Headphones and Notebooks

It’s happened, guys. On the 17th of April, issue four of the Boom! Studios Buffy the Vampire Slayer rebooted comics dropped. We were teased with threats to the Scooby gang, a potential death, and Dru and Spike causing mayhem. So did it live up to expectation? First things first, I was pleasantly surprised by Eric-the-boyfriend’s involvement in this issue. Joyce’s new boyfriend was a character I was somewhat ambivalent towards in the previous issues, and I also wasn’t convinced he’d last long. While I still worry about Eric’s potential death, I am also now hoping he may prove useful to the gang as it is revealed he is- in fact- a doctor. He’s also, apparently, more observant than Joyce, as he questions Buffy on her sudden desire to wear sweaters around the house, and also the number of scrapes and bruises she’s trying to keep hidden. He offers Buffy his support and an ear to bend should she need to, and I can’t help but consider how useful it would be to have a medical profession

The biggest thing I struggle with as a writer and a lover of television is that some of my favourite things to watch are scoffed at by others. It often feels that writers are expected to enjoy certain writing styles more than others, or to prefer reading the ‘classics’ to watching television or films, and such. That’s not really something I agree with, and it can make things a little difficult. Only a few weeks ago, during a university seminar, my Masters Creative Writing group were discussing scripts. People were talking about the kinds of things they’d been watching recently, and quite a few popular choices came up- things like Roma , Russian Doll , and Luther came up. Meanwhile, I was sat there dreading people asking me what I was currently watching. Why? Because, currently, I was watching Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated . Everyone else was watching critically acclaimed films and television shows, and I was watching a kids’ cartoon. And, frankly, a kind of controversial kids

Like a lot of writers, I struggle with writers’ block. It’s infuriating. Particularly when it’s the kind of writers’ block where I know I want to write a story but I don’t know how to start. So how do I cope with it? Well, there’s always the option of sulking in the corner. But I can’t do that all the time. So instead I do other things. Sometimes it’s reading books or comics; sometimes it’s watching telly or playing a video game. I take a break, I do other things to get my mind off that plot that’s bugging me but refuses to come out on paper. Walking away from a piece rather than obsessing over it can definitely help kick-start things again. Another thing that often helps me overcome writers’ block is by reading over my notes. I like to compile notes for my pieces- little details such as character profiles and such. If I’m feeling particularly organised, I might have a chapter plan for my longer stories. Other times I just have a document with various ideas- and sometimes fr

As most writers know, you are often told to ‘write for yourself’. Write what you want to write, in the style you want to write it. It makes the creative process more enjoyable, and when you’re enjoying the writing it often works out better. Well, that’s all perfectly fine if you’re writing as a hobby and you’re not intending on making a career out of it, but for those of us who are looking for a career it isn’t always that simple. Writing what you want when you’re trying to launch your career isn’t necessarily getting you an audience, particularly if you want to work in a niche genre. It also doesn’t show prospective employers or publishers the range in which you can write. Logic dictates that you should, at least some of the time, be writing stuff that people want to consume. Write for your audience, their wants and needs, rather than your own. Even then, though, it’s not a straightforward road. Even professional writers sometimes indulge in writing what they want, and it d

Finding time to write can be difficult. It's even more difficult when you want to write but don't know what to write. So I've come up with five tips to help solve the problem! 1) Find a writing space suitable for you and your writing If you’re anything like me, you often work better when you have your own designated writing space. A place where you can sit and just focus on writing, rather than being distracted by TV, or the laundry you haven’t put away, or the dozens of household chores that need doing. A writing space is our own little sanctuary, a place to get away from the realities of everyday life and instead focus on the world in our heads for a bit. It doesn’t have to be a desk, though, not if you don’t want it to be. I write ‘professional’ work (most blog posts, my university work and such) at my desk, but sometimes when I’m writing for fun I don’t want to write at a desk. When you’re writing for fun, it can feel too much like you’re making it serious