Inspiration!

I have been inspired; not in an arty way, in a guts and glory way. This isn't a matter of The Muse knocking on the door and calling me out to play, it's inspiration in the way a person can be inspired by an Olympic Athlete to become more active, or by an X-Factor contestant inspiring a singer to think 'I can do that.'

My 'I can do that' moment has originated from an interesting source. A long-time friend, Ally, is a talented artist and I recently found her Sketchbook on Conceptart. I looked through her art work, starting last August, right up to this year and saw a remarkable improvement and this improvement has happened because she took a critical look at herself and asked 'what do I want to achieve?' She set herself goals, decided what she needed to work on and then worked on it. Tirelessly. Well, I can do that.

For years I've wanted to write: Novels, screenplays, drama, stage plays... anything really (except poetry, which I officially SUCK at!) I've been writing stories since I was in primary school and even ran a fan-fiction writing group between 1998 and 2008. I know there are characters and stories inside my head trying to claw their way to freedom, but life always gets in the way. There's always work, the house, the husband, the dog, singing, politics and god-knows-what-else to do. Well, Ally has inspired me to apply the same dedication to my writing that she's applied to her art.

This isn't the first hint that I should be more dedicated in the application of the writer's craft. Hubby has been saying for months that if I want to be a writer I need to write, and the internet is littered with advice from bloggers and writers saying that the first step to writing is to write everyday. Add to that the fact that I have seen significant improvement in my singing just purely from setting goals and applying regular practice. Ally's success on Conceptart isn't so much another hint, as a slap in the face with a wet kipper: It seems like the whole world is telling me I should write.... lots.... everyday.

So... I've started another blog... The Writer Inside. Writer and blogger, Jeff Goins says that a writer shouldn't just practice, they should practice in public. And so I shall. I still intend to use The Soup Spoon for general posting, but my intention is to post as often as I can on The Writer Inside and to post lots of snippets, short stories and character word-sketches. I'd love to get some feedback about what works and what doesn't, so come on over and have a look around.

I only hope that I can enjoy a similar improvement in my writing that Ally has in her artwork. Who knows, maybe I will actually manage to finish the novel, screenplay and TV pilot episode that I've been chewing on forever.

An Open Letter to Twitter #KeepTwitterAdFree

Dear Sir or Madam,

I mostly access Twitter using the iPhone mobile app. A while ago I noticed that Promoted Tweets started to appear in my timeline. I had noticed Promoted Trends and Promoted Accounts before, but this was the first time advertising had actually appeared directly in my timeline.

I strongly object to the use of Promoted Tweets in my timeline. It is like a company walking up to me in the street and interrupting in the middle of a conversation to market their product to me. I find it rude and offensive and have, until recently, been blocking all accounts that use Promoted Tweets, including products that I have an interest in; I really do find it THAT intrusive. However, I notice now that I am seeing Promoted Tweets from accounts that I have already blocked. This is particularly unacceptable to me; I should be able to block whomever I choose.

I understand that advertising revenue funds Twitter and allows you to continue to develop the site and mobile apps. I am content for other forms of advertising to continue (Promoted Trends, and promotions that appear outside my timeline are much less intrusive) but I personally feel that ads in my timeline is a step too far. I acknowledge that others will not feel as strongly about this as I do. All I ask is that you respect my wish to not have Promoted Tweets appear in my timeline; it would be nice if you stopping offering Promoted Tweets altogether but I realise that this is unlikely. It would be acceptable if I was able to block any account that uses Promoted Tweets.

Olympic Gold

Did anyone catch the Olympics Opening Ceremony by any chance? Wiping out three hours of the BBC's evening schedule, it would be pretty hard to miss. Personally, I'm glad I made a point of watching; it was a fantastic celebration of our nation and I felt very proud to be British.

So often I think that as a nation we suffer from a lack of national identity. It's a fluid concept as national interests and tastes change, but most nations are known for something very specific, either in the character of the people or the character of the geography: Germany is famous for engineering and efficiency, Italy is known for flamboyancy, France is known for being insular (sometimes even xenophobic) but also for gourmet cooking, America is the nation of excess, etc., so what makes us British?

I think our lack of identity sometimes stems from the fact that we aren't one single nation. Scotland, Ireland and Wales have their own sense of identity and it's something which can drive a wedge between the people of those nations and their identity as a British National. (Scottish Independence, anyone?) In addition, I think that we are also sometimes guilty of holding on to our historical identity so steadfastly that we forget to embrace our present. Then again, our present isn't always something we would want to embrace when there's rioting in the streets, petty crime is rife and the media is in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. However there are somethings that are completely unique to Britain and this is what Danny Boyle so successfully exploited.

We are an old nation with a history spanning millenia, not centuries. Britain was the seat of the industrial revolution and continues to be a breeding ground for some great technological wonders, celebrated in the opening ceremony by the inclusion of Tim Berners-Lee. We are recognised around the world for our British humour (so many of my overseas friends love the likes of Monty Python and Mr Bean), the British music scene is one of the most diverse and vibrant in the world and British literature is celebrated around the globe. And of course, we should celebrate the great British institutions, like the BBC and the NHS, which are both completely unique. Politically, we are both liberal and socialist, defending the rights of the individual and fiercely protecting the welfare state and institutions like the NHS, but also celebrating our monarchy. We are diverse and we are inclusive.

Danny Boyle reminded us of these facts by doing nothing more than putting on a terribly British show. For that alone, at least in my eyes, he is both a genius and a national hero.

The Cabin in the Woods

Joss Whedon is no stranger to incredible blockbuster movies, having racked up writing credits for Toy Story, Titan A.E. and Serenity - all fantastic films - so I approached The Cabin in the Woods with a certain expectation.

Without revealing too much, The Cabin in the Woods is a teenage horror flick with a difference. It follows the inevitable misadventures of five teenagers taking a weekend out to visit a spooky cabin in a picturesque but isolated spot (kids, eh! When will they learn?) All too soon the hijinks start to unravel and the fun really begins.

Joss Whedon walks a very fine line between the horror genre and the very best and most entertaining of the spoof genre. The result is a truly entertaining and clever black comedy that is witty and sharp. Whedon's fingerprints are all over it with an intelligent plot, charming characterisation and strong dialogue. This is Drew Goddard's first outing as a director but he does well, creating some really memorable moments.

But...

The ending stretches reality a little too far and harms the integrity of the movie and spoils the fun. It's slapdash and is perhaps the only point that Goddard's directorial inexperience shows. But perhaps the DVD release will have an alternate ending.

The Cabin in the Woods is a funny and entertaining horror-fantasy cross-over. As the body-count rises and the level of gore increases this is a movie that will appeal to fans of movies like Scream, Devil, and Final Destination. It may not achieve the mass appeal or success of those flicks at the box office, but it will definitely have a cult following simply for it's idiosyncrasy. And it's nice to find a movie that feels too short rather than too long.

The Cabin in the Woods is released in the UK on 1st April.