As readers of fan-fiction know, you either like, or more often loathe these kind of characters.  The basic Mary Sue is the author inserting a version of her (or even him) self into a, often pre-written, story.  This version is usually an ideal, near perfect and generally kicks ass with attitude, showing up the canon characters (citation ‘urban dictionary’).

At initial reading, I reluctantly admit this is a tiny bit of what Evelynne is, a weird, warped version of me that has been dropped in a fantasy world.  But, in my defence, this world is made up.   I enjoy reading fanfic, but I can’t write it.

I have tried to make her not perfect though.  I mean, throwing up after using powers that you can’t really control isn’t the ideal situation for find yourself in.  Eveylynne is a fish out of water.  She has to figure out where she is, why she’s there, and find herself allies in between.  She has to be human in most senses of the word, just so that people can tell her apart from the Cassarim, but there still has to be something about her that isn’t quite right.

Though, if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Mary Sue hater, don’t run screaming for the hills yet.  This is the incomplete version, there is a whole other side to this story I haven’t posted yet.  I can make this Mary Sue work.

Trust me, I’m a writer!

Much love and hugs,

Nicola xx

I struggle to write blogs, and when I struggle to write things I start to describe the events unfolding around me…like my cat coiling around at my ankles, standing on all the paper in sight, her own little game – avoiding my rug. She gets stuck to it. Now she has decided to go and chill out on my bed. Nice. The puppy joined her. It is a strange kind of love that they share…Lola a puppy, in love with the kitty, Cleo, 112 in cat years, does not play nice. She never has. She is selective in her love. I am her favourite.

Sorry, this is the part where is talk about my submission. But I think I’d rather talk in general about the website. It is starting to fill out. That is great, still getting a steady string of submissions in! And what great quality, and it’s always great to get repeat submitters. But we are greedy here at the Writing People.

We always want more.

That’s right.

More.

More views. More stories. More comments. More watchers. More followers. More…

But is that so wrong?

Hell no. I don’t think so. We want to expand. Reach out into the masses, gain the attention of literary agents and publishers, attract more authors/writers from both the published and unpublished world! That’s right followers…reach for the stars.

So we’ve got more goodies for you guys on the way soon I hope, with promising talent by the name of Jamie Ludlam (thank-you again Jamie) offering to draw some illustrations to follow some of the stories we post here. Safe to say, I’m rather excited.

Bookmarks and stickers are also being thrown about in the idea bucket – yes we have a bucket – and we hope to get all of this sorted soon and start offering you guys some merchandise and get a contest a-going! Well, here’s hoping!

So yeah.

Much love,

Hollie x

So its kind of a shorter story today and for that I apologise. I have been writing it in the week but certain circumstances have stopped me from writing more than I wanted. Now because of this I have to write, film, edit and place upon Youtube the next episode of The Club all in one day, which is real pain as I like to spend a good deal of time making the script work and be informative (this is new and has only been around for a few weeks) and so the time I had set aside for my story is now going to be taken over by the Club. 

There is also another event that is happening that I don’t want to miss, this event (which I am incredibly excited about) starts today and will most likely take about 5 to 6 hours of my life. This event is the long awaited DLC for Mass Effect 3 which is released today! I don’t know if I have mentioned that. So because I am a massive fan boy and have incredibly mixed up priorities I will be playing Mass Effect instead of writing. Yes I know, Naughty!

As for my story (which these blogs should be about and not me raving about Mass Effect) The events with The Girl are in no way finished. I had an entirely different end planned for this part originally and, due to reasons stated above, have not been able to do that. However the ending that I placed at the end was going to appear in the story anyhow, just not in the cliffhanger-y position it is currently in. However saying that I think that the ending needed its cliffhanger-ness in order to make whats coming more suspenseful. 

Let me just say that life is going to get a lot harder for the girl within the next few parts.

Also a little side note: I am liking this story a lot more than I originally thought and will be continuing it for the near future. Because of this I will be going back to my previous stories under the title of The Carlvaria in order to iron out some bad bits, stuff I don’t like or things that could turn out to be massive plot holes later in the story! So in the near future I will be re-releasing the earlier parts and they will hopefully be better thanks to all of the things that I would have made awesome. 

So Yeah!

Sorry for the shortness but Mass Effect 3 beckons and like an indoctrinated human under the control of the reaper Harbinger I must go play! Play I tell you!

Love you all

Tom Alexander!!!!!!

Well this week I was stumped, could you tell?

I didn’t know what to write, after all my adventures over the world of genres that we have on the site. And I was saying to Tom Alexander on Friday while we worked (sat in the Pub – it was Friday evening after all) and he suggested that I continue The Prince of Lyon.

As good an idea as this was, I wasn’t too certain about how I would continue it. And the word ‘RESEARCH’ flashed up a few times in my mind’s eye. What a horrific thought it was, and how was I going to do all that Research and planning before Monday?!

If you haven’t guessed it yet, or at least guessed it after reading The Prince of Lyon: Part 2, I hadn’t researched or planned anything before I sat down to write it...this morning.

I know I shouldn’t do it, I know I know better, but I did – I left my work, like any good schoolboy knows, until the last minute. Therefore, as such, and more words to that effect, it might not be very good, or as long/detailed/well-written as I would normally like.

It’s strange how tricky something like this is to write. You think you’re a Fan of something and then you sit down and actually try to figure out how it works. Assassin’s Creed, many of you should know, is a story of Assassins against Templars in an Age long struggle, spanning lifetimes and entire civilisations. And the Prince of Lyon is my way of trying to join in – mainly without the years of research, the creation of Victorian Lyon/Paris/London, and, at the moment, without the assassinations.

Hmm, I’m going to have to work on that I think. Do you think I should continue it? Because while I wrote this morning I figured out a basic plot to follow – it’s odd what your mind comes up with.

Thomas Ajax

Hello there! I hope you've had a great week and thanking God that it is Friday. 
I hate how everywhere presumes that you have a Monday to Friday job and that the weekend is free for everyone well in the majority this is true but some of us that work in retail do not have this luxury. There must be others too but lets focus on retail. 

Apart from working for this site I work at a 30 hour job during a 5 day week, two days off a week that usually is spaced out, rarely do I get two days off straight unless I ask for it or they just fancy giving me a treat. With this I sometimes wonder how people do this as their chosen profession because their not getting payed fantastically, unless they're a manager or higher ups, and their hours are out of wack. 

Many of the girls I work with are just there to bring extra money in because their husbands are making the big bucks to up hold their house and kids. With everything being so expensive these days I wonder how they can afford to go on holidays and spend loads on the house. I just can't fathom how they can do this. Whilst I am here working 30 hours, a little more than Tom Alexander, so that both of us could live in a lovely flat together and we can hardly save up at all. So how do these people do this? Just struggling everyday. I mean at least I have this website Or another career to strive for. 

Life is strange that way isn't it, it promises you so much at an early age but what truly comes down to isn't hopes and dreams its more who you know and how much money your parents earn. It doesn't matter what knowledge or talents you have, you have to be nothing less than exceptional to get noticed. And that pisses me off. 
I dunno. Sorry for the rant I shall shut up now! 
So anyway I've heard that you quite like the stories I put up? I thank you so much for taking your time to appreciate them. I will welcome any comments you want to give me and I hope I don't disappoint this week! 

Love from,
Elena!  

Fellow writers, last night I had a magical adventure into the depths of Cwmbran and beyond, with my good friend and sister in arms, Nicola Evans.

Needless to say, today is her day, and right now it is officially 00:05 and her time to blog.

But, and with her permission, after the eventful night we have both had, peeking behind the great big curtains of the beyond - and some damning road works - have decided to come together to portray the unrelenting force that was the misfortune of our evening.

Vampires.

That was how it began, simple, familiar, we remained in our element a part of the world we had grown accustomed too...or so we thought.

The skies swelled with rain, blackened clouds were relentless with the night, but it did not dull our excitement. Instead, once the job was done and the axe laid to rest, we broke out once more into the night, seeking the comfort of our golden carriage we fondly named Matiz, and hoped for the warmth of tea and conversation.

Yet, we were lulled. Forced into a state of ignorance, of bliss. The night was still young and Lady Misfortune had some tricks saved especially for us. 

Under the measly cover of a solitary umbrella and in very inappropriate shoes we hobbled our weary but happy way to the car park.  Our faithful carriage awaited us and obligingly got us out onto the road, despite the slapdash style of Nicola’s driving.  The roads were dark, inky black with rain, but so far familiar. That wasn't to last.  The red of the traffic lights was an ironic omen.  Beaten only by the red cones and yellow sign that loomed out of the night, barring our way.

It dared us. Turn Back. It taunted. Your fate calls you elsewhere. And I shall admit, that first time, we were jarred. Nowhere else to turn. Nowhere else to go but ahead, and trouble found us there, too.

We paused for a moment, only to catch our breath, our minds lost elsewhere, our route home blocked by yellowed monsters that hindered our path. But we would not be beaten, indeed we rose to the challenge, facing our adversary head on, only to find our boldness again flawed.

A beast. A great slumbering beast of metal, its face that of a dog, forced us to pause, as well as the world around us. Matiz came to a halt. We gazed out at it, trapped in the narrow lane. It was motionless and could not let us through.

For some time we pondered, but we resolved...we would turn back, and find another way through.

And so back we turned along with some others, sneaking around the metal beast, until we crept back from whence we came. It was a slow journey.

We saw the lights of the hunting grounds in the distance, our eyes brightened, but our hearts weighed heavy. We were not home here, far from it in this place, as though the beasts knew this, they hindered our path, time and time again, we took Matiz to the boarders of Cwmbran and yet again the yellow monsters cast us back, forcing us to re-think ourselves, our route…our adversary. 

The heavy rain blinded us…and once more we returned with some struggle to the hunting grounds…and resolved. We would have to call in help. 

We waited. The darkness swallowing us, emptiness crept all around us. Matiz was still, her lights did not shine out, they did not glare out into the darkness and yet we could see the shapes of the monsters as they gathered in the trees…taking on familiar faces. When he arrived, the blackness, too we thought would be fought off. Our companion, a man who knew these roads and its perils far greater than we, able to navigate into the shadows and beyond, fighting passed the yellow demons.

But our fight was not yet over. Matiz, overcome by some darkness was still. She did not come to life and as we sat within her, she steadily passed away, motionless. The shadows were creeping up on us again, it had found us there, in the light. 

But, we were three now, on our hunting grounds a place we knew best…and we would bring Matiz back from the dark, away from the monsters, and soon, we breathed life into her. We fought bravely. Quickly we left – allowing them no time to hinder us - and followed our companion as he led us fearlessly from the fray…through the black shade that had descended over the exits…he led us out. 

And we were free. At last.  

We climbed the hills in the rain, the blackness followed but it could vex us no longer…the world familiar too us soon after. 

If there is a moral to this brief tale of dark adventure, we do not know…only that, misfortune follows the fortunate…do not allow her to fool you. She is forever watchful, and her minions come in many disguises. 

From your dear friends, be ever vigilant…

Hollie and Nicola x

(Based on a true story)

It’s always nice to be told you’re good at something.

We all like to have our egos fed once in a while, but when it’s for something you’re really passionate about, it’s even better.

A family friend read one of my stories on here and was really impressed with both it and what we’re doing.  I was just about to go into work at the time (and my current job is not what you would call fulfilling) so it really gave me a little…boost.  I had a silly little smile on my face for a while.

Other people have praised my work before, and I never quite know what to say.  I’ll take constructive criticism, but genuine praise takes some getting used to.  It’s almost as though I’m not programmed to accept people telling me I’ve done well, I’m always waiting for something negative.  Is that just me?  I mean, I’m not being big-headed, I know I’m good at what I do, but when I’m told that, I don’t believe it.

I guess this is partly why ‘The Writing People’ is here.  So that we can all look at what other people are doing.  If you see something you like, tell them so in the comment bar.  

You might make someone’s day!

Love and hugs,

Nicola xxx

So I continued with my fantasy...and by that I mean the story which may include elves and goblins and not something that includes rope, swiss cheese and two games of Hungry Hungry Hippos. 

So this weeks story introduced us to the character of Rose. Just so you know Rose is going to be the main character of my story. During my writing I tend to have several different stories and plots going on at once (a good example of this is my other work Cigarettes and Orange Peel which has had a different character for each of its parts so far)  so at times it may seem that certain people are more important than others.

This is going to happen in my fantasy stories, which is going to live under the name of “The Carlvaria” (if your in the medical industry leave me a comment) so this is just a big flashy neon sign saying that “ROSE IS MY MAIN CHARACTER”. 

I don’t know why that small piece of information is so important that I have to put it in this blog. I have actually forgotten why I wanted to tell you it and am now at some loss as to why I have in fact included it. It was probably some sort of foreshadowing that I like to do. 

Just imagine me waving my fingers as I go “Wooooooo Rose is the main character Woooooo”

I think that is actually the main reason that I started to write the parts that are making up The Carlvaria. So I can have this big foreshadow-y thing with several characters that ties in amazingly together at the end and will have all the readers going “Wow this writer is amazing”. At least that is what is currently going on inside my head along with the cheering crowd and the small penguin telling me to murder everyone. 

Okay that got a bit too personal there. 

So that’s about it..... Oh actually we would love it if the people who read our stuff on the site would leave us comments telling us what you think, this is so we can see if what we are doing on the site is good or not. At the moment the only comments we can get are from the other members of The Writing People. This is all well and good except that I am the only (really) harsh critic amongst us and so I don’t get a lot of feedback.
Anything would do.

Muchos love-os 
Tom Alexander

Now I know what you're thinking, 'Plot holes on The Writing People? Heaven forbid!' But listen up and all will be explained.

Now if you've read An Organisation then you wouldn't really have seen very much in the way of a plot hole...yet. But if I continue it, as it is one from my back-catalog, then you might begin to get a little confused.

Part 1 is alright, you don't have to explain everything straight away, but if you look through it, you might realise that I don't explain anything at all. The descriptions are even vague at the best of times and never give you a full image of anything. This might be due to the fact that it was written by a poor writer, which might be the case (let me know, and I'll try and get my act together) or it might be down to the fact that I'm a 1-Draft kinda writer.

1-Draft and spontaneity certainly amounts to a lot of content, and some of that content being very good/consistently gripping. But as a 1-Draft writer I don't often plan things, and when I've finished writing it, it doesn't get edited as much as I'd like, or, for that matter, as much as I edit the submissions we receive or the other Writing People's work (occasionally).

Either way, editing my own work aside, lack of planning certainly leads to these fabled plot holes, and the same can be said of An Organisation, if I show you any more. It's one of the more bizarre things I've written, though by no means the longest.

I hope you like it, comment, and share it with your friends. And I also hope you've learnt something - always plan, unless you want to see where your mind can get you lost.

Continue reading, and (hopefully) enjoying,
Thomas Ajax

I’ve been thinking recently about my audience and what age my stories might slip into. I’ve been told that my writing style is very innocent and coy, and a little part of me is disappointed but glad that they enjoyed it at the same time. It’s very confusing. I think the adult in me wants to prove that I can write goriness or horror but I can’t seem to sit down and write one.

It all comes out rather twee and I can’t write it. Maybe I need to read more gruesome books? I need to experiment a bit more with different techniques of writing. Maybe that’s what I will do next?

With Fates Cruelty I have kind of started doing this because the plans I have for these characters are very sad and cruel. I want people to be shocked and wonder why I wrote that because I don’t think anybody will expect it of me.

I must be harder on my characters. Do you make your characters suffer? What is it that makes you do that?

Until next time,

Elena.