Why I Want To Be a Writer...

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Jaine

This is a sort of ice-breaker for new members.

I think that writing a short piece on the above topic will give members an idea of each others' motivations, areas of interest and similarities/dissimilarities. As well as writing about your ambitions also write honestly about your writing experiences.

What kind of stories interst you? Which characters do you identify with?

How do you write? Do you have a mad flurry of motivation when the idea strikes you but then lose your interst and aren't sure why?

Do you have a pile of first-draft stories that aren't getting revised? Why, what are you afraid of?

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Debz

Ooh, the breaking of ice, a fine tradition. Me first! Well, technically second since you posted first, Jaime, but hey, what the heck.

Okay then. First off, the subject of "Ambitions" - I'm hoping I don't go off on a tangent here, but the likelihood is that I will so please bear with me.

Ambitions
I'm ambitious in the mind but I'm pretty much a coward when it comes to putting it into practice. Its probably 50% not knowing what to do and how to get the ball rolling and 50% of being afraid of failing to get anywhere.
I'm not saying I'd ever want to be as big and well known as, say, Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, but I'd like to have my own little niche in either the horror, supernatural, sci-fi or adventure story sections - or perhaps all four? Hehe.

In all seriousness though, I'm afraid, there is a flaw in me personally - I have big ideas, epic and wonderful ideas in my head, but haven't got the attention span or motivation to get them through to the end. Sadly, this has led to me trying out various kinds of writing partners to try to help me along, most of whom have ended up leaving me in the lurch with a wonderful idea that I have no-one to back me up on.

When that happens, I lose all confidence and have to let the idea float away from me because I'm too upset that the other person or persons were not as dedicated to the cause as I was. Each time, I'm always determined not to let it happen, yet it does. Every time. And each time it does, my confidence in my writing is knocked further. I know I'm being a fool in those situations but I never learn. Oh gawd, how whiney does that sound? I don't mean it like that.

Story interests
The kinds of stories I like to read are definately horror, supernatural and adventure. Then again, they are also the kinds of subjects and themes that I prefer writing so it could be also considered research. However, if I have a major failing. I tend to ramble on too much, as witnessed in this post alone methinks and which is why a little feedback on editting would be helpful from the members here.

Ooh the next one is a hard one - what kinds of characters do I identify with? There are several, I suppose, and all for different reasons.

I guess first and foremost identify with the flawed, characters. They're imperfect, they make mistakes, they're - I hesitate to say human because not all the characters I like inthis category are, but they aren't the perfect beings that they would like to be. These kinds of characters are generally accompanied by a dry, grim sense of humour which makes the sometimes horrific events surrounding them a little more bearable. if you were in the situation they were in, it'd be nice to think you might have such aplomb about you too, if you catch my drift.

This probably explains why I'm also a sucker for characters who can make me laugh and have a sense of fun about them - from adventure heroes and heroines with catchy one liners to the sarcastic hardbitten cop-types who have a scathing put-down for any occasion, they lift a sometimes overly-dark topic into the light a little more. A hint of playful madness is preferrable to any character, for me at least, but most especially in a villain. However, its a trait seen far too often these days and is truly an overused concept. Though, I guess its because I like to think I to have a generally relaxed and fun outlook on life that I identify with characters who are in a similar mindset.

Then, I have an attraction also to the darker side - the violent and merciless characters who care not a jot for anything other than themselves. Some of the characters I've created are fairly brutal and merciless and I'm generally fond of those who neither care for the results of their actions or are smart enough to get away with them. Perhaps its because those kinds of characters are everything I haven't the guts to be - nor, thankfully, the inclination. We all have a dark side, but I find that by reading or writing about it, I appease the dark part of myself - does that sound weird?

How do I write?
The best way to describe my writing style is "butterfly". I flit to varous points in the plot, write them as my mood and will dictate (quite an organic way of writing) and then stitch the sequences together afterwards and edit the piece to suit as new idea occur. The same goes for the stories in general. I "butterfly" between stories, writing a little for this one here, a little for that one there, but I'm not focussed enough to ever actually sit and concentrate on one at a time. I suspect thats why I struggle to finish them off.

Also, as many of my story ideas come from dreams or daydreams - I dream very vividly, like watching a movie, so if I can write them down in as much detail as possible as soon as I wake, I stand a chance of weaving a decent story out of it - i suppose some of the ideas are fairly off the wall and need grounding. Its sometimes difficult when writing while half-asleep to catch hold of the atmosphere in the dream, I liken it to fishing for fog.

Motivation Loss and First Drafts unrevised. Why?
Gawd yes, I have the former in abundance but I think I know part of the reason why I lose interest! Given my penchant for writing from dreams, I tend to scribble the ideas down, try to expand on them and make them grow into a fully formed story. But all of a sudden, the torrent of inspiration becomes a stream, the stream then quickly becomes a dribble and I'm left with a wealth of ideas which seemed brilliant the week before and now are... well, just run of the mill and boring.

I don't know if anyone else find this, too, but I seem to find that if i try to work too long just on one subject/story or what have you, it grows stale and uninteresting. i suppose its why I "butterfly" around various ideas, to prevent them growing stale. It does help to have a writing partner there, then, to stir life back into an old project, but, as i said before, I always find the ones who lose interest far too quickly and leave me marooned with an idea I desperately want to finish but do not have the motivation to do so. I've been known in the past to have up to 20 short, throwaway stories on the go so as not to get bored. However, in that instance, none of them actually receive closure, leading to frustration.

Is this enough of an answer to being with, hunny?
Debz.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Jaine

Thanks, Debz, for posting your reply. Like you, I’m subject to ‘butterflying’ around several ideas. Having identified this as a problem – it’s a problem because I start things but don’t finish them because I’ve moved on to the next idea – I’m working really hard to be disciplined and stick to one idea. I’ve bought a hard-backed notebook and this is where I jot down any ideas that occur to me while I’m working on my main project. I’m being very strict with myself and only make notes when an idea occurs to me.

It’s interesting that you’ve sought out writing partners – that never occurred to me as a solution. I’m not sure that would work for me because I’m very proprietorial of my work and wouldn’t want to share the credit! How do you choose writing partners?

I understand what you mean about losing motivation and interest in stories. One way I’ve found to re-boot my interest in a flagging story is to shelve it for a few weeks and then go back to it fresh. The idea that I was sick –of- the- sight of suddenly seems fresh (I’m always surprised at how good my writing is when I re-read it after a few weeks!) and I can add to it or start editing it mercilessly. This might help you to stop ‘abandoning’ stories?

It’s very interesting that you write from dreams, Debz. Like you I dream very vividly and I’ve tried many times to keep a dream journal. My attempts always fail miserably because when I wake up the last thing I think to do is write it all down. Recently, I read in a book that if you tell yourself to wake up and write the dream down before you go to bed then you will. Well, that didn’t really work for me because I woke up and wrote it all down except that I was still dreaming – I’d just incorporated the command into the dream! I remember it was a new Winnie the Pooh story but it was lost on waking along with my dream notes.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Neil

Why do I want to be a writer? Mainly to get all this stuff out of my head before I go nuts!
I generally write everything long hand and then type it up, let someone take a look at it with any comments and then polish it up.
I'll write some more later...
Work beckons....

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Jaine

Why I want to be a writer...

For the last six years or so I’d been writing prose: short stories or novels with a vast historical range. But I wasn’t getting anywhere fast and kept coming up against the same obstacles – loss of motivation, and ideas that ran out of steam after a hundred or so pages and this created frustration. I have several incomplete novels and oodles of unfinished stories haunting my PC. Even as I was writing them, there was a nagging doubt that I wasn’t writing what I really wanted to write.

After some serious soul-searching I realised that I was writing prose when I should be writing screenplays. So I switched from novels/stories to screenplays and everything seems to be clicking into place – my writing is a lot freer and more confident but I still have a very long way to go.

One of the things I don’t have a problem with is generating ideas but I do have a discipline problem when it comes to completing an idea that I’ve started. This seems to be a new thing connected to my writing since I always complete things I’ve started in other areas of my life. Perhaps this procrastination is linked to confidence? As my confidence in my writing skills increases little by little I’m finding more discipline.

After the procrastination, creating nuanced characters is my greatest writing obstacle and the one I’m spending the most time learning to write well. If “character is plot” then it’s worth it! In the past I tended to start with a thumbnail sketch of a character and I filled in the details as I went along, but this type of writing meant that I invariably ran out of steam or the character began to act ‘out of character’. My usual writing style is organic – I just sit and type and see what happens - and pre-planning a character is contra to this but I’m working hard to get to know every detail of my characters before I tackle the re-write of the screenplay I’m working on.

In terms of the writers whose work I like: R. L. Stevenson – Jekyll and Hyde; Stokers ‘Dracula’; A. C. Doyle’s tales of unease and E. A. Poe are all favourites and Terry Pratchett is always good for a giggle but ‘Frankenstein’ is my all-time favourite sci-fi novel.

Film and television were always my first loves and although I took a degree in English Literature, I was able to pursue a film pathway on the course that I’d chosen. As with literature, it’s the supernatural genre of film and television that interests me most and this is the type of story that I’m aiming to write.

My main writing ambition at present is to complete the screenplay that I'm writing...

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Debz

Apologies for the long delay in reply, folks - I work a four-on four-off shift so I've got to wait for my days off for any kind of time to produce decent replies.

I totally agree with you Neil! There's something damnably frustrating about having ideas you just can't commit to paper and they do tend to drive you to the brink of doing something... crazy! *lol* I wholeheartedly sympathise!

I like your style, too. I have a ritual that I prefer to write longhand in pencil on paper (9 times out of 10 I'm at work when the ideas hit so scribbling them down in breaktimes is essential, but I tend to do it at home too, now). I then edit the ideas as I type them up. Or, if the inspiration hits me just so, I'll just type it straight up - though sadly there's a sad lack of quiet places in our house so that method invariably leaves me with the idea being corrupted or lost because of distractions.

The rereading of old projects which have been sidelined sometimes surprises me how good my writing can be, so I understand where you're coming from, Jaine. I guess to some that may sound big headed, but regardless of the author, if a story can drag you in and keep you reading, then its good.

Thats the thing, though, I've never actually completely dropped a project. they're always there, milling around and waiting to be rediscovered. Though, that said, if I leave something halfway, the chances are I'll forget about it for a long time - entirely unintentionally, mind you. I tend to have to give it my all at the time I begin or it just goes nowhere... or changes direction as and when I do rediscover it. *lol*

The notebook idea is one I use a lot. i've got notebooks scattred everywhere, as my poor, long-suffering family will testify. But, as you might expect, there's an inherent problem, then, that I can't never remember which book has what ideas OR I just have no idea where the book is to begin with. I think I'm just about one of the most disorganised people in the world.

LMAO You dreamt you wrote the dream down instead of ACTUALLY writing it down! Aww, I'm sorry to laugh but it sounds so random. In all seriousness, though, that must have been doubly frustrating. I'll sometimes wake in the middle of the night in order to write the dream down... then go back to sleep and dream something entirely different, usually.

As for collaboration, its not all its cracked up to be. I suspect I'm as bad as any of my writing partners - I think my butterflying around might put them off somewhat, maybe? I dunno. But how do i choose partners? Well, normally it begins where I find someone with a common interest... or more specifically, they find me through one of my websites or a forum post I've made or soemthing on that line. We get talking and begins sharing ideas and it just flows into a kind of rhythm. Unfortunately, when the two writers fall out of step... things go slightly pear shaped.

My last collaboration was a disaster, mind you. Hhe wasn't a writer - she was an artist who wanted me to HELP write the story for which she would create the coomic strip. in fairness, her ideas were sound, but she didn't have anything like the kind of dedication I was hoping for and now I'm holding the baby, as it were. However, one plus side there. I've found an old friend who is another cracking artist in a different vein and he is getting interested in the project. I'd love him to be on the team, but i'm going to give him a chance to learn about the characters first. Maybe this collaboration of different aspects might work better than the last.

I like your idea about not planning anything, Jaime. With plots, i tend not to plan events, but I like to know the characters inside out before beginning so i know how they'll react to a given situation. Do you ever find that for some strange reason, things just slot together nicely, plotwise, even if you hadn't planned it that way?

I like to write freely like that (as do you by the sounds, Neil - am I correct in that assumption?), but as I'm going along, I also make detailed notes so that I know a little more about the characters and get into their background in a far deeper way than in the story itself.

Wow, Jaime, you like the classics, eh? My Desert Island book is Watchers by Dean R. Koontz, as he was known then. Its heartbreaking, funny and brilliantly written. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Are you still studying for a career in television screenwriting (I've got a memory like a sieve so please forgive me if I've already asked this)? How does screenwriting differ from prose, my forte, or script-writing... which I'm diabolical at to say the least?

Is it presumptuous to ask what kind of screenplay you're engaged in currently? *lol*

Right, I'd better get to bed - its nearly 3am and I'm up early this morning. :S
Chat to ya both soon!
Debz.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Jaine

I also began to write because of the 'pressure of things' in my mind, Neil. I've always kept journals and this weas a good way of recording tohughts but it's not very creative, and there is a part of me that needs to be creative. So, i started to write stories...

I'm working on a 120-minute film ot the moment, Debz. It's set in the near future and is about the end of the human race. This is my first full-length script since switching from prose.

How does script writing differ from prose? In many ways they are both the same, you still have to build solid characters who live in a solid world, but apart from the obvious difference in presentation, the thing I find the most different is that it is much easier for me to move characters around in space as it were. One of the things that I found tedious about prose was having to describe movements and actions in detail. In script form I only need to give brief, colourful descriptions of action and movement and that's freed me up to concentrate on other things...it's strange but I felt that writing prose was a burden but writing a script is a joy. I suppose I began writing prose because I'd studied English Literature at Uni. I wanted to write so I wrote in the form that I'd studied. It's taken me several years to realise that it wasn't right for me, though.

Have you tried keeping a contents page for your notebooks, Debz? I try to note all my ideas and the page they're on at the front so that I can find them if I need them. However, I have just switched to using a small digital dictation recorder for note taking which means I don't have to transcribe my notes I can store them as mpegs. I also bought it to record any dreams I have since writing them down is a no-brainer!

The comic strip idea you're working on sounds very interesting, Debz. When I realised that prose wasn't working for me and was casting around for alternatives I thought about writing for comic strips. I'm reading a lot of graphic novels at the moment. I've just started Preacher and Y.

My Desert Island book would be 'The SAS Survival Handbook'!

jx

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Debz

Ohhh, I love anything to do with the apocalypse! I can't wait to get a chance to have a nosey at it!

LMAO I have the Collins Gem mini version of the "SAS Survival Handbook"! But that would certainly be far more useful on a desert island than "Watchers!!

Neil, what's your Desert Island book, just out of curiosity?

Hmm, yeah, I can see how scriptform is far easier in some ways, then. and I bet it writes more quickly. I can, at a push with absolutely no distractions, probably get a couple of pages written in the space of five hours. Yeah, I know that seems slow, but I tend to be fastidious about research. If I say or have something happen in a story, I want to be sure its as factually accurate as I can make it. For instance, the Point Of View passage which you kindly read and reviewed for me earlier (you'll get a crack at that soon, Neil, when I get the new forum up and running this evening) - I got deep into the research for naval punishments for piracy in the early 1800's as well as the physical effects of hanging on the human body. Jake's emotional reactions were all mine just from crawling right underneath the character's skin. Sometimes, its a scary place to be... *lol*

As for the comic strip, the shame of it is that I don't think the new artist is into the comic strip format. But his still pictures are awesome so I'm hoping he might be able to draw images encapsulating key scenes which I can insert at the relevant point in the narrative when necessary.

Debz.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Roz

Wow...some interesting stuff here!

I'm going to steal some of your headings Debz so here we go...

Why do I want to be a writer?
I never thought of being a writer until a couple of years ago - I started off writing fanfiction (which I still do now ) and writing just sort of felt right, I enjoyed the experience immensely and couldn't really stop once I'd started. There's something really cathartic about the whole experience too; that probably sounds a little bit angsty, but I find it's part of the whole escapism of writing. I disappear into a totally different world for a couple of hours, and my other problems seem to melt away.

For the most part however I write to try and make sense of myself and the world around me...writing is a way of pouring out my thoughts and perceptions onto a piece of paper and making a story out of it (in the simplest sense!). When I write I'm examining my own opinion of the world and trying to skew it, which often means I look at things from many different perspectives. It's a kind of weird process I go through, but it works for me! lol

Amibitions:
To actually finish a project I start on, first of all! I've only really been writing for a couple of years and I find it hard to stick with something I start - I get a stroke of inspiration and start writing plans, scenes etc and then either lose interest or let other stuff get in the way. One day I'd like to really develop the confidence in myself to write and finish something and say "You know what, that's actually pretty good!" Confidence in myself tends to be a general area where I fall down...

Story interests:
I absolutely love dystopian fiction, which is where my main interests lie, but I also like dark, supernatural-type stories - I always find the anti-hero more interesting.

I'm working on a project where I can kind of mesh the two styles together, which seems to be really working for me at the moment. Rather than sticking to one genre, I'm all for novels that break the mold and fuse two or more together - 'Bareback' by Kit Whitfield is a great example of this, and has been a huge inspiration to me.

What kinds of characters do I identify with?

The anti-hero - the characters you love to hate but you want them to achieve whatever they set out to do.

Like Debz, I love really dark characters who don't give a damn about anyone but themselves - the kind of character that lacks any real conscience is one I'm fascinated by. For me, this type of person personifies hedonism; they do what they want to do, regardless of the consequences, because they enjoy it. Often they're creepy, disturbing and weird but I just love to look into the 'dark side of life'! Let's face it - everyone has a dark side (or is that just me??) and for me, that really does come out in some of my works. A ruthless character is an interesting character!

How do I write?
If I get an idea I write it down straight away - I *always* have a pen and notebook handy for that! Then comes expansion on that idea, character profiles, plot etc and snippets of dialogue or scenes that pop into my head. More often than not I write everything in long-hand and then draft it as I type it up - most stuff I write directly onto the PC tends to come out badly, funnily enough. Also, I find it easier to concentrate if I've not got the possibilty of facebook or YouTube to distract me

Most of my ideas come from random thoughts in my head - I don't dream very often, so I wouldn't say that any of my ideas have come from that (when I go to sleep it seems my brain can't be bothered dreaming...). I get random flashes of inspiration when I think about a certain issue, or when I'm walking something will just pop into my head and I'll write it down. I suppose you could say that my ideas come from daydreams

Motivation Loss and First Drafts unrevised. Why?
Lack of confidence is the short answer. I write something and get really into it, then I leave it for a day or two, re-read it and think "Oh my god, what was I thinking? This is crap!" I tend to have several versions of one or two scenes and either can't choose between the two or proceed to re-write the whole scene again and try to make it better. Often though I let things get in the way, like work or other life stuff, and I just never get back round to finishing something. It's actually incredibly frustrating, and something I'm trying to combat.

My new mantra seems to be "if you start something, bloody well finish it!!"

My desert island books are (and I would *have* to have all of these in order to survive!):
The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende
A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
Bareback - Kit Whitfield
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
The World's Wide - Carol Ann Duffy

That has to be the longest post I've ever posted to a discussion board! I'm exhausted...*headdesk*

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Roz

...did you spot the 'deliberate mistake' in the last book title near the bottom??

I meant to write The World's Wife lol...for some reason FB won't let me edit it

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Neil

It's like this, I've always had too much imagination but as a child I direct outlet for my mind in the form of toys...
Sad day when I had to stop playing with those...I must have been oooh 16 or so... lol
I need to polish up my grammar general writing tools. I'm good enough at English that I look down people for messing it up lol But I'm not perfect.
Jaine Preacher is my all time favoruite comic.
I had John Custer's last words to his son as my message on here a while back. Gone to Texas is a good start but Until the End of the World is just where you know you're reading something great.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Neil

Neil, what's your Desert Island book, just out of curiosity?

How to get off a desert island would be a start eh? I like to read stuff more then once but with a big gap inbetween...reading the same damn thing over and over would bug me...

As for lynching how much detail you going into?
Do people need to stand clear?

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Debz

Just so you all know, Jaine is having a few internet issues right now so can't make it online much, but she hopes to be back soon. now to my long overdue replies!

Clare:
I suppose it takes some of us longer than others to discover a passion, if not an instant talent, for writing in any or all its varied forms. You knew instantly but it took me a while (until i was 9 or so) to properly begin putting into paper all the stories which had been in my head.

Aww, you may not quite fit the fledgeling writer requirement that this group was set up to support, however, I suggest that in order to learn, we require a good teacher to steer us in the right direction, should we err. Any sage advice you could offer would be invaluable, hunny. Plus, you're a lovely person to chat with which make it all the easier.

I, for one, would love to see your return to journalism - your acerbic wit would be a refreshing change from the norm. I can imagine the reaction of the "establishment"! *giggles*

Ros:
I've read your Vampire High fic (as you know, of course!) so I'm fully aware that your style of prose is as detailed as it is engaging. I can't wait for others to experience your fantastic work.

But as you so rightly say, writing is a very unique form of escapism. The hours spent buried inside a world of your own making can be some of the most productive and enjoyable, I've found. I love the idea of using your tales as a way of looking at things differently. Its almost directly parallel to Jaime's use of using the points of view of different characters to see a given situation or my usage of aspects of my own emotions and self to view from other perspectives.

*lol* A worthy initial ambition! I think being a part of this group will help boost that confidence that we all seem to lack to properly get a toe-hold on the slippery ladder of success. *looks surprised* My, my, I'm getting more than a little poetical tonight.

I reckon we all have darkness in us, without it how would we recognise the light that is in us, also?

I'm almost always armed with a notebook and pen, but actually getting the time to sit and write it longhand - barring, of course, when I'm at work and on my breaks - is difficult to say the least. I'm usually engaged in something which I can't break off from in order to write the inspirational moment down. Yeah, I'm a daydreamer, too, especially when work is particularly mundane or just downright boring. *lol*

Ahm, nope. I didn't spot the deliberate mistake. Bad Debz!

Neil:
Surely theres no such thing as too much imagination! *lol* Well, no, when it interrupts sleep when you have to wake in the middle of the night to write down an idea before you feel able to sleep once more - I guess there CAN be a bit too much sometimes.

*grinz* 16? I'm still prone to occasionally letting the imagination out with toys even now... and I'm a young-at-heart 30 year old now. Yikes, did I just admit that aloud?!

Ahh who among us IS perfect - though most of my errors are either caused by distraction, tiredness or trying to type or write as fast as I think if the idea. Always a hurdle, that.

I've never heard of Jaine Preacher - what's it about? Time for a hearty recommendations there, hun!

LMAO A book on getting off a desert island... what an inspired idea! Coupled with Jaine's SAS Survival Guide, you two would apparently do far better than Ros, Clare or I. *lol*

And nope, its not that detailed, hunny. Well, I don't think so, anyway, so no need for a minimum safe distance. Though others might.... disagree. I sent the snippet through to you for read and review in a private message on here but I might also stick it on the forum in a little while, when I go and set up sections for our new members.

Ohhhh, I've chattered enough for tonight!
I'll talk to you all later, gang!
Take care, everyone.
Debz.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Jaine

Debz & Ros: it's interesting that you both write fanfiction, or found your way to your own writing through fanfiction. Do you both think that 'co-opting' or 'poaching' characters has helped you with your own character development? If so, how?

Ros: We share the same set-back of not finishing something that was started, getting pulled away by a new idea...but I'm at the point were I'm sick of unfinished stories and have determined to stick with just one - come hell or high-waters - and get it finished so that I can say: I am a writer because I wrote this!
I hope that joining The Chrysalids and having a safe place to discuss your experiences as a writer with people who are experiencing the same thing will boost your confidence.

Neil: I'm looking forward to Preacher: Until the End of The World but I'm being good and dedicating my freetime to researching my script. Have you read Y: The Lst Man? If you enjoyed Preacher you'll enjoy Y. I think for me - in some respects - comics have replaced the physical toys I played with as a child. There is something about them that appeals to that same part of me that toys fulfilled when I was younger. Reading a comic/graphic novel is more woderous in many ways for me than reading a novel. I have several novels that I revist from time to time including Sarte's 'Nausea' and Hesse's 'Steppenwolfe' but it's the words of these novels I remember like 'Something inside me is broken' from Nausea but with comics and films it's the images that come to mind - the words are secondary and less important.

Debz: Definitely recommend Preacher to you - it's a nine part graphic novel. the first installment is called Gone to Texas - in it's simplist terms it's about a preacher hunting down an AWOL God. It's pretty gruesome but I know you like dark characters and there are some dark characters in it.

Ros: I like the anit-hero character type as well - John Constantine is a particular favourite - he's a bastard but a likeable bastard. There is something deeply appealing about characters who live beyond the bounds of accepted behaviour.

[Debz]

Originally Posted By: Neil

It's just Preacher Debbie. Hell of comic book. Not for the faint hearted though.
I wasn't really 16....lol Girls became more interesting a few years before then : ) Still a sad day isn't it when you can't play anymore? : (