Christmas and Smaug

So Christmas has come and gone in the Owton household; we survived, the goose didn’t. The horde of nieces and nephews got fed, too much was drunk and Southampton managed a fine win at Cardiff.

I went to see the second Hobbit film tonight. I had heard a lot about The Desolation of Smaug, how stacks of the story weren’t to be found in the original book or in The Unfinished Tales. Well yes, its true that much of the film’s action is not in the books but you know what? I don’t care. Because it was fun! Books and films are different media; what works well for one doesn’t necessarily work for the other, and if it gets people to read the original book then I’m all for it.

Speaking of books that will be films, I recently posted my Goodreads review of ‘Queen of the Tearling’, a proof copy of which I picked up at World Fantasy. Reading some of the other reviews, it appears that the movie deal is imminent and Emma Watson is allegedly signed up (though the book makes a point of describing the Queen as plain, hardly the case with Ms Watson).  I thought this was a very average book, indeed there are many better, including my own (as yet unpublished) fantasy adventure, but I can see how it could make a good movie in the hands of talented screenwriter. The bones of the story are there. Sometimes it is not the great book that makes the great film.   

Jackpot and other stuff

Went to the pub quiz again last week and got it right. My team team won by 11 points and I picked out the right envelope; result £280 between the four of us! Very satisfying. I invested some of that money on backing Australia to beat England in the 2nd test, the only good thing to come out of that sorry mess.

Went to see Southampton play Man City on Saturday. City scored early and threatened to bury us, but missed good chances to extend the score and Southampton played their way back into it. Scored one spectacular goal, had the chances to score more but wasted them. End result 1-1, pretty fair outcome.

Haven’t written much this week. I have two pieces for the upcoming T-Party workshop. I’ve read them both, but haven’t yet written my critiques – well that’s my excuse anyway. 

Next….or not

So I haven’t actually decided what next. 

I got sidetracked by stuff…

I spent a few evenings working on a hard SF story that I wrote in collaboration with another T-Party member some years ago. We’re updating it as our contribution to an anthology the T-Party is publishing in memory of Denni Schnapp who left us early this year.

I went to the pub quiz that we were doing so well in earlier this year for the first time in weeks (we blew out in the wipeout round)

I ran my own pub quiz here  http://www.the-inn.co.uk/

I wrote a 300 words synopsis of the first novel. Now that was hard! If you think putting together a detailed synopsis is tough – and I do – then this is 3 times worse. Getting the story of a 100k novel with multiple plotlines down in 300 words!! Really damn tough. But I’ve done it. No idea whether it is any good, but it does give the major bones of the story.

Haven’t heard anything from my agent.