Does watching films = good writing?

So this question popped into my head after I finished my latest Movie Madness post for Jurassic World:

Does the type of films you like affect the way you write?

If you haven't realised by now, I'm a huge film fan. I love films, TV shows, books (although that should go without saying), the Sims...basically anything with a story, or that you can create a story from. I love finding out people's stories, whether I'm reading about them, watching them or listening to them - I just love any kind of story.

But I realised something over the weekend - I also love blockbuster films. There may not be much of a plot at times, and the characterisation can be a bit dodgy, but anything with an action sequence and a huge battle scene and I'm sold. I used to think I wasn't much of a blockbuster/action girl, but if I'm honest, I quite enjoy turning my brain off and just watching all the pretty men, I mean, lights for a while.

And I think this has a huge effect on my writing. I'm not just talking about my plots, although I am coming to realise that most of books/outlines do like to culminate in a huge good guys vs the villain (Avengers/Tarantino style) battle scene. It's also my writing style - I like writing short, snappy sentences. I like to keep (or try to keep) my scenes fairly fast-paced, just like any action film. I'm not very good at writing 'purple prose', or indeed elaborating any more than I think I need to, when I'm writing a description. That's just my personal taste - I don't like films that seem to have a 'higher meaning', or that are trying to make an elaborate point, and I also don't like books that waffle on about some guy's hair colour for three pages. Perhaps it's just the straight-to-the-point Northerner coming out in me, but personally, I just don't think layers upon layers of description/prose is necessary.

So does my taste in films affect the way I write? I actually think it does - hopefully not in a bad way, but then again, everyone's taste is different :). I like short dialogue, a fast pace and minimal description when reading, and I like my films that way too ;) (with the obvious exception of LOTR and GoT).

How about you? Do you think your taste in films/books affects your writing style? Is it a good or a bad thing? Or do you think I'm completely off the mark ;)?

How much is too much...?

Happy New Year, everyone :)!

I know I'm probably a tad late in saying that, but hey, better late than never ;).

I've actually been taking a break from the Internet for a while - to be completely honest, I haven't been in a good place lately and being online has only made things worse, which is why I didn't post for IWSG last week. But this weekend has been the first weekend that I feel ready to face the world again, so it's all good :). One day, I'll write a super long post and bore you all to death with my issues, but for now, I'm back and ready to write!

Anyway, so I had a nice, relaxing break over the Christmas holidays and I barely thought about my book at all - but one day last week, a new idea struck me for my novel. I've been idly wondering for a while if there was any way I could rewrite the beginning of my novel, but tbh, I was pretty happy the way it was and unless inspiration struck, I was happy to keep it as it is.

But then inspiration did strike. And immediately I scribbled down the initial idea, and then I was off - writing down all the possible implications of this new beginning for my novel; would the middle still work? How would it change the overall character? Would it change her relationship with the other characters in the story?

I haven't started writing it yet, but I'm planning to work on it this week and see where it takes me. I love the feeling of once again being super excited about my work, but it also got me thinking....how much rewriting, is too much rewriting? How do you know when to stop? I know that if I rewrite my beginning and don't like it, I can always take it out and put my old one back in - but what if I think of another different way to write it? And then another way? How do you know when to stop?? Is there a writerly sixth sense that simply tells you when you're done - that moment when you write the last word, sit back and think, this is it? Or do writers forever critique their work, and will never be fully happy with it?

As a newcomer to all of this, I'm simply curious to know what other writers do! I know authors could probably spend forever tweaking words here and there, but I'm talking about when you come up with new ideas for your novel - you think you've finished and it's the best it can possibly be, then BAM! Suddenly a new scene, a new chapter or even a new character bursts into your head. What do you do? Do you ignore it? Or do you try it out?

I'd love to hear your thoughts :)!

All the best for the new year, everyone! Let's make it a good one!

So, you wanna know what I've been up to lately...?

You know you probably need a break from, well, everything, when you enter the below story into a Flash Fiction competition. The rules were simple: it had to been 100 words or less, and it had to be vaguely 'seasonal' in some way.

So read on! I hope you enjoy my entry ;)...

"The table was set for the feast.

Polished silver cutlery and gleaming plates stood out against the white linen. Steaming dishes full of buttery vegetables, cranberry sauce and rich, thick gravy lay, just waiting to be devoured.

He sat back as his ever-dutiful wife entered, bearing a large platter in her arms. His mouth began to water. She placed the tray carefully in front of him, where he could admire that pink, tender flesh all the more. He had chosen this year's meat well.

He picked up the razor-sharp knife and, slowly, began to carve up that beautiful human head."

Don't ask me where the idea came from - I literally read the email, wondered how I could put a bit of twist in a story of 100 words, and this idea popped up basically fully formed in my head. 

I sincerely hope they can see that I've put a spin on the idea of the traditional Christmas feast, and I'm not just a complete psychopath!

If you don't hear from me in a while though, you know why ;).

Happy 1st December everyone!