Sunday 26 April 2009

Is it writer's block or is my brain just not working today?

Once again my uni work is giving me some trouble. I'm really struggling to write my crit theory essay. It didn't help that all the books I needed had all ready been taken out of the LRC and my tutor demand to see a plan with a draft by next lesson. My mind keeps wondering to other things and I just seem unable to form the words to type on the blank screen, which seems to be taunting me with its whiteness. The fact I also feel sleepy and perhaps coming down with something.... also doesn't help me. I wouldn't really mind the fact I can't write it but it also seems to have effecting my other writings and with my normal stress reliving technique gone, I'm find that its worrying me a lot more then it should be. It the minute I'm feeling kind of numb, sort like I've no energy and the world of nice dreams and relaxing is calling to me. I've a day left for my essay, it can wait just a little longer, maybe its time to let the wings of sleep bore me away to a place of no worries?

Tuesday 21 April 2009

Crazy uni essays!

Like most good students I try to plan ahead with my essays. You know, get them done the week before so if I have a workshop class on them or because I need the time to go back through it before submitting it. So today I was sure I was on top of my 4 essays for creative writing and my 1 for English lit but then I discovered on top of my exam for Eng lit 2, I also have a 2000 word essay to write! I couldn't believe it! Suddenly my plan was thrown out of the window, I've had to postpone my nights of partying and hanging out with my friends, just so I've got the time to write the essay. To add to my worries I thought I'd got my two module reflections for both my creative writing classes sorted, but it turns out that I've made a really mess of them and now must spend tonight rewriting them! I doubt this will take my long though, but still it is work I don't really want to do right now! They need bibliographies though. My other two essays are stories and well due to a workshop yesterday my 1st story of 1000 words had to get rewrote because people just didn't get it and were confused. I rewrote it yesterday and today rewrote my self-assessment too. That one is now done! My second one was turning a song into a story and I've done this, but it might need redrafting again and I now think I've lost the self-assessment and bibliography on my main computer too now. More work to do there and oh, don't get me started on my essay for English. Its a presentation too and well beside from the intro and a rough plan, I've not done anything else on it. That'll be my task for the whole of tomorrow now. So my essay for my other English class is about a theory of lit in one of the books we've studied. I've decided to do some poems and write about feminism, because I've not wrote about it before and the rules about doing my exam paper are just crazy! Like you can't write about one theory if you've used it in the critical essay or in the question above. They like to make things hard don't they?
I know its uni and is meant to be harder than every other eduction stage but really, its only my first year and I've had a lot to learn, take in and party, so I don't really need a difficult last two weeks of teaching now. But there is nothing I can do about it, so I'll drag on and just hope that there's some luck on my side to pull me though it.

Friday 17 April 2009

History and the future in the making

In the post below is my short story that I've written for my last piece of fiction work. It's just over a 1000 words and is as the title suggests about a master thief who changes his colours so he can kind of protect the world from finical disaster. Anyway, I'm eager to think what people out there think of it, so just let me know! It's the first time I've done this too so I'm kind of scared about it but I've been listening alot to people who think that I can really get into publishng my stories by puting them on the internet, I hope it works! They suggested some more sites so I'll be going to look at them too but remember it was first put on here! :)
Not alot has happened since my last post early. My mum finished off my jumper and now I've only 3 days left till I return to uni! So happy, can't wait to catch up with everyone....though the dread of packing is slowly getting to me. that'll be a task for tomrrow now. I might stop writing this and let you get on with reading my story.

The Colours of a Thief

The street lamps flickered on; their light fell upon the cobble stones as the trickling water from the fountain echoed in the town centre. The shops were closed; except for one whose neon light flashed; ‘Ma’s CafĂ©’.
Outside a blue car was parked, rusting away, but it did its job with pride. A tall figure sat behind the wheel, a wide brim hat pulled down over his eyes.
Running footsteps broke the silence and the man’s feet held steady on the cobbles as he rounded the fountain. He glanced over his shoulder. His breathing was deep and his right arm ached from carrying the heavy carpet bag.
A pack of German Shepherds burst into the town centre behind him. The dogs’ loud barking echoed and blood lust was in their eyes.
He turned the corner and stopped dead in the empty road.
The dogs’ barking increased and he spun on his heels to face them. Switching the carpet bag hand and drawing a gun from his hip. He knocked the safety off and squeezed the trigger.
The car quickly pulled beside him and stopped.
He paused.
As the first dog rounded the corner, he tore open the door and throwing himself into the passenger seat. The dog jumped against the door causing it to slam shut in his face. Huge jaws snapped at the window but the car screeched off leaving the dog howling in pain.
*
Ma Clancy crossed the floor, a coffee tray balanced on her hip. She stopped at a table were four men wearing black suits sat talking in low voices, “Here you go boys,” Ma’s voice called out.
An old man looked up from a newspaper. He had been studying a photograph of a young woman and the headline ‘Big Boss’s Daughter Missing.’
“Look out there,” he said.
Ma heard him as she walked past. She looked out of the window and saw the town centre covered in police officers. She placed her hands on her hips and pouted, “They’ll be in here next demanding coffee and donuts! You take my word for it!” she snapped.
The old man chuckled.
The four men stood up. One of them indicated to Ma with a nod of his head that they were going out the back door. She responded with an answering nod.
*
“Will ya get that gun out of my face?!” Sassoon snapped, hitting the gun.
“Sorry,” Felix muttered and then his tone changed, “and were where you? I said Thompson Avenue!”
Sassoon shrugged, “I misread the sign.”
Felix mumbled something. He slipped his gun back in its holder and kicked the carpet bag farther into the foot well.
“I was this close to being ripped to shreds, Sass!” Felix shouted, waving his fingers in Sassoon’s face.
“I was there, Felix,” he answered and then turned the wheel suddenly.
The car tore around a sharp corner. Sassoon’s seat belt restrained him but Felix was thrown against the window.
“Did you have to do that!?”
“I can’t help it. It’s the way the road is.”

The car drove out of town and into the forest. The headlights shone onto the little used, winding road. The side of a fallen tree caught the light and the car stopped at the end of the track.
Felix opened the door and stepped out, grabbing the bag. Sassoon followed him and they started to walk towards the cottage.
Sassoon glanced back, “We’re forgotten something,” he said, but Felix didn’t hear him.
He walked to the boot of the car. He unlocked and opened it.
The woman’s terror filled eyes met his. Her hands were tied together and she was gagged, leaving her struggling to breathe.
“Out you come,” Sassoon said.
He carried her towards the cottage, coming up behind Felix has he stepped inside.
“You should have left her there!” Felix snapped and he disappeared into the kitchen.
Sassoon went into the living room, placing the woman on the sofa. He pulled the cloth out of her mouth and she gulped down air quickly.
“How you feelin’, Miss Navarra?”
“Untie me Sass,” she whispered and held out her hands.
Sassoon nodded.
Felix appeared in the doorway.
“Ah, my ex-love! Been robbing banks again have you?”
“Of course,” Felix replied, sarcastically, as he entered the room.
“They are going to find you….”
“That’s what I’m waiting for.”
“And what do you plan to do?” she laughed.
“Let them take me,” he answered, “and then I’ll kill him.”
“I still don’t like it,” Sassoon mumbled.
“It’s the least he deserves after kicking us out! If there was more time…..” Felix clenched his hands.
A loud knock at the door interrupted the conversation and they fell silent. It was quickly followed by another as someone attempted to kick the door down.
The four men burst into the living room, large guns pointed out before them.
*
The large desk dominated the room. The chair had its back to them as they were pushed forward with guns at their backs. The door closed and the chair turned slowly around.
“Nice to see you again…Felix, Sassoon.”
Felix eyed the Boss and his hand drifted to where his gun used to be.
“Kidnapping Ren was low…” the Boss tapped his fingers together, “Where’s the bag?”
Sassoon raised his eyebrows and shot Felix a look.
Felix felt a gun dig into his back, “What bag?” he asked innocently.
“Let’s not play games, Felix….”
“Ah, the bag....I lost it.” he answered.
“I don’t believe you. Where have you hidden it? Tell me!”
Felix shook his head, “So you can use them to take over the world?”
“That’s none of your business,” The Boss snapped.
“Oh, I think it is! I was the one who collected them all! I travelled the world for you, gathering them, being your puppet! But not now! I won’t let you do this....”
“So you’ll do it instead, Master Thief?”
Felix gritted his teeth, “I’m not a thief.....” he yelled and spun around.
He kneed the man behind him and grabbed the falling gun. He fired two shots and screaming echoed in his ears.
“Let’s go!” he yelled.
He and Sassoon bolted out of the door in a hail of bullets.
“Head to the cars!” Sassoon shouted, “I’ll get us out of here.”
They arrived at the car park before anybody else. Quickly Sassoon slipped behind the wheel of a Mercedes and started the engine. Felix scrambled in beside him. Sassoon put his foot down and the car shot off, leaving the sound of guns firing in its wake.

An hour later the Mercedes sat outside the cottage. Sassoon and Felix were filling the blue car with their stuff.
“Got everything?” Sassoon called, as he poked his head around the kitchen door.
“Just this,” Felix answered, tapping the open carpet bag.
“Do we really need the money?”
“It’s not money, my old friend...it’s more of a way of getting it.”
Sassoon’s face became puzzled, “What’s in the carpet bag, Felix?” he asked.
Felix smiled, turned the bag upside down and the dull thud of papers hitting the table rang in their ears.
Sassoon pulled a sheet over to him; his eyes scanning the blue lines and the title at the top. His mouth fell open and Felix’s smile grew wider.

Thursday 9 April 2009

"And how much do you want off?"

That's the ultimate question for me today. I've been to the hair dresses and for most people going there is just a normal thing, a common part of their lives. But for me it is not. I remember being young and having such short hair I looked like a boy. I so hated having my hair done that I'd fight back and so once I was old enough to decided things for myself, I choice to grown my hair long. So the last time I had my hair cut to any really length was eight years ago. It's so long that I can almost sit on it! But last year in the summer I decided to conquer my fear of hair dresses and go and get my hair looking good for uni. It worked well, though my hair refused to dry and I had to leave with it slightly damp. So this time it was mostly the poking of friends and the fact that I felt the need to change, that has made me go back. But it's still so long! I've had about 2/3 inches taken off then ends and this time I asked to have something of a fringe. It's grown out to but I didn't want to have a short one, just one that was still long but noticeable. I wanted it to frame my face too and it worked out really well.
I'm meeting my friends to night for bowling and though I think they will notice, they might not do because not a lot has changed! Tonight should be really great because we have the lane for the whole night, so we can have as many games of bowling as we like! Shame I can't really the last time I bowled....but I'm sure I'll pick it up again. So until then I shall try and write my reflection essay and carry on writing my newest story which is becoming a teenage romance story.

Thursday 2 April 2009

Housing Circles

As the sun pours in though the patio window and the invisible birds sing in the trees, my mind tumbles with the half remembered things about yesterday's arguments. In the background, Lost season 1, episode 8 is on TV as I desperately try to catch my brother up in watching it. Like yesterday though, its a battle I already know I've lost....There have been many problems with getting a house for next year. I need a place to stay in the town next to my uni as I can't get back into halls and I live an hour and a half way, I don't drive and so would have to deal with public transport or pool all my money into driving lessons and a car ext. I thought things were at last working out when the two boys agreed to join us. But clearly I was counting my eggs before they hatched -no Easter pun there!-because one of the boys started a fight over the rooms. He wanted everyone to draw from a hat for the rooms as we did in the beginning but since then the two other girls switched rooms. So much of yesterday was spent fighting about this and there was no way I was giving up. I love my room, its the one I wanted from the very start and by some chance of Fate I drew it from the hat the first time around. So there was just no way I was going to risk it again. The others were also unhappy with this and then things got worse, there was talk of him and one of the girls leaving and there was also the fact that he claimed the landlord had told him that if anyone else pulled out he was going to really find another group to live there. So I once again became the peace maker of my friends and we at last come to an agreement about it; if he could have the garage for his car then he'd let this go. So it was agreed and I closed the book on another battle. Now I'm praying nothing else goes wrong because really I don't think I'll be able to win another fight. I've not the strength in me to do so and I must focus on my work now to make sure I pass my first year. At least I'm getting somewhere with it. 2 essays down, 2 more to go, a presentation that first must be an essay and then revising for my exam. I'm glad of the work though, its keeping me busy during the three weeks I've got off now. Also I'm looking forward to the more warmer weather now....it might bring me some better luck because really I've been having alot of bad luck lately.