Month: November 2017

What’s coming up next?

Posted on by arappleby

Well when I first began to wonder about the question I realised my original idea has to change. I haven’t been able to take part in NANOWRIMO like I had planned and hoped I could and would have, although I did begin starting to look at the project ideas and begin planning what I want it to be like I have struggled to even begin to get the words down on paper.

So I know this isn’t the ideal situation I was hoping for. I found myself with a lot of half started stories this year, and only a couple of them have been finished. So what do I want to do with the remainder of 2017? Well… I am going to do something naughty. I am going to post the first three chapters of the big project around Christmas time, so stay tuned. But I warn you, those three chapters of the big project over the Christmas period are likely to be all that is ever shown in a preview on here until I have an agent/publisher and a publishing contract and date etc all sorted out. Yes, I know that is mean, just giving a little teaser and taster of a project I have honestly loved writing. I am still hunting for the agent and publisher so it probably is a bit mean to be saying here this is the great big project I have been preparing for, for the last seven or eight years. But that being said, seven or eight years is a long old time to be working on something. I love this story and I can’t wait to share it but right now this is all I feel like it is time to share.

But that is not enough I know. So this year will see the start of a project I wrote a while ago and that has had a bit of editing from its first draft of horror to this draft of shame… in the hope that it could be more of what I wanted it to be like. It had a little bit of a make-over, which it sorely needed, and I think my way of writing has evolved and changed since then so of course editing was very painfully cringe-y. I enjoyed writing this story the first time because it meant a lot to me that I had been inspired by the wonderful strong women I know. So that will start this year and be adjusted into next year’s new post structure/schedule. So I will probably be releasing that in its chapters and I will release that as a whole next year on amazon kindle so keep your eyes peeled. It’s called Darling Daughters and will begin to appear on here VERY soon.

So what is happening to The Diary of Elliot Parker? Well, I am continuing the project, it’s developed a life of its own and taken a few twists and turns already I can’t wait to share… I think Elliot Parker is here to stay for a while, just how much post time it gets over the next year is debatable, it will return in the new year to share some screen space with Darling Daughters… I love writing TDEP and I am reluctant to let it go just yet. It’s a hell of a lot of fun to write.

Hopefully with any luck I will also be able to begin to work on the project I had planned to do for NANOWRIMO, get a good plot hashed out and ready to write, write that and then hopefully it will be ready to appear some-time next year. I just need to get a few projects done… ok more than a few. I think there is a to do list that is longer than I am tall… I will get it done though. I refuse to fall into the abyss of worrying too much about the to do list to actually get it done. It’s just going to take some time… So yes I know I am currently borrowing time like crazy, but I will get some exciting new projects and work written up soon! I promise.

So I know this isn’t exactly what I planned. But I have to roll with it, life is a bit unpredictable so I am going to be working even harder now than I was before to make sure I am releasing the best work I can on here for you to read.

May luck and adventure be on your side.

ARA xx

 

Author Update (November 2017)

Posted on by arappleby

So it is November after all… This year has gone so very quickly.

Where has this year gone? I can’t believe it has gone so very fast! Not long until Christmas and New Year!

Has everyone else done all their Christmas shopping and gotten everything done yet?

I’ve been thinking about what I want to do next year, in terms of New Years resolutions. I am beginning to wonder what next year will bring but I am sure it will be good.

I have barely done any writing lately but I am hoping to settle into creating a new rhythm so that I am making more time to write. To be honest, barely is putting it mildly.

No NANOWRIMO this year sadly but maybe next?

This month on Netflix… I watched the Daredevil and some of the new Heartland series but other than that, tv has been lazy half baked viewing. I finished watching all of the new series of Vampire Diaries and have been watching some of the Greenhouse Academy too.

Guitar has been SO VERY slow, I have been trying to decide what song to master next but the practice schedule has been pretty hard to achieve… as in, I haven’t practiced, although we learned Two Worlds Collide by Demi Lovato, as much as I like the song I don’t think it is one that I like playing on guitar sadly.

My sumbissions of The Big Project to agents and publishers has been slow and painful… extremely … No luck as yet but there is always hope for the future.

I am still working on that whole work/writing/life balance… its harder than I thought.

Of course I still gotta throw a little plug in for The Diary of Elliot Parker 🙂 I likes writing it so of course I will keep reminding you…

The Diary of Elliot Parker Part Three is now available! Here is the UK link https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075VSBT3Q

Here is the US link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSBT3Q

 

And as always… I just want to remind you that there are books that are open, and available to you. So here is the link to my amazon author page, why not see if something takes your fancy? There is plenty up there to get you caught up from the first edition to the current of The Diary of Elliot Parker. Perhaps I might even stick something new on there soon so watch this space!!!

May luck and adventure be on your side!

ARA xxx

Wicked was well…

Posted on by arappleby

Wicked.

So yes I know, we went on Halloween and it has taken me an awful long time to type anything to be honest. So what can I tell you, Wicked on Halloween was incredible. Haz, Boo and I seemed to have a great evening, albeit chaotic.

As per tradition Haz was a bit late to meet up to travel into London together. So finally getting into the station we went to Frankie and Bennies, which was a great choice. We all had something a little bit different but we enjoyed the food and only had the mains because, lets face it the portions are decent enough to leave you feeling rather full. We decided to go try some mini cupcakes on a side shop after, which were great.

Well when it comes to wicked we had a lot of fun, a big giggle waiting to go in, our seats were half decent for sitting in the nosebleeds. We had a great view. The cast did an incredible job. Truly, it was magnificent. The vibes were incredible, the energy in the room, everything.

I loved it. For once I wasn’t insanely jealous of the cast performing either, I got to enjoy it completely but I think that has more to do with where I am now and what has been happening in life. Then as for the horrendously pricey mini tub of ice cream… that was delicious.

The cast did a great job, their singing was incredible, the techniques and the emotion they had emphasized were completely on point. It was brilliant.

Basically we all loved watching Wicked. A fantastic night out.

The Harry Potter Tour

Posted on by arappleby

So… Yep I finally went. I’ve not had time to write up about it until now. Although some pictures are slowly making their way to my instagram page, which you can probably tell I went with boo.

So Watford is a lovely place, the studios are massive. It is a magical trip to make for any Potter fan, and yes puns will probably be intentional.

We got to the studio a little bit early but it was good to not rush, we enjoyed the giant chess pieces out the front, wonderful props. So we went inside, I advise a quick trip to the bathroom before you go into the studios, always good to be prepared. So we loved looking at all the beautiful props even in the atrium before you enter. So we made our way inside and there is a whole big thing before the tour really begins which is where I will refuse to give spoilers. But stepping into the tour was insane fun, we loved it, the hall the hourglasses everything. going through all the props, the way that things were made, seeing how things were made, cast and crew interviews on screens throughout the tour were fantastic. I loved the Halloween features that had been put in place, the special touches, it was fantastic. The live show with death eaters. The people that work there are great and need a lot of praise, they do a great job and are there if help is needed.

The entire tour was incredible, but unfortunately, I am definitely not a fan of butterbeer… it is gross in my opinion, but that is ok, we don’t all have to like it… So the next thing, the thing that left me awestruck was the room that has Hogwarts inside. Honestly, it was very much an incredible feeling to walk around the model of a place that for most of your child hood you dreamed of running away to. It did kind of feel like that “ah, I am home” sort of feeling, even though in reality we had never been there before. It was completely incredible. I loved every second of the tour. I can’t wait to go back, honestly I am already planning another trip, though it won’t be for at least another year.

 

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy

Posted on by arappleby

This book took me a little while to read. It has a few authors, Cassandra Clare, Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson, Robin Wasserman. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy was a good read, some of it took more time than others to understand. I mean, it was pretty incredible. I liked the continuation and the breathing life into characters and seeing back stories for characters who in the original mortal instruments seemed to have more of a story. One thing I couldn’t shake was the wondering about this book, was it essentially like a fan fiction for some aspects. Like I know it was probably very planned with guidelines for some of it but still I have to wonder if it was a way to push a few storylines forwards.

Don’t get me wrong I loved that Alec and Magnus ending up accidental parents to a little blue warlock. I thought that was great! I love the whole “Malec” ship. But I can’t help but the “Clace” (Clary and Jace) ship was a bit, lacking in how defined it felt. I know the focus was largely on Simon. I like that he grew as a character and that his friendship with Clary was given a new route of life. But I think the friendship that was built and so heavily underlined with George was a heavy handed approach to make the character liked. I’m not above writing like that myself, I know characters have to be given an importance and likeability if they are to take up a significant amount of face time with a main character. But the way that the friendship and kinship resolves with Simon and George, it feels like an underwhelming resolution to a storyline. I know there has to be a significant risk or consequence for characters and to threaten it but not deliver is foolish. But however, I do think delivering the consequence to a character who otherwise could be seen as a side line or after thought to even the main character is a bit ill advised. Making someone significant all of a sudden with the desperate need before any consequence to have provoked an emotional response feels a bit amateur for the story. I think I might have expected a bit more. Maybe the emotional bond could have been highlighted more earlier and given higher stakes.

Yes, Simon and Clary would be obvious parabatai material but to be honest, I wanted it to be George, I think it would have been nicer. I think Clary and Isabelle would have been great to see them find a level of friendship that they could become parabatai. It would be a little less obvious and a bit more controversial although, that said, it would have been obvious too. I suppose I just would have liked Simon to have grown a bit away from Clary even when he gets his memories back. I think putting some distance with Simon and Clary would have been good just to see how Simon grows more with others, I think, George would have challenged him as a parabatai to become who he wanted to be, not to say Clary wouldn’t, but to say, Clary seems to have Simon always at her side as a side kick not so much an equal but the emotional crutch and you don’t often see her return the favour. Her being there for Simon feels under told in this story in some ways, she acts as a mechanism for escape and distraction which we all need but I think Simon needed her a bit more, even though he may not have realised it.

That being said, it’s a good book, I enjoyed reading it, sometimes it was hard to put it down, but I did have two or so weeks between picking it up to read the next part once or twice, hence why I felt it took me longer than usual to read.

The Diary of Elliot Parker Part Three is now available  on amazon! Out NOW… here is the UK link https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075VSBT3Q

Here is the US link https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VSBT3Q