All Things M4tt

Hey guys,

If you're like me, it can be a struggle to develop your characters and keep authenticity. I'm constantly plagued with wondering would he/she say or act in that way. I've re-written scenes and stared at blank pages because I just haven't felt right about a characters actions.

This feeling of uncertainty, doesn't completely vanish but, for me, the more time I spend with a character the more I understand them, and ultimately become more confident about their actions.

This post is going to briefly outline tips I have for writing and building characters.

1. Base your character on someone.

When I first create a character I base them on someone else - real or not. I visualise a character and make the decision that, at this stage, my character will be like this. This gives my creation focus and direction in their initial stages of life before they develop a voice of their own.

My understanding of the character that I base my character on does vary. I don't feel I have to completely understand a character to use them. It's purely my perception of this character that I am using.

I may decide to use a character's appearance or something about their personality. For instance the antagonist of my current work has been based upon Scar from Lion King. So, when I first began to write this character I would pose the question of 'what would Scar say?'

After being with this character for some time his behaviour has moved away from Scar and become his own. Having a clear point of origin meant that I wasn't sat staring at the page thinking what to write.

2. Don't be afraid to change your character.

As my stories progress and I spend more time writing my characters they change. I've re-written entire scenes because I've felt the characters actions were not authentic to them. It can be tiresome and slightly stressful, but it's always completely worth it. Everyone always talks about writing a piece that is character driven, and changing your writing to accommodate the development of your characters is a scary, but essential part of the writing process.

NOTE TO READERS: If Arthur (above) can go through drastic changes so can your precious little guys

3. Put your characters into daily situations.

When I'm on the train or at the cinema, anywhere to be honest, I try to think about how a character would react in my current situation. For instance, if you're on the train and someone is making a lot of noise, ask yourself how would your character react. Would they stand up and challenge the pesky teen? Would they cower in the corner because of the noise? These little thoughts help me internalise my characters and helps to build their identity in my mind. It also helps to zone out those annoying moments in public.

NOTE TO READERS - don't try this with spouses, as wondering how your character would respond to your partners slightly over cooked dinner may have a negative impact on your relationship.

4. Spend time writing with the character.

As a child, I remember hearing
authors refer to their characters as living beings. It would shock and surprise me, but since I've been on my own writing journey (that sounds odd) I've understood exactly what they meant. I can't express how just writing and re-writing scenes with particular characters will help you to understand them and develop them. I revisit scenes months later and find dialogue that I don't feel sounds like my character. I think, refer to number 2 and make those changes.

Hey guys,

As you may not know, I'm probably the biggest Arctic Monkey fan this side of sanity. So, in December when Alex Turner's side project 'The Last Shadow Puppets' released a snippet, announcing a new album, I was happier than Kanye West listening to Kanye West talking about Kanye West.

This is their first new material since 2008 and I'm still recovering from that torrent of awesomeness, if I'm being honest.

I heard the album upon release day but I've waited a few weeks to let the euphoria settle so that I could write a fair comment on the album (if I wrote this after my first listen, phrases such as God, Defining, Coleridge-esque, orgasmic, supreme, Lennon and Mccartney would have plagued my response).

I'm going to review each song and then give a final opinion.

1. Aviation
"My planet or yours"

The album kicks off with one of their most raucous singles ever. Aviation initially sounded like something that could have gone on the puppets previous album. It is a real head banger and has a fantastic riff that rings throughout. Miles Kane leads on this and instantly I got the feeling he has grown into the Chelsea boots required to compete with Mr. Turner. I always felt as though Alex overshadowed him on their last album and with more songs like this, that view would surely dissipate. The video to this song is as fun as the song and definitely worth a watch.

2. Miracle Aligner
"Was born to blow your mind, or something along those line"

The pace slowed for this one and Alex Turner took over on the leads. It's very Turner, with vivid imagery and fun wordplay and it almost sounded like a throw away from his Submarine ep. With all this being said, the song was only okay. In further listens, I have found myself skipping past it as it slows the pace drastically from the album's opener.

3. Dracula Teeth
"Pinball machine's on mute"

The bass on this is kicked ass. The pace was similar to Miracle Aligner, but it felt harder and got my head bopping. I love how he used the words Dracula Teeth and they don't sound clunky or out of place. I really liked this one, it has all of the Turner hallmarks and depicts a beautiful women that's alluring but dangerous to Bram Stoker proportions.

4. Everything You've Come To Expect

"As I walk through the chalet of shadow of death"

By the time I reached this track I was happy with what I'd heard thus far, it's safe to say the album was living up to it's name. Mr Turner lead the vocals on this one and it's eerily haunting but at the same time beautiful. The violins were on full effect here and the sounds keeps you interested throughout. The video is definitely worth a watch Click here

5. The Element of Surprise
"It feels like your entrance caused the temperature to rise"

This one had elements of the The Cribs and David Bowie. Whenever I listened to it I could just imagine Ziggy Stardust swooning through the chorus. Alex Turner again took the lead of the vocals here, and his singing was very smooth and nonchalant. It sounded as though he did this in one take on Saturday morning between combing his hair and sparking a cigarette. It really works and this song feels like a dream sequence from start to finish.

6. Bad Habits
"Should have known little girl that you'd do me wrong"

Miles screams and struts his stuff on the lead single from the album. I love this track, it's a foot stamper and it sounded like they had a lot of fun making it. The bass line was in your face and packed a punch! Certain parts, the quieter bits, sounded like they could have been on Age of Understatement and I like that the boys tipped their hats to their first effort. One of my favs from this album and it's constantly being played in my car.

7. Sweet Dreams TN
"I just sorta always feel sick without you baby"

Every Arctic album has that moment, usually half way through, where the pace drops and the subject matter turns to desperate forlorn love. Only ones who know; Cornerstone; Number 1 party anthem are all songs that the Monkeys used to 'switch it up'. Incidentally, these songs are some of my favourite Arctic songs of all time. When I first heard Sweet Dreams TN I instantly fell in love with it. The opening line and thudding sombre piano told me it was broken love time and like the times before I enjoyed every moment of it. The ending is big and loud, and sounds like something befitting Shirley Bassey and James Bond. I found a wonderful rendition of this gem on YouTube click here check it out.

8. Used To Be My Girl
"I'm a liar, I'm a cheat, a leech, a thief"

This one sounded like an 'AM' b-side when I heard it. The heavy bass and hard hitting drums made me look at the sleeve and check if Helders and O'Malley snuck in to the studio to play on the track. The song wasn't a favourite of mine, its okay but I felt the lyrics got drowned out by the instruments. There aren't many memorable moments within the track for me.

9. She Does The Woods
"She'll jump in the river, you'll wish you're the water"

Thought I was listening to 'Suck it and See' era Arctics with this one. It was a cool track and Turner floated from verse to verse with ease. The song was about a succubus who completely controls her men. These type of women seem to gravitate towards Alex's story telling. I wonder about the type of women that he meets that fuel these stories. The song was a good listen but not one that I've raved about.

10. Pattern
"Sunlight banging on the walls, begging me for more promises"

Miles took the lead for this track and I loved it. It has a more AM hip hop inspired vibe to it. The subtle tones of the orchestra in the background were beautiful and it was a gorgeous mix of what I love about this band. There was a fanfare sound about 2 minutes into the track that sounded really similar to 'Whoa' from hip hop artist Black Rob. There was an awful lot happening in this track from the violins to the slap bass guitar. It's a highlight of the album and definitely worth a listen.

11. The Dream Synopsis
"It was you and me and Miles Kane and some kid I went to school with, isn't it ugly when I talk about my visions of the past..."

The album was brought to a close with a great track that is very Alex Turner. Piano, bass guitar and subtle snares accompany some smooth vocals on this one. The pace was massively slowed and it highlighted Alex's ability to paint pictures. It's this type of vivid imagery that made me fall in love with the Arctic Monkeys in the first place. Their first album was an ode to being a young adult and partying, meeting girls and spending time with your mates. This song explored a dream he had about a former lover and how he wished he could go back to a time when the dream was a reality. I also love the mention of 'Sheffield City Centre' because he's always given a tough time about his perceived abandonment of his roots.

Final verdict - 7/10

It's a great album from two individuals that have done so much in between their last collaboration. There are many highs on this album, Aviation, Sweet Dreams TN and Pattern being my favourites. There are also a few songs that I would have preferred to see as B-sides. I'm a massive Alex Turner fan and I think he is one of the best songwriters to ever come out of the UK. As with any Turner project there is a lot of wonderful word play, catchy choruses and just a sense of cool.

This next bit might come as a surprise to those that know me, brace yourself. I would have liked to have seen more from Miles Kane. He has definitely developed as an artist and brings something raw to this project, Bad Habits'being a perfect example. Apparently there will be a third album to complete this project. This album has definitely not dulled any of my desires to hear more Puppets, I just feel as though I'd like to hear more of one half of the band than the other... (Shocking, blasphemy)

Until next time x

Hey all,

Batman Vs Superman, the second comic book blockbuster of the year, touched down on Friday (25th March). This is a big year for comic book adaptations and Deadpool kicked the year off by ripping down the door and sitting in the big chair at the head of the dinner table.

In the build up to this film I was not amped at all, the mixed press and lingering disappointment of Man of Steel were catalsyts for my feeling of 'blah'. However, my main concern was a general thought that maybe Superman doesn't have a place in this post Nolan's Dark Knight era of superhero films. I know Guardians of the Galaxy kind of tore that belief to shreds but those thoughts still knocked about.

Glady, I was wrong. The film was great, slightly long, but great nonetheless. I mentioned I was concerned about the tone of the film but another concern was having too many heroes on the screen and no plot focus but director Zack Snyder avoided that Avengers 2 pitfall.

So here are my top 5 enjoyable things about Batman Vs Superman.

1. Lex Luthor Jnr - Jesse Eisenberg

Early in his career I couldn't tell the difference between Eisenberg and Michael Cera. They just seemed interchangeable and both didn't really have any roles to make me think otherwise. Personally, Eisenberg broke that belief with his performance in 'The Social Network'. Ever since then I have followed his career. In this film he was brilliantly crazy. The character was frightening and the audience were never sure of his next move. This type of mindless destruction is great but what makes a villain stick, for me, is when they actually do know what they want next, but let on otherwise. This character had shades of Heath Ledger's Joker in him and Eisenberg's performance is comparable in that it was completely captivating. When he is on the screen you really do sit up and notice. In a world of superpowers and capes his maniacal brilliance gave him importance.

2. Ben Affleck as Batman

Firstly, let me give you the backdrop that Ben Affleck had going into this role.

A: Daredevil was his only previous foray into superhero films.
B: He was following up Christian Bale as the capped crusader.
C: Daredevil was his only previous foray into superhero films.
D: He was not anybodies first choice for this role.
E: Daredevil was his only previous foray into superhero films.

To say this casting was a gamble for everyone involved is a slight understatement. 'Winner winner chicken dinner' it paid off. Affleck made this role his own, he was, for the lack of a better word, different. I've not seen any other portrayal of the crippled billionaire playboy as dark as this. He was broken, tired and conflicted, even more so than Bale's incarnation. Some may think he was too dark, too cold, but I think he fit in perfectly with the climate of the film. Batman is a great character but Clooney and Kilmer have shown how he can can be butchered. Affleck gives a performance that I knew he was capable of (watch The Town, he is actually a good actor) but was sceptical he would deliver. I left the cinema actually wanting to see him fighting crime as a stand alone character. I feel there is a lot of meat in this version of the character and Affleck is the guy to deliver it.

3. 'If God is All powerful then he can't be all good. If God is all good then he can't be all powerful'.

This was essentially the main theme that Superman had to battle with for the entire film and its this same fear of an all powerful God that lead Batman to hunt him.

When Lex shouts these words during the film they had a real affect on me. They encapsulated Superman's plight, I understood his pain. Superman has never been one of my favourite superheroes because I've always viewed him as too perfect. I've found the most interesting part of his story is his origin story before donning the red cape. I've never bought into him wanting to be normal and have a normal life and the pains of him being able to do everything.

This line made his internal conflict painfully apparent. He can't live up to the expectations of a God because those expectations are impossible to reach. He just wants to be the best he can be. But because he is seen as a God his best will always fall short.

The fact that it's the stories antagonist that says the words is also clever. It really shows how aware Lex is of the two characters that he is trying to bring down. He really does know them and maybe it shows some type of conflict within himself (food for thought).

4. Setting up of the Justice League.

The Justice League film is set up. We know of other super powered beings and we know that there is a big bad coming to Earth. I think the film did the right thing by only really introducing Wonderwoman and giving us a brief glimpse of the others. This is not their time and I'm happy the team decided against giving any more time to setting The League up.

How good was Wonderwoman btw? Not just smoking hot but actually a character with some depth.

5. Jeremy Irons as Alfred.

I loved Michael Caine as Alfred in The Dark Knight Trilogy. He was friend, father figure, judge, jury and priest to Batman and the relationship felt real.

Jeremy Irons didn't have anywhere near as much screen time as his predecessor but everything he did felt authentic. He loves Bruce and believes in The Batman and this was portrayed wonderfully.

There you have it guys, I really enjoyed the film. It has been getting some bad press and I can't see why, it was a joy.

Comment and let me know your thoughts. Until next time.

Hey all,

I am going to try this series of blog posts about the writing tips and tricks that I use in my journey towards being published.

Maybe something you read will help you if not you'll get a taste of the whirling mess that I call 'my mind'.

This week I'm going to look at 5 basics that help the writing process for me.

1. Music

My brother got me into Spotify nearly two years ago and I'm a massive fan. I really enjoy the choice that it gives you at the click of a button. The type of scene I'm writing has an affect on my playlist. One massive thing for me when I'm writing is I struggle to listen to music with lyrics. I'm a massive lyric devourer and it becomes too much of a distraction for me. Film soundtracks, instrumentals, jazz or acoustic rehashes of popular music is usually the way for me.

If the scene I'm writing is aggressive I sometimes try to listen to rock instrumentals or other upbeat guitar laden tracks. I've recently started to listen to The 37th Chamber by El Michels Affair. It is a Jazz album but the entire album is a homage to the Wu-Tang clan, so the beats still have that 'kick off your front door' vibe to them. For those aggressive moments I also love playing some Buddy Rich. His drum solos really hit the spot and help me add pace to scenes.

For everything else I usually play some Chet Baker or Charlie Parker.

In terms of soundtracks John Williams or Hans Zimmer are always a good shout. I do get a bit caught up in the music though, so I have to be careful or before long I'm air violining to 'Binary Sunset'

Weirdly, for any writing I do that focusses on love, as a precursor, I always seem to play "As the world Falls Down" by David Bowie, from the labyrinth. It just seems to take me into the timeless love mood.

Click Here for the video and to get in the mood :P

2. Reading other books in my genre

I'm a fantasy fiction writer and I always find that when I'm reading another fantasy themed book, it really ignites the fires in me to write. If I see an interesting way a scene is described or the way a character is introduced it makes me feel like competing.

At the moment I'm reading everything I can find by Morgan Rice. She loves to write about Kings, Queens, magic and war, which is right up my street. With every page I read it makes me re-think about my own book and it really pushes me to write the best escapism I can. That's what I see fiction books as, escapism. Moving the reader far away from reality and

dropping them in a place that is completely different and yet eerily similar.

3. Watching fantasy fiction

If I'm feeling a little lethargic about writing, I watch a film that involves magic and fantasy. When I do this it really makes me remember why I want to write. The visuals make me think about making sure the world I am creating is just as vivid and other worldly.

Fantasy fiction is what I love. It takes you far away from reality and I want my writing to do the same for my readers. My favourite films to shake away the lethargy are Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and Hook. Many chapters have been written off the backs of one of those films.

4. Reading the blogs of other fiction authors

For me, this gives me that belief I sometimes need. Reading a blog and seeing the humanity in other authors makes this writing lark seem possibly.

A big thing, when writing a novel, is the daunting nature of the task. It's very personal, time consuming and scary. I am regularly faced with the thoughts of Why am I doing this? or You aren't good enough! Seeing these thoughts shared by other authors really makes that light at the end of the tunnel seem closer. Also seeing that they have lives and are just normal makes me believe that I can achieve my goal of becoming published.

I'm going to throw Instagram under the 'blog' label and say this is a great place to be involved in the writing community. The positivity amongst like-minded people has really been a great driver for me in this process.

(Hook Soundtrack is playing as I'm writing this, I've literally stopped for the last two minutes and jigged around my room. Gift and curse of music when writing :P)

5. Understanding procrastination

I always find that once my manuscript is up and open I can usually get the ball rolling. My previous four life defining bits of info are usually aids for when I can't find the desire to click open. I am lucky that I have never had writers block or sat at the screen unable to write. It might be slow going sometimes but I am never harsh on myself for only writing two sentences or procrastinating. I see it all as a part of the process. That does sound really Zen, but I think the task is hard enough without you fighting yourself because you have decided to take your lightsabre out, from your cupboard, and re-enact the entire fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin set to the exact music.

Thanks for reading guys. I hope someone can find some guidance from this. Until next time.

"Hey everyone,"

Thought I'd comment on the Captain America trailer because well... It was that amazing.

Out of all the individual Avenger films I have enjoyed Captain America's efforts the most. However, with the oscar season and impending Kent vs Wayne battle, I'd kind of forgotten about Caps (Captain America for the uninitiated) latest effort. This morning completely changed that!

Captain America vs Iron Man, heroes vs heroes, good vs good? I can't wait to see why they are against each other. The trailer does hint at reasons but I have far too a riotous imagination to start clutching a hints.

If the thought of two Avengers going against each other wasn't enough the trailer ends with the type of surprise that left my jaw on the floor and my tongue not too far behind.

After repeating the end of the trailer more times than my Iphone battery could afford I had a moment of clarity and then started sharing the link with EVERYONE!

SPIDEY is back!

Sadly, not in the form of Andrew Garfield, who I think nailed his time in the red and blue but suffered from company pressure (I still can't understand why Hobgoblin was there). However, SPIDEY is BACK and he's younger and a part of the Avengers universe. Just think of the possibilities, he could be part of the next Avengers film, he could sling into the next Guardians of the Galaxy Film, we might finally see a decent shot at a Venom film (Can you see what I said about my imagination and hint clutching).

Anyway I will leave you with the link to indulge.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKrVegVI0Us

Until next time

4 Quick ideas to help you write characters

1. Base your character on someone.

2. Don't be afraid to change your character.

3. Put your characters into daily situations.

4. Spend time writing with the character.

Is the Last Shadow Puppets album 'Everything You've Come To Expect'?

Final verdict - 7/10

5 Reasons Why I liked Batman Vs Superman

5 Things That Help Me Write

1. Music

2. Reading other books in my genre

3. Watching fantasy fiction

4. Reading the blogs of other fiction authors

5. Understanding procrastination

Why was the Civil War trailer that good?

Follow me

We need to talk about Matthew!

Things I did and things I think I did

Best Of The Best

Hordes of Hell (Love you really)

Books that have tickled my fancy

Owl Post

Pages