Why being negative of the new Ghostbusters film doesn't necessarily make you misogynistic!

This has nothing to do with my stories and it was meant to be a short status on Facebook but I thought a blog post would suffice. For the record, I am female. I am not a self-hating woman. I am slightly misandrist but that's because of my past with men.

Anyway, this is all about Ghostbusters (mostly). Unless you have been hiding in a cave in the middle of nowhere on a deserted island for the last few years, you will know that there is a Ghostbusters move coming out, featuring an all-female cast. It has received a lot of scepticism and one of its trailers was (and may still be) voted as the most disliked video in YouTube history. Haters have been described as misogynistic fan boys who have no life and possibly hated the fact the the latest Star Wars film had a main female character as well as main black character. And for some parts, this criticism may be right.

(FTR, I love Rey and Finn. Rey isn't there to be rescued or to be seen as overly beautiful. She kicks seriously ass, she seduced James Bond, using the Force to get them to free her and is overly independent. THAT is what makes her sexy. And as for the wooden acting remarks; this was Daisy Ridley's first major acting role; give her a bloody break, guys. I loved her! As for the “she was too thin” remarks; think of it this way. She's a scavenger, working long days for stuff she can sell which brings in small meagre potions, possibly having one meagre meal a day; she's not living the life of Jabba the Hutt. It make sense that she'd be that skinny so feck off! As for Finn; I love this guy and he has so much room for character development that I hope it's taken to its potential. I just hope that Star Wars had Padme Amidala and Princess Leia who were kick ass women and then once love came into their love lives, it seemed to be less kick ass and more needy as well as more about their looks. And no, this is not about THAT bikini! That was a complete different kettle of fish!)

Anyway, back onto I would like to point which is Ghostbusters. I admit I was sceptical as well. I grew up on the original Ghostbusters and thought it was scary (especially that scene when Sigourney Weaver on the armchair. THAT gave me nightmares for years!). The second film wasn't so good but still watchable. The thought of another reboot made me go WTF, especially with an all-female cast (with a sexy man being their secretary).

Then THAT trailer came out! I'm sorry guys but I hated it but I didn't hate it because of it being all women. I mean, the trailer had a voice over stating what three of the Ghostbusters did beforehand, like one was the best physician ever known blah blah blah WE DON'T CARE! We didn't need that crap for the original film and we didn't need it now. Also, it looked like the unfunniest film. The jokes sounded lame and predictable and don't get me started on the scene that looks like a spoof of the Exorcist, with the head twisting scene. I didn't think that Chris Hemsworth could save what look like crap. Okay, you're not supposed to put the best jokes in the trailers – that's the sign of a crap film but for god's sake, throw us a bone here!

Now the reviews are in and they are looking good. One review in the Metro this weekend summed up for me what I was fearing from the film. It stated there were no female jokes in the film; no period jokes; none of that cheesy 'girl power' rubbish*, no daughter trying to live up to her daddy's work, nothing that seemed to have become the standards of today's chick films. I'm not a fan of chick films. There are only two that I like: “The Devil Wears Prada” and “Love Actually” and they are not high up on my favourite films list.

Hearing this makes me smile because THAT is why I was worried for this film. There seems to be a standard for all-boy films and all-chick films and I was worried that the great Ghostbusters was going to be reduced into a chick flick and the old films, not even the not-so-good films were about that. They were not about gender. I mean, the Ghostbusters were all guys but there was no macho talk, no talk about chatting up women etc Even the possibly exception of Venkman, the team were intelligent and driven on the goal set on them Yes, there was Venkman trying to hit on Dana but that was it. It was not the be-all and end-all. When you got the crew behind films such as “Bridesmaids” at the helm of the reboot, surely, it is easy to perceive that this would become a chick flick. It now sounds like a team of people with one cause. Yes, they are all-female but sorry in the real world, guys stick together and girls stick together so it makes sense that it was not mixed gender at all.

Also, there is the point of script. Reviews are saying it holds jokes but does not have the same wit as the original film and as well as being a chick flick, I knew it6 could not hold up to the original film. Let's face it, the first film held a lot of wit. I mean you got Dan Aykroyd and the late Harold Ramis writing the script and Billy Murray doing what he does best – adlibbing practically every line in the only way he knew how. I've heard Melissa McCarthy is a superb actress and reviews are saying that Kate McKinnon is the standout of the four as Jillian, the “female Egon” plus the four actresses are veterans of Saturday Night Live, which makes them good comedians but can that huour hold up to the brilliant wit that made Ghostbusters so good? I guess only time will tell but it is another doubt I have about the reboot.   

Before the reviews, the more I saw of the adverts (except for that god-awful one), I was more inclined to watch it and now after reading the reviews, I am more tempted. It's just a lesson is that 'Forget trailers. Wait for the reviews'. I am not saying that because the reviews are looking good.

(*girl power is good but in films, it comes off as the extreme, and in my opinion, girl power is great but in my eyes, feminism doesn't mean women are better. It means women should be treated equal to men and nothing more, nothing less)

Okay, crazy rant over xxxxxx

Ashley Ryan draft 2 and GO WALES!!!!!

After a few hours on Sims 3 and after finding out a rise in the likes on my Facebook page I just thought I'd update my blog. The first draft of my first Ashley Ryan novel (jokingly titled “When Ashley met Yuji”) is finally finished I am not kidding. I have had lots of ideas floating around for stories for years but this is the first I have ever completed (“Opening Pandora's Box” doesn't count because it only sold one copy, it was self-published by me and to be honest, it was crap, although I have been wondering if this novel could be rewritten. I mean, if my main girl Enjay can rewrite her stuff and republish it, why can't I?).

Over the years, Ashley has gone through many changes. She was originally a girl named Gemma who was bitten by a werewolf and she was brought into this pack who teach her to accept herself for who she is. I had an idea on what happens when she found her attacker, she goes off the rails big time. However, the first novel only reached halfway before stopping. This is for two reasons:

a) I got to a point and didn't know how to progress. This was about 8-10 years ago and I am not as free and easy as I was.

b) with the success of Twi-shite and the Teen Wolf show coming out, I felt it was too cliched to use anything to do with werewolves or vampires. Of course, my idea with Ashley now is cliched because the idea of Grim Reaper style characters have emerged in the young adult market but it still could work. I swear, I panicked when I heard of Odd Thomas but I have never seen the film or read the book so I should be okay. Ironically, the idea of death was influenced by Graham Masterton's brilliant Jim Rook series.

I think when it comes to this first Ashley Ryan novel, my big regret is having two short stories set after this novel published whilst I was still struggling with this novel so I had to be contrived to keep it canon. To be honest, I couldn't decide on an antagonist which didn't help well. The backbone and key points of the story have never changed in four years. It was just hard to make it work.

To be honest, I think the first draft is shit but then most are. Any author who said they said they wrote a perfect first draft and got it published with any rewriting or editing is talking out of their backside. The problem with my first draft is the antagonist. This one can be a redeemable character and their powers are so great, well just say, my notes for the 2^nd draft involving this character led to a battle between reapers, monster cats, zombies and witches, this was far too big for Ashley. This novel is Ashley BEFORE she becomes a monster hunter so it cannot be so epic. It's a novel where she takes the first steps in finding out what she is and what she can do and the ideas involved this antagonist are too big for that. So I am cutting characters and trying the story with a different creature. The backbone of the story will be there though.

The ideas involving around this new change makes the story more bizarre and more of a mystery and hopefully will be not as fast paced.

In the meantime, I am job hunting with no luck to be honest. In my last blog, I mentioned I was short changed on the two of my last job. So imagine my shock when I checked my account on Saturday to find some extra money from the agency. I would like to point out I did not ring the agency at all. I was just going to leave it. After all, it was only by about £30-40. It's not much but now I can no longer be frustrated about it. I'm singing up for another agency tomorrow who claims their client “is very busy at the moment” and need new people asap. I'll believed it when I got the job.

My plan is to get the 2^nd draft done by 27^th July, the day before my birthday. With the way my brain is, that won't happen. Still hope springs eternal.

Signing off. TTFN xxxx

PS I even had plans for a story when Ashley meets her future detective partner, Michael which was jokingly called “When Ashley met Michael” but I think small flashbacks in this story would suffice.

PPS GO WALES!!! GET TO THE FINALS AND THEN BRING IT HOME FOR THE UK! YOU ARE OUR LAST HOPE!*

(*Just remember that line being said by the chief Thermian in “Galaxy Quest” and I dare you not to smile) 

EU, Jobs and coming to the end of Ashley Ryan

So today, the UK voted to leave the EU. All I got to say on that is this:

Not every UK country voted to leave. 62% of those who voted in Scotland and 55% of Northern Ireland voters wanted to stay. The actual balance between Remain and Leave voters in England and Wales wasn't a huge margin so anyone feeling smug that they got what they wanted should know one thing: it wasn't a landslide. To be honest, if this leads to Scotland and Northern Ireland opting out of the UK and Ireland becoming one united country, then good on them. I would like to say I'm chuffed that Iggle Piggle Cameron has resigned but the thought of Brexit, Farage or Blow Job Johnson being in charge terrifies me more. I hope this leads to another general election so it can be brought in fairly. I swear if Donald Fart* becomes President, I think I'll move to Australia or Japan to get away from the madness.

(*FYI In the UK “trump” means “fart”. It's what I used as a child before fart became more popular....and “pump” is another word as well lol)

In terms of the last few weeks, I have been struggling. I actually had a job starting on 31^st May. However, that stopped on 9^th June when I got a phone call not to come back because I made a few mistakes. The matter in question was talked about and dealt with two days earlier so this was a slap in the face. What did I expect: I was there only 9 days and had no training. A few week later, on 154^th June, I got another job starting the next day. I was chuffed until I was told the next day that every day, my shifts would be confirmed on a day to day basis by text. When you are on the 2pm-10pm shift (the shift I started on that week), the text should come between 8am-10am of the day of my shift. For the 6am-2pm shift (the shift I was going to do the week after), the text would come the night before. I tried to be optimistic about this but this past Sunday, it was nearly 9pm and I still haven't received a text and my optimism flew out of the window. I was on edge and I wondered when do they send the texts? It could be bloody 10pm-11pm for all I know in which case, I would only get a few hours sleep. SO I rang them and said I wasn't coming back. Shock upon shocks, I get a call at 6:05am from an agency worker wonder why I wasn't at work. I told them that I had already rung and SHOWN SOME FUCKING MANNERS IN DOING SO. The call after that was awkward after that but I'm not to blame. I did ring them and plus I NEVER got a text confirming my shift (a text I would have to reply to) so what could I do?

Sometime I wonder if agencies are employed with the same amoebas. What;s bad is that you are meant to be paid weekly and I have not received pay for the day's work I've done. Bastards!!!

With being at work and then being down from then having no job, my mind has not been much on writing. However, between 4^th June and 13^th June, Parts 4-7 was completed. However, I struggled with Part 8 because it's the big climax scene and well with all this crap with jobs and that, I've had the motivation. It's finally done so now I have to wind the story down which I ideally would like to go over two parts but more likely to be one. I just wondered if I got too much going on in the story but not going to think about that until I'm done. At the moment, my work count is 29.625 which I think is even more than the word count of my first published novel “Opening Pandora's Book” which was meant to be a series but turned out to be a disaster so no republications or sequels for that.

Well, back to the writing zone.

Security issues, new account and Ashley Ryan

Hiya

As some of you may know, I used to have a blog under the same title.....more about that under the "Read more" part.....in the meantime......

shock upon shocks, I have started writing properly. I have had a lot of teething problems as some of you will know but I have officially taken an old draft of my first ever Ashley Ryan novel (prequel to two short stories I wrote in the past):

"The Kelpie" - as part of the Scarlet Whispers (Amazon.co.uk link avaialble on ebook and print)

"The Longest Night" - sequel to "The Kelpie" and can be found in Book 3 of the Legends of the Monster Hunter series (Amazon.co.uk link avail on ebook or print. This book is also available on Kindle Unlimited)

I am taking my old draft of the original novel and giving it a complete revamp, forcing in filler scenes to make it flow better (the original story was just a collection of the bigger important scenes with no fillers to link them and make it flow better). I am writing the story in parts at the moment, ending the part after one of my original big scenes. One of the lovely friends is reading the story and making comments as I go along. I hope to have Part 2 finished by tonight so I better get cracking.

Have a lovely sunny Sunday, peeps!

Helen xxxxx  

Update 19:30 - Part 2 is finally donw....hooray!!! Part 3 is going to be difficult as there is a lot to write to scratch before the next written down moment....eeek!!! I have also got permission to republish my short story "The Longest Night" along with this novel. Asked for permission in relation to "The Kelpie" so who knows? 

Update 22:05 - Got permission to revise "The Kelpie". Sweet. Mkaing notes for Part 3 as this is where the plot REALLY begins and I am liking what I got. How it all comes out on the paper though is a different matter.