With a week to go (in the UK, the US would have seen it last night) until S2 of Game Of Thrones premiers on Sky Atlantic, HBO have released two new videos featuring the new characters and new locations coming up in the next ten weeks.
Stannis Baratheon, Mellisandre, Davos Seaworth, Lord Balon Greyjoy, Maergery Tyrell, Qhorin Halfhand…
And we go beyond the Wall, to Qarth, the Riverlands and points between
Twisted Showcase is a web based anthology series that launches on March 1st with Peter & Paul staring Gareth David Lloyd (Ianto Jones in Torchwood). The series has 5 parts with stories ranging from drama, horror, comedy and psychological thriller.
The trailer was launched on the Twisted Showcase website - http://www.twistedshowcase.com/ - today.
I follow a lot of writers – on Twitter and via various blogs/websites – and most of the articles/posts/tweets are about how their various works are progressing. One main thing mentioned is how well the writing is following the pre-determined plan they created prior to writing the first word. As a writer having a game-plan before I start is something I’ve never managed to achieve.
My writing is haphazard, it flows and changes direction as every conversation, scene, major event occurs. I find planning all that out beforehand hard to envisage. I do have an idea where my story is going, I have the start and the end. What happens in the bits in between is in the laps of the gods. I primarily write short stories, perhaps that is why I work this way? With a shorter narrative to produce there is little need to plan ahead. If this is true then that is perhaps why I have struggled so much on the two occasions I’ve pushed the limit beyond the standard 8,000 words.
I’ve one completed novel under my belt, it was written for the first Pratchett Prize 18 months or so ago. I topped out at a little over 81,000 words, it never made the cut and I’ve not revisited it since I got the rejection. Just after Christmas I decided to have a look at it and see if anything needed doing, boy, did something need doing. It was all going OK up until about chapter 5 – just over 8,000 words in ironically – when things started going a bit Pete Tong.
Somehow I managed to include a character I’d killed off in chapter two, I also revisited a location that was destroyed – killing said character – without any mention of it being re-built (or allowing for the time it would take to re-build it). As I progressed the story meandered around the central characters in such a way that my the middle I’d given up all hope of understanding what was happening – and I’d wrote the bloody thing.
I’m working at the moment on another novel, so far I’m about six chapters in and over 15,000 words. I’ve spent a lot of time re-reading and re-editing as I go. This has made the first section more fluid and makes it follow the story. But it is time consuming and means I’m writing with a stutter and not getting a good head of steam up.
I suppose what I’m saying is am I doing it wrong by forging ahead without a map? Should I try to get into the plan ahead mindset?
Interestingly there was an article on Joe Abercrombie’s site in May last year along similar lines – you can read it here http://www.joeabercrombie.com/2011/05/04/gardening-and-architecture/ - where he places authors into two categories, architects and gardeners. The architects plan and stick to the plan, and the gardeners go with the flow (or as he says write more organically). So I guess I’m not alone in working this way, just sometimes feels like it, which makes me feel somewhat better. But knowing others work the same doesn’t help get that novel written.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS ahead if you’ve not read A Clash Of Kings.
HBO have released a set of new images from the second season of Game Of Thrones. Amongst the familiar faces there are some good shots of the major new characters introduced.
First up is a shot of Bran Stark with Hodor.
Next is a shot of Arya Stark, you will see she has her hair shot (it was cut off by Yoren in episode 9 Baelor), if the series follows the book I’m guessing the boys behind her are part of the troop she is travelling north with heading for the Wall. She has assumed the identity of Arry, a boy. One of the group is Gendry – one of Robert Baratheon’s bastards who was last seen when Eddard Stark visited the blacksmith where he worked.
This is the first image we’ve seen of Lord Balon Greyjoy – Theon’s father – he’s played by British actor Patrick Malahide. Balon is lord of the Iron Islands and Theon is sent back home with a letter from Robb Stark requesting the Iron Islands side with the North and bow to Robb as their King.
Another first image and this time of Brienne of Tarth – played by Gwendoline Christie. Brienne is a masculine looking woman who is skilled with a sword. She becomes a member of King Renly Baratheon’s Rainbow Guard (an alternative to the Kingsguard).
Catelyn Stark.
Cersie Lannister
A forlorn looking Daenerys Targaryan. I’m guessing this shot is from the journey across the Red Waste enroute to the eastern city of Qarth.
Another shot of Daenerys, based on the recent trailer I’m guessing this is taken outside Qarth.
The Onion Knight Lord Davos Seaworth – played by Liam Cunningham. Davos is a former smuggler and sworn sword to King Stannis Baratheon.
King Joffrey Baratheon.
Jon Snow, again based on the recent trailer I’m guessing this shot is from the Night Watch’s ranging beyond the Wall.
Melisandre of Asshai – played by Clarice van Houten – and King Stannis Baratheon – played by Stephen Dillane. Melisandre is a priestess of R’hollr and seems to have a strong influence of Stannis and his bid for the Iron Throne.
King Renly Baratheon.
King of the North Robb Stark.
Sansa Stark, this appears to have been lifted from the recent trailer where she is at the mercy of King Joffrey.
Theon Greyjoy, judging by his armour – it looks like the Kraken sigil of his house – I’m guessing this is a shot with Theon back on the Iron Islands.
And lastly, no set of promotional images could be complete without the Imp Tyrion Lannister, now sporting his badge of office as Hand of the King.
Less than two months until the season premier, my times going slow.
New S2 Game Of Thrones trailer has a lot more to show that the first teaser. Some good shots of Daenerys, Jon beyond the Wall – and doesn’t Iceland look fantastic, and Tyrion as Hand of the King.
Roll on April 1st (USA) & 2nd (UK).
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 5,300 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 4 trips to carry that many people.
I decided to join the twitterverse the other day. I duly signed up and did some surfing and found some interesting, witty and insightful people to follow. And now two days later I’m following over 50 people and 10 have found me so interesting they’ve decided to follow me.
If you are so inclined, and feel maybe I have something interesting to say that might greatly influence your life – or people I know have better things to say and I re-tweet them (getting the hang of this terminology already) then you can find me at http://twitter.com/#!/pnorris14
On Thursday 8th September 1966, at 8.30 in the evening NBC broadcast the very first episode of Star Trek. 45 years, 6 franchise series (counting the animated one), 11 Movies (with a 12th in pre-production) and countless hundreds of books, comics and fan conventions later. It is still going strong.
I was first introduced to Trek in the 1970s, it was broadcast on BBC1 (yes that’s right BBC1) at 7.00pm. It was the only school night I was allowed to stay up late. Since then I’ve been a fan, I’ve watched all the films – including The Final Frontier…shudder… – and all the series except the last two of Voyager and most of Enterprise (mainly because at the time I didn’t have Sky TV).
I’ve attended convention – dressed in full Klingon uniform and makeup – and met all of the Next Gen stars.
I’d like to wish it a happy 45th birthday and here’s to another 45 years.
