Sunday 30 August 2009

Thief Takers - The World

Whilst watching footie this weekend I began messing about with a few of the resource pics I'd been gathering from the internet. 1 hour later I'd added a couple of transition effects and some music and well what do you know...

Anyway back to the writing now...



Friday 28 August 2009

Don't You Just Love Bank Holidays?

Off work today so the mind is positively pulsating with things to do to the old novel. Really couldn't sleep last night and probably woke up about three or four times to write something down in the handy notebook that has pride of place at the side of my bed.

Can't think how many times I've found inspiration in my sleep and thought I must remember that in the morning only to wake up and think what the hell was that I came up with last night.

Other good places for thought I've found are (in no particular order):

1. The Shower
2. The Bog (sorry but its true)
3. Work (hope the boss isn't reading)
4. Waiting for a train
5. The garden (must be sunny)
6. Bed with the lights off

There must be more that I haven't found yet...

Anyway time to visit one of the above to crack on with just how good old Nathaniel Cross can survive the underworld of 18th Century London with a price on his head. From the research I've done I don't envy him.

On something entirely different just seen that Arjen Robben is swapping Madrid for Munich. Wonder if this means Chelsea could be on their way to capturing Ribery?

Wednesday 26 August 2009

Thief Takers - His London, His City, His justice is His Revenge

We decided early on that we wanted to use the City of London almost as a character. There is so much history there already that most things don't need making up or changing. In an almost nerd like way we also wanted to use historical maps to chart the journey each character would take and the locations of each scene.



The opening scenes take place on the darkened streets near to Smithsfield Market in the fictional "Seven Bells Inn" (named after the signal for imminent rum rations).



The Seven Bells Inn is certainly not a nice place for a quiet pint. In fact it would probably be best described as a wretched hive of scum and villainy. Hmmm...

A dangerous rooftop chase follows a violent hanging and an encounter in the fictional "Belize" club (based on one of the many gentleman clubs in existence at the time)



And this is only the beginning for Nathaniel Cross. His journey continues...

Thief Takers - The Plan

So...

While the artist sketches the author muses. I'm good at musing. Its the stuff that follows that lets me down.

Anyway, I muse on a little too long. The draft is pretty much done, I think to myself. I feel unemployed. I can't draw, I can't even colour something without going over the lines - I'm told it isn't done like that any more. This only proves my point that I shouldn't be anywhere near the arty process of the graphic novel.

My mind needs something to do before it goes blank. I can't abide a blank mind!

What if? I ponder, what if I novelise the plot? We'd have the graphic novel and I could practice my hand at writing the whole thing. Maybe I'd had a drink but next morning I still think its a good idea - despite the headache. It will help iron out any kinks in the script. It will give Chris more background to work with. It will be fun.

Two chapters in and you really begin to realise how 1 page of a script transforms into hundreds of words. Suddenly our world is alive and slowly but surely it is beginning to wake up...

Blogging Reborn

Its been a while...embarrisingly so...

Honestly it really didn't take me this long to read the six novels I posted about way back when.

Real life occasionally, just occassionally tries to suck the creative energy from you. Holding down a "real" job for the money needed to pretend to write began to cast great thunderous storm clouds over the world of my joint project with good friend (and clever bod who designed my blog), Chris Taylor.

Yet I realised I'd gotten it all wrong. After a hard day of real life issues, what better way is there than to escape into the turbulent and violent times of the Thief Takers?

The wife thinks its strange. Why do I lock myself in a quiet room, in front of the pc for hours each night, (no its not for that! Well mostly not...) cursing every interruption of my bladder, my dinner, my sleep? - maybe she's right to be worried. I mean I'm spending my evenings with a gang of violent cut throats with loose morals. Its a world where every man has a price. A place where you trust no-one and no-one trusts you. But its my world and at the end of the day I think I understand it more than the real one.