'Never Underestimate The Daylight'

Editor's Note: I found this post sat in my drafts from absolutely months ago, and couldn't remember why I hadn't posted it. I feel it is still relevant as it describes the rediscovery of an old scene which I was able to breathe new life into. Enjoy.

I have a story, and stories are good.

I was listening to Circa Survive’s ‘Get Out’, reflecting on the interesting fact that many of Anthony Green’s lyrics seem to be about writing, or use it as a metaphor. Anyway, I decided that these four walls were doing me no good and decided to do as Anthony Green suggested and ‘Never underestimate the daylight.’ I picked up my laptop and transferred to The Last Word Cafe on Newland Avenue (best cafe in the world because of it’s simple honesty, local spirit and shelves upon shelves of books). Ironically, by the time I settled down the daylight had begun to recede.

Typing away, and I look up to see an old classmate walk in. I think his name is Daniel, but I forget. Seeing him reminded me of one class excercise we had to do; we had to take a character and write about them either in an environment that fitted them perfectly, or an environment in which they stuck out like a sore thumb. I decided to use Lauren, and to merge the two. This was about the time I was trying to get to know Lauren a bit better, and still figuring out the complicated relationship between her and Ryan. I wrote about her in her art class, where everyone else was dossing or vaguely working, and she was working intensely. But I did it from Ryan’s perspective, looking through the window with Joe.

The reason that ?Daniel? reminded me of it was because when I read out my little scene, he had really liked it and asked me all sorts of questions about Ryan and Lauren. He asked what happened between them? I said I didn’t really know yet (lies), but he said he really wanted to know. I was pleased with that because, well, that’s what a writer wants to hear. I realise, thinking back, that I forgot to smile at him in Last Word yesterday. You see, sometimes when I’m writing, I find it very easy to forget that I’m a real, physical entity that other people can actually see, and not just some fly on the wall observing. So, sorry Daniel.

I realised that it would fit perfectly just after the scene I was editing at the time, when Joe and Ryan have just made up. Otherwise I would have completely forgotten about the scene altogether. All thanks to Anthony Green’s writing about writing.

The End.

I'm sat in Last Word again, which is practically empty and nice and quiet, just to emphasise my super-nerdy text alert (CTU ringtone from 24) and my wonderfully screamy ringtone (Numb by Envy On The Coast) which always makes everybody else jump but me. I love it. 

EN: My current ringtone is 'Caves' by Chiodos. Have a listen. It's even better for making people jump. I'm so cruel. 

The Book Thief, Green and Sugar Rush

I said that I would post a short review on The Book Thief, and realise I haven't yet. So here it is. I know quite a lot of you have said that you've read it, so I'd like to hear what you thought too.

The story is set in Nazi Germany and is, quite appropriately, narrated by Death. That was what drew me to it; as a basic concept, it is intriguing. It gives a kind of sombre focus to the story and holds onto the expectancy of tragedy. It almost prepares the reader in this way. We follow the story of a little girl, Leisel Meminger, and how she came to live on Himmel Street with her foster parents. 

Liesel is a well written and well developed character who constantly made my heart melt with love of her or the tragedy of her story. We follow her as she develops her love of books and learns to read, and as she builds strong relationships with those around her. We see how she copes with the heartache she has witnessed, far too much for a girl of her age, and how she pushes on against the backdrop of war and death.

It is a touching and tragic story, and well worth the read.

This has been sat in my drafts for weeks, so I thought I ought to post it as it is rather than pretend I'm going to have time to write more about it. I really enjoyed the book, and it is the only one for a while that has made me genuinely cry.

I am now reading the fourth installment of Ted Dekker's Circle series, and I'm not overly impressed by it, I have to say. It's getting readable, and I'm interested in what's happening to some of the new characters, but I've just read about two or three chapters of quite disturbing gore that culminated in a bit of a shrug that I didn't really understand. I just don't really get where this story is going. 

It seems to me so far that this is an unnecessary addition to what I felt was a wonderfully told and perfectly rounded trilogy that left you wanting more. The thing with that is, it doesn't necessarily mean that producing more is a good idea. And I am rather disappointed. 

In case you were wondering, The Circle is series that combines thrilling action-adventure with fantasy as the hero, Thomas Hunter, finds himself travelling between two different worlds when he falls asleep. He never quite knows which world is real. He works out that a terrorist threat at present in one world is the ancient history of the other, and thus derives that he has the power to stop it from happening. Of course, it is not that simple. The three books contain many beautiful analogies for Christianity and much symbolism in their representation of Good and Evil, and I'd definitely recommend them to you all, if you haven;t read them already. 

I suppose it is unfair to judge Green before I have finished it, so I will let you know what I think when I have finished it. 

In writing news, I have found myself at a brick wall with the novel. I'm fairly disillusioned from it at the moment, and I'm worried that I have lost enthusiasm for it. I have begun to think that it just isn't any good. 

So, instead of attempting to hurl myself at this brick wall and sustaining painful injuries, I have decided to hold off for a while. I have been looking back over a short I wrote last year called 'Sugar Rush', and editing parts of it from the feedback I have been given. I'm thinking about entering it into Writer's Forum soon. 

The story is essentially a cautionary tale for young girls, though it set out as something entirely different. I'm reasonably happy with the way it's going, and I will keep you updated. There is a link to the story on the left panel, so if you fancy reading it, I'd really appreciate hearing what you think of the first draft. Thanks :)

Anyway, thanks for reading.