I just saw 'Jack Reacher' at the cinema and it's made me blog on a Saturday evening. I don't normally do film reviews (or blog on Saturday nights) as I don't really think I'm qualified enough to comment. I just watch quite a few. Maybe that's enough.

But I wouldn't recommend you shell out for a ticket for this one. Screenplay writer and director Christopher McQuarrie didn't pull it off like he did with 'Valkyrie' and 'The Tourist'.

I was reluctant to watch it to start with; I admit, I may have gone in pre-judging the latest Tom Cruise offering. I'm not a fan of TC but my friend Grant seemed to be so, we scored 15% off the ticket, and I was bored, so I went along. Not a great premise for a successful cinema trip!

So, if you're a reader, you may know that Reacher is the protagonist in the crime novels by Lee Child. Not Ian Rankin, as I thought, and I've read both Child and Lee, but that's too embarrassing to elaborate on. However, I felt that Jack Reacher was trying too hard to be Jack Bauer, the renegade loose cannon, the sexy justice seeker and protector from '24'. He failed miserably. 

I also managed to guess most of the film before it happened. This is unusual, as not only am I quite unobservant, but I also like to live in the moment with films and not try to second guess every twist and turn. I prefer it this way, taking the film at the speed it was intended and enjoying it as it unfolds, but this one was too hard not to predict. **SPOILER** I just knew the District Attorney wouldn't be the bad guy and the Inspector would be. Easy. 

Not convinced you shouldn't even rent this movie? If I see a car chase and think there's something wrong with it, there probably was. As I said, I'm not that observant and not a film buff, but I can spot that the cars in the tunnel supposedly coming towards Reacher's car on the wrong side of the street are stationary. My friend, who works in the car industry, also pointed out TC was driving a three speed automatic, so the stunts were a little over the top for such a standard model. Being a driver of an automatic (I can drive stick, promise! I was offered a bargain I couldn't resist and I love it (him), I can understand this. You won't find me doing 360 spins in my Yaris, or accelerating like that. Maybe I'm missing out - maybe I need to buy me an Audi like the one Reacher borrows from his attorney friend, Helen. 

And another thing. Helen's (Rosamund Pike) portrayal was awful. She used the F word on her dad (the DA, no less), and she can't decide if she's a cop, a lawyer or in love with Reacher. There was too many frisson moments which came to nothing. The story doesn't explain how her law company lets her take on the case in this film when at the beginning it's explained no one in town wants it. And she'd not getting paid. How can she just ditch her job just to follow up on this seemingly impossible case? She's not paying Reacher (who's surviving on an army pension), but how is she keeping up with her insurance payments on the (now trashed) Audi? She didn't give a convincing performance, but in a weird second '24' coincidence, she reminded me of Kim Bauer, Bauer's daughter. 

Hmmm... I was really struggling to stop thinking about '24' and it's been over a month since I last watched an episode. I hope someone buys me the final season (8, if anyone's reading...) of '24' for my birthday in a few weeks. I also hope Tom Cruise doesn't drag the Reacher character through a second movie. You know he's just looking for a new series now he's getting too old for 'Mission Impossible'.

**Note** 15 minutes later and I discover there will be a 'Mission Impossible 5' in 2015.... Joy!

Give this one a miss, I would. 

Lou x

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A slightly lazy post today (post-Christmas slump, anyone?!), but hopefully you'll find it interesting. If you've read my blog, you've probably seen my Twitter feed, but if you've not stopped by my Twitter page lately, these are some of the tweets you missed during Christmas week. 

12 Days of Book Sales: A Dozen Holiday Book Promotion Ideas:http://bit.ly/TgPn6M via @duolit 

YOU are the author of your own life. If you don't like the page you're on, Rewrite It. ~@emitoms #quote RT @JeffSheehan@BrookeGriffin_

Anyone going to Notts Festival of Words in Feb? (I know, I know, but Feb isn't that far away now!) http://ow.ly/gfELN 

RT @thecreativepenn Waterstones Piccadilly goes crazy for the Hobbit http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A-kc96DCcAESv5U.jpg …

#wednesdaywritein 19 via @cakeshortnsweet "A Liar Like Me"http://wp.me/pBHc0-RW 

Help a #goodcause! INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE IMPRISONED WRITER http://buff.ly/TrvyuJ  #tweets4authors

Writing a Book is an Adventure http://www.advicetowriters.com/home/2012/12/24/writing-a-book-is-an-adventure.html … #writing #writecraft RT @AdviceToWriters

What's your favourite Christmas book? From The Snowman to The Grinch, here are Stylist Magazine's top festive... http://fb.me/RX4SIIgn 

Yet another great bookish Christmas tree! http://fb.me/CMQbAx5P 

Writers, readers - you should stop by more often to get more of the good stuff. By that I mean international competition details, online writing events, tips and inspiration to help your writing, blogs I think are worth a read etc etc.... And if you like what you see, don't forget to retweet!

Catch you next time!

Lou x

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Image courtesy of Wall Blog

If Santa was a Woman

If Santa was a woman
The presents would be beautifully wrapped
She’d wear Ugg Boots and much more fur,
And don a classier hat!

If Santa was a woman
She’d swap party shoes with her elves
She’d make sure the family was dressed and fed
If they couldn’t manage it themselves.

If Santa was a woman
She’d not eat mince pies offered on a plate
A female Santa would watch her calories
Right up until the special date.

If Santa was a woman
Her special deliveries would be efficient and quick
By not forgetting door keys and taking a map
And not driving like a lunatic.

If Santa was a woman
Mr Christmas would hold the fort
Peeling sprouts and basting the turkey
Singing to himself, with a glass of port.

If Santa was a woman
Christmas morning would be full of cheer
All done, she’d relax in a bubble bath
And think “I’m glad that’s done for another year!”

Gracias a Roberto por la lectura de la prueba!

Merry Christmas all!

Lou x

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Holly image courtesy of Graphic Soft, Santa image from WallCoo

I’d like to introduce Steve Clarkson to you this week. He’s a blogger and journalist I met via Twitter and he’s kindly agreed to be interviewed for my blog this week.

You’ve been a journalist for several organisations now. What is your first memory of writing, and of being interested in reporting the news?

To be honest, I wasn’t as interested in news reporting as you might think. Journalism appeals to me because it involves writing, which is (warning, cliché coming) something I always felt I was born to do. I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I remember. One of my first pieces was a review of my school’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which went in the school newsletter. I think I was 13.

Like me, you wrote for your student paper. What kind of articles did you write? Are you still connected with the paper or University?

I started off on music reviews, and covered a few university events — then, to my amazement, I was given my own column. I had the freedom to write about virtually anything that took my fancy, so long as it was of interest to students. CouchSurfing, freeganism, “smart drugs”, this cool police box where I worked… it was great fun. But all good things must come to an end, and I’m not connected to the university at all any more. I’d like to think I’ll live in Glasgow again sometime, because it’s a great city.

After your Masters in history, how did you wind up working in arts and entertainment reporting?

After graduating, I was so unprepared for work. I’d written a few articles for Metro while a student, so I naively assumed they’d at least strongly consider taking me on as a full-time member of staff as soon as I became available. They didn’t, so I went travelling in North America for three months. When I came back, I had a very stressful winter looking for a route into journalism (that’s when I wrote He Was Raised to Believe These Things Were Possible), but I eventually got a break in Manchester at a company called Adfero, where my job was to write 25 tailored news stories per day for various business websites. I learned a lot, but the writing wasn’t really up my street. From there, I went to Press Association, and thank goodness! I now write arts and entertainment features for PA’s clients, which include TV listings magazines and national newspapers, and with that on my CV I was also able to get some work with The Arts Desk, reviewing plays and festivals.

Sounds like a great start! How would you advise any budding journalists who were after a tip on getting started?

Just write, write, write. Definitely set up a blog. The more people you can get to read your material, the better, and having it online brings its own advantages. For example, if an editor wants to see samples of your work, it’s much easier to link him/her to a blog post than it is to email a Word document, or send a hard copy in the post. It’s really easy to set up a blog, and you can use it to build a portfolio. I would also say that developing a social presence is a good idea. Get a Twitter account, and use it to connect with professionals and generate exposure to your articles. Don’t be shy about it.

One thing to remember is that there’s no regular path into journalism. No formula for success. Sure, some people study Journalism or Media Studies at university (Sheffield, City College London and Sunderland are institutions to consider for this), but bear in mind there are more media students than media jobs. I know a girl who writes for Huffington Post — she has a degree in English Literature. Then there’s this other guy who never even went to university — and just focused on acquiring experience over the years — and he now writes for The Independent. Take a look at online forums and see how others are developing their journalism skills and experience. Wannabe Hacks is an excellent resource that provides a much better understanding of where to go next.

Journalism is a very competitive industry. You’ll need to persevere and draw on everything you have to stand out from the thousands and thousands of people you’re competing with on every step of the ladder. It’s worth it, though. In the end, you either succeed or give up.

The media have been, err… in the news quite a bit lately. How do you think this has affected trust in the printed daily word?

It’s been in the news because it concerns the news makers. I think that the Leveson Inquiry, however important the issues it has raised are, is something the media obsesses about more than the people who actually read the papers. I think ordinary people were pretty shocked when the Milly Dowler story first broke, and when News of the World got shut down, but now the dust has settled I really don’t think trust in the tabloids has been affected all that much. Most people already knew not to believe everything the papers say.

So true - there's even a Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat reference there! Potiphar: "Don't believe everything you read, dear!"

Where do you find your inspiration for your prose?

Ordinary people, mundane routines, the drudgery of work, small talk, hope, tragedy, comedy, prejudice, envy, innocence, cups of tea, whisky, insomnia, awkward moments, heartache, euphoria...

You review a lot of albums on your blog. What is your all-time favourite album?

That’s a tough one. How about I tell you my favourite album to write to, which is Everybody Digs Bill Evans. It just makes me pretend I’m a writer living in a dingey flat in 1950s New York, rather than a writer a dingey flat in 2010's East Yorkshire.

If you were off sick one day, what crappy daytime TV would you watch now you’ve gone off Jeremy Kyle?

Did I actually say I’d gone off Jeremy Kyle in that piece? (I have.) I got the feeling - Lou.  I watch property shows if I get time during the day, so probably something like Homes under the Hammer or Escape to the Country — even if they remind me that I’ll not have a mortgage for a long, long time…

Did meeting Westlife bring out the inner boy band fan inside you?! I was kinda jealous… 

I certainly got off the phone (yes, it was just a phone interview) more of a fan than I was before. They were nice lads, and surprisingly honest. It took ages to transcribe it from my dictaphone, though, because of their accents and how quickly they spoke!

In your recent blog post ‘The Next Big Thing Blog Hop’  you mention you’re writing a collection of short stories and poems. Is there a theme in mind or is it a general Steve Clarkson collection?

I’m trying not to think about things on that scale at the moment. I just take each story as it comes. They each tend to start with a line or an image appearing in my head. Looking back at what I've written so far, I think the throughline is one of a generation lost, anxious, and confused. Cheery stuff.

What do you think are the best ways which indie writers like ourselves can gain more exposure for our work?

This is something I don’t have much authority on. Although I've been writing creatively for some time, I feel quite new to this game. At the moment I’m just Tweeting links to short stories on my blog and hoping for a few hits, but I do think that authors who’ve gone it alone benefit hugely from interacting with each other. It’s clearly a changing industry, and pooling our knowledge of marketing techniques, writing competitions, literary agents on the prowl etc. etc. will be instrumental in any publishing success we can ever hope to enjoy.

What was the last book you enjoyed reading?

I’ve been reading David Foster Wallace’s "Infinite Jest" for months and months now (the clue’s in the title), but before that... It was actually something not too literary and probably more of a toilet book — I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan. It was hilarious.

Quick fire: Coffee or tea? Tea.

Ebooks – yes or no? No.

Ski or sunbathe? Sunbathe.


Thanks for speaking with me today, Steve, and merry Christmas to you!

Steve Clarkson works for the Press Association in East Yorkshire, UK. He writes features for the Metro newspaper, the Arts Desk, Sabotage Times, and “indulges in creative projects sporadically”.
Steve is available for hire for production of high-quality content, for web or print. Interested companies or Editors can email him at steve_clarkson_29@hotmail.com. Here’s his Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Steve’s blog “clarkspeak” is updated regularly, so take a look. 

Until next time...

Lou x

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Here's my entry into the People pictures competition from Holiday Extras. 

Wish me luck - could win an iPad 2 or holiday vouchers!

Lou x

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PEN International is a leading cultural and advocacy organisation which celebrates literature and promotes freedom of expression. Founded in 1921, our global community of writers now comprises 144 Centres spanning more than 100 countries. 

• Eskinder Nega (Ethiopia): journalist and blogger convicted to 18 years in prison on dubious terrorism related charges, clearly levied as punishment for his reporting on government human rights abuses.
Marian Botsford Fraser, Chair of the WiPC, is in Istanbul this week with a high level delegation of 20 people from nine centres, joining colleagues in PEN Turkey in readings of poetry and prose honouring writers at risk around the world.

“We’re here to signal the great concern of PEN members around the world about the extraordinarily high number of writers, journalists and publishers who are either in prison, in detention awaiting trial, or suffering daily fear of being arrested,” said Botsford Fraser. “Turkey’s progress towards democracy must include true freedom of speech for its citizens.”

Writers in Turkey, as in many countries around the world, notably Iran, China and Bahrain, are facing new violations to their freedom of expression on the Internet, including the illegal interference of governments in the transmission of opinion, news and ideas. On 18th November, PEN International hosted two panel discussions at the Istanbul Book Fair addressesing the issue of freedom of expression and digital media and discussing PEN’s new Declaration on Digital Freedom.

“More than two-thirds of the people on the current WiPC case list have been targeted because of things they have said in blogs, tweets, and on websites,” said Botsford Fraser. “PEN’s new Declaration on Digital Freedom will be invaluable in our defence of writers at risk.”

Alongside the events in Turkey, dozens of PEN Centres hosted events, readings, film screenings and more, remembering colleagues at risk around the world.

For more information on centre activities click here.
For more information on PEN International delegation to Turkey click here.

For information and press enquiries please contact Sahar Halaimzai:
E: Sahar.halaimzai@pen-international.org | + 44 (0) 20 7405 0338.
Or contact Sara Whyatt| E: Sara.whyatt@pen-international .org

                                                     - - - - - - -

Food for thought, thoughts for actions. See you next week. 

Lou x

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#Cleverhashtags, like the humorous #replacesongtitleswithturkey, are great games to join in with. And I have raved about hashtags in the past in terms of their #magicalpowers of humanising your tweets, #networking and #research. Today I'm going to forget all that.

These are the 8 reasons why good #writers should hate hashtags.

1.       Hashtags are the bane of your life if you're a #grammarnazi - and every #writer should be close to this politically. Evidence? You cannot add any punctuation to a hashtag otherwise it breaks into two. For instance, #itsbeginningtolookalotlikechristmas is one floating about the Twittersphere this December. #ImGladThat someone had the sense to create #AmWriting instead of #ImWriting... 

2.       #Cramming words together in one giant blob is not attractive. Although #itsfunnyhow your brain can still compute what the tag is supposed to say, #IMiss the spaces in between the words. 

3.       It's even worse when the hashtag's spelt wrong! See #faulsehope and #thatakwardmomentwhen.

4.       Sometimes they’re used excessively to emphasise things (e.g #amazing or #epicfail). I do like this about hashtags, as it can add #emotional flavour to your tweet, but #oneisenough, people! Try to express how you feel with actual sentences, please, for me?!

5.       Hashtags are ruining speech in the English language. Much like the ‘txtspk’ phenomenon which threatened #English essays in every #school, a hashtag speech #addiction is developing. #Youcantbetakenseriouslyif you name drop hashtags into #daily conversations.

6.       Hashtags can breed negativity. #ImSickOf, case in point. Writers don't need that vibe, and it doesn't help the person tweeting about it either. #Getoffyourass, try to #makeadifference to your or someone else's life, or quit complaining! 

7.      #Whatwomenwant is an example of ridiculous hashtags which yet again make me despise their use. If you take #twominutes to read this kind of #junk you’ll see what I mean. 90% of them are being detrimental to their sex by #playingon their #stereotypes and slagging off their own or their ex. If you're #venting, I won't #follow you. Writers, you know you're #wastingtime better spent #writing if you're using these!!!

8.       Hashtags can be (unintentionally?) #racist. Take a look at #firstworldproblems and #stereotyping for examples. I'm sure not all the #questionable tweets intended to sound racist, but you have to be careful how you come across when you hit the 'tweet' button, even if it's supposed to be a #funny comment on #society.

And now I'm going to tweet this #blog post. Probably with a hashtag or two attached. Feel free to #retweet!

Lou x

P.S. Apologies for being a little late with my blog this week, haven't been feeling too top. I'm beginning to #bounceback though - see you next week!

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