Five Books That Changed My Life

So far this year life has been particularly busy – I am getting married in October – a wedding that started off being a ‘lets just get married on a beach in Thailand and keep it simple’ to a Surrey wedding in a 400 year old Tudor barn with a large guest list (the numbers keep getting bigger). I have my first book getting published and all the marketing and book launch organising that comes along with that as well as trying to write my second one. And through this all I work another job as well but I shouldn’t complain – being busy is good right? However with all this going on what I did realise was that my reading – such an important part of my life and a very enjoyable part too – had fallen by the wayside. This year has flown in so fast and I think I can count on one hand how many books I have read (that have not been my own writing). So with promises to rectify this as soon as possible and find the time to read more I reflected on the books which have been so influential in my own life up until now.

1. ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R.Tolkien.
Ok. I know what you are thinking. These are a no brainer and everyone would have them on their list (or..shudder…have only seen the movies and not bothered with the books…). Despite being a bit of a cliché these days – The above books fuelled my love of the fantasy genre. I remember reading both novels one summer a long time ago- 5 days when I was 10 years old – my mother was worried about me as I hardly ate, drank or slept at all, I was so engrossed in the story! Tolkien’s writing is excellent- with colourful characters, strong plot all with a detailed and exciting setting. I loved Tolkien’s narrative – those long paragraphs full of description – a technique lost on many writers today. A few years back, whilst teaching English Literature, a published author visited the school to speak to the junior classes about being a writer. Afterwards I spoke to him and he said the key to making money was to fill your books with a conversation – very little descriptive writing – it makes the process very easy and quick to finish. Now as much as I respect him I felt that the art of writing was taking a step backwards with this practice. Tolkien’s work (especially his writing technique) has been a constant inspiration to me and has shaped my writing technique – both as a writer and as a teacher.

2. ‘The Dragon Lance Chronicles’ by Margret Weis and Tracy Hickman
One of the first fantasy series that I ever read. I still hold dear the journey that I went on with the characters Raistlin, Caramon, Tanis, Tasslehoff, Flint ect. The Chronicles trilogy relates to events from when all the companions meet up in a classic ‘adventurers coming together style’ to the end of the War of the Lance. As well as a great setting and character development (much like Tolkien) I always remember how Weis and Hickman came up with the idea for their popular novels – on the way to an interview with TSR where they played games of Dungeon and Dragons and it was from those adventures they created the setting – the world of Krynn and the War of the Lance. During my own development as a writer this story has always inspired me to look for inspiration in everything I do.

3. ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ by Erich Maria Remarque
This little gem of a book has been and will always be in my top 10 most favourite books. It fuelled my love of historical fiction (or not so fiction). Remarque takes us on a journey with a group of friends fighting in the trenches for the German army during World War 1. Undoubtedly helped by his own experiences as a soldier during the first World War, Remarque describes the fears, loves and losses of his characters to perfection and skilfully portrays the chaos and human tragedy of the war.

4. ‘The Last of the Mohicans’ by James Fenimore Cooper
Set in 1757 during the French and Indian War when Great Britain battled the French for territory in the Americas. The novel describes the relationship between the colonists and their Native American allies and takes us on a wild adventure with Hawkeye and his loyal Mohican friends Chingachook and Uncas. When innocent settlers are attacked by hostile savages and the beautiful Munro sisters are abducted, Cooper takes the reader on a non-stop wild adventure that combines excitement and also fear of the brutality of life in the frontier. Cooper’s ability to not only take the reader on a rollercoaster ride but also describe in vivid, exquisite detail the end of an era and a way of life brilliantly combines excitement, horror and an overwhelming sadness as the reader reaches the book’s tumultuous end.

5. ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ by Philip K Dick.
My first real flurry into science fiction was by reading Philip K Dick and I have to admit that I could have chosen near enough any of his books as most have been of great influence to me over the years. ‘Electric Sheep’ is set in a post – apocalyptic near future where human struggle to survive post nuclear war. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter charged with tracking down and exterminating six escaped Nexus 6 androids (most people will know the basic story through the film Blade Runner). The story asks questions about what it means to be human and like all of Dick’s novels, explores questions of social responsibility.

Writing this list of 5 most influential books has proved particularly tough as I have realised that there are far more books which I hold dear and could easily have included! Hence I will probably do another one in the near future to satisfy my conscience!

Please visit my website – http://www.dpwrightauthor.co.uk – for more news and biz about me!

Inspiration and World Building: Creating an Inspired Setting

When I think back at all the wonderful books I have read which fuelled my love of the science fiction and fantasy genres one of the first images that come to mind is not the characters which fought, loved, lived and died across the pages, not the fantastic plots filled with adventure, daring, sorrow and loss but the fabulous worlds – the humid deadly jungles, searing hot deserts, neon urban metropolis, or the mysterious islands where treasure lay buried in ancient ruins or maybe a lighthouse lured ships to their doom. It was here where my imagination began to work its magic, it was within these settings where the journey into a book’s world began.

Writers gather inspiration from their own experiences and prioritise what is important to them and this differs greatly in scope and methodology from author to author. For instance some prioritise character driven stories with an emphasis on characterisation, inner conflict and relationships such as ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ by John Green and ‘The Book Thief’ by Markus Zusack, some focus on plot where the story hinges on external conflict, twists and action such as Dan Brown’s ‘Divnci Code’ or Michael Collony’s Harry Bosch series. Others, generally epic series, lay out before the reader detailed and fantastic settings such as J R Tolkein’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ or Margret Wiess and Tracy Hickman’s ‘The Death Gate Cycle’. Of course many authors produce stories which contain emphasise on part or all these aspects and I understand all these elements are important but in my own writing the setting is always the first port of call in my attempts to pull the reader deep into my story and this stems directly from my experiences growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

I am fascinated by the influence a setting can have on those that live, work, play, love and die within it. Northern Ireland, in particular Belfast, had and has a great influence on my outlook on life. How a broken society can pull people – good and the bad – towards tough choices and imperfect lives. As the bombs exploded throughout the province in the 80s and 90s people still had to live and work within this small, often claustrophobic, community, an environment which encouraged the best and the worst in people of all ages across communities. I have always related this world to that of the old film noir movies – the image of the aging, heavily drinking detective emerging from a haze of cigarette smoke to save the day is one of my favourite scenes – and at all times the setting is like any other character who lives and breathes the plot just as any protagonist would. In the case of film noir this would be the train station with its smoke and noise, the dark alley at night as it poured rain down onto cobbled streets or the rowdy bar with a husky voiced singer seducing a crowd of boozers and gamblers with her sultry tones.

With this in mind I look to my setting to take an active role in any of my stories. For instance – here is an extract from my debut novel, ‘City of Darkness’ where the detective, Sebastian Kessler, has awoken from a drug and alcohol binge to step into the busy streets of Dis.

‘The hordes pulled, crawled, pushed and crowded the streets. Thousands of hands clawed, fists punched and feet kicked their way through the mass of bodies as citizens went about their daily business of survival. From above, the upper districts of Midtown and, eventually, Hightown towered and below, Downtown and the lower depths festered. The city encased everyone in a toxic urban sprawl. In all directions it spewed out a carbonised iron and plastisteel nightmare all dressed up in the reds, yellows, greens and blues of garish neon lights. This urban tomb pressed hard against Kessler’s senses, his comedown raging with more and more ferocity with every second he stood in amongst the chaos of Dis..’

So, now and in the future, when I approach a story I will always first think of the setting and to do that I will look at the world in which I live. It is always the environment that digs its claws into the other important aspects of the story, it is the world in which the characters live and where the plots unfold that pulls at the strings as to where a story unfolds.

Visit my website at http://www.dpwrightauthor.co.uk for more news and reviews!

Birdman: Superhero Movie? No. Superhero Performance!

In our house when a movie is suggested for viewing the first question that is often asked is – ‘who’s in it?’ Now, this is a very important moment, a moment that determines the night’s chioce of film, a question that can shape how the night is going to go. Now I am no film expert (well, maybe in my own head but not officially anyway…) my smattering of film modules at University did not forge me a profession anywhere near to being a film critic and Lilly’s years as a technology and design teacher have kept her away from Hollywood, Broadway and the like, however, we take the said question of ‘who is in it’ very seriously indeed for genre is forever tied to an actor’s persona. Jennifer Aniston – witty (or not so) romcom Jason Statham – action played by the same character in every film, Harrison Ford ( a particular favourite of mine) the sensitive hero that charms his way through the plot or Julianne Moore – with that cold aloofness of hers that dominates her scenes as she tries to hide whatever tragedy has or has yet occurred in her life – you get what i’m trying to say, yes? We all typecast actors and this inevitably leads to us judging movies before we sit down with our popcorn waiting for the trailers. So when we sat down to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s ‘Birdman’ what were we to think when presented with a cast of Michael Keaton, Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, Edward Norton and a surprisingly subdued but excellent Zach Galifianakis? I have to admit, I did not have a clue what was in store for us. However, as the up tempo jazz number began to play signifying the film’s beginning Lilly leant across and whispered in my ear, “Most of these actors have been in superhero movies…Batman, The Hulk, Spiderman…I think this is actually a superhero move…” I nodded agreement and sat back and opened the popcorn.

Although the film opens with a meteor burning through the earth’s atmosphere and Michael Keaton floating in his underwear it soon becomes clear that Birdman is something special, offering so much more than the Superhero Hollywood blockbusters that Keaton’s character, Riggan Thomas, had in his early career. He is a casualty of the Hollywood meat grinder. His success in his early years came from the smash hit Birdman movie franchise but when he turned down an offer for a fourth instalment his fame and fan base didn’t go with him. Now left with an ego to feed he turns to Broadway staring in and directing a Raymond Carver short story.

Numerous obstacles are placed in Riggan’s path – Edward Norton puts in a slick performance as the outrageously self aggrandising and arrogant stage star full of his own self worth who revels in telling Riggan he has ‘committed a cultural genocide’ by being part of the extremely popular Birdman series. The excellent Emma Stone, the fragile, messed up daughter fresh out of rehab, claws at Riggan’s world with her barbed words, forced out of her mouth not with intent to hurt but out of necessity to council, “you are the one that doesn’t exist….you’re not important, get used to it” and the vile theatre critic played by Lindsay Duncan tells Keaton, “You’re not an actor, you’re a celebrity.” These characters set the tone for Riggan’s mental battle with his own demons and obsession to be recognised, to be ‘important’. Naomi Watts and Andrea Riseborough are both wonderful as actresses struggling with their insecurities both excited and full of fear about their debut in Broadway and Zach Galifianakis, more widely known for his comic performances, surprises us, just like the movie itself does with its title, as he turns in a serious performance as Riggan’s producer, fretting with worry and anger as the play’s preparations fall down around him.

To compound Riggan Thomson’s franticly fragile mental state Emmanuel Lubezki’s cinematography gives us relentless close-up warts and all shots that seem to never leave the actor’s faces and a near revolutionary take on the ‘continuous shot’ carries us on a seemingly never ending roller-coaster ride from one disaster to the next and, above it all, of course, soars Birdman.

Make no mistake, this is exceptional, high powered cinema – both technically and visually – where all involved – in front of the camera and behind – have not only the performance of 2014 or 2015 but the performance of their lives. Go and see it and be prepared to rip up and throw away any assumptions you have and just enjoy a spectacle that is so rare in film this day – a beautifully original script performed to as near perfection as you will see on the screen.

Hello World! An Introduction…

My passion for writing began in reading the books of my youth. Always surrounded by ‘The Famous Five’ and ‘The Hardy Boys’, I would happily spend hours transporting myself to that abandoned lighthouse or a smuggler’s tunnel to solve a mystery. All gave me glimpses into exciting settings from which my imagination could run wild. The Hardy Boys especially gave me the first opportunity to get to know a favourite character of mine – the detective. Later, this love of exciting settings filled with adventure evolved towards the Science Fiction and fantasy genre of J.R.R Tolkein, David Eddings, Philip K Dick and William Gibson.

My love of film noir and crime fighter tales, with their flawed heroes, intense, often brutal villains and gritty, intense settings, are all drawn from my experiences as a teenager growing up in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The popular scene of Humphrey Bogart or Robert Mitchum playing the ageing, heavy drinking detective emerging from a haze of cigarette smoke to save the day is a particular favourite of mine.

Northern Ireland itself, and particularly Belfast, has been a great influence on the environment of my stories. The broken society and its influence on the people living within it, how it shapes them and affects their decision making, has always been of great interest to me especially when fleshing out character’s personalities and motives.

I have always written poems and short and long stories for my own pleasure, for friends or family and also through my work in schools where I have been lucky enough to teach creative writing and run writing clubs with my students over my 8 years teaching secondary school English.

My writing interests span across genres from science fiction, contemporary, crime, and thriller and all have that element of adventure which has been so important to me since childhood. I am currently writing the second book in my ‘Kessler’ series.