Get To Know My Reading Habits!

Well hey there, it's been a while! Christmas and New Years wiped me out, and then I had a tonne of essays and assignments to do. But as of last Monday, they're all over now, or at least they are until March, so I thought I'd make another blog post.
Now as I said in my latest video, which you can watch here:

I want to make more blog posts about writing, and not just reviews. I would start with some writing tips, but my brain has fallen out of my ears thanks to my assignments, so I thought I'd do a tag I found on readerwriterzoe's blog. It's about reading and books, so it counts... Mostly... Don't judge me, I'm TIRED! I'll be back with proper writing blogs soon.

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?
I can't remember because I was too young, but apparently I was talking before I was walking because I had health problems as a child. I spent a lot of time in hospital, not walking around, instead listening to everyone around me talking, so I picked up words very quickly. That soon descended into my falling for words and all things literary, and because I come from a family of big readers, I was fed books my entire childhood, and I loved it! 

Where do you usually read?
In my chair in my front room, and on the bus and train journey's to uni. Though journey reading is generally saved for things I need to read for whatever lecture I'm having that day. At home it's almost purely for enjoyment, though I have also been known to read fiction for fun on long car journey's too. 

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once?
Weirdly, both. If I'm reading a book/ebook, only one at a time. I get confused far too easily otherwise. But if we're talking fan fiction, I can easily jump all over the place, even when it's all in the same fandom. Don't ask why I can't do that with more traditional books, but I can't!

What is your favourite genre?
Oh, that's tough. I like most genre's, though I am fond of Young Adult and a bit of sci-fi. 

What genre will you not read?
I'm really, really not fond of anything that's Victorian, I've been completely put off thanks to reading and analysing Dickens etc for uni. I'm not fond of romance either. 

Do you have a favourite book?
That's like choosing your favourite child! I love The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett (if you hadn't guessed by me talking about it constantly, and I really like Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, I'm so like Kath it's actually physically painful at times. 

What is the worst book you've ever read?
Jesus, that's tough. Most recently, I really did not enjoy Wide Sargasso Sea, but I think the worst, and please don't kill me for this, but Alice In Wonderland. I read it for English A Level and wanted to slap Alice for most of the book, I know she's a small child, but I really cannot stand characters who cry at everything and accept everything so easily without questioning it. 

What is the biggest book you've ever read?
Er... I have absolutely no idea. I've read some quite thick ones in the past but I can't think of anything that big right now. Ask me some other day, I may remember! 

What was the last book you bought?
Nocturnes At Nohant - The Decade Of Chopin And Sand by Helen Farrish. I had to buy it for part of my uni course, and I wish I could say I've bought a book recently for my own reading pleasure, but I simply haven't had the time as of late! My best friend did get my a Doctor Who trivia book for Christmas though if that counts?

Which do you prefer? Library books or buying books?
BUYING! I love libraries too, but there is nothing better than staring at all the books you have bought and feeling incredibly proud that you have read them all. It's like a badge of honour, or several walls of them. 

What are you reading now?
Unfortunately, nothing at the moment! I'm too busy to read! If I had time, I would be either finishing Fangirl, working my way further through the Discworld or finishing off the Buffy The Vampire Slayer comics. Or starting on the Marvel comic universe, because I want to know EVERYTHING these films are going to give me in the future!

What are the disadvantages of being a book-lover?
Having absolutely no money thanks to books, running out of space on kindle/bookshelves and bad movie adaptations ruining perfectly good stories with bad casting choices/leaving out important details.

The Wattpad Experience

Whoa, can it be, a blog post that isn't a film review?! My God, call the presses, this is news worthy!
But yes, I'm going to blog about something that isn't a film review, as I feel like I've exhausted that for the past couple of weeks. Instead, today I'm going to talk about my experience with the website Wattpad.
Now I'm fairly new to Wattpad (as in, only a few months into my exploration of the site) but I feel like I've got a bit of experience with it, or at least enough to talk about my awakening to the site. I'd been hearing about it for years, and decided to give it a go when I wanted to start posting some 'world building' short stories to do with a novel series I have planned. I wanted to post them to see how audiences reacted, as the idea is quite complicated at first, to see if I should go ahead with writing this novel or not. So I made an account, wrote the first piece, and posted it, expecting it to magically gain readers like my work has done in the past.
You see, for six years now, I've been posting on official forums, fanfiction.net and AO3, and there I've barely had to do any advertising to get readers. I simply posted my work and watched the view count rise, only really bothering to tweet and post links to tumblr simply to inform anybody who followed me that things like that were available if they wanted to check out my writing. But most of my readership came from the website itself, they just somehow discovered my work, and that was that.
With Wattpad though, it's different. The website has a far, far larger readership than I could have possibly imagined, and so many more books out there too. This means that finding readers is incredibly difficult, new authors get lost in a sea of more popular and experienced authors, and generally don't get noticed without some serious self promotion. The thought was very daunting, as I didn't have a clue on where to start with that, but I've started to figure it out.
Here's what I've learnt so far:
Firstly, tagging your work is important. When posting stories to Wattpad, tags work a treat, as your story is then put in with all the other stories also tagged with that thing. So when someone is searching for, let's say, vampire work, yours will also come up with the rest of that work. That's half your job sorted already.
Second, an interesting cover and blurb go a long way. Even after tagging, nobody is going to click on a book and start reading if they don't know what it's about. So putting an eye catching blurb will help draw people in. The cover is a great advert too, it draws people in, be it by the colours, or the images on it. Nobody clicks on work which is simply the blurred out version of the author's profile picture. But before you all start shouting I CAN'T PHOTOSHOP! at me, there's an app to help out, I'm not sure if it's on android, but at least on apple products, there's an app specifically for Wattpad which allows you to make covers. It provides with thousands of images, text fonts and effects for your work, so it's easy to whip up a cover. I did mine in five minutes flat, and I have never touched photoshop in my life, so anyone can do it!
Thirdly, get involved with the clubs. There's a club section on Wattpad, where you can talk to other readers and writers about anything you want. So get in there and start talking to people, from my experience they're very accommodating and lovely people, who will accept anybody. All you do is start replying on threads, and soon you'll have people talking back to you, just like anywhere else on the internet. The difference is that here, you can talk about your work, talk about the bits you find difficult, the bits you find the best to write, and also get help when you need it too. With these comments, it is possibly to interest someone enough to see what you're writing, and you may just get a reader out of it. At the very least you'll find some like-minded writers, which is still a huge resource in your arsenal as a writer. A word of warning though - do NOT just post comments saying READ MY WORK, READY MY WORK or anything of the sort, you will soon become very, very unpopular and possibly kicked off the site. Be polite and respectful, discuss your work, but don't shamelessly post pleads for people to read your story everywhere.
Fourthly, join a book club. There's literally hundreds of book clubs on Wattpad, where other authors will read chapters of your work and comment on them, providing you do the same for them. They can provide constructive criticism when it is needed, and offer opinions which can really help you with your story. It's better to know that something isn't working and fix it, than stare at it and not figure out why you don't have anybody reading your work. The book clubs also work as an advertising agent too, and gets people reading your story, a lot of the time, people who read your story as part of the book club stay on to read more, continuing to leave comments. And when others who find it by chance see that it has a lot of reads/comments/votes, they'll be more likely to read it too. Book clubs are basically a win win situation, giving you views and comments on your stories, and that can never be a bad thing!
Fifthly, read and comment on other's work. Reading and comment on other people's work gains you friends, and lets others know that you're out there. Some may see your profile in the comments and click on your profile to check you out, and then go on to read your story. Some writers do it too, they see someone who loves their story and decide to check out yours. Also, just commenting on other people's work makes them feel good, and there's some amazing stories out there, so go and read them so you don't miss out.
And lastly, post the links online everywhere! I've said this before in a video on my youtube channel, but seriously, post the links everywhere. Post on twitter and tumblr, tag them in both places too! Post the link to your story on all your social media, so as many people see it as possible. There will be people out there who will click the link to see what you're posting about, and so will gain you some readers, or at least some reads. Give it a go, it can't hurt to try.
I've tried all those things and it's actually not going too badly for me at the moment, I'm not currently getting the viewership I had hoped for, but I am getting there, and that's the main thing. It's making me appreciate the process more than ever, before readers almost dropped into my lap, now I'm working for it, which I feel is better for me (and possibly my ego). It's a steady process, and I must say I'm enjoying it.
So if you were thinking of joining Wattpad and posting stuff yourself, I would recommend you do it, but be prepared to spend a lot of time advertising and networking. It takes up a lot of time, but it is worth it in the end. I hope this blog helps in some small way or other.
Oh, and if you want to check out my Wattpad profile, it's here.

Links And A Magical Consulting Detective.

So... it's been a while... I apologise for that, for some reason things got busy and when I did have the time for blogging, I had no inspiration. Current story of my life - 'I have time to write, yet I have no ideas/doubt my ideas... well damn, guess I'll just read all day.'
Anyway, I've decided to combine three blog posts into one, because I have time, and because I want to. My blog, my rules!
First things first, on Sunday, I finally bit the bullet and started uploading original fiction to Wattpad. I've been debating this for months, but have decided that it's a good idea to start uploading, because what have I got to lose? I've got ideas in my head, a novel series world to build, and the perfect place to start posting some short stories to hopefully gain some interest in my writing. So, I wrote my first 'worldbuilding' short story to my original novel series, and will hopefully continue to do so whenever I get the chance. If you want to check it out, the link is here. I've possibly not done everything I should have with posting it, but hey, I'm new, I'll work it out eventually. If anyone has some tips on how to use Wattpad though, please do drop me a message - I'm useless with new websites!
Another thing I've recently posted is my new vlog, this time about 'Beating Writers Block' which is a bit appropriate considering how blocked I've been lately. So I figured I'd make a vlog to a) lift my own block and b) help others with it too. I hope some of the tips in there help you guys out!
Finally on the links front, I've also set up an account on PeoplePerHour, where anybody can hire me (for a small fee) to proofread their work/write 'about me' pages, or anything like that. So if there's anything you need proofing, or written, come hire me.
Now that business is attended to, let's talk Magic Mike XXL and Mr Holmes. Two very different films, and two films I thoroughly enjoyed for completely different reasons.
I watched both yesterday back to back in the cinema with my best friend, because we love a bit of Sherlock Holmes (even though I'm die hard BBC and she's Elementary... I won't go into that, I'd be here forever) and we loved the first Magic Mike. So we thought, why not? Let's have a cinema day! And that's how we found ourselves in the cinema for six hours to watch two films of completely different genre.
I'll start first with Mr Holmes, because we saw that one first. To say that I wasn't expecting what I saw is an understatement. In my head, I expected Ian McKellin's version of Mr Holmes to be well, like my Sherlock Holmes, brash, bold, beautifully flawed. But instead, what we see is an old man, a very ill old man, trying to figure out one last case with the help of his housekeeper's son. At 93, Sherlock Holmes hasn't solved a case in thirty years, after one fateful case, yet he can't remember why it was his last case, just that it was. John wrote it down of course, as he did with all of their cases, but the ending to this particular one doesn't feel right to Mr Holmes. So he tries to remember and write it down himself, in between tending to his bees and recalling his trip to Japan for a Prickly Ash plant.
I won't tell you why he wants that particular tree, or what happens in the case, but I will say this. Mr Holmes is an incredibly sad film if you're a die hard Sherlock Holmes fan who loves the character. If you're like me, and have enough time on your hands to analyse whichever source material you love most (for me it's BBC all the way), coming to the conclusion that Sherlock Holmes is an incredibly lonely man, then this film was be just a tad bit devastating, and then some. The writers have admittedly messed with canon a lot, leading to only mentions and shots of John from the neck down, a two minute scene with Mycroft and a Mrs Hudson who never speaks. All of which makes Sherlock the centre of this film, instead of it being Sherlock-and-ensemble cast. In that sense, it was a new take on the original canon, yet at the same time, I want to condemn the writers for doing that, as I know in canon John retires with Sherlock in Sussex, Mrs Hudson does talk and while Mycroft is more in the shadows, he's still there, instead of leaving his poor brother to fend for himself in this big, dark world.
Yet, despite this, I did enjoy the film greatly. Having only seen modern BBC Sherlock and Robert Downey Jnr's versions (don't sue me Sherlockian purists) until the long awaited Victorian Christmas Special comes out, it was great to see this great character as Arthur Conan Doyle intended, just quite a few years older, and without his usual team behind him. Ian McKellin did not disappoint as Sherlock Holmes either, something I never doubted he would for a second. There was not one minute of Gandalf The Grey or Magneto reflected in his performance, I almost completely forgot he was also those characters. Ian really was Sherlock Holmes, and dare I say it, more believable than Robert Downey Jnr. Maybe because he was English and subtle in his deductions, maybe because I wasn't expecting him to turn into Iron Man at any given moment, either way, I thoroughly enjoyed Ian's performance as Sherlock Holmes.
So, while the film is incredibly sad for people who believe Sherlock Holmes to be a very isolated character in their own canon, and also had me begging to see a little bit of Sherlock's interactions with John Watson, I did enjoy it. Little Roger was a joy to watch, and the way they treat Sherlock's illness is heartbreaking and beautifully written. The little tie-ins to the canon are perfect (seeing Phil Davis - the killer in BBC's A Study In Pink was a lovely little touch to the BBC's most famous production of the stories) and the film did just enough to make it stand out against the masses of other adaptions. Well done Mr Holmes!
Magic Mike on the other hand, was a whole different ballgame. Whole different genre, whole different universe to Mr Holmes. Obviously set in the present, Magic Mike XXL focuses back on ex-stripper Mike, taking one last trip to Myrtle Beach with his old stripper gang to take part in the stripper convention. The entire crew have decided to pack in stripping and get normal jobs, and so have decided to go out on a high together, having one last dance together before they say goodbye to dancing and hello to the 9-5 grind (no pun intended).
Again, I won't give away too much, but the plot surprised me again, as the first one did too. When I walked in to both Magic Mike films, I was expecting a whole lot of hot naked men, lots of dancing and not much plot (not that I was complaining) but instead I got hot men with depth and differing personalities, a bit of stripping and a real plot line. This is not about a group of men who don't want anything but to strip for their entire lives, this is a group of men who love stripping, but want real jobs, real girlfriends, and to follow their passions.
What surprised me even more, was just how respectful this film was to women. I really was not expecting this film to be so respectful to women, instead I was expecting us females to be used as basically props to hold up every male character. And while there aren't that many, given big parts, there are a few who jump in and out, all of whom aren't treated like props. They have thoughts and feelings, are witty and have desires. A group of middle aged women are not treated as throw-away women who are 'past their prime' they're treated with respect by Mike and his friends. They are told repeatedly that they deserve love and respect, that they deserve to be romanced and taken to cloud 9 by their man. Another female character does not back down to Mike once, instead puts him through his paces, and when she MCs for him and his team, she never stops telling the girls around them that they are queens and goddesses, that they are beautiful and deserve the attention these strippers are given them.
Hell, even the girls in the dances at the end aren't all stick thin models either. At least two plus sized women are given huge amounts of attention by our strippers, WOC were given huge amounts of attention, so many body types were included. I never expected that, it's subtle, but it's there, and I loved that about Magic Mike XXL.
The actual story line of the film is a good one too, the dialogue is witty again, and gives each character their own depth and personality. They're all given an opportunity to explore what they want their act to be, what they're going to do after their weekend of fun is over. It's bittersweet to watch, and more compelling than I thought. I expected pretty faces and no personality, I got pretty faces and personalities to match.
So while I wanted a tad bit more stripping (a girl does have needs) what I got was a film about beautiful men with real personalities, diverse amounts of women, and a whole lot of laughs. The Twilight and Matrix send ups were a fantastic surprise, Matt Bomer singing had me nearly falling out of my chair in surprise, and the end stripping scene more than made up for the lack throughout the rest of the film.
If you made me choose between Magic Mike XXL and Mr Holmes, I physically couldn't do it, I loved both equally for entirely different reasons. Mr Holmes was poignant and intriguing, Magic Mike was funny and a whole lot more inclusive than first thought. I'd recommend seeing both films, though just maybe not back to back, it's a culture shock to see both within the same day!

What Is The Right Word Count For Me?

Okay, okay, I know I said I'd actually going to start blogging properly and then went AWOL for eleven days, but I got busy alright? I'm here, now, that's what matters here.
So, here we go, first bit of writing advise I'm imparting in blog form - What Is The Right Word Count For Me? - following on from my last Pro Tips video.
What I mean by that is, what kind of word count should you be aiming for when you have a writing session? For some of you out there, you'll be reading this thinking 'but I just go with whatever I can manage that day and move on' and that's great, I envy you laid back people greatly. For the rest of us, we set daily word counts to either challenge ourselves every day, or to make sure we have a reasonable amount down on paper.
So what should be a good, obtainable daily word goal? The short answer is that it's different for everybody. There is no 'one word count fits all' solution, and to be honest, it is up to you to figure out how much you want to get down on a daily basis.
There are some professional writers out there who write over five thousand words a day, there are some who decide that just six hundred is enough. So really, there's a huge range you can go for here. Personally, I like to aim for somewhere between six hundred and a thousand, depending on what project I'm working on. For one story I'm working on, the six hundred is about a page worth of writing, and can get across my current ideas well without me losing momentum. For my other story, a thousand is needed to fully explain what I want to get across that day. In short, I like to reach at least six hundred words or I feel like my day has been wasted.
How did I get to this number? By trial and error mostly. I started out by making sure I wrote five paragraphs, consisting of at least five lines, every day. But that was in the days before I set things out properly and put speech on new lines (those were dark days my friends, I do not speak of those days any more). Once I did start to set things out properly, it meant my five paragraph rule went out the window, so I had to find a new system to work with. I counted how many words were in my paragraphs, and that came out at about six hundred on average, so I figured that that was a nice minimum to aim for.
Six hundred felt right as it was the number I could get out comfortably without straining myself, so I rolled with it, and has worked well for me over the years. Of course, if I go over that word count then I'm ecstatic and feel very, very proud of myself (and usually find myself some chocolatey treat to reward my wordy little brain). I regularly do go over that word count on a story whenever I write it, which brings me onto another point I want to bring up in this post.
Changing word counts for changing projects.
As I said before, everybody is different, so they have different ideas about what productivity is. And like how every person is different, every project is different too. Some are easier than others to write, which means that some projects make hitting your preferred daily word count easier. You might want to consider changing your word count goals if this happens, to keep the challenge up. If you're writing something you're struggling with but really want to continue it, try lowering your word count a bit, so you're not struggling to reach what seems like an impossible target every day. At the same time, if you're project feels easy to write and flows excellently, maybe try increasing your target, to give yourself a challenge and keep you on your toes. It's up to you though, whatever you feel like is a good productive goal you'd like to reach every day.
In summary, choose your word count wisely. Go with something you can obtain relatively easily without pushing yourself too far, and don't be afraid to change that number if your project needs it. Word goals should not feel like a chore, it should be a nice challenge to yourself, so choose wisely!