Contents

Front page Contents

Editors Reviews

Poetry page What next?

Q&A Top five

Submissions This week in... Ask an expert

Have you noticed? Writing tips

Puzzles and student tips

Editors

Alex Cooper This month, Alex has been thinking about National Novel Writing Month and has begun getting down to work on her own full length book.

Jordann Chetwynd Jordann has finally begun writing her first novel and has actually surprised herself with the content and the motivation she has for writing it

Why write? Looking back on our first issue, we realised we forgot to answer the fundamental question, one that non writers out there ask when they meet us odd folk. Why do we write? To be perfectly honest, I think it depends on the person. Every writer will give a totally different answer (though avoid the ones who think it’ll be an easy way to make a ton of money. They’re really are crazy). But, as I’ve found, the most common answer is simply because we want to. I mean, why not write? If you have a story in your head, write it down. A voice that won’t leave you alone, maybe, get it down on paper and give yourself some peace. Writing a story down is also an excellent way to share it. If you’re anything like me and find, or think up, a story that is so exciting that you want to tell it to the world, the easiest thing to do is write it down and pass it out. Hopefully for money. And a special shout out to those who write scary stories, and have monsters running about inside their head, a book is the perfect place to trap them. Write them into the pages where they can’t escape, only to let them loose on your unsuspecting reader. Let the monsters bother them. (We’re still thinking Halloween, can you tell?) But writing, writing is just that fantastic thing that sets us apart from the boring old normal people of the world who go off to be accountants or something equally as dull. We get to live in worlds of magic and mayhem, love and death, where we are the Gods and the devils. Who doesn’t want that? So write. Why?! Why not?

Reviews Frankenweenie by Jordann Chetwynd ‘Frankenweenie’ is Tim Burton’s new film, which has incorporated his original black and white film of the same name. As one of Tim Burton’s avid fans, I truly enjoyed this film; he kept the original close at hand and kept many of the elements the same, which made me happy in the fact that he didn’t lose any of the original magic by trying to make it successful. It follows a boy called Victor (Charlie Tahan) in the time that follows after his dog is run over, he looks up and aspires to be like his science teacher (Christopher Lee) who puts the idea into his head that electricity can bring certain animals back to life. And so the story develops with twists and turns along the way. The characters are so well done, and although some may complain about the similarities between Victor and the main character from ‘Corpse Bride’ who is also called Victor, but that’s where the comparisons end. The way that he interacts with the children of his age and the reaction to his loss, is outstanding. Tim Burton has really outdone himself on the character development, and it is up there with the all-time classic ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’.

Let The Old Dreams Die and other stories by John Ajvide Lindqvist By Alex Cooper So, I just finished the book and, honestly, I have no idea what I thought of it. Most bizarre and most terrifying. It is a horror after all. This book covers a ranger of interesting supernatural and just confusing ideas, like Trolls and trying to escape death, as well as dealing with some of the authors old stories, namely: Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead. Having read both of those, I was looking forward to seeing how everything turned out. Things turned out…I don’t even know. They seemed okay but, with this writer, the most common reaction to any story is just: what? First, it takes a minute for the story to sink in, then an hour for you to be able to decide if what happened actually happened or not. Was the monster real? Or was the character imagining the whole thing? Genuinely, it’s hard to tell. And sometimes, you aren’t even sure if anything even happened. Or who the monster was. Still, for people who don’t mind having their mind scrambled, this isn’t a bad collection of stories. Both spine chilling and skull crushing, these are some stories that, once read, will never be forgotten.

Poetry page By Alex Cooper

I can hear your groan from here. The word Sonnet is as badly received as the word poem itself for some people. Or worse, Shakespeare. I’m sure there are many of us out there who would love to follow Blackadder’s example, invent a time machine, and punch that guy square in the face. Though, without all the history changing consequences. But Sonnets don’t have to be Shakespeare like at all. They don’t even have to follow the rules to the letter. Though, in case you want to while starting out, then don’t worry. I’ll run though the rules. First off, remember iambic pentameter. That is, the rule of having ten syllables per line. So, not too different to last issue’s Haikus, is it? Next, know that Sonnets, usually, have fourteen lines set out into three four line verses and one two line verse at the end. And last, but not least, there’s the rhyming scheme, which is ABAB CDCD EFEF GG. This basically means that the first and third lines of each four line verse rhymes, and the second and fourth rhyme. So, A with A and B with B. (Don’t worry, I’ll give an example soon.) But, remember, the last two lines rhyme with each other at the very end of the Sonnet, hence the GG. And, no, I don’t mean a horse. Here is your long awaited example: Perhaps these words are just to make you mad, - A Make your anger rise and your eyes roll back, - B So you would snap back in that damn voice you had, - A To cut the poetry and stick to fact. - B And you were so very infuriating, - C Every single day you would make me cross, - D Yet I loved you more than just everything, - C Even if you were at a complete loss. - D But the love destroyed you that fateful day, - E Your life for mine, the choice you had to make, - F Though you promised always that you would stay, - E The world had already made its mistake. - F So I had to watch you helpless through all, - G As you smiled goodbye and took your last fall. - G At least my example this time follows all the rules. It’s even sort of about love, which most Sonnets tend to be about. Though, they don’t have to be. It could be anything, from a nice view to what you had for breakfast. Whatever inspires you to write. But, as with all poetry, you don’t have to stick with the rules. Throw the ten syllable lines out the window, writing longer than long and shorter than short instead. Forget the rhyme scheme, making the endings drastically different, or have every line rhyme, whatever you want. Go wild and to hell with Shakespeare. I’ve seen so called Sonnets with barely a word in them. But, that’s poetry for you… Get Thinking. Get Creating. Get Writing.

What next? By Jordann Chetwynd

Once you have started writing, whether it’s a short story or a full blown novel, the next problem that you’re going to face is motivation. It’s so easy to write when the creative juices are flowing, and there is nothing else that you have to do, but it gets harder when things like jobs, or education starts to get in your way. How do you manage to prioritise something that has no deadline or any urgency? The answer most people answer is that it doesn’t, it gets left at the back of their hard-drive with little or no attention for months, and then the feeling of guilt washes over you every time you look at that small little abandoned file. Best way to combat this? I have no idea whether this will work for everyone else, but I schedule it into my life, regardless of how much work I have, at least once a week I schedule time to write and I aim to write at least 1000 words. This seems to work for me, try it? Look at it as a piece of homework, something that has to be done, that you have no choice in. It takes a long time to get into that mindset, well it did for me, but that’s because I’m that sort of laid back person. There are many different websites out there that give you writing prompts and various different tips, me personally I like the book '102 Ways to Write a Novel' by Alex Quirk. It is set out with pages that cover every aspect of writing a novel. It showed me how to create developed characters and also interrogated me into why I was writing the novel. So I would definitely recommend it to any aspiring novelists Writing has to be one of the hardest things to do, especially when there is so many different things in your life, I am currently a second year university student and sometimes I'll be sat in a lecture and all I want to do is write, but no I can't. That was the hardest thing for me having to discipline myself into set times. You can't create the creative juices, but holding onto them for a more suitable time is even harder. I find writing the ideas that pop into my head into a small notebook that I carry around everywhere works, even if its only a single sentence I then expand on that when I get home. My only advice really is to never give up, there is going to be ups and downs and you just have to find a way that works for you to ride them out, it should be worth it in the end. Published or not it is a massive accomplishment to have wrote a novel. Something to be proud of.

Q&A By Alex Cooper

Is a Creative Writing Degree worth it? Yes. Definitely, yes. For me, there has never been any doubt about the worth of this course. I know people feel that you cannot be taught how to write, which is true, but that isn’t exactly what this is about. This degree teaches you the craft of writing, how to plot out stories, make our characters stronger and how to write like a professional. And, not only that, but gives you the opportunity to be taught by actual writers with varying specialties, like script, short stories and poetry. Plus, you get to spend the duration with other such people, peers to look over your work, get help from and learn from as much as the tutors. It won’t do you any harm. How long does a chapter of a book have to be? This is one of those ‘How long’s a piece of string’ questions. A chapters is only as long as it has to be. If all you need to deal with in the chapter takes up a page, then that’s how long it has to be. If it takes twenty pages, then that’s no problem either. Remember, it’s your story, you are in charge. How long does a book have to be? This is one of those ‘How long’s a piece of string’ questions. A chapters is only as long as it has to be. If all you need to deal with in the chapter takes up a page, then that’s how long it has to be. If it takes twenty pages, then that’s no problem either. Remember, it’s your story, you are in charge. Is it hard to write a book? Yes. Not only do you have to come up with the story, but you have to know every aspect of it, then get it down on paper, then edit, reread, rewrite, edit again, get cross, start again, go back to your old draft etc. It takes a lot of patience, mood swings and doubt. All I can suggest is to stick with it as long as you can. If it really looks like it won’t work for a long time, give up and move on. But not if you can help it. Nevertheless, a book usually causes it’s writer no end of heartache and problems. But, if you stick with it, and make it, the reward of just that is worth it all.

Top Five... Anti-Heroes

By Jordann Chetwynd

Jack Skellington from Nightmare Before Christmas He makes us laugh and want to cry all at the same time, he is the pinnacle of anti-heroism. He means well and he ultimately becomes this hero for the rest of Halloweentown to follow. I don’t think and anyone else who has watched it will see that he is no way a mean-spirited character and is actually capable of loving the holiday by giving it back to ‘Sandy-Claws’. Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean He is in no shape to be a role model for any small child let alone a hero, but throughout the films there you are rooting for him and damning the people that are after him, even in the first one where he gets captured by the ‘goodies’ you still want him to escape. Juno MacGuff from Juno Juno, is one of the hard ones, she is such a lovable character that you seem to forget that her major flaw is that she has manages to get herself pregnant. I think that although this is a mistake that no parent would want their child to make but the way that she deals with it and the struggles she goes through shows her to be the true hero. Oskar Schindler from The Schindler’s List Oskar Schindler is a hard one, as he was a real person, and the story the film tells is real. I think what is truly inspirational is the lack of self-preservation this man showed throughout his life is outstanding. What makes him a true anti-hero is the fact that he was seen at the time as pure evil, and as a member of the Nazi party it is the right assumption to be made, when really he was saving thousands of people’s lives. Severus Snape from the Harry Potter saga I couldn’t resist, sorry. Snape has to be one of my favourite anti-heroes, throughout six books and most of the seventh you are convinced that he is the bad guy, only small niggles to give him away. I think the moment that you realise is the saddest in the entire series, you have judged this man throughout the entirety and now you’re wrong. It’s truly upsetting.

Submissions By the loving public

Firework by Jack Allen At the window, they knock and wait, wanting to play, be seen, not heard, their colours staining the sky for but a moment before fading back to black.

Coloured sky by Sue Alderson

message in the sky, spelling out the safe new day with the brightest light.

If you want to submit read the guidelines, on our website www.inkprint.weebly.com and email contact.inkprint@gmail.com

This week... In Waterstones By Alex Cooper

Figuring that writers do occasionally need to write for the current market, we thought we’d take a peek in our local Waterstones and let you know what we found. Fiction Section. It actually nearly made us cry to wander down the fiction aisle. The ridiculous amount of Fifty Shades of Grey type books made our heads shake. I mean, really, they even all look the same. Same style of cover, same general name. The whole thing was cringe inducing. We hope very much that this fad will die a painful death so very soon. Fire, fire would be good. Teen section This was actually a little surprise. We hadn’t had too close a look at the Teen Fiction books for a while, considering we’re all pretty much allergic to Twilight here at Inkprint, but taking a closer look revealed that the vampire fad has finally passed from un-dead to the actual dead. What does happen to be breeding on the shelves is The Hunger Games and its copies. Many a dystopian teenage novel to be found right there. Brilliant for fans of the series, not so brilliant if you couldn’t care less about Katniss and her following. We also found there was an exciting new faze of redoing old book covers. We could barely contain our excitement at the sight of the dozen different Harry Potter covers. And the shiny new Inkheart covers had us squealing. The amount of restraint needed to leave without the complete new sets was amazing. (We are still without the new covers. Be proud.) Science-Fiction and Fantasy This was as we expected. With the new Hobbit film coming out, it would be odd if there wasn’t a surge in questing dwarves and other such things all over the shelves. It’s just proof that popular themes sell. Not that we’re pretending a lot of them weren’t already there, just that they’re a lot more noticeable now. Horror Section. Well, I’m not sure how the rest of the world will take this news, but it definitely sent a little chill up my spine. John Ajvide Lindqvist, commonly referred to as the Let the Right One In guy (by me), has released a new one, full of short stories. I’m afraid that, even though the other two books of his that I’ve read, Let the Right One In and Handling the Undead, both greatly disturbed me, I couldn’t help but buy it. Three stories in, I’m already having messed up dreams.

Children's section Diary’s seem to be in at the moment, especially the wimpy kind. The amount of them is nearly as shocking as the icky books in the fiction section. Children, however, seem happy enough with this arrangement, so I’ll leave them to it. Though, exciting news in this section too. Cornelia Funke (The Inkheart lady) has brought out her new one, a good old English ghost story (originally written in German, I believe) called Ghost Knight, and, though Halloween is over and done, it’s still worth a read. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with a good children’s book, no matter what age you are.

Ask an expert By Alex Cooper

Our lovely doctor friend, Earl*, has heard your questions and here are the informative replies: What is shock? Earl: Shock is a state the body goes into when suffering huge and sudden injuries, to protect itself from pain. Symptoms of which can include numbness, swelling, seizures, blurred vision and other forms of pain. Not nice, really, but sometimes better than the alternative. Is it possible to run on a broken leg? Earl: It’s not something I would recommend. The pain alone could make a person pass out, throw up, and feel perfectly unpleasant. With this kind of injury, the specifics are everything. The type of break can vary the amount of damage and pain. A clean break, for example, can heal better than a completely shattered bone, which could never get totally back to normal. But, running on either kind? Probably not. As I said, the body protects itself from such pain with unconsciousness, and, though the shock that can result from injuries can numb the pain in a form of defence, it still wouldn’t be advisable and, I believe, even feasible. A semi quick shuffle or crawl is probably the best you can hope for. Can you walk away from a car crash? Earl: I actually happen to have been in a car crash, and walked away fine. Though my crash was in no way serious. The guy who hit me, on the other hand, wasn’t so well off. The problem with car crashes, that don’t actually end up knocking you out or some other issue that would stop you from being able to walk away, is if you’re in the car that is hit, or hits, head on, you can get trapped in the front seats. The guy in question happened to have to be cut out of his car before being rushed to hospital. How high can you fall from and survive? Earl: Again, this really depends on all the factors involved. People have fallen from amazing heights when parachutes fail to open and survived due to sheer luck. And, as writers, I guess you can create your own luck. But, a person can die, in the right circumstances, falling from standing height to the ground. Our skulls are rather thin, when compared to other creatures, and a hefty knock to the noggin can leave us in a bad way.

What are the most common injuries in car crashes that our readers should mention when writing them? Earl: Back and neck injuries mostly. That’s why the guy had to be cut out of his car. In his case, it wasn’t that he couldn’t open his door or that the front of his car had crushed his legs, it was fear of injury. It isn’t wise to move someone with back injuries for fear of making them worse. And nobody wants that more than ever thanks to the sue culture that’s drifted over from America. The other most common injuries tend to be minor cuts and bruises, from glass and slamming forward into stuff, not to mention seatbelts cutting into people, as well as shock, if that counts. And don’t forget concussions and broken bones. Remember, car crashes can vary severely in their seriousness. From nothing to instant death, you can have whatever you want happen, as long as it’s in the realms of your story world, or so my writer friends tell me. How bad is a bullet wound? Even if it’s just in the arm or something? Earl: People can die from a bullet wound to the arm. Either blood loss or complications are common if these wounds aren’t treated quickly, and infections can happen with wounds more minor than this. But, really, it depends a lot on the context of the wound. Where is a major factor. If it strikes bone or an organ, the resulting internal damage could shut down other systems in the body, leading to death, or pass clean through, leaving much less damage. And, don’t forget the type of bullet. A low calibre bullet will do a lot less damage, depending on where it hits, compared to a shotgun shell. One thing being shot can do that most people don’t really realise, is that it can accelerate any existing conditions in the body. If the person being shot is already fighting off some other kind of infection, this could suddenly become much worse and end up as the cause of death. As well, blot clots can arise from a bullet would, even just one in the arm which could be seen by doctors as nothing but a flesh wound, and end up killing your character that way.

Big thanks to Earl and if you have any questions you need answering please get in touch - contact.inkprint@gmail.com

*names changed for privacy reasons.

Have you noticed Dedicated to 'Titanic' By Jordann Chetwynd

1.When Rose goes to break Jack’s handcuffs with the axe, they state that if she hits him on the wrist it would cut through, however if you watch carefully, she does. Needless to say his arm does not fall off. 2. Also when she chops through them, the remaining chain should still be attached to either wrist, especially if he could stretch it over the pipe. Funny that? 3. The Master-Of-Arms cabin where Jack would have been locked up was an inside cabin and therefore wouldn’t have had any portholes for Jack to admire the sinking from. 4. Rose’s beauty mark at the boarding of the ship swaps to the other side of her face for the entirety of the movie. Hmmmm? 5. The lake that Jack told Rose about is manmade and was only filled with water six years AFTER the Titanic sank. Strange that? Ice fishing with no fish or water? 6. When the ship is about to leave there is a massive crowd of people waving goodbye, but when Jack is playing cards there is no crowd that you can see through the window. Someone took their lunch break at an awkward time! 7. The, oh so famous scene of the handprint on the window, it’s not the same handprint all the way through! Oh the shame, the embarrassment! 8. After the famous scene in the car, you see the two guys on the watchtower shivering with cold and you can even see their breath in the air, but it then skips back to Rose and Jack, neither of their breathing can be seen, and Rose who is wearing a flimsy dress is seemingly unaffected by the cold air. SUPERWOMAN to the rescue. 9. The lifejackets had the wrong amount of cork pieces, in the movie there are twelve on each side and in real life there would have only been six on each side. Someone didn’t do their research. 10. During the first meal on board, the glue around Cal’s hair piece is very noticeable. Someone is not telling us everything!

Writing tips Combating writer's block

By Alex Cooper Now you’ve all hopefully started coming up with stories, you have to deal with getting stuck every now and again. Here are a few helpful hints to get past these little road blocks as quickly as possible. Skip it. So, you find yourself in the irritating situation of knowing one section of your story, and another, but the bit in between can cause you a little trouble. Maybe it’s just a chapter, or pages, but, if you’re anxious to move on, then move on. Leave yourself a quick note of what you need and/or want to happen in the missing bit and get on with the story. Just leave it alone. It’s not at all recommended to just sit and stare at that stupid blinking line on the computer screen. It will drive you mad. Or madder, depending on your inclination. So leave it. Stop giving that line the satisfaction of knowing you hate it and go do something else. Refresh your mind. Read a book, take a walk, eat something. Anything. You may find getting away from the computer will let your mind figure out what to do next. Let inspiration strike when you least expect it. And you might come up with something new while you’re at it. Think. Again, just move away from the computer and take a minute to think. Find somewhere comfortable, a big squishy armchair or your bed, and stare off into space, or at a TV playing something you’ve seen a million times. Let your mind drift and dream. Think about what you last wrote, let your characters fill your mind, and let the story show you what happens next. Music. Find a tune that fits with the scene you’re stuck on and listen. See it like a film in your head with whatever tune you’ve found as the soundtrack. Let it, the tone and the lyrics, tell you what happens next. Reread. Go back a few pages, chapters, paragraphs, however far you feel and go over it. This can do many a helpful thing. Sometimes, writer’s experience problems going forward because they feel there’s a problem further back. Find the problem, fix it, and move on. This can also help you remember your voice, get back into your character’s heads and generally get yourself back into the story. Once there, you can remember what you’ve lost and move on. Write something else. Now, I’m not for a second suggesting you give up with your story. You should never do that. Not ever. Don’t even think about it. No, what I mean is just let the story you’re stuck on rest for a while and explore a different project for a while. It’ll help clear your head. If all else fails then just give it a rest for a little while. No good will come of worrying and stressing for hours and days on end. Writing is meant to be fun. Get thinking. Get Creating. Get Writing.

Puzzles & Student Tips By Jordann Chetwynd

Mr. Black, Mr. Gray, and Mr. White are fighting in a truel. They each get a gun and take turns shooting at each other until only one person is left. Mr. Black, who hits his shot 1/3 of the time, gets to shoot first. Mr. Gray, who hits his shot 2/3 of the time, gets to shoot next, assuming he is still alive. Mr. White, who hits his shot all the time, shoots next, assuming he is also alive. The cycle repeats. If you are Mr. Black, where should you shoot first for the highest chance of survival?

I am the black child of a white father, a wingless bird, flying even to the clouds of heaven. I give birth to tears of mourning in pupils that meet me, even though there is no cause for grief, and at once on my birth I am dissolved into air. What am I?

What work can one never finish?

If you throw me from the window, I will leave a grieving wife. Bring me back, but in the door, and You'll see someone giving life! What am I?

First person to comment on either our twitter or website gets the answers! Student tips - Fun Free Weekend See what’s going on in your community, there may be something really cool and exciting for you and your friends to take part in and it probably won’t cost you anything! Join a sport team or another sport community, and make sure you keep up with the meetings, it’ll give you something to do and you may even end up making friends. Have a film festival with friends, always a fun night, a lot of laughs and giggles, and you may even experience a film you never would have without your friends!