommend this game to everyone who wants something laid back and easy to play. If you want to join my guild, I’ll be happy to have you! As always, don’t take my word for it – check out the game yourself. It’s on Steam and from the Google Play store for sure – there may be other places to find it as well, but I don’t know them myself.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver.

Genre: Horror

When writing first began, it was mostly poetry. Epic poetry like Beowulf and the like. It has evolved over the past millennia since man began to write things down for entertainment. Writing had been used for keeping records and such before someone decided to write down the very first poem just for the fun of it.

As writing advanced, the novel was eventually born. The first proper novel was a romance novel written by a man(go figure) and thus, the genre called Romance was born. This was shortly followed by its polar opposite, Horror. The first proper Horror novel was The Castle of Otranto written by Horace Walpole in 1765.

It was actually termed Gothic because it was based largely in the medieval period, but it was actually a merger of medievalism and terror. Since people in the Medieval period were so superstitious, there was a great deal to be said about fear and the supernatural. Walpole capitalized on this to create a novel that influenced later Horror writers such as Matthew Gregory Lewis(1796, The Monk) and Anne Radcliffe(1794, The Mysteries of Udolpho). Both of those writers would have profound impacts of the likes of Lord Byron and both Shelleys as well as much later writers.

The Horror genre used to be a single genre, but it has evolved along with writing and writers. It used to be a single genre with everything even remotely scary placed under its umbrella however, that’s changed. As writers found more and more ways to scare, and the movies came into being which further developed the genre, Horror sprouted sub-genres:

Gothic -the eldest of all and related to medievalism and the supernatural with death, undeath and love mixed into the equation

Examples: The Castle of Otranto and Frankenstein

Paranormal – related mainly to ghost stories and some supernatural elements

Examples: It and The Exorcist

Non-Supernatural – relates to things that scare us but not of the supernatural sort – stuff made from nightmares

Examples: Misery and The Silence of the Lambs

Body Horror – I found this one by doing some research, and it’s about the mutilation/disfigurement of the body. Think zombies and the like.

Examples: The Walking Dead and The Troop

Splatterpunk – relates to gore and violence, really disturbing stuff

Examples: Seeing Red and In the Miso Soup

Erotic aka Dark Erotica – this is where the vampire novels go

Examples: Danse Macabre and The Vampire Lestat

There may be some more I have yet to come across in my research, the world of horror is becoming pigeonholed as more and more labels are added. Give me a good scary story, and I won’t call it more than horror. 🙂

I actually call the book I’m writing, The Inbetween, a supernatural thriller simply because it’s really not scary. It has supernatural elements, but I’m not out to scare anyone. So you see, sub genres can sprout up at any time.

Hope you enjoyed this basic overview of the genre called Horror.

See you on the flipside and don’t forget your towel and sonic screwdriver!!

YouTube Tuesday: Manilature

I just found this fantastic channel, and I just had to share! I’m more into the dark and the gothic, but Hannah has done some incredible work with her little rooms! She’s been on YT for almost a year now, I think, and she’s been very busy! There’s plenty to look at with a wide variety of cute rooms!

Just check out the video below to see what I mean!