Current Projects part 37

Welcome back!

February has arrived and Mother Nature can’t seem to make up her mind; some days the weather is mild and others it is still way below freezing. We have seen everything from rain to snow to ice pellet.

However, this gives us the perfect excuse to stay inside and hide from the cold, snuggling up with a loved one on the couch. This seems appropriate, since St-Valentine's day is just around the corner. In honor of the holiday, I have put together a book review of a romance novel, as well as an interview with a published romance author.

Romance as a theme.

    Before writing this update, I took a look at my progress update from last February, and saw that I ad promise an update on my writing once my home office would be set up. Well, we are a year later, and my office has still not been completed. I’ve run into computer problems which prevent me from accessing the internet and my Google account.

Luckily this has not slowed my normal progress. In fact, after last month’s decision to focus more on my story rather than my blog, I actually managed to get an entire chapter done and submitted for editing. The chapter introduces my three main characters, how they interact with each other, and we gives the reader an initial overview of the setting. It’s a nice way to ease the audience into the story, and came out rather well.

    In terms of art projects, I have started on my first chair ‘revamp’ that I plan on selling. It proved to be a different type of challenge, because not only did I have to be creative style wise, but I had to be creative repair wise, as the chair had a few issues. It is coming along nicely, and I’m looking forward teeing it completed. I seem to be having issues with loading pictures right now, so hopefully I can include some in my next update.

    Though I am no longer working on this project, I am still supporting it, as I did contribute a lot of time and material. Missing Worlds Media has released only one update in the past month. You can read the full article on their kickstarter page:

Landmarks: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/missingworldsmedia/the-phoenix-project-city-of-titans/posts/2089640

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I can be reached via the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookmarkboundPMosborne/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: @OzmosisCoH

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+PatrickOsborneOzmosis

Happy St-Valentine's day!

   

That is all I have to report for this month. Thank you all for dropping by and keeping up with my progress. I would also like to thank you all for taking the time to drop by, and to wish you all a happy St-Valentine day!

Until next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

By the Book - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Welcome back,

 

In my latest installment of By the Book, I will be reviewing a novel from the Harry Potter franchise. The book in question is “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”, written by  J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany.

 

This will be the first time I read a Harry Potter book. It’s a shocker, I know, considering I am a fan of the movies. Having come across this hardcover edition in a used book store, I thought it was time I gave it a try.

 

The story focuses on the dynamics between Harry Potter and his son, Albus Severus Potter. Their relationship is very tenuous at the beginning, as Albus feels he must live up to his father's reputation. Harry tries to connect with him, but cannot seem to find common ground with Albus. The story breezes through Albus’s first years at Hogwarts, and only really begins around his final year, where he comes up with a plan to ‘’fix’’ an event that transpired in the original books. In true Potter-verse fashion, the misuse of magic is involved, causing mayhem and various unexpected side effects.

 

 

Back of the book:

The Eighth Story. Nineteen Years Later.

 

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, a new play by Jack Thorne, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The play will receive its world premiere in London's West End on July 30, 2016.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn't much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

 

What I learned:

• Reading a script: The first thing that jumps at you is that this is not written like a novel, but rather like a script. The only real details are descriptions of the set, everything else is left to the reader's interpretation. This was a new experience for me, and felt slightly odd to be missing so much information. However, having seen the movies helped me fill in a lot of the visual gaps, so the difference was negligible.
• Butterfly effect: Without reveal any spoilers, all I can say is that time travel plays an important part in this novel. The authors did a good job of demonstrating the many pitfalls and possibilities related to time travel, and the consequences of playing with forces you don’t fully understand.
• father/son relationship: The story also focuses on the dynamics between father and son, and how their relationship not only affects them, but the world around them. Despite the story’s fantasy setting, there was a nice life lesson to be learned.
  J.K. Rowling, or Joanne Rowling, was born on 31st July 1965 in England. She is an award winning author, best known for the Harry Potter books, as well as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. For those interested in reading more books from J.K. Rowling, please check out her website at the following address: https://www.jkrowling.com/
   
  Jack Thorne is an English screenwriter and playwright. Born on December 6th, 1978 in Bristol, England, he has written for radio, theatre and film, TV shows and feature film. For more information on Jack Thorne, please check out these following websites:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thorne
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2113666/
   
  John Tiffany (born c. 1971) is an English theatre director. He directed the internationally successful productions Black Watch and Once. He has won a Tony Award, an Olivier Award, a Drama Desk Award and an Obie Award. For more information on John Tiffany, please check out these following websites:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Tiffany
• http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0862997/
   
  In closing, I would like to thank you all for dropping by and following my blog. Your encouragement is always appreciated. Don’t forget to hit the like/follow buttons!
   
  Until next time!
   
  Cheers,
   
  Patrick Osborne

Current Projects part 36

Welcome back,

           Progress report number thirty six. I have now been doing this for three full years; researching material on creative writing, seeking inspiration, talking to authors and trying to put together my own book. Time sure does fly by.

                           

           As I look back on 2017 and everything that has changed in my life since late 2016, I can’t help but feel grateful to those that helped me get through some rough times. Furthermore, all of these changes have made me take good, hard look at myself. This moment of introspection has helped me get a better idea of what I wanted out of life, and where I should start going.

‘’You can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance at doing what you love’’ - Jim Carrey.

           When I made the decision to make a serious effort a writing a novel, I started doing research, asking for advice and paid for online classes. A major point that came up was that authors have a better chance at success if they already have a following by the time they write their fist book. This is what motivated me to create this blog; it was a tool meant to document my progress and what I learned, as well as (hopefully) gather an audience. Three years in, and I can see the progress I’ve made thanks to this blog, which is encouraging.

           However, this came at a price. The time I’ve dedicated to the blog has taken my attention away from my book. As I mentioned last month, the overall amount of content I created for my book is roughly 85 pages long. Though I find it pretty impressive, it’s pales in comparison the time spent on my blog. In the past three years, I have written a total of 177 articles, averaging two pages each. That means I have written around 354 pages for my blog since I started. Add that to the work I have actually done for my book, and we are looking at an estimated total of 439 pages… Had I focused on my book from the start, I would probably be done by now, rather than still chipping away at chapter two.

           With this realisation in mind, I decided to change my focus come 2018. I feel that after three years of posting material, I have a solid foundation to help other writers, so I will be adding new content less frequently in order to help me concentrate on my actual work. My updates may be bi-monthly, with other articles appearing when I have time to work on them.

           This will also allow me to work on a second side project I have been considering lately; creating a Patreon page. After posting pictures of recent artwork, I have had two requests from paying customers. I will therefore be trying to generate additional revenue through my painting and sculptures. As usual, you can expect more details as I make progress.


                                        


           Though I am no longer working on this project, I am still supporting it, as I did contribute a lot of time and material. Missing Worlds Media has releases two updates in the past month: one regarding character modeling an another about story progression. You can read the full articles on their kickstarter page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/missingworldsmedia/the-phoenix-project-city-of-titans/posts/2059888

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/missingworldsmedia/the-phoenix-project-city-of-titans/posts/2066126

         
            Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I can be reached via the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookmarkboundPMosborne/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @OzmosisCoH
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+PatrickOsborneOzmosis




                                         



           That is all I have for this month. Thank you all for listening, as your continued support is always appreciated. I hope to see you all at next month's progress update, and most importantly, have a Happy New Year!

Until then.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Current Projects part 35

Welcome back,

            Being a little proactive this month by working on my upcoming articles a few weeks in advance. Managed to get everything done an entire week before the arrival of December, which is great, considering I was super busy with big lifestyles changes in November and upcoming preparations for the holidays. I will go into further details on what I have been going through in next month's progress update.

            Given that the holidays are just a few short weeks away, I did my best to have holiday inspired content for December. My inspiration post will be about a location I explored back in early 2016. This type of location has appeared in multiple Christmas stories, so it can prove to be useful to anyone looking for a fitting setting.

Also, my book review for December will be on a novel called Covert Christmas, a suspense story which takes place during the holidays. I’m super excited about it, because I managed to contact the books author, Hope White, and she will be the spotlight of my January interview! This will be a first for me, so I’m looking forward to it.

In regards to my story, I am still working on the character sheet of my main antagonist, Lord Decay. I’ve been at it for over two months now, but given his importance to the story, I believe he is well worth it. I’m currently filling in some details to his backstory, which is pretty extensive. Unfortunately, that is the extent of the progress I made on my story this month.

That being said, I went over all of my material this month, and came to a surprising realization;  not counting my research notes and timeline, I have more than 85 pages written. When you think about it, that is about a third of a novel, which is probably the most I've ever written on one subject in my entire life (not counting my work for Missing Worlds Media, of course). I thought that was quite the milestone for me, and felt I needed to share!

    Speaking of Missing Worlds Media, there has only been one releases in the past month: an introduction to one of our artists and content designer, Gerard Michael Tupaz (a.k.a. Witchikin). The article also shows some of his work, detailing some of the characters that will be present in game (please keep in mind, these are still in the early phases, and may be subject to change).  You can read the full articles on our Kickstarter page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/missingworldsmedia/the-phoenix-project-city-of-titans/posts/2040450

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I can be reached via the following social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookmarkboundPMosborne/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: @OzmosisCoH

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+PatrickOsborneOzmosis

That is all I have for this month. Thank you all for dropping by, as your continued support is always appreciated. I hope to see you all at next month's progress update, and most importantly, have a Happy Holidays!

            Until then.

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne

Inspiration part 23 - Graffiti

Welcome back,

This article will feature photographs taken earlier this year, and focus on a form of urban art known as graffiti. I discovered this location while out travelling some local trails.

**Please note, that certain areas can be dangerous and one should not travel there alone, or if the area is private property, then permission or supervision may be required. These photos were taken during the day and while in company of friends.**

Graffiti are writing or drawings that have been scribbled, scratched, or painted on a wall or other surface, and range from simple written words to elaborate wall paintings. Spray paint and marker pens have become the most commonly used graffiti materials in modern times. A whole genre of artistic expression is based upon spray paint graffiti styles; it is a rapidly developing art form with many different types and styles.

Graffiti can be used to express underlying social and political messages, or to mark territory of gang-related activities, which is why they are often in plain view of the public. Controversies that surround graffiti continue to create disagreement amongst city officials, law enforcement, and writers who wish to display and appreciate work in public locations. In most countries, marking or painting property without the property owner's permission is considered defacement and vandalism, which is a punishable crime.

Which brings me to the first aspect of graffiti: location. The graffiti in the photos below were taken just off a bike path that passed under a bridge. The bridge itself is a simple urban location, but in these images, you can see how simply adding graffiti completely changes the atmosphere. Keep this in mind when adding this detail in a setting.

    Then we take a look at the graffiti itself. There are virtually hundreds of different styles when it comes to this form of street art; from abstract to photorealistic, from serious to satire. The images below show a lot of abstract art, but is mainly tagging, which is the act of writing one’s pseudonym or ‘’key word’’ used only by the artists, or in some cases, the artists affiliates (i.e. gangs).

Besides their political aspect, graffiti can be inspiration for writing as well. They can the perfect detail in a setting for a variety of stories. Perhaps you are writing an urban fiction (a.k.a. Street lit) that contains a street gang tagging their territory, or graffiti could be a background detail at a murder scene in a mystery, or maybe you could write a story about a troubled youth that expresses themselves through art. Graffiti can be very versatile in writing, and can been used in many different genres.

Hope you enjoyed today’s exploration. I had a great time, and maybe these images will come in handy for your next story. Remember to always exercise caution while exploring.  

Now get out there and get inspired!

Cheers!

Patrick Osborne

BOOTCAMP LESSON 20: Cross-Genre

Welcome back!

This latest edition of Bootcamp will be an exercise in Cross-Genre, the mixing of multiple literary genres into one story, and how it can be applied to your work. The purpose of this writing prompt is to help us experiment with different genre combinations, and how those pairings can affect a story’s setting and characters.

Lesson 20: Crossing literary genres

The basics of a story is a plotline which follows the exploits of the main characters as they attempt to resolve a conflict while making their way to their intended goal. A genre is a label that characterizes artistic composition of a literary work by analyzing different elements like form, style, or subject matter.

As opposed to the conservatism of most single genre fiction, cross-genre writing offers opportunities for different approaches to telling a story, which can be both fun and a challenge. In the following exercise, you will have to create a synopsis of a story that has two different genres.

So, here are today's guidelines!

• Below is a list of seven literary genres, pick two to work with.
• Following the basics of a storyline, create a short summary which must include;
• A protagonist
• A sidekick
• An antagonist
• An obstacle
• A goal
• Demonstrate how your story is inspired from the two different genres you had selected.
• The summary must be five hundred words or less.

Genres

1. Action & Adventure: Story where a protagonist is placed in a desperate situation while facing seemingly insurmountable odds while trying to accomplish a specific goal.
2. Comedy: Story where the events are told in a funny or comical manner. Comedy is versatile and can easily be merged with other genres.
3. Fantasy: Story based on magic or supernatural elements, relating to outworldly characters and settings. Good examples would be Fairy Tales, Fables and Legends.
4. Historical: Story which focuses on a real person or event. Often used in non fictional literature like biographies.
5. Horror / Thriller: Story where harm and misfortune risk affecting the protagonist(s), told to deliberately evoke a feeling of dread and fear, through suspense, violence or shock.  The protagonist is often pitted against an unbeatable force;  common examples are ghosts, monsters or a merciless psychopath.
6. Romance: Story involving a character's relationships or love interest. This genre is commonly seen combined with other genres.
7. Science fiction: Story based on the impacts of actual, imagined or potential science (be it realistic or not). Common elements are futuristic settings or alien beings. Most notable space themed storylines are those set in the Star Trek and Star Wars universes.

For those who aren’t afraid to share their entries, feel free to submit your backstories as a reply to this post. Remember, this is a game, so no posting bad comments about other people's entries.

Now go! Create! And I hope you have fun giving this exercise a try.

Until next time!

Cheers,

Patrick Osborne