National Novel Writing Month 2016

So I'm sure a lot of people reading this (if anyone reads this that is XD) have heard of National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo as it's commonly abbreviated which is the aim to write a 50,000 word novel during the month of November. I've tried a few times, the site has me registered as a member for almost 7 years, but as for attempts I only have obvious evidence for 2013, 2015 and this year since they're the only ones that have been typed up.

In the past I've only owned a desktop computer so I've had to attempt to hand write my novel and then type it up to get an accurate word count. Needless to say that hasn't been an overwhelming success. In fact in 2013 I only achieved 8,365 and 2015 was even worse at 1,020. I don't think it helps that I usually 'pants' it aka flying by the seat of your pants aka writing whatever comes.

This year a few things changed. I had an unexpected tax refund. Well I say unexpected but I knew I'd paid too much tax a couple of years back and it was something I kept meaning to sort out but never got around to it and in the end the sent it before I got a chance. So I decided to spend some of it on something I'd wanted for ages to help with my writing - a laptop!
               
I got an Acer Aspire ES 15 since it was on offer at Argos (bigger hard drive than the one I'd originally picked). It can be sluggish if you have a lot of browser windows open for some reason. It doesn't bother me too much though. The first photo is it wearing it's lovely sticker from Amazon. The owl case in the second picture is also from Amazon - it has handles. :)

So back to NaNoWriMo the laptop made things much much faster and less hand crampy. I ended up having to miss a fair few days thanks to work, I just checked and it looks like I missed 7 days completely although there was also one day I only wrote 100 or so words so I'm not sure how much that counts LOL. Regarding work I have some awkward shifts like 2pm-7pm which when you get up doesn't give masses of time for writing nor when you get home. I also did about 4 or 5 Saturdays overtime over November all 2pm-6pm so again not masses of time. Really for me - a retail worker - October would be the better month for NaNoWriMo, although saying that I did do a lot of overtime in October this year including working every single day of the half-term week. Great fun.

So what was/is my novel about and how many words did I write in the end? The working title is 'Healing Hayden' but I don't know how well it fits because even though Hayden goes through the most trauma he's not the only character. The other main is his identical twin brother Jasper. Both have their secrets but while Jasper is generally happy with himself and just needs to figure out timing, Hayden is very unhappy with himself, not helped by bullying at school and later a serious assault. He does figure things out eventually but I'm not at that point yet. Currently he's in hospital following the assault. And as of last night my word count is 29,534 words. My aim was to get to the 30,000 mark but I was a little blocked and it was getting late so I called it a night.

Overall although I didn't make the 50,000 words I'm incredibly proud of myself because 29,534 is the most I've ever written for one story and I think it's a story with potential. My main worry regarding eventual publication would be the assault scene - it's pretty graphic... Eh, I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.

Stef Out xx

Mamma Mia at the Bristol Hippodrome

So last night mum and I went to see Mamma Mia at the Bristol Hippodrome. Tina, a woman at work was talking to someone about it and I overheard and she invited us along. It was tricky organising as she wanted the money for it ASAP. Luckily she was willing to wait until pay day a couple of weeks later. This was back in January or February, I can't remember now.

Originally Tina was going to give us a lift since although mum has a car she's not confident going somewhere like Bristol and she thought parking might be an issue. After a while she said she was going to have a full car and to get a lift with Jenny from work who was also going (and apparently lives near us) but when talking to her about the trip it was never brought up so we decided to get the bus since it stops right outside the Hippodrome. Eventually Jenny said she was getting the bus too and asked mum the times. Bullshit. It turned out Tina gave her a lift along with Margaret (also from work) and another woman we didn't know. A couple of other co-workers came separately (Sandra and her daughters Sherilyn and Sam and Sam's daughter).

The original plan was to meet in the pub at 7pm, mum and I got there just after (after walking down from the temporary bus stop - road works mean the bus stop right outside was unavailable) only to discover there were 2 pubs. We tried one and they weren't in there, the other it turned out was part of the Hippodrome and you can't enter without your tickets - which Tina had! Turning away from there we saw Margaret and the unknown woman, apparently they were running late and Tina was trying to find parking. Soon Sher, Sam etc turned up while Sandra parked their car. I think it was almost 20 minutes later when they finally showed and the tickets were handed out, mum and I were G13 (me) and G14 (her) which turned out to be great seats near the middle. After we had them me, mum, Jenny and Margaret nipped into the neighboring pub for a wee before we joined the queue to go in.

The layout of the Hippodrome could be a bit better, there wasn't much room between rows and the seats weren't over wide. They weren't the comfiest but they weren't the worst I've sat in either. The toilets when I went in the intermission were very awkwardly laid out too. Very narrow and the corner cubicle I was in was very small and awkward to get in. Not well-designed for the larger bodied or elderly. They could have done with more cubicles too judging by the queue - and that was with most people staying seated.

They show itself was fun. The same 2 or 3 sets gets a little boring after a while but I get that they're limited with what they can do. They did well to incorporate the scene re-arrangements into the show so that it wasn't to obtrusive. They changed some of the song orders compared to the film and added a couple in (particularly an odd scene relating to sleepwalking right after the intermission - I didn't recognise the song but Google tells me it was 'Under Attack'). There was an odd change for Bill. In the film he's Swedish Bill Anderson, on stage he's Australian Bill Austin. The guy who played Sam was very good, the one that played Harry was eerily close to Colin Firth. The guy that played Sky was a little weak in my opinion. Slightly oddly Sophie's friend Ali and Sky's friend Pepper ave done a race swap compared to the film.

Helpful links: http://www.mamma-mia.com/uk-tour/cast.php for the cast I saw and http://mrob.com/pub/music/mamma-mia.html for the basic plot and songs used and in what order.

In the intermission before going to the loo I decided to pop downstairs and check out the merchandise. The stuff was kind of pricey: posters and books £10, magnets £5, pens £3.50. I decided to buy this bag charm, it was £10 but it seemed the thing most worth the price to me. Pictured with my Charlie Bone and Last Dragon Chronicles books XD.

The show finished at about 10pm. For the last few songs after the bows, Mamma Mia, Dancing Queen and Waterloo, people were stood dancing, it was great fun and a great atmosphere. Then mum and I had to walk along to @Bristol to catch the bus home. It was about a 15 minute wait and then when we got home silly here pressed the bell a stop too early so we had further to walk home. Oops. Might be partly why my ankle hurts today. Once we got in it was about 11:30pm but as neither of us were tired mum had the mad suggestion of putting the film on XD so after all that it was about 1:40am this morning by the time we got to bed, luckily neither of us had to get up. Normally I'd be at work for 2pm (and still there now) but I had a shift change to Saturday so that's all good.

Getting To Know Me

Stolen from Natatree at XL as Life :)

Are you named after someone?

Not really but since my mum realised actress Stefanie Powers had the same spelling then she likes to say her. My middle name Marie came from her Italian school-friend Maria :)

When was the last time you cried?

When watching a TV programme on footage people have shot with their mobile phones etc and there was this really sweet video of this guy proposing to his girlfriend using all their friends dancing and miming to Bruno Mars' 'Marry You'

Do you have kids?

No. Never. Fur-babies only.

Do you have a guilty pleasure?

Cheesy pop music (Abba, Busted, S Club 7, Steps etc), shoes, bags.

Do you like handwriting?

Yes. I am a notebook obsessive! I should hand-write more, I need to work my stamina back up so my hand doesn't cramp up so much.

What is your favourite cereal?

Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes and Crunchy Nut Cornflakes. I'm also on a bit of a muesli kick right now. Had to customise it though. I bought two boxes of Dorset Cereals Nutty Muesli, removed the dates (they're icky, what were they doing there in the first place?) and added a bunch of walnuts and flaked almonds. I've also added hazelnuts but I haven't eaten any since I put them in. Hopefully I won't need to take them back out.

What is the first thing you notice about people?

Clothes, shoes and then eyes.

What colour are your eyes?

Blue grey green. They seem to change.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Both.

Favourite TV show?

Grey's Anatomy if I had to pick one but I'll refer you back to this post http://bulletproof-scarecrow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/blogtober-day-18-favourite-tv-programmes.html for more. The broken image is Sleepy Hollow which along with Under the Dome I've since stopped watching and Witches of East End was cancelled. >.<

Summer or Winter?

I like to think Winter but actually I think I slightly prefer Summer and the clothing freedom it gives you. Not that we usually get much of a Summer in the UK though XD

Hugs or Kisses?

Hugs with permission. Kisses if you are very special.

What’s the furthest you’ve been from home?

Not very. I live in North Somerset and the furthest I've been is 89 miles down to Weymouth in Dorset.

Do you have special talents?

I can draw a bit.

Where were you born?

Bristol, England.

What are your hobbies?

Reading, writing, drawing, the internet, animals.

Do you have any pets?

I have a cat named Tigger.

Favourite movie?

Like Nat Labyrinth is a big favourite. I did a post here http://bulletproof-scarecrow.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/blogtober-day-17-late-your-favourite.html but it's expanded since then for sure. I could probably do a top 10 of Disney alone XD

What colour is your car?

My mum's car is silver. I don't know how to drive yet but hope to learn this year.

What did you want to be when you growing up?

It's always been an author consistently. Other careers I've debated have been horse riding instructor, kennel staff, medical examiner, forensic scientist, vet, vet nurse. I've discarded most of them because of studying costs. For a medical examiner for example you need to go through the full 7 years of medical school.

How are you feeling right now?

Also like Nat tired. Went to sleep too late and then a weird dream woke me up which is odd because I never dream. Or if I do I don't remember. My mum was in a hospital with a massive hernia and the doctor was going through all of the complications and risk of death stuff and it freaked me out. :(

Share 3 facts about yourself

1. I have never been on a proper date.
2. The smell of a food can instantly put me off eating it.
3. I used to be ambidextrous when I was young until a primary school teacher forced me into using my right hand.

Feel free to fill this out for yourself :)

I Spit on Your Grave Film Review 1978

Content Warning: Rape

For those who are not aware I Spit on Your Grave is a 1978 low budget rape revenge horror film that was originally titled Day of the Woman. My mum had mentioned a few years back that she had watched it once and it came up in conversation at work that there was a recent remake (2010). Ever since then we kept talking about getting both versions and comparing them.

Finding the older version was tricky but through Amazon reviews I discovered the German edition with the original title and the man on the cover - see below - was the original uncut version. The version that was released in the UK was apparently quite heavily edited and made the consequences seem over the top.

So for those who don't know the story fiction writer Jennifer Hills rents a waterside cottage in the countryside in order to write her first novel. Unfortunately she attracts a gang of local men's attentions. They kidnap her to be the first sexual experience for their mentally disabled friend. He refuses, later agreeing but not finishing, and the other 3 then rape her vaginally, anally and one a bit later orally while also assaulting her with a wine bottle. The disabled one is ordered to kill her but doesn't and she later exacts her revenge killing them each in turn.

The length of the film is short 110 minutes but it feels like it could be cut a little. Not much happens at the start of the film, Jennifer spends periods sitting writing or at her typewriter, not overly interesting scenes to watch. The rape scenes are horrible in their brutality but the motions of the male actors are very odd to watch, with one almost rocking from side to side. The low budget is evident in the revenge scenes where the blood is way too bright a red and when she kills the one man the scene obviously cuts to a separately filmed stand-in scene using what looks like a pig in place of the body.

I imagine in it's time it was a shockingly brutal and graphic film but in 2016 as someone who is a big fan of the Saw franchise it seems quite tame. I will be watching the 2010 version soon in order to give a comparison and see what modern viewing habits have done to the story and action.

Rating 2/5

New Years Resolutions 2016

So I thought I'd post my list of resolutions here just so I've got a digital record. Dunno why, just thought I would. :)

Personal/Appearance

1. Get my right ear re-pierced
2. Get my septum pierced
3. Get my ears pierced at least once more
4. Start stretching my ears (once healed)
5. Get an industrial piercing
6. Get my cover-up tattoo
7. Dye my hair purple
8. Dye my hair with henna
9. Lose at least 2 stone - more like 1
10. Refine/establish my personal style

Finance Related

1. Learn to drive
2. Get a dog (preferably a Borzoi)
3. Buy a laptop
4. Buy an iPod Classic
5. Get Netflix
6. Upgrade the car - battery changed
7. Buy a new camera
8. See Mamma Mia on stage
9. Get Amazon Prime
10. Buy a new phone

General Goals/Aims

1. Read at least 100 books
2. Read A Song of Ice and Fire series
3. Watch at least 100 films
4. Discover 2 new shows
5. Discover 2 new bands/singers
6. Blog at least once a month
7. Do more book reviews
8. Improve my equine art
9. Improve my human art
10. Learn to draw dogs
11. Learn to draw cats
12. Draw a self portrait
13. Finish the first draft of my novel
14. Go on a date

Naturally some of these are more achievable than others. For example the 100 books and films. My challenge history on Goodreads has me at over 100 every year but one where it looks like I didn't set a challenge. In 2013 I even read 213 although it looks like it was a year for short books like my Animal Ark collection (which I did finally let go of last year, at 25 I guess I'm a little older than the target market).

Go on a date seems unlikely but I still wanted to add it. Upgrade the car currently means fix it since the battery appears to have died so depending how things go that may count as that goal being completed.

Oddly things as easy as getting pierced seem to slip furthest down the list. Get my septum pierced has been on my resolutions list since at least 2013 (can't be arsed to check my older diaries) yet I still haven't got round to it. Mum may be tricky regarding the stretching. She's fine with me punching a ton of holes in my ears (almost encourages it) but she hates stretched ears that you can see through. Luckily I wasn't planning on going that big, an 8 or 6 maybe and the only reason I'd actually wear tunnels is so I can still wear my other dangly earrings, unless I just wear them in the next hole up.

Also while it does say about losing weight up there it's not my highest priority. I do want to lose some and I know I need to - my blood pressure has been up my last two nurses visits and while it may be stress related (old awful job the first, starting a new job on Christmas the second and cuffs/machines not working both times) it may also be weight related since I have put some back on. I don't want to be taken of contraception I know works thanks to weight (that happened before at my old surgery). And also I want to wear nicer clothes. I want to fit into Joe Browns main range and all the cool Gothy brands I see around. I want to find the right stuff to be able to wear Dark Mori without looking like I'm wearing a sack. I'm not doing any diets or anything. I'm just walking to and from work and I hope to set up a swimming membership at some point. Possibly around March. Finances should be more free by then. I have a list of books as long as my arm for January and hopefully a laptop for novelling in February. Course it all depends on how much I get and how much mum needs for household stuff.

Pre-Update Update.

I will do a proper update maybe Monday with New Year's Resolutions etc but for now I thought I'd do a quick bullet pointed list of recent stuff:

• Bought some skinny jeans from Simply Be - the Lucy's - they fit perfect.
• Bought a basic black satchel from Zatchels - full review to come when I can be arsed to take photos.
• Changed job at the tail-end of November - I've now been at Sainsbury's for 5 weeks. It's a much better atmosphere, the full story will come in a separate post.
• My aunt blackmailed us into taking on another cat. His name is Tigger and he's a 9 year old tabby.
• I finally got my provisional license last year, now for driving lessons... Eventually.
• I failed my 2015 Goodreads book goal. I only did 125 of 150. I did beat my resolutions goal of at least 100 though. This year because of some longer books in my goals both are 100.
• I currently have a horrendous cold and I almost lost my voice.