The Complete Write-Off: November 2013

Dave Weaver: Jacey's Kingdom Talk at Hertford Writers' Circle W...: I shall be giving a talk to Hertford Writers' Circle about my new YA-crossover fantasy novel Jacey's Kingdom next Wednesday 13th Nov...

Flotsum + Jetsum

Movie Moan: 'The Tourist' (ITV Monday 4th March)
A ridiculous plot with a silly twist that makes no sense just like much of the script, which must have been written on the back of a fag packet in the limo on the way to the first meeting with the Money. A strangely doll-like Angelina Jolie (British? yeah right) is being followed by French and British cops hoping she'll lead them to her British con-artist accountant boyfriend. He has a messenger deliver her instructions (she know's she's being staked out by Le Fuzz) to go to Venice to meet him but pick out and get off with a random guy who has his height and build (crucial) so they'll think it's him and get thrown off the scent. Even though the cops need to know her destination for the 'sting' (crucial!) Ange calmly let's the note be virtualy destroyed by a waiter. She then pick's up Johnny Depp (tatty Yank math's teacher) on a packed train. Does she make an excuse ('oh this bloody luggage is so heavy...') so he'll stand up for her to check his height (crucial) ? No. They go to Venice together, she put's him in her swanky hotel, he gallantly sleeps on the couch but next morning she's disappeared and he's being threatened by her boyfriend's gangster bosses' henchman. She tries to make him leave (she's a bit in luve with JD by now) but he comes back to protect her because he's a bit in luve with typical Brit Ange, they go on the run together but... yada yada yada. Then (without spoiling it too much) there's a twist at the end that you'll only buy if the writers had bothered a little (ok a lot) more with that script in the limo. Especially the set-up at the start; she didn't check his height on the train, did she, or his build? And she wasn't secretly hypnotised to pick a specific person; she just chose Johnny because... well because he was Johnny. Watch it just to go 'wtf...?' at the final denouement.
Then scratch your head one more time, just like I did.
http://movies.about.com/od/thetourist/fr/the-tourist-review.htm
http://blog.moviefone.com/2010/12/10/the-tourist-review/

This week's Writing Tip: don’t have too many characters.
If you have a limited word count you also have a limited amount of space and time to characterise a person, and every character needs a clear picture painted of them. So as not to have to cut back on the characterisation include only those people who are really essential to the story. A good choice would be no more than four characters in a short story, and only two if the story is less than 1500 words.

Not that old one again... Sci-Fi cliches that make you wince.
* Post-cataclysmic rag-tag armies struggle to kick the Rooskies out of the good ol' US of A.
* Post-cataclysmic rag-tag armies struggle to survive against gangs of bandits, mutants, cyberpunks, bikers, etc.
* The rag-tag rebel army/fleet struggles valiantly to overthrow the Evil Empire.
* The Good Guys travel through time to stop a historical Bad Guy, usually Hitler.
* The Bad Guy travels through time to kill the Hero in his childhood, or to prevent him from ever being born.

The Complete Write-Off

Hi, this is a weekly blog for people who like to write stuff, and read stuff other's have written.
Simple as that.
It will be showcasing some of the different authors I know and some I don't, with a short biography and extract from their work. There will be the occasional writing tip (not necessarily from me so don't worry) and a little about current trends in competitions, publishing and marketing, plus the general flotsum and jetsum of the writer's life.
Hopefully you'll find some of this useful, or at least interesting. If you like this blog please help me publicise it by 'following'.
If you'd like me to feature yourself and your work in the future please drop me a line: daveweaver99@hotmail.co.uk
Cheers for now!

Monday, 11 November 2013

Dave Weaver: Jacey's Kingdom Talk at Hertford Writers' Circle W...