Month: August 2019

Weekly Ramble #44

Lee Hall 3 Comments

It’s taken every ounce of my writing strength to reach this moment. Those words, those two words only the real writers will ever know and feel. It’s removal but with satisfaction. It’s acceptance but regret knowing it probably isn’t the best you could do, but nonetheless the track is laid, the motions are in place and the draft is done. Everything else after is yet to come and this is truly the beginning.

The real hard part is done. Getting it out of the thought process and onto pages and into words. Although some elements remain incomplete I am without the strength to carry on. I’ve used it all up creating something only now I was totally ready for. I’ve been on this journey since I was twelve years old, I realized this dream at fifteen and at thirty I finished drafting it. My whole life, my whole purpose as a story teller is to tell one story, everything else is for that, to prepare myself as a writer, to learn my craft, to find my voice, all of it is for that story I first devised over half my life ago.

Dreams have that power, they drive our existence and go deeper than anyone could possibly imagine. They grow as you do, they fight with you and they fight for you. Dreams can be bold, they can be crazy, they can be absurd but they are ours, and nothing will ever take them from us. The characters in my head have carried my dreams with me for as long as I remember and soon, on the horizon compared to the road before me, they will appear for everyone else. I urge you all to dream on, you never know where it will take you…

Jack Thorn and the maverick prophecy is a story that will change science fiction. And I’ll prove a bunch of people wrong along the way… feel that fire inside me yet, its wholly and entirely mine, but you’re invited to help it burn too…

The measure of success…

Lee Hall 2 Comments

Exams aren’t the only way to measure success,

I should know because I’ve faced that stress.

 

It isn’t about where you are now,

More like what’s next and how.

 

Find your passion from politics to art,

All that matters is that you start.

 

So what if you didn’t make the grade,

Over time the bad feelings fade.

 

What happens next and what to do,

Now that is something which is up to you,

I survived that tale and made it through,

So if I could do it, so can you…

 

 

Shout out to those receiving exam results today. No matter the result I always thought it was bullshit to have the apparent weight of the world on your shoulders especially as a mid-teen thinking those results would shape the rest of our lives. As scary as they made it sound, those results didn’t shape my life, everything else that happened afterwards did. Everyone finds their own success in the end… 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Ramble #43

Lee Hall Leave a comment

And so the final words of Jack Thorn appear on the horizon. What stands before me is still a mountain of a task but behind me is 100,000 plus words drafted of a story that I originally created fifteen years ago; the first attempt came out with 40,000 words, I guess that’s the true reflection of how much I’ve grown over the years much like this book which will change science fiction – I suppose one can dream… 

This book and it’s contents I carry with me, everywhere I go, I have done since I was a teen so why did I decide to write this now?

Jack Thorn is and always will be home to me, it’s my dream book, the one I have always wanted to read. This year has been hard, I knew that from the onset, and so because I moved into my own place I needed something to make me feel at home, and I’ve decided now to that this attempt is justifiable by the fact I’ve learned how to write and tell stories by simply doing that.

I care so much about this story that I was willing to put it to one side and delve into other worlds so I can hone this craft I now have before me. I wanted to be my very best for this tale and it’s been a long journey and even now I have battled to carve a path I mostly already knew, it just needed to be updated, polished and adapted to today’s standards.

The full title I have now chosen and will reveal in time. Hopefully by the end of the month ‘Jack Thorn’ would have been drafted. I said next year’s plan I would be querying, but I will probably be editing for a long while.

The ultimate question you probably have is what’s the premise of Jack Thorn? Like all of my stuff it appears as one thing but is actually a stack of different things – right?

Jack Thorn is a science fiction epic about robots in the future. But it’s really about; friendship, family, war, prophecy and above all humanity. From what started as quite simple story has spider webbed into a epic mess of a story and journey of darkness, action, fun, emotion and destiny.

After all these years this dream stands strong, every single word of it…

The Good Kill: A Killian Lebon Novel by Kurt Brindley – Review

Lee Hall 1 Comment

An enthralling, gripping tale of epic proportions taking the reader on a ride full of twists, turns and action…

goodk

Kurt Brindley has constructed an intricate  story that immediately immerses readers into the brutal world of organised crime,  drug and sex trafficking and a gangster underworld all of which is centered around main character Killian Lebon. This warrior and former navy seal embarks on a journey in search of answers and revenge while also dealing with a huge level of trauma. He’s a character that for all of his flaws and even dark moments you cannot help but admire and get behind.

The story unfolds gradually via a gripping and very readable style with the emphasis on Brindley’s descriptive full sentences (proper sentences, how I have longed for thee…)  with a series of stories and characters that all eventually find themselves linked later on. There are a wealth of three dimensional realistic characters with many who have their own flaws much like Killian such as ‘RJ’ with her own traumatic history or ‘Toni’ who is trying to do right even though her surroundings are wrong.

As a reader you definitely get value for money as The Good Kill is long read but it needs to be for the type of story it is and takes some time to get through although not once did I feel as if the story dragged and for a read of this caliber that is indeed an incredible feat.

It’s modern Jason Bourne meets Taken but it feels fresher with a grittier story that is brutal, dark and sometimes violent and always entertaining. There’s revenge and redemption as well as a series of revelations that appear in many different pinnacle moments during the story which is split into 4 parts all of which culminate dramatically.

The Good Kill represents independently published books in the finest possible way.

5 Stars – Great read,  Reviews left on Amazon UK and Goodreads 

Orange is the new black Season 7 – Review

Lee Hall Leave a comment

A show that isn’t afraid to be the mirror of truth displaying a reflection back to the modern world…

Orange is the New Black carved a path for modern television. Being the third ‘Netflix original’ it introduced the entertainment world to a brand new concept; binge watching. But that isn’t all this show is responsible for and quite honestly I’m a little cut up that it’s finished.

There aren’t many shows out there that make you laugh, think, get angry, feel sad and overall feel fulfilled like ‘Orange’ does in one episode. I have always raved about this show and I will proudly say there isn’t one bad episode or one bad series.

Piper is finally on the outside, her struggles intertwine with what it is like to be someone in this day and age struggling the find work and life balance while still trying to maintain her probation. Her story steers this season which feels like a change as the ensemble have had the floor for the past few years. We see Larry again and Piper’s journey seems to close after going full circle. Although I never approved of Alex their relationship finally finds balance.

Taystee is reeling from the shocking outcome that saw the riot pinned to her or at least the killing of Piscatella. She starts with nothing to lose but we see her eventually reform and it probably becomes the most rewarding journey seen in this show, even though she was knocked down, she found a way to get back up and we always knew Taystee was the one of the good guys.

Nicky seems to find only struggle and is caught between her prison family – both Lorna and Red are essentially receding into their own minds and the performance of these three in particular stands out along with ‘Crazy Eye’s Suzanne’ who may be the best actress in the whole damn thing.  

Joe Caputo really is a victim of the times as he is thrown into a ‘me too’ scandal and cannot help himself along with trying to maintain relevance and a relationship with Fig.

The prison itself is thrown into political and moral dilemmas such as the new warden being chosen simply for PR reasons and an ever growing drugs problem.

There are so many other characters I possibly couldn’t name that endure their own journey bringing this show to its eventual close but something happened during this final season, and although I know it has always been there from episode 1 but this show turned everything back towards the audience as if we were looking in a mirror but the reflection we saw was the ugly truth about this world. From corporations, politics, immigration, drugs, mental health, education, race and even harassment we saw it all.  There was even a huge dig towards Donald Trump’s immigration policies adding just another relevant dimension.

The performances throughout display some of the finest acting I have ever seen and known. Some win and others lose in what I found to be an emotional finish to what is a show that ended too soon. A show about humanity’s best and worst – pretty much all of the main characters are women which is yet another big important step for society.

You’ll notice this review is hyper vague because there is so much detail I could go into about how this show gave so much to society and I’m not exaggerating. All those hero stories out there get nowhere near Orange is the New Black. 

 

Weekly Ramble #42

Lee Hall 2 Comments

As creators we live and die by reviews of our works. In a world that seems so damn difficult to get them, when we do sometimes the process seems worth it. Of course I’m referencing to the good and I’ve been there before with the bad; sometimes it’s okay to respond but not directly, more as an exercise to flesh out feelings and to process.

It’s kind of weird that the stuff we create is judged by the final product. Very rarely do we get judged by how we endured a journey in flexing our creativity to get there, or for our ideas that may sit outside the box. Even though good reviews are marvelous, and bad ones, well they exist, I have always found the most rewarding part of creating is finishing it. Everything else – the editing, the cover art work, the opinions, they are a by-product of that initial accomplishment.

To be confident enough to release your work out into to world is an achievement enough so when we get a review, from a reader we don’t know, the feeling can cap off the already immense experience of creating.

To those who have reviewed my work, good and bad – thank you.

Words stacked against me…

Lee Hall 1 Comment

It feels like the words are stacked against me, 

Get this done and maybe I’ll be free,

Right now the ending I cannot see. 

Miles of words to go until I can end this show,

Forward is the only way I know how to go, 

How I’ll actually get there, not even I know… 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lion King – Review

Lee Hall Leave a comment

A visual spectacle where the show is stolen once again by two familiar characters…

It’s hard to deny that the Lion King is a tale of epic Shakespearean proportions, after all it’s ‘Hamlet with lions’ but the story has appeal to all ages and Disney continue to do that clever thing where they adapt a previous release into live action. This concept is near enough a solid strategy for selling tickets to the young and old and yet again it’s worked in that respect but a live action adaptation that involves just animals; does it really deliver?

My answer is yes and no, because I can’t deny visually the cinematography and computer generation somewhat merge into an impressive spectacle. Much like when Jurassic Park came out most people found it hard to determine when they had used CGI and not. The same is for the Lion King and although it looks great it feels like a certain dimension of the story is missing with this choice and I am talking about emotion.

Yes these are animals and they express emotion differently and in a cartoon you can make a lion frown or smile but when it’s appearing as ‘real life’ the concept is kind of lost. This is even more so apparent in musical numbers where emotion is the real key to delivery.

I’m not a film critic so that’s the subjective part out of the way because overall I enjoyed the Lion King – I avoided the animation for a many years because its quite sad in parts and the same is for this version but the story is about redemption so I dig it. The voice acting can’t be faulted along with most of the musical numbers – it seems ‘Be prepared’ was mostly omitted disappointingly… but everything good about this new version is what makes it worth seeing. It was pretty rewarding to see some scenes exactly how they were in the animation, a fitting tribute for this new live action way. I really liked how some of the characters were created visually; Scar looked exactly how an outcast lion would – dark and ominous and who wouldn’t mention Timon and Pumbaa – two characters who stole the show yet again and their comedy made the whole thing! Of course full credit to James Earl Jones who reprised his role as Mufasa from the original.

You’ll laugh a lot as well as find some of the film emotional in what is a brave execution for Disney leaving some audience members still unsure, but if you ask me the Lion King gets 8 ‘Hakuna Matata’s’ out of 10 

  

Chapter motherfu**in’ 30

Lee Hall 3 Comments

Well I guess I survived my twenties. And everything I’ve laid down in the past ten plus years is going to pay off in this next decade of my life… I say that like I know what’s going to happen and even though my word is good, nothing ever turns out how you expect it. Maybe that’s what the best and scariest part of life is, the fact we’re not really in control, the unexpected is where our fate truly stands. 

Now I would never have thought I would be penning this blog post at this exact time and this exact place; a place where readers like you support my slowly growing presence in the world of words. There have been some phenomenal achievements that have really been defined by my readers during my twenties, in fact, none of the 4 books I have currently published would actually be anything without their readership. The 3 plays I wrote and subsequently saw (2 of the 3) brought to life were indeed nothing without those who put them together and those who were an audience. This blog would be a ghost town if it wasn’t for the support of my pretty fuckin’ epic readers; some of which go above and beyond for me.

Perhaps it doesn’t matter what we do and how we personally define our creations; plays, books, blogs and hopefully soon to be films. Our efforts are defined by how they are received by others. We are inspired by the company we keep no matter what corner of the world they may be in.

All of you inspired all of this, and for as long as I’ve known what dreams are, I’ve been chasing them.

Only those bold enough to chase are the ones who catch.

And like that I’m thirty years old.