Once more with feeling.

Okay, a brief update on where I'm at. These past couple of weeks have been a bit rough to say the least. I wouldn't ever say I was a depressive person, but this past week or so it seems the only word I'd have used to describe myself is morose. There have been various issues within my life that I've not really discussed, or felt the need to discuss, and that's fine, that's not how I deal with things. I like my space, I like my own time to deal with things, but I want to take a moment to apologise with anyone who I might've been a bit off with these past few weeks, so I'm sorry for being a sulky, introverted arse.

Right, now on to the good stuff. My parents came down to visit at the weekend, which is always nice. What made it nicer was the fact that I was in such a foul mood, only my parents could drag me out of it, which they did in stunning fashion. But, more importantly, I got to see my dog, and that's the one thing I miss the most with being at university, not being with my dog. I can phone and email my parents, I can't do that with my dog. Anyhoo, that's the lifey update bit done, now on to the writing.

I'm currently sat in the campus Costa spending money which I can't even justify having, let alone spending, and it's made me rather contemplative, so I'm gonna try and knock something out; writing-wise that is...

The sights, the smells, the sounds.
There's so much to take in here.
This den of coffee and cookies
Seems busy all around the year.

Rarely do I have the chance to sit,
To contemplate.
So busy has my life become but it's
So easy to procrastinate.

A hazlenut hot chocolate
Resided in my cup,
But now it sits there, empty.
There is no more to sup.

So sad, a metaphor for life,
To see this former drink.
A hollow, dejected empty shell
That leads my heart to sink.

But still, the memory remains
Of the joy that beverage brought,
So warm, fulfilling, soothing and smooth
But infinitely for nought.

Still, life continues
Unlike the chocolatey dream.
My day shall continue to improve,
Or so, I hope, it seems.

Well there you have it for now... I've noticed a bit of a structural pattern with my poems of the four line stanzas with the singular alternate rhyming couplets. A little bit sullen this time, but I'd like to think of it as also optimistic in nature... And all this from a simple hazlenut hot chocolate, which I now want another of... No Craig! You can't afford it!!

Adios for now.

Update.

Okay, this is not an actual piece of writing as I'm short on time and this idea is still only that, just an idea.
I'm currently on my coffee break in my creative writing lecture and have a great idea (As well as a body full of pain, long story) but yeah, firstly an apology for not writing as much as I'd have liked to, I've been super busy these past couple of weeks.

So, the idea:
Two characters, one in the past, one in the present/future, related somehow.

The character in the past discovers some kind of conspiracy/event in the future that has the potential to cripple/destroy the earth as we know it but has neither the resources or the ability to prevent it and so concocts a plan. He deposits a small amount of money into a bank account and then leaves the account details along with a note explaining the situation in a time capsule for his descendant.

In the future, the descendant finds the time capsule and so the story begins, leading him along a cross-chronological scavenger hunt, with each parcel from the past coming with another note to lead him along to the next step to prevent whatever potential fate threatens the planet.

I wanted to write this down before I forget it, it's still early days yet, but I would really really like to hear feedback on this one.

Thanks guys, and hopefully it won't be too long til my next update this time.
Craiggy.

Edit - Okay, as the lecture progressed, more ideas came to me. I am now thinking along the lines of maybe Cold War Russia as the past setting and the past character being some kind of Russian intelligence agent. The clues left would be fragmented to risk discovery by potential conspirators.

The descendent would then have to follow the clues, piecing together where the next location could be whilst also being led along a journey of questioning the plausibility of this trail, though perhaps due to some later involvement with future conspirators convinces the descendent.

Toying with the idea of a plot hook being the past character dying whilst leaving a clue, the clue then being taken away and either put into storage or destroyed, leaving the future character literally clueless and having to piece together the remainder of the puzzle themselves whilst also trying to find where the last remaining clue is stored, if it even still exists at all.

2nd Edit - Okay, I'm now, after some research, toying with the idea of this conspiracy being linked to Stalin's cult of personality and just how deep it actually ran. Possibly also contemplating the idea of adding some good old evil super science in the form of cloning, but that's really just a passing whim, not sure if I'm gonna use it or not, but some kind of super science element, or super underground intelligence network sounds like fun to write about.

Long time no write.

Well, it's been over a week since I posted something. Good thing I said I wasn't planning a post a day until the new year. I'm procrastinating, which I find is always a good time to write things except for the things that need writing, like essays... So I'm going to try for another short story intro thing today, but really have nothing planned, so am quite excited to see where this goes.

Chris stifled a yawn. It was too early. It was always too early... He'd been going to church now on and off for, well, most of his life. He couldn't help but muse about how Sundays always seemed to drag out whilst he consumed his usual Sunday morning 'breakfast' of a cup of weak, watery, overly milky tea and a dry custard cream biscuit. Why did they never stir the pot? Why could they never leave the tea to stand? And why were the biscuits always stale?! Some might say that this was an ironic reflection of the modern church: stale, watered down, anaemic... At least, this was how Chris had been feeling as of late. He tossed his paper cup into the rubbish and finished his biscuit, his stomach already groaning in protest at the continuation of this weekly ritual, yearning for something, anything more substantial than that of a stale biscuit. A frown played over Chris's lips as he found a seat nearer to the back than usual, not wanting to be noticed by any of the usual old dears that always made a point of talking to him and asking how things were with his girlfriend... He hadn't the heart to tell them that they'd broke up a good three months ago and she was now living in Texas with a fitness instructor named Davis. Honestly, Davis? That was a surname! Who names their child with a surname?!

The sermon passed; some trite little cliche number about sin clinging to the lives of people, though the preacher forgot to cover the part about salvation, about Jesus coming to free people from their sins... Preachers, often the most cynical and miserable people in the world yet supposedly with the greatest of messages. Chris coughed and stood, putting his jacket back on before turning and nearly knocking over Mrs. Elbury, one of those 'old dears' he was trying to avoid. He crouched to a knee to help her up as she flustered on the floor trying to stuff her belongings back into her sackcloth shopping bag, one of those 'bag for life' deals that every woman over the age of fifty seemed to never be seen without. He was just about to apologise. That was when the explosion hit...

The smoke subsided, Chris's vision cleared a little but was still blurred and his ears were still ringing from the blast. He didn't know what had just happened and tried to stand but his body refused, reacting with agonising pain over his whole body, throbbing and pulsing. He looked around, blinking a few times to help his vision focus more and instantly regretted it as he saw the sight before him. His church, the people he had spent the majority of his life with, even those who he barely knew, all lay there in the scattered ruins of the building, all in various states of injury, dismemberment, some even dead. It was gruesome. Chris thought he was dreaming, that the blast had knocked him unconcious and that this was just a comatose fantasy, but no, the pain in his body was too real. Plus there was the clashing noise. What was that? Could it be blood rushing around his skull? No, it sounded louder, but distant. Chris forced himself to sit up and looked to the sky above. His mind ached, burning as though it would explode from trying to comprehend what he saw above him. Two magnificent figures clad in the finest of armours, one gold, one silver. the gold-clad warrior's skin was an olived tan whilst the other's was pale and marblesque. They were fighting with weapons larger than even Chris himself, and he wasn't exactly a short man. One, the figure in gold, wielded a huge flaming bronze broadsword whilst the pale figure held a wickedly barbed glaive, seemingly crafted from obsidian or onyx or some other black material. Every strike and parry of the weapons resounded with an almighty, thunderous crash and sparks danced through the air. Chris wanted to look away, he wanted to scream, but he was transfixed in awe at the two beings above him. These were angels! He knew immediately! One fallen, one righteous, but angels all the same, and they were fighting! That was the last thing through Chris's mind before he once again slumped into unconciousness. Those beings were fighting, and somehow, he knew they were fighting over him...


So there we have it. I would like to note that this does not reflect my views of either my home or my uni churches as they're both awesome, but sadly, some churches do seem to be this stagnant and need more life in them. This is another story where I'm not honestly sure if i'm going to write more or not, but the only way for you people to find out more is to keep coming back and to keep reading my updates!

Adios for now you lovely lovely peoples!