Long time, no see

Well helloooooo, everyone!

What a very long time it has been (about two months) since I have posted on my blog! It feels like a lifetime ago, and I sincerely apologise. The reasons for not posting on here is twofold:

 

1.) I have been enormously busy.

 

2.) I have been enormously lazy.

 

Now this may seem slightly contradictory, but hear me out. Since my second semester in university began, the work has been piling up slowly but surely. Yes it isn’t exactly a hard course such as Medicine, but I hate all work apart from writing (basically, anyway) and would you believe that a lot of my course as yet is not about writing or reading? So yes, I have been both busy and lazy, and that is why I haven’t been posting for a long while. Also I haven’t been on here because I have thee major writing projects at the present, not including my university assignments.

But yes, you are entitled to give me a big slap.

Concerning how often I’ll be posting on here from now on, I honestly cannot say. I will definitely try to post once a month, if not twice, but apart from that I don’t know. So please keep checking up on this blog every so often, because I will be carrying on – promise! Although I don’t expect my readership to be quite so vast as before; I understand that people my have deleted me off their inboxes and so forth. But fear not, for it will be a nice challenge for me to do: gain more followers than I had before.

Farewell for now, brothers and sisters. May your writing and reading be joyous, and your life prosperous. I shall be on here again ASAP! 😀

Update on my blog…

Apologies for missing a few days on my blog, but that’s basically what I wanted to talk to you all about. As it’s running up to Christmas, and my next-semester university timetable is quite packed, I’m afraid my blog posts are going to have to change from a strict(ish) schedule to whenever I can. I’m sure I’ll be blogging at least twice a week, but my life after Christmas will probably be very busy, and I can’t promise anything. 😦 However, I will still be blogging, no matter how infrequently! 😀

As for what’s due on the blog in the extremely recent future, I’ll be watching the Hobbit movie tonight, so expect a film review for that in a couple of days. Also there will be a subject that I will be discussing which I heard about in university, and I found it interesting enough to make an article about it, which should also be up on the blog before Christmas, hopefully. And speaking of Christmas, of course I’ll have a post about Christmas! And maybe a quick update on how things are going in my life as well, at least writing wise. 😛

So for now, I shall bid you adieu, but I will be posting quickly after this post, maybe tomorrow or Wednesday. Anyway, that’s enough of my blabbering – see you in a couple of days! 🙂

Warhammer 40,000 Nerdgasm!

Today’s post is not going to be about writing, movies, or even books today. Yes, as you may have guessed, I’m going to be talking to you about Warhammer.

I went over to my friend’s house today to play Warhammer 40,000, and loved every minute of it. We don’t play to the exact ruling; my friend and I prefer enjoying each other’s company over faffing about over specific and exact ruling. We played a few games (the pictures can be seen below), some Ork and Space Marine, others Ork and Imperial Guard. N.B. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, don’t worry – we’ll get to that part in a minute! I love playing Warhammer as I seem to ingest ideas for future novels and even short stories, although I do play for the sheer fun of it as well. 😛

Now, on to the next part of the post. For those of you who don’t know, Warhammer (both fantasy and 40,000, which is just a cooler way of saying 40,000 A.D.) is a table-top game wherein two players battle it out with opposing armies, seen in the pictures below, with dice, rulers, and many other bits of equipment. Basically, if you loved playing with toy soldiers when you were small and just wanted an excuse to carry on when you were ‘too old’ and/or if you really love video games or interactive stories, then this is the hobby for you. However, this hobby comes at a steep price – a literal one. If you don’t have any money to spend, or you don’t want to get into a hobby that you can get serious about, then this isn’t the hobby for you. Wargaming is a very expensive hobby, albeit an unusual and exciting one. I shan’t go into any more detail about it as it would take several thousand words to cover it properly, but if anyone is interested in beginning a new hobby or if you’re merely intruiged, then feel free to contact me – my email address is writerscabinet@gmail.com, but you don’t have to click this link; instead simply copy it into your preferred email website and write away!

And there we go. Sorry that this post wasn’t to do with what this blog is usually about, but I fancied telling you all a bit about what I do apart from being on the computer all day! Feel free to check out the pictures which I took today, which are directly below this sentence. All models are my friend’s, meaning they are painted by him, not me. Maybe I’ll upload my own models in a couple of weeks if anybody’s interested. See you all in a few days. 🙂

The battleboard on which we played our games.

Waaaaaggghhhh!!!

Up close and personal – Space Marine on the left, Ork on the right.

Books versus E-books: Tackling the Issue, erm…again

Hello everyone, I hope you’ve had a good week so far! Today’s post is a little bit special – I received an email from a lovely woman called Allison, asking me if I could possibly look at a piece to do with books and e-books. Once I saw it, I really loved it, and I asked for permission to use it on my blog; she said yes, and here we are. I especially love the first picture, which combines book and e-book into one flowing graphic. If anyone wants to go to the original source once you have read it on here, I will include the link after the graphic. I think it’s a really good piece that reminds us that books and e-books are, in a sense, totally different mediums. Let me know your comments and what you think about the piece in the comments below. Thanks! 🙂

A very special thanks to Allison and her company for letting me use their great colourful graphic, and I hope to keep in regular contact with them! Here is the link to the original source: http://www.teachingdegree.org/2012/11/26/ebooks-vs-print-books/

Thank you all for reading; remember to leave your thoughts and feeback below! 😀

NaNoWriMo starts in…3 days?!?!

It blows my mind how quickly the time has gone. I mean come on, it feels like yesterday when I said “NaNoWriMo? That sounds fun. But it’s four months away – I’ve got plenty of time.”

Apparently not.

You see, I thought I would have planned much more by now. I thought I would get detailed character bios done, a fairly detailed plotline in place, a map drawn out, and so on. But what have I actually done? Two character bios and a meagre plot concept.

Yeah.

But who cares? That’s part of what NaNo’s about: not really knowing where your story is going to go, and wondering if and when you should add new characters or kill present ones. I’m hoping to draw my map by tonight, and a more fleshed-out plotline would be nice, but it’s definitely not essential. I’ve got OpenOffice installed on my computer (I’m writing this on my dad’s PC), and if you don’t know what that is, I highly suggest you check it out – it’s like Microsoft Word, only FREE! Here’s the link to install it (I promise you, it’s legitimately free; there’s no bugs or stuff like that, and if there are, then they get fixed anyway): http://www.openoffice.org

So I’m alright. I’m okay. It’ll be fun, trying to juggle writing 2000 words a day, writing a blog, uni work, and just general life.

Things are going to change for about a month

It’s true, otherwise I’d never be able to manage everything that I have to do. So, here’s how it’s going to work for the month of November:

1.) I will be posting only once a week (probably Monday, as it’s the best time for me).

2.) The content of my posts will be purely about NaNoWriMo, but I assure you things will be back to normal in December.

3.) Because of no. “2.)”, regular updates will be posted on both the Writer’s Cabinet’s Facebook page and @writerscabinet’s Twitter account (more on this later).

4.) I will, however, be posting another film review in early November (Skyfall), but this will be counted as a bonus post.

Get the most out of November

I know some of you are participating in this year’s NaNoWriMo, so I’ve decided to create an event on the Writer’s Cabinet’s Facebook page which you can all join, at least if you’ve already liked the page – if not, please do so! It’s here:

http://www.facebook.com/writerscabinet

The event will involve lots of motivational pictures, and anyone and everyone can share their current wordcount and their actual work, if they want to. But please join the actual event, as that is where everything will be posted:

http://www.facebook.com/events/419546628105009

So what are you waiting for? Join the event, and we can all share the excitement of November!

N.B. I will also be using my Twitter account, but it won’t be as often. Still, join it anyway – I’ll be posting exclusive stuff on both Facebook and Twitter!

Questions?

Feel free to write in the comments below if you’re unsure about what I said, or if you have an idea which will possibly make Writer’s Cabinet an even more enjoyable experience. 😉 Seriously though, if you have any questions or ideas, go ahead and write them below!

I think that might be it…at least, until next Monday’s post! By then I should be well into my story, but remember that key word: should! Remember to join the Writer’s Cabinet’s Facebook Page and Twitter feed, and I’ll see you all next week. 😀

Update on my arguably boring life…

Well hellooo; I didn’t really have much time to prepare a post for all of you lovely people here today, so instead I’m going to give you an update on my life in general. My university degree is going well (Creative Writing), and there are a couple of fairly easy assignments due in the next few weeks. I am enjoying the writing aspect very much, and I’m doing things which are out of my comfort zone – this should hopefully improve my writing. NaNoWriMo begins in eleven days, and I’m still nowhere near finished with my planning, but it doesn’t truly matter, because it’s all part of the fun, right? 🙂 That’s pretty much all that’s interesting in my life right now, which is a little disappointing for you, so here’s a random picture for you all:

Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

The point of this photo, and whether it is necessary or not, is extremely debatable. 😛 Hope the remainder of your weekend is great! 😀

 

 

Facebook Page and Twitter

Hi all, just wanted to say that the blog’s Facebook page is now active (http://www.facebook.com/writerscabinet), and will receive regular updates with pictures, motivational quotes, and exclusive content. I’ve also signed up to twitter today (https://twitter.com/writerscabinet), and that will also receive pictures and regular updates, including exclusive content. However, my twitter account will not just be a Writer’s Cabinet account, but it will also be an account which I update with stories from my own life, whether that be writing, university, whatever. So from now on, unless something major has happened in my life, all my personal reports and tales will be posted on my twitter account. Thanks for reading!

Me, myself, and I

I know you were all expecting part three of my ‘On your marks…get set…go write’ series, but instead I’m going to give a post which you’ll (hopefully) like. I’ve answered a couple of questions about myself, and my reasoning is this: if all of you read my blog, it’s only fair that you know more about me. So have a look…

50 Questions To Really Get To Know Someone
1) Are you a morning or night person?	Just to be awkward, afternoon.
2) Which do you prefer, sweet or salty foods?	Salty.
3) Ninjas or pirates?	Ninjas!
4) Ninjas vs pirates, discuss.	There’s no contest; the pirates wouldn’t even see the ninjas coming.
5) Autobots or Decepticons?	Decepticons.
6) What was your favorite childhood television program?	Arthur.
7) Are you a collector of anything?	Coins and holiday memorabilia.
8) If you could be any animal, what would you be?	Hedgehog – you get to sleep for a good bit of the year and free food gets given to you on a plate.
9) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?	Teleportation or invisibility.
10) What is usually your first thought when you wake up?	5 more minutes…
11) What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?	Whatever is playing a large part in my life at that moment.
12) What’s your favorite color?	Red.
13) What’s your favorite animal?	The first thing that came to my head was owls, but I also like dogs, cats, and cows.
14) Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on other planets?	No, although I do like to write about things like that!
15) Do you believe in ghosts?	I believe in spirits, not ghosts.
16) Ever been addicted to a video/computer game? Which one(s)?	Yes, pretty much any game involving role-playing/free-roaming
17) You’re given 1 million dollars, what do you spend it on?	A nice apartment and a car.
18) Have any bad habits?	Plenty, thanks.
19) Which bad habits, if any, drive you crazy?	People chewing with their mouth open, and bad manners in general.
20) List 3 of your best personality traits:	Witty, friendly, imaginative.
21) List 3 of your worst personality traits:	Shy, cynical, lazy.
22) Have any celebrity crushes?	Yes, I would crush Justin Bieber with my fist.
23) List 1 thing you wish you could change about yourself:	Be less cynical.
24) Any tattoos or piercings?	Nope.
25) What’s the first thing you notice in the opposite sex?	Oh, they’re the opposite sex!
26) What personality traits do you look for in a partner?	Trustworthy, understanding, friendly.
27) What personality traits do you dislike in other people?	Shrill, over-busy, a blabber-mouth.
28) Do you see yourself getting married in the next 5 years?	No.
29) Are you mostly a clean or messy person?	Mostly clean.
30) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?	Somewhere in America.
31) If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?	America or Russia.
32) List 5 goals on your life’s to-do list:	Get published and sky-dive from a plane. That is all so far.
33) Name 1 regret you have:	I wish I’d written my first novel when I was younger.
34) Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid:	Playing with action figures. No matter how hard I try, I just can’t do it anymore.
35) Name 1 thing you love about being an adult:	Not needing a parent to buy 18-rated games. Yeah, I’m a nerd.
36) What’s your favorite song of the moment?	I’m at a Payphone, by Maroon 5.
37) What’s your favorite song of all time?	There’s too many to choose from, but probably a song from the 80s.
38) What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night?	Have a pizza and watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S with my family.
39) What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon?	Read my Bible.
40) Have any hidden talents?	I wouldn’t know – they’re hidden, after all.
41) You’re about to walk the green mile, what do you have as your last meal?	A large slice of lasagne with a huge bowl of chips, topped off with some onion rings. If I was allowed a pudding, it would be caramel pie.
42) What would be your dream job?	Full-time author.
43) Which would you rather have, 100 million dollars or true love?	Right now, 100 million dollars, but in a few years it would probably be true love.
44) If you could have 3 wishes granted, what would they be?	That I would be published, that I was less cynical, and that I could have an infinite number of wishes (cliché, I know).
45) Ever wish you were born the opposite sex? If so, why?	Sometimes, as I hate heavy-labour and people telling me that I need to be more ‘manly.’
46) Name 1 thing not many people know about you:	I listen to ‘It’s Raining Men’ and ‘Fame’ more often than I should.
47) If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to?	James, or something more Biblical, like Solomon.
48) Do you believe in the afterlife?	Yes, I believe that you will go to heaven if you believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins and that you’re truly sorry.
49) On the topic of abortion, how do you feel about cookies?	Abortion, no. Cookies, yes.
I’m not sure why this is called ’50 Questions To Really Get To Know Someone’, as it only has 49 questions, but maybe I’ll leave it up to you readers to ask the final question! Nothing rude or offensive, although very silly questions are allowed. Just to make it even more fun, I’ll answer the first three questions that are asked (by seperate people). 🙂 Quickly, now!

Sorry!

Sorry I cannot write a long post today, but I was busy and my dad needed his computer (I don’t have my own one). Sorry about this, but I will write a post tomorrow instead, then proceed as usual. Thank you!

New widgets added

Hey everyone, this is just a quick aside to say that a few small things have been added to this blog.

1.) Two Goodreads widgets have been added – one entitled ‘I am currently reading…’ and another called ‘I have already read…’. These should let all of you keep up to date with my books and what I like. Also, if you have any recommendations of books you think I would like, or if you just want me to review them, please either email me (Email is found on my ‘Contact’ page) or comment in the ‘Books’ section. You can also write on my Facebook Wall, which brings me to my second addition…

2.) To the right of my blog, you will notice that the official Writer’s Cabinet Facebook Fanpage is shown. If you want to Like the page or want to write on my Wall, then please, go ahead. In fact, it will make me very happy! 😀

3.) Thirdly and finally, just above the ‘Follow’ button on the right is the amount of people which follow my blog, currently standing at 17. I want to thank everyone who has followed me, and I hope I’m proving to be a good blogger!

If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments then please do so at the bottom of this aside (by clicking this post in the ‘Recent Posts’ section on the right-hand side). Thank you! 🙂