Joe Danger Touch! Review and Update

Posted on February 24, 2013 by fakedtales

On the D+Pad Magazine site, I have my first ever iOS review for Joe Danger Touch!

This is late news, but I completely forgot to link to the review. Soon on D+Pad there will be my initial views on the PS4 show last week, along with those of the other journalists on that site.

 

In other news, I’ve started proofreading Play Dead. I’m not instantly disgusted and hateful of it, so that’s good. I’d say how far through, but I forgot to put page numbers on the proofreading copy. I’ll sort that out soon, too.

I have a tumblr at fakedtales.tumblr.com and Explosion High! has a currently empty one at explosionhigh.tumblr.com. In unrelated news I don’t quite ‘get’ Tumblr. The Magnificent Mike Armstrong has been a great help with sorting out the technology side of things, as well as doing some amazing designs of core and supporting characters. I may have been hasty in saying that EH! would be good to go by the end of the first quarter, but now it’s looking like mid-year is more likely.

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Killed by Death… of a Franchise

Posted on January 13, 2013 by fakedtales

Back before NaNoWriMo I wrote a couple of film reviews, one good and one bad. I then forgot completely about them, and have finally posted the first review up at Killed By Ghosts, the horror movie review site I run with my brother.

This review is for [Rec] Genesis, the third part of the amazing [Rec] series. Sadly, out of the two reviews I’ll be posting, this is the bad one.

Rec3Title

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After NaNoWriMo…

Posted on January 10, 2013 by fakedtales

I’ve ordered two physical copies of Play Dead. One for a proofreader and one for me.

The current plan is that I’ll go through it with a red pen, rip it apart, dissect what worked and didn’t, make a full pile of scene cards (I added a bunch compared to the stack I had before, and might change the order a little). Some of the voices will need a few tweaks to make them more distinctive and I need to sort the accent out.

This month will be scripting Metal Made Flesh #0’s new draft, the fourth, I think and the start of the proofreading. After that, I’ll be spending I think about three months rewriting the novel, splitting it into three mini NaNoWriMos. Then proofread, then edit.

And then I’ll repeat it until the book’s done. Hopefully it’ll be done this year and I can do the same with Point of Departure, my first book.

Writing a novel is a long game…

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Twenty Percent More Awesome

Posted on December 31, 2012 by fakedtales

2012 has been an odd one. My original resolution was to write a little less, then improve my work and social lives. Instead, I have managed to do the exact opposite, having written far more than I have in previous years, having actually got potential comic projects off the ground, but at the cost of finding a better job and watching my own social life disintegrate before my eyes. I’m in a job with good people, but it’s the opposite to the kind of work I want to do and doesn’t pay enough to live and travel there any more. The relatively small social group I have are moving apart, getting on with their lives while I continue to write alone in my attic, or a coffee shop, living the writer’s dream. Kind of. I have written a novel this year, hopefully my best yet, and the writers I met in NaNoWriMo are shaping up to be a fantastic group of people to hang out with.
2013 will be different.
I was at an old friend’s party where I knew very few people, and one of those I did went on a drunken rant about the exact same thing. She was feeling isolated from her old friendship groups and like she had not achieved anything. I decided at that point that 2013 will be better. I have declared it to be so. The good thing about the human mind is that we can affect our moods, change our perspectives and through willpower make things better or worse for ourselves. Since reaching this decision about 2013, I have been telling people about my plan. I don’t know how I’ll measure it, but if the year will be at least 20% more awesome, then it will be a pretty damn fine year ahead.
I will lose weight.
I will be more sociable, hopefully arranging some kind of event, no matter how small, each month.
I will find a better job.
I will have my comic and webcomic published.
I will start dating again.
I will be more than the attic-dwelling hermit that 2012’s version of me was.
I might get a top hat.

Already, I have a novella half-written, a first draft I’ll be editing of Play Dead, a comic to make with Simeon Aston, a webcomic with Mike Armstrong which should be out in the first quarter of next year. I have a party planned for January, and a brand new PC which will actually work, unlike my last one. It’s all lined up and I’m ready to take the shot.

2013, I’ll meet you soon enough, then I’ll crush you, drive you to your knees and hear the lamentation of your women.

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Wrapping Up 2012: Comics

Posted on December 27, 2012 by fakedtales

Here’s my first look back at my experience of the popular culture in 2012. We’re starting with the year in comics.

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My Tools

Posted on October 31, 2012 by fakedtales

 

It’s almost time for NaNoWriMo 2012. I’m excited, and a little nervous.

These are the selection of tools I’ll be using for the month, going clockwise from the top:

* My netbook. The Netronomicon. It’s getting on a little now, and decorated with last year’s NaNoWriMo stickers from my lovely MLs. The charge isn’t great and I no longer have MS Word, but it’s where the work gets done.

* Coffee. My lifeblood. If I’m not drinking coffee, I’m probably not awake.

* Scene Cards. I’m adding to these all the time, but they’re my rough guide to the book. The blue cards on top are my character continuity notes.

* iPad. It’s a fairly new addition. I’ll be getting a keyboard for it soon so that I can type in a more portable way.

* The Magnificent and Horrifying Lugia. He’s standing in for my iPhone, used to take this photo. The iPhone is used for fitting music, for keeping my schedule and for any research I can find out in seconds. If it takes longer, I write “>>>” to go back to.

* Back to School Pad. The project’s set in a school. I felt it was fitting. I keep character studies, location guides, notes, rough scenes, lines of dialogue and any media to check out in here. I also have a list of common baby names from 1997 for any extras.

* Pens. I collect these like my brother does lighters. I either have a million or none. Luckily it normally borders on the ‘million’.

* Whisky. Because I’m mortal, I’m a writer, and I have needs, damn it.

 

In addition to these tools, I have people who will help me:

* Steve. The webmaster of Faked Tales and proofreader. He’s normally the first person to tell me when I’ve gone insane on a project.

* Alex. The proofreader who gives the fastest hit of information and knows all the terrible things I watch so he knows if I’m skirting too close to any other media.

* Graham. The gun nut. One of the nicest human beings… with a ton of knowledge about firearms. Really useful for this project.

 

So now, finally, I am ready. In eight hours I’ll be getting ready to set off for work, to write on my commute, my lunch break, my commute back and then the hour before the NaNoWriMo party. I can’t wait.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed me, who’s read the articles, and to my wonderful helpers. I’ll still be making a few posts here, especially to tease my post-NaNoWriMo projects. I hope you’ll stick around, and I hope you’ll have an amazing NaNoWriMo!

Charles Etheridge-Nunn

Writer of Play Dead, NaNoWriMo 2012.

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Preparing for NaNoWriMo Part Seven: Scenes

Posted on October 29, 2012 by fakedtales

Here’s part seven of my series of articles about Preparing for NaNoWriMo. One of the big horrors of NaNoWriMo is getting to a point where you don’t know what’s immediately about to happen next. Hopefully with this article, you’ll have some methods to jot down and look after your scenes so that you’re able to know what to do.
As a preview, this is what I’m using for my scenes at the moment:
.

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo and why am I reading this?

The Big Idea

Theme and Mood

Characters

Setting

Arc

Scene-by-Scene

There will probably be one more piece, but as an extra feature, rather than a core part of this series.

In other news

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Preparing for NaNoWriMo Part Six: Arc

Posted on October 24, 2012 by fakedtales

I’ve written part six of my series about getting ready for this NaNoWriMo, using examples from my past novels and this year’s.

Now we’re on to arc as we get onto the final stretch before November. It’s great having ideas, after all, but what is going to happen in your story?

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo and why am I reading this?

The Big Idea

Theme and Mood

Characters

Setting

Arc

Scene-by-Scene

I’m planning to write a couple of articles linked to these topics, but won’t get on to them yet as I’ve got a big list of things to do any may not get more than one finished in time.

I have a list of writing projects to get in order before NaNoWriMo, as it’s only eight days away.

* Layout the new draft of Metal Made Flesh #0 > If successful, script the new sections.

* Give the Explosion High! artist Mike Armstrong anything he needs for his character designs.

* Prepare for my monthly RPG session.

* Finish the final NaNo article.

* Edit my novella’s first part.

* Release at least one more e-book version of a short story. Luckily Webmaster/Proofreader extraordinare, Steve, is helping.

* Edit my two Killed by Ghosts reviews.

So all of that is due in eight days, with a break for the MCM Expo on Saturday. If any of you are there, I’ll be handing out business cards and trying to seem like a far more professional writer than I actually am at this stage. I’ve probably not mentioned a lot of those projects thoroughly enough yet, but will soon. Oh yes, soon…

In final news, my beloved Robot Attack coffee mug died. I’m a dyspraxic man, clumsiness happens and objects get destroyed. This mug, while not a muse, has been with me when I’ve written at home for about four years now. I’m bereft. One of my missions at the MCM will be to replace it with something worthy of holding my coffee during NaNoWriMo. Here’s a photo of my dead mug.

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Preparing for NaNoWriMo Part Five: Setting

Posted on October 19, 2012 by fakedtales

I’ve written part five of my series about getting ready for this NaNoWriMo, using examples from my past novels and this year’s.

Now we’re on to setting, the physical location for your story and what it means to use a specific place. Again, filled with examples past and present, hopefully to inspire you all into thinking about where your story is set.

Preparing for NaNoWriMo

What is NaNoWriMo and why am I reading this?

The Big Idea

Theme and Mood

Characters

Setting

Arc

Scene-by-Scene

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Preparing for NaNoWriMo Part Four: Character

Posted on October 16, 2012 by fakedtales

I’ve written part four of my series about getting ready for this NaNoWriMo, using examples from my past novels and this year’s.

This time it’s Character, in what will probably be my longest post. I realised I could write possibly a NaNoWriMo length diatribe about dealing with characters, so once I’m done with the series here and the novel, I might explore a few of the topics I cut out from this essay.

Preparing for NaNoWriMo:

What is NaNoWriMo and why am I reading this?

The Big Idea

Theme and Mood

Characters

Setting

Arc

Scene-by-Scene

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