Deep Thinker

This is what could happen if Brad and I got together

2008-07-24T10:34:00.011+01:00

I found this link on Inner Minx's blog and couldn't resist.

This is what my child with Brad Pitt could like if I ever got it together with him.

Go HERE if you want to make babies with a celebrity.

Novel Update

2008-07-16T21:33:00.017+01:00

The novel’s almost finished now. I’ve still got the final editing to do, but I've decided to leave that until September.

I'll be going on holiday in a few weeks, so until then I'm not going to blog much because I'm feeling really tired and stressed out at the moment. I also want to work on my music.

I really can’t wait to get away. I only hope that when I get back I'll feel refreshed and ready to begin that editing (and that it doesn't take too long!).

Then it'll be time to look for an agent and publisher!

Soundtrack of my Novel

2008-07-13T10:11:00.007+01:00

Music that I listen to while I write my novel.

Nightwish (always inspiring - I've written most of my novel while listening to this great band).

Blackmore's Night (really helps set the mood for those Medieval and Renaissance scenes).

And to really get me in the vampire mood I sometimes listen to the soundtrack of one of my favourite films, Bram Stoker's Dracula.

A Favourite Poem

2008-07-08T10:03:00.015+01:00

Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory --
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heap'd for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts when thou are gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.

One of my favourite poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley, who died on this day in 1822, aged 29.

Memories

2008-07-04T22:20:00.005+01:00

As I've said, it's music that keeps me going at the moment, so here's the video of a beautiful song called "Memories" by Dutch Gothic metal band Within Temptation.

I won't be blogging for the next few days so I'd like to wish you all a nice weekend.

One of my problems

2008-07-03T22:22:00.008+01:00

One of the reasons I’ve felt depressed lately was because I was worried about my dad who has been in hospital all week having some fluid drained from his body. The hospital also spent a rather long time running various tests on him because they found a cyst on his kidney. As you can imagine, it’s been a very anxious time. I was in a state of panic all week, fearing the worst and sinking lower and lower into depression.

He’s out of hospital now, and luckily, the cyst was harmless. Apparently, kidney cysts are quite common and as they usually don’t cause any problems, some people may go through life not knowing they have them.

The fact that my dad, who is 67, had also had a liver transplant 6 years ago made me panic even more as I thought something might be up with his new liver, which has been working fine since the transplant. Fortunately, everything seems to be OK.

A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, but I still can’t stop worrying though. Not just about my dad, but everything. But I’m better than I was yesterday. I’m going to start listening to my mind-programming CD again as I’m sure I had more confidence when I used to listen to it regularly.

Lack of self-confidence, which is one of the symptoms of depression, is stopping me from following my dream. I've got to do something about it before it's too late.

Can't Cope

2008-07-02T08:47:00.016+01:00

I wasn't sure about posting this but I feel like I'm going to explode if I don't.

I’m so depressed. Everything is going wrong for me lately. I've got so many problems and I'm always stressed.

I’m anxious all the time, and can’t stop worrying about the future. To be honest, I've lost hope in life getting any better. I just know it’s going to get worse.

I don’t enjoy anything anymore. Even music. Though I still listen to it in order to cope. As for writing, I don’t know why I bother.

What’s the point?

It's the same with blogging. Why do I do it? For some reason I hate to read my blog posts. They make me cringe with embarrassment. Like this one. I'll probably delete it later.

And I hate this hot weather. It makes me feel even more miserable.

I know everyone has problems, but at the moment I feel as if mine are piling on top me and I’m suffocating.

But just in case anyone is worried - I'm not about to commit suicide, even though this post may sound like I am.

Your Depression Level: 84%

You seem to be severely depressed.

You should seek immediate attention from your physician.

Depression can be cured - you just need to take the first step.

Are You Depressed?

Novel Extract

2008-07-01T14:54:00.019+01:00

Here's an extract from my novel, which I would describe as Wuthering Heights meets Interview with the Vampire. It's a vampire novel of reincarnation, betrayal and revenge. Please note that this isn't the final draft.

Prologue

Sharing him may cause me great pain.

And yet I had not thought of that as I hunted him through time. When my utmost desire was to see him again. Reborn just for me.

My long lost love.

For it is he. The same fire burns in his eyes. Those orbs of deep blue, the shade of sky I can no longer see, beaming with hope and liberty.

I ache to touch him, to hold him, to love him. It has been a long time. Centuries. But does he remember me?

We are watching the sun slowly sink behind the range of the mountains, the sky ornate with a rainbow of colours. Songs of evening birds echo around us and the strong aroma of flowers and new mown grass drifts through the air.

My long lost love turns to me.

Gaze holds gaze.

Remember me, my love.

He slips his arm over his lover’s shoulder. ‘It is truly magnificent, is it not? I daresay that it is the most wonderful thing that I have ever beheld.’

His lover smiles. ‘Oh, it is truly enchanting. But I think I find the daylight view far more agreeable, when the sunlight dances upon the lake.’

‘I disagree, my sweet,’ he says. ‘The night is far better. In particular when the moon shines and glitters its reflection in the lake.’

I am of the same opinion, for I have not seen true daylight in centuries and have come to view the night as my comforter. ‘It is exquisite,’ I say.

My own lover’s arm tightens its grasp around my waist, reminding me that there are four of us in this paradise of exiles.

He communicates his thoughts to me. Do you know how I feel at present, Eleanor? Knowing that you lust for the poet? That I even allowed you to follow him here?

Philip is my maker. My companion. For centuries he hunted me. Since the most ancient of days when Alexander the Great had sought to conquer all. Centuries later, under the spell of a blood moon, he snared me with his piercing silver gaze, enticing me to eternity.

An eternity we share. But my love for the poet’s soul will always stand between us. For how can my devotion to him ever wane? For within me there pulsates the memory of an ocean of tears - wept during the silent hours of my eternal soul.

Leave me be, Philip. You stole me from him. I cannot help but love him.

I did not steal you from him. I saved you from your mortal destiny.

He squeezes my arm.

Remember the curse of our kind, Eleanor.

The Romantic Spirit

2008-06-23T11:26:00.018+01:00

I love the Romantic Poets and the Romantic era. In fact, if I had a time machine, I'd definitely want to visit that period. And since I began researching for my novel, which is set during that era, I've become even more obsessed.

Here's a great video about Romanticism that I found on YouTube. It's really interesting. It's part of a series entitled "The Romantic Spirit".

From Poem to Song

2008-06-19T12:30:00.012+01:00

This song was once a poem and is based on my novel Poet's Blood.

Lost Love’s Memory

Behold dear sky
These tears I cry
Wind whisper to me
Sighs of loneliness
Break these chains
Of all my pains
Let me veil him
In sweet caress

CHORUS
Speak to me of
Treasures gone
Of lost love’s memory
His smile, the light
His eyes, the deep
Keep to me
For eternity

Sun casts her glance
Feasts in merry dance
Upon a withered heart
As soul meets icy lips
Caress of death
Winter's breath
As my true love
From life he slips

© Marie Seymour 2008

High Sensitivity

2008-06-16T13:20:00.006+01:00

Your Sensitivity Score: 91%

You are an extremely sensitive person. You notice everything.

You've probably been called overly sensitive before, and it's partially true.

Highly sensitive people tend to be highly intelligent. And you just can't turn off that part of you.

Are You Extremely Sensitive?

Female Singers

2008-06-15T10:48:00.014+01:00

Can't think what to blog about so I thought I'd do a post about some female singers that have influenced me over the years.

Stevie Nicks
I got into Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac in the late 1980s when I formed my first band. She is perhaps my biggest influence. I love her voice, her style, and of course her music.

Belinda Carlisle
I spent hours up in my bedroom singing along to Belinda's music in the 1980s. I love her unique voice.

Pat Benatar
Made me want to be a rock singer instead of a pop singer.

Tarja Turunen
Ex-Nightwish singer. Love her classically trained voice.

Sam Brown
Another favourite from the 1980s/90s. Great powerful voice.

ABBA
Reminds me of my childhood. I used to sing along to ABBA records with my cousins. I'm the only one that took it seriously and wanted to follow a singing career.

Of course there's more, but I wanted to keep this post short.

86,864 words

2008-06-09T16:26:00.009+01:00

The word count of my novel so far is 86,864, and I'm pleased to say that it's almost finished.

For various reasons, I'm not writing much these days, but when I do find the time, I'm currently going through the whole manuscript adding more description where it's needed. I don't write much description during early drafts because I prefer to concentrate on dialogue. That's how my stories unfold. I'll have the basic plot idea and characters, then I just see where it takes me, building and layering it through many many drafts.

The thing is I always obsess about description because, to be honest, I don't think I'm very good at it. I do try to use all the senses to bring a scene to life, but then I'll worry about not writing enough. But at the same time, I know that it's good to let the reader use their imagination a little bit.

In his book On Writing Stephen King says that to write good description 'the trick is to find a happy medium', and that 'good description usually consists of a few well-chosen details'.

I agree. And that's what I try to remember. But I still worry about it (I am a worrier after all). It's one of the reasons that makes me wonder if I'll ever finish this novel. The perfectionist in me won't let me.

Once I'm satisfied with everything, I'm going to let the novel rest a while and then I'll begin the final edit.

Here's a little snippet from my novel. I'll be posting more in the near future:

'Centuries later, under the spell of a blood moon, he snared me with his piercing silver gaze.'

Currently listening to:
Apocalyptica

Tired of Waiting

2008-05-25T10:05:00.005+01:00

I've been really busy and haven't had time to think about what to post on this blog. It's not as if I've got anything interesting to say at the moment anyway.

I really wish I had some exciting news to blog about but things seem to be taking a long time - with both the writing and the music. And I hate waiting. Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger, and I worry about time running out and never achieving my dream. Why does time go by so quickly now? It wasn't always like that, was it? I mean, half of this year's gone already. That scares me. It really does.

At least the novel is almost finished now. I'm both excited and scared about that. It's the kind of novel I've always wanted to write. The kind I always want to write. But will the publishing world believe in it as much as I do?

The Agent's Tale - Find out how to get your book published

Writing Again

2008-05-08T10:24:00.012+01:00

Sorry for not posting or visiting any blogs lately. I’m cutting down on time spent online because that’s the only way I’ll ever get my novel written.

As you know, I’ve been busy with my music lately and so I decided that in order to concentrate on that it was better to put the novel on hold for a while. Anyway, it seems that the short break has helped me get over my writer's block, which means I'm back working on the novel now and feeling inspired once again. It looks like it'll be finished soon.

Apart from that, I'm still working on some lyrics for my brother's compositions and hoping to record them soon.

The Other Boleyn Girl and Historical Fiction

2008-04-24T21:54:00.004+01:00

Philippa Gregory is one of my favourite authors and I’m currently re-reading her excellent novel The Other Boleyn Girl. I’ve been a fan of her writing since I first read Wideacre (one of my all-time fave novels) many years ago. I suppose that was the first novel that got me interested in historical fiction. I remember thinking as I was reading Wideacre how much I’d love to write a historical novel one day. And now here I am many years later writing a historical novel - though mine has vampires in it of course.

What I like about The Other Boleyn Girl is how the Tudor period is brilliantly brought to life with such vivid historical detail. In fact it's one of the things that I like about all Philippa's historical novels. She captures the time period well and I always feel as if I've been transported back in time when I'm reading. But that's not all. The novels are deeply absorbing from beginning to end and the characters are so well-drawn.

I haven’t seen the film adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl yet as I’d rather watch it on DVD, but from what I’ve heard and read, it’s not that great. I don’t expect it to be as good as the novel, because we all know how things get changed in order for it to work as a film. However, I’m sure it will be interesting to watch and so I am looking forward to seeing it soon. Judging by the trailer, the costumes look amazing.

The Other Boleyn Girl Trailer

Philippa Gregory talks about The Other Boleyn Girl

My Music Muse is Calling

2008-04-17T12:19:00.011+01:00

I'm taking a short break from the novel in order to concentrate on my music. I’m currently writing and recording songs with my brother and the plan is to get them heard online at MySpace, etc. We haven't even decided on a name for this band yet (it's just us two, with me on lead vocals), but I'm sure that we'll come up with one soon.

As for the novel, it’s not as if I can write at the moment, what with these hay fever symptoms that I’ve suddenly developed. As I type this I can barely keep my eyes open because they’re so sore and watery. I also have a running nose. The thing is I never used to suffer from hay fever before. I’ve only noticed these symptoms over the past couple of years. It also seems to be affecting my throat, so that’s not good news for my singing either.

I’m posting this video to cheer me up a bit, and because it’s one of the best music videos I’ve ever seen.

'The Islander' by Nightwish

Feeling Down, But This Cheers Me Up

2008-04-13T10:39:00.000+01:00

A Meme of Fours

2008-04-07T10:54:00.003+01:00

Wynn tagged me for this meme. Instead of boring you all with my own answers, I thought it would be fun to let one of the characters from my novel do it. I got the idea from Gabriele's blog.
I hope she doesn't mind.

HERE ARE THE VAMPIRE ELEANOR'S ANSWERS

FOUR JOBS THAT I'VE HAD
As a vampire, I don't really need to work. Also, I was born rich so that helps. However, I have earned money in the past from my creative talents, such as singing, writing and painting.

FOUR FILMS I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER
Living in the year 1822 it is not possible to watch films as they have not been invented yet. However, in one of my psychic visions of the future I have seen that one day my own true story will be made into a film.

FOUR PLACES I'VE LIVED
1. Yorkshire, England
2. London, England
3. Geneva, Switzerland
4. Venice, Italy

FOUR PEOPLE WHO E-MAIL ME REGULARLY
What is e-mail? I have not seen this in my visions of the future yet.

FOUR TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
Ah, this is something to do with moving images again, I believe. No such thing exists in 1822, but I do enjoy going to the opera.

FOUR PLACES I'D LIKE TO BE RIGHT NOW
1. Back at Lake Geneva in 1816 with my mortal friends Byron, Shelley and Mary. What a great joy that was!
2. I would also like to return to Renaissance Venice as I had the most agreeable time there. However, it was also a sad time, but you will have to read my book to find out why.
3. I also wish that I could be with my maker, Philip. We have been companions for 600 years, but he has suddenly disappeared. I wish I knew where he was. I want to tell him that I am sorry for falling for a mortal.
4. Ancient Greece. I had a past life there.

FOUR FAVOURITE FOODS
I don't care much for food, but I am addicted to blood. Sometimes that can be a curse.

FOUR PLACES I'VE VISITED
I have lived for six centuries so have been all over the world.

FOUR EVENTS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS YEAR
1. Saving my true love, who is a mortal, from his imminent death. I have had visions of him dying for some time now. I must make him a vampire before it is too late.
2. I am really hoping to kill my enemy before she kills me. She has been after me for centuries.
3. Hopefully seeing Philip again.
4. The publication of a novel and epic poem that I am currently writing.

FOUR PEOPLE WHO SHOULD POST FOUR THINGS
Any mortal or vampire reading this can have ago.

Snow in Spring

2008-04-06T10:44:00.011+01:00

I can't remember the last time it snowed here in April. I think it must have been back in the 1980s. It seemed to snow a lot in London back then, and the winters lasted longer, so it wasn't uncommon to see snow in Spring. As it doesn't snow that much now (especially in December and January when you'd expect), waking up to this today was a nice surprise.

The pictures are of my mum's back garden.

LitMatch

2008-04-06T10:32:00.011+01:00

I've just discovered this new website for writers.

LitMatch is a free literary directory that allows you to browse "the largest, most complete database of literary agents and agencies on the Web". It even has a targeted search to make it easier for you to find agents who represent writing like yours. You can also keep track of your submissions online.

Idea for Book 3

2008-03-31T17:32:00.024+01:00

I wasn’t really going to post today, but I felt that an update was needed after Friday's gloomy post. I really felt like I'd lost all hope when I wrote that one. Anyway, I spent most of Sunday sorting out the final chapter, which was one of the messy ones that I didn't feel like working on before. It doesn't look too bad now.

I think I’ve already mentioned that I'm planning a trilogy. I've written some notes and scenes for book 2, but hadn't a clue about what I was going to write for the third (apart from the fact that my lead vampires will be in it). However, as I was doing yet more research on the Net last night, I suddenly got an idea for book 3. Basically, it’s just an idea for the setting.

But I think I’m getting ahead of myself here, so it's best that I just concentrate on finishing the current WIP first.

An Update

2008-03-28T11:35:00.005Z

Just an update on the writing.

It hasn’t been going that well actually. At least, not as well as I’d hoped. I seem to be stuck on rewriting certain chapters, while ignoring and not feeling much like tackling others. I wonder why. Maybe those chapters are boring to write, or maybe they’re the most difficult. Probably the latter. And there’s always something that needs changing so I have to go back on certain parts. I’m such a perfectionist, that I doubt I’ll ever finish it. The synopsis is also driving me mad.

I‘ve been writing this novel for two years. It’s also been two years since I began this blog.

Almost Finished

2008-03-17T10:09:00.008Z

Just to say that I won't be around much because I really want to finish my novel. I'm almost there, still redrafting some chapters, cutting bits that don't add much to the plot, etc. Of course, once I think I'm done, I'll try not to touch the manuscript for a few weeks before starting the final edits. Also need to finish that synopsis.

Rewriting Can Be Fun

2008-03-10T11:56:00.009Z

I seem to be enjoying the rewriting of my novel now. I know that in the past I’ve complained about how many drafts I’ve had to do, but now that I’ve almost completed the manuscript I am once again finding joy in it. I seem to have found the enthusiasm to keep going. I hope it lasts for when I am doing the final edit.

I do love my story, but sometimes actually getting it onto the page has proved difficult. My main problem being life’s many ups and downs, as well as my depression which seems to cloud my mind with so much negativity. I know I often judge myself harshly. But in me there lies an inner strength and belief in wanting to make my dreams come true, and most important of all, a great passion for writing.