The University of Ulster Poetry Society
A few creative people have come together three times so far to read out their poetry.
It was pretty great.
Until:
I read MY poetry.
Yes, nobody was injured mentally or, by their own hand, physically. And people said it was good. Still: pessimism is good for creativity…
Please somebody tell me it’s good for creativity.
Anyway: here’s all you need to know.
Thomas Davis
The starlight of heaven above us shall quiver
As our souls flow in one down eternity’s river.
Coming Up….
This weekend I’ll be posting some fiction of mine on the blog. Specifically, Friday Night will have some script pages while Sunday I’ll be making an effort to get good old prose laid out before you.
Saturday?
Well, I don’t do Saturdays.
(To see my previous attempt at writing a script, you know where to click.)
Whitechapel Sat Night Open Mic (21 Feb 2009)
Find out what the hell is going on here.
ZOMBIE SCRIPT G(al)ORE!
It was a Twitter comment (Tweet, yes?) by Mr Andre Navarro concerning the excellent reading experience that was/is ‘World War Z’ by Max Brooks that apparently resulted in tonight’s travesty: I WROTE THE FIRST 3 COMIC BOOK PAGES OF SOME SORT OF ZOMBIE EPIC THAT *WILL* GO NOWHERE.
Yeah.
So here below are the fruits of my labour. Not great. But something to work on.
UNTITLED ZOMBIE ‘EPIC’
PAGE 1
3 PANELS
1.
EXT. JUNGLE – DAY
Wide angle shot of a stretch of green, lush rainforest: dark and deep. The humidly is evident by the scorching sun above.
2.
EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING – DAY
Dotted throughout the jungle are areas like this: vast expanses of open ground: likely due to logging (oh, I’ve CLEARLY done research!)
The clearing provides a stark contrast of bright sunshine against the emerald darkness of the treeline from where-
A SOLDIER has suddenly emerged.
Bedraggled, dirty and TERRIFIED, the soldier is in a full blown sprint.
The little detail we can make out is that he is weapon-less and armoured. Green khakis, of course.
3.
EXT. JUNGLE CLEARING – DAY
CLOSER on the soldier as he stumbles on the final stretch. Behind him, the darkness seems to shift…take shape. It isn’t clear yet but… THERE ARE FUCKING ZOMBIES RIGHT BEHIND HIM.
PAGE 2
2 PANELS
1.
CLOSER and same angle.
The soldier is getting up – A SECOND AWAY FROM THE HUNGRY GRASP OF UNDEAD HANDS. They are everywhere, reaching out from above, below, all around.
The worst thing? Our friend the soldier doesn’t even REALISE they are that close….
2.
….UNTIL KNOW.
REALLY CLOSE NOW, chest-level up. Claustrophobic and terrifying as, now in the next second, the soldier reacts in horror.
Over his shoulders, among the pawing, all-pervading hands, the outline of the shambling horde can be glimpsed, about to enter the hot sunlight.
PAGE 3
Page-sized panel
HEAD-LEVEL SHOT
What we can see, in his final moments, of the soldiers head are his open, screaming mouth. The rest: almost absorbed in the five or six rotting, septic hands clutching onto it.
The monstrous features of a zombie (we’ll call him Groucho) is now in view over the right shoulder-
RIPPING HUNGRILY INTO THE SOLDIERS NECK!
(Groucho will be of MASSIVE importance to the story. So, best describe him as he is now.
First off: he’s BIG. He actually has to stretch down to get his share of fleshy goodness. So, about 7”.
What remains of his hair is a mad mess of blood soaked curls and ripped up scalp. His skin is a sickening white colour, as is the rest of his (currently unseen)ilk.
Oh, and he wears glasses.)
Quote Of The Day
“Talent is extremely common. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of a writer. It is like making wallpaper by hand for the Sistine Chapel.”
- Kurt Vonnegut
Late Night Blogging
Just wanted to say that a New Year Resolution, among others but this one in particular, has failed in being carried out.
I talk of my ‘resolution’ to write 500+ words each and every day.
Again, I have failed.
But I have my reasons! Oh yes!
Not excuses, of course. Maybe… maybe some, but NOT ALL!
I’m confident that among the lines of heartache I am about to write, some will be reasonable and understandable barricades to reaching the daily five zero zero.
1) School – Yeah, I’m doing these things called A-Levels and, when not spending hours staring at the screen and… about… to…do……work, I will be recovering from the horrific ordeal. Not enough energy.
2) Winter/ seasonal mood – This might just be an extension of Point 1 (in some way. You figure it out, I’m sleepy) but I am gathering from the heap of evidence (lethargic, feeling down in general) that these long, dark, freezing months have just zapped the energy outta me. Can’t do much of anything.
3) Lazy- The big one. In fact, scrap the above pair from your head cus I think I just nailed the problem!
I’m lazy. Damn. No big surprise, not exactly been living a self-denying existence. But its still hard to write down, let alone say out in public.
Okay, it must be that, I’m tired.
I’ll get back to this…
Late Night Look-Back (I’ll come up with a better title later!!!)
- A ‘sub-blog’ belonging to Steve Bunche – his main blog The Vault of Bunchness is a must-read and updated daily – all about Star Trek. It hasn’t had new content for over a year now but still worth a look. (EL BUNCHO’S BALLS-OUT STAR TREK)
- A Danish music video? Watch. (Chris Owens)
- An aspiring writer? If your interested, here’s some free online screenwriting software. (Zhura)
2009: Resolutions
1: Read more
Whilst never being the most avid of reader, I still used to go through a fair amount of novels. Gradually, and annoyingly, it has come to the point where I’m lucky to finish at least one novel a month. For 2009 it will be one novel weekly. or two. Hell, lets go THREE!
2: Get studying
I just remembered: I’m an A-Level student. This requires many a long night being spent alone in my bedroom revising and such. For 2009 I’ll try to learn how to do this.
3: Write
Its crazy. Writing. It’s tough. Writing. Its satisfying. Writing.
For 2009 it’s either write daily (at least 500 words: blog, book or ripped piece of paper) or write never.
4: Exercise
Yeah so..um.. I will do this… sometime in 2009
5: Improve my diet
2009 = less chocolate!
Quote Of The Day
Of course, uh, the universe is gradually slowing down and, uh, will eventually collapse inwardly on itself, according to the laws of entropy when all it’s thermal and mechanical functions fail, thus rendering all human endeavours ultimately pointless. Just to put the gig in some sort of context.
- Bill Bailey
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