Category Archives: April A-Z Challenge
F is for… (#atozchallenge)
F is for…
Films (and TV) (and Facebook)
A short post today – brief and to the point (as if with the master waffler) – lots of questions for you though.
As much as I love reading I don’t do as much of it as perhaps I should because of watching films and television. To me though I see this as an essential part of learning my craft as a writer (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it). I don’t seem to go to the cinema as much anymore now I have Sky+ and the Movie Package and an extensive DVD collection. My biggest problem is that there is just too much to watch. American series are almost like a mini movie each week and I have to admit to watching and enjoying more US series to UK shows.
What I’ve enjoyed recently
UK Shows – Being Human (and the spin off episode Becoming Human), Hex
US Shows (too many too list really) – The Big C is very well written and acted, Castle, Bones etc etc etc.
Films – Just received the DVD of Life as we Know It (which I thought was pretty much perfect), How to Train Your Dragon, The Blindside.
Films I plan to see in the cinema this year
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (Squeeeee) and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Part 1). Also wondering if anyone wants to join me for Orange Wednesday on April 20th for a double feature of Red Riding Hood and Scream 4 (I went to see Scream on my own and it was one of the first DVDs I bought)?
On Book Adaptations
I know some people that, if they’ve loved the book, they simply refuse to watch the film. I usually want to see it filmed and do sometimes get annoyed that ‘it’s not like the book’ but as I’m getting more into screenwriting I am starting to realise that they are separate entities. (Still no excuse to move Hagrid’s hut from one place to another between films people or for the long boring stood on top of the tree bits of Twilight, imo). I think I’m learning things like the importance of elements other than dialogue and the need to start with action rather than exposition and back-story, techniques that will apply to fiction as well as screenplay writing.
I was given Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere for my Slingink Secret Santa book in 2009 and ordered the DVD of the TV series. I was actually quite disappointed in this and really think it deserves a film adaptation.
There is a series of children’s books that I think needs a tv series adaptation but I’m keeping that a secret for now!
Selected screenplays I own
Good Will Hunting
Pulp Fiction
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Random episodes of Buffy, Angel and Charmed
Sad or because I have a bad memory?
I keep all of my cinema tickets and the first few films I remember seeing in the cinema are The Little Mermaid, Kuffs and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (I also remember paying under £2 rather than over £7 for a ticket).
I also spend too much time on Facebook (and Twitter) and I’m toying with the idea of a Kirsty Stanley (Writer) Page on Facebook. I’ve actually set one up but not shared it yet because I’m still in that, ‘Can I call myself a writer’ phase (I do have a few seconds where I say you can call yourself anything you want).
What are your favourite films and TV series?
Which do you prefer, UK or US Shows or ones another country?
What are the earliest films you remember seeing at the cinema?
What film do you look forward to seeing in the cinema this year?
What book would you like to see filmed, as a film or a series?
What do you learn from watching Films as opposed to reading books?
Writers with Facebook Pages, when did you feel ready to release yourself as a Page?
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E is for… (#atozchallenge)
E is for…
E
By e I don’t mean the mathematical constant (whatever that is) or e=mc2
I mean e for electronic, as in e-learning, e-CPD, e-portfolio, e-books and so on.
One of the big debates of the moment is about e-books and whether they are helping publishing and writers. As an administrator of an online Writing Community I can say that the emergence of e-publishing has made it pretty easy (and cheap) for me to publish competition anthologies and a magazine for http://www.slingink.com. I have done this through http://www.lulu.com. The only real financial layout I have had is in ordering the proof copies of the print books so that they can be distributed though other retailers. The books can be made available as a PDF download or individual customers can make a print on demand order all managed through lulu. They’ve also just contacted me to say they are putting the books forward to become available through iBooks (a word of caution you do have to have some, or get some, technical knowledge of PDF formats to create an uploadable file).
Of course it’s the Amazon Kindle that really seems to be driving the e-book market forward and allowing authors to self-publish their material and in some cases make more money doing this than they would through traditional publishing. The name that springs to mind is Amanda Hocking and you can read her recent blog post about her switching back to traditional publishing here.
When I have something decent written I may well turn to Kindle myself too.
My C post was on CPD and one of the things I have been investigating over the last few years at work is finding an e-portfolio tool that will support my students (and myself) to maintain our CPD and share elements of it with potential employers, our registering body and others. In fact my presentation at last year’s College of Occupational Therapists Annual Conference was on this topic. One of the biggest findings that arose from an audit I completed was that current practice was still very much paper based and I think this is a factor that is preventing e-portfolios taking hold once students leave university. I think I’ll leave this topic here today and post in more detail at a later date. The search continues…
I am a huge supporter of e-learning and by this I mean using online technologies to support learning. As an Open University alumni I have been an e-learner myself, distance learning using the Firstclass forums. The OUs OpenLearn initiative to share free learning resources means that everyone with access to a computer can get a flavour of a range of subjects. In my professional life it is e-learning and developing online resources that inspires me and I have used Facebook, podcasts, blogs, wikis, e-portfolios to name but a few to, hopefully, enhance the learning experience of my students.
Despite my love of all things e, I think there is a place for traditional means and methods too.
I have a kindle but I am not planning on selling any of my books anytime soon and as my B post demonstrates I love Books (weirdly enough a second hand smoky smelling, liquid book arrived through the post (which had been described as in Good condition) – I am sending it back and debating buying the kindle version instead.
I still have to buy albums in CD format (though I will download singles) and films and TV shows have to contribute to my DVD collection.
At one of the sessions at the e-portfolio conference I attended in Birmingham recently, the speaker discussed having given students a choice of how to gather evidence for a portfolio, scrapbooking was a more popular option than e-portfolios.
As good as e-learning can be there are some things that can only be taught face to face. I particularly enjoy one to one or small group sessions where I can really get a flavour of what students have learnt.
A few questions for you:
What have your experiences of e-learning be? In what situations would e-learning be the best method to learn and in what situations would other methods be better?
Has anyone used an e-portfolio? What type? What were your experiences? OTs, if there was a readily accessible e-portfolio system available for you to use, would you? Why/Why not?
Writers what do you think of the e-book versus traditional publishing route?
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D is for… (#atozchallenge)
D is for…
Domestic Abuse
I recently sat in on a third year health students’ presentation about domestic abuse and in this they shared with their audience a number of resources that stayed with me and that I would like to share. Please be warned the video below may be distressing and is not suitable for young children and the poem had me in tears.
This is a subject I have chosen to write about a couple of times myself in the past (not thankfully inspired by events in my life though I am aware of people I know having been in this situation). I share with you four pages from my poetry book.
Domestic Abuse is not always as obvious as the examples above or always to do with physical violence. Abuse can be emotional, sexual, financial, or related to social isolation. It’s not just women that it affects, it can affect men too, and children, even if they aren’t the target, may be aware it is happening.
If you are in this situation I know it is not easy to leave but please seek support and try to tell one person that you trust. Don’t forget in an emergency situation to dial 999.
Some useful links may be:
Relate – the relationship people for relationship counselling
Samaritans for a listening ear and non-judgemental advice
Men’s Advice Line for men in abusive relationships
Refuge for women and children
And more can be found on the BBC Health Domestic Violence page.
Be safe and try to remember that nobody deserves to be abused.
kirstyes 