Random – Samuel Colbran

Why Stranger than Fiction is a must watch for Writers.

Stranger than Fiction written by Zach Helm is one of my most favourite movies of all time, as I write this blog I am watching it as well. I have seen it at least ten times, and every time it inspires me to write and create.

A little bit about the movie, it is about a man Harold Crick (Will Farell) who is a tax auditor who wakes up hearing a voice narrating his life. And in this movie, again not wanting to spoil it, he finds outs something, and this drives the plot along. To understand what is happening he goes to a Literature Professor (Dustin Hoffman) who helps him figure out what is going on. Unless you have seen this movie, I don’t want to go into the whole thing, but it is fantastic.

Why I think this is a must watch, is the blurring of the illusion between the author and your character. We talk about as writers that our characters can surprise us and cause us, the author, to go down a path that we did not plan for. Being a freeform writer over a planner, this is more natural to run on the whims of your characters.

This movie makes me think if my character was real; one he would hate me because I am a huge dick to what is constantly happening to him. But this allows my imagination to go on a tangent as if one of my characters changes their mind and change the direction of the story. Like when he is talking to the unconscious Stinky Pete in the first chapter to him just standing in line thinking of drinking a few ales. It always felt that he did this, I just merely tapped into this reality and words flow.

So Stranger than Fiction shows the complex relationships between the writer and their creations, and at that moment you realise you do not have full control over said characters. All you can do is just enjoy the journey.

Online Dating: Knight in Shining Armour or Just plain stupid?

Hello, my dear followers, Facebook likes, and Twitter followers. I am an online dater, sad isn’t it? Well, it is sad because I am so bad at it. I don’t have pictures of cars or jet skis. I don’t send a picture of my penis to a complete stranger, hoping that will impress her. I don’t want to be as the young people talk ‘Down to fornicate’ or DTF. I am a gentleman, who like to open doors for people, and making people feel comfortable and content.

I am the worst at ONLINE DATING!

I have been doing this journey for ten years. I have dated women, but each one had something broken. Not saying that every woman who uses this type of dating is broken, but I go out of my way to only date broken women.

An example, a girl I dated for a while had a wild weekend with an ex and got knocked up, and this fabulous ‘man’ gave her 1500 dollars to have an abortion. Sweet guy. Now she told me 6 hours before my first mathematics exam at university, still I made an overall mark of 82% because I am a smart gentleman. Now you would think, that was it, no more cheating woman? No, you are so wrong! Not only did I emotionally support her, but I was also willing to put my name on the birth certificate, so her bastard child had a father.

Knight in shining armour! I am an idiot.

Another story, I dated a girl for a while, and we went well. But, I was supporting my sister and niece because the dad was a drop kick. She broke up with me because I care for my family. Now a year later, she started to date someone, like 5 seconds after the breakup and she invited me to a party, and after everyone had gone to bed, we went for a walk. During this stroll, she said she loved me! She was still with this guy, and he was at her home asleep. That is all kinds of fucked up! Story not over yet. She asked me if they broke up, would I give her another chance? Being the genius dumbarse, I said yes. To cut a long story short, they ended 4 years later, and I asked her out because I promised I would. And she freaked and started dating this guy’s best friend. Would you think she was happy, hell no! She told me again she made a mistake and she loves me.

Moral of the story, don’t be dumb

Time and time again, I fall for a girl and for some reason they freak out when we start to become serious. So I gave up. Haven’t dated for nearly a year, had more important things to do with me. Being a carer for my Mum and writing my first book. As you could tell I am a sucker for punishment, so I re-activated my dating account. I have no bites. Still, I know I pick up another broken woman, be that guy she needs and once she picks herself up, bye bye Sam.

When the chips are down, rant!

This isn’t a rant, I am amusing myself. I have had a really F’up love life. I mean really. Won’t go into my last one, because I think it was the worst and I had a girl cheat on me, and I was going to be the Daddy for her child. Wow.

So I thought of a new way to amuse myself ask a series of ridiculous questions on my profile. These are my top ten ‘never to get laid’ questions.

IF you want to talk to me, answer one of these questions.

1. x²+4x+4=0, solve x.
2. Next Prime Number after 19?
3. where does this quote come from “Isn’t it easier to forgive than to hate?”
4. Name of Raymond E Feist 15th book in chronological Reading order?
5. What is your favourite comic book movie?
6. What is the difference between Fae and a Fairy?
7. Why is Anne Rice’s Vampyrs better than Stephenie Meyer’s Vampires?
8. What is the atomic weight of Au?
9. If a train is moving at the speed of light and you throw a ball, is the ball moving faster than the speed of light?
10. Do you think these questions are a waste of your time?

Talk to me if you answered no to number 10.

I like to see if I can pick women up with these? If I do, I am going to laugh my arse off!

3-3×6+2= BODMAS and other problems.

Social media has these particular questions that pop up on my feed now and again. This is not my first draft, the previous one was a lot more insulting, but after a good night sleep, I thought I give it another go.

The first one I would like to tackle is the title of the piece.

Now looking at this, most will think ‘Hey it is like reading goes left to right’ or they will pick up their phone and plug it into the calculator. This is when I refer you to what you should have learned in Primary School. Yes, Primary School.

BODMAS, this is how you solve this problem. B is for a bracket, O for operation, D is division, M for multiplication, A is addition and finally S for subtraction.

Let us look a look at the problem, where to start. No B or O but there is an M, hmm. So the first thing to tackle is 3×6, I think most of you can work this out.

Now the problem is 3-18+2, what is the next letter do we deal with. Now A or S can be in any order but let us keep to BODMAS, so addition, means that the ‘3’ and the ‘2’ should be added together. Now the problem is simply 5-18=-13, there done.

The next one I like to go over is simple algebra, sometimes I have heard that people complain about this topic are incredible. But it is a bit off point. So the above picture is the usual problem, some have different graphics, but the answer is the same.

Now I have to put into algebraic terms.

Let W be Horse

Let Y be Horseshoe

and Z be Boot.

So now the problem looks like

W+W+W=30

W+Y+Y+Y+Y=18

Y+Y-Z-Z=2

Z+WxY=??

This is very easy to solve, 3W’s = 30, so 30 divided 3 equals 10. Substitute that into the next equation, 10+4Y=18. This takes a little more effort.

Take 10 from both sides

10-10+4Y=18-10

So you have

4Y=8

Divide 4 on both sides and Y = 2. Now the last one and then the final problem!

2Y-2Z=2; sub in Y=2

4-2Z=2; subtract 4 from each side

-2Z=-2; divide by-2

Z=1

By this time, you can see how to figure out the last one, so Z =1. We then substitute into the final equation and using BODMAS again, we have 1+10×2=21, that’s that!

There are a few others out there, but I think I have taken up enough of your time. Maths is used every day, and having social media using these mind twisters shows the need to understand even the basic concepts of mathematics. As in the end, you don’t want to look stupid in front of your Facebook or Twitter friends, do you?

Documentary ’13’ and My Discussion with my Mother.

It is strange that I want to write something about a documentary about the thirteen amendment of the USA constitution. Watching this doco, made me realise the mentality of today’s politics and everyday people, and how it is related to Australia. Being not only of Australian Aboriginal descent, but I am also, English, Scottish and Irish. I don’t see myself as Aboriginal or Caucasian, but an Australian who is proud of all the bloodlines of my family history.

I meant to watch this documentary when it came out but it was only today that I thought why the heck not. It goes back to the Civil War in America and how that lead to the loophole of criminals as slaves. With this part of the amendment, it shows the evolution of the mentality of people of colour. Then looking at how Aboriginals were treated at the same time.

My people fought a war against their invaders, Black Wars of Tasmania which went for twenty-seven years. Six hundred Tasmanian Aborigines lost their life defending their homes, but that could be in the thousands as there was no accurate census of the population at that time. Once eradicated, the survivors moved to Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. More live were lost here, due to the horrible conditions of their forced ‘settlement’. And this doesn’t even stop here, brutality since the First Fleet came here, still shocks me to my core.

Am I proud what happened during these years, and the fact that my family was born from this situation. No, but blaming the past doesn’t help the future. My mum doesn’t see herself as Aboriginal but as an Australian, unlike the rest of her siblings. My mother raised in an Aboriginal community and her white father; my grandfather saw himself as a ‘black fella’ as he was married to one.

Our discussion of this re-imagining of the same ideology of all ethnic people are criminals, and how Australians today view ‘boat people’. My mother recounts her mother, an Aboriginal who brought two Vietnamese children into her home as they were fleeing the outcome of the Vietnam War. She didn’t see them as outsiders, but Family and treated them as such. There are no two buts about it. I too have this idealism when it comes to my friends, once you achieve a certain point I see you as Family, not just friend. As Family doesn’t need a blood relation is about the care and acceptance of that person. My Family is HUGE, blood relations and adopted, all are Family to me.

We need to break out of this hatred of differences, of the past, of assuming stereotypes of people. On Facebook, I had an acquaintance who was a friend to one of my Family. He put up about his belief of ‘boat people’ should be deported, harsher things should happen and that forcing multiculturalism upon us. That if you are not one of us, being white, then go home and that this should be a land for just Australians. Does he just mean white Australians? I was about to turn to him and say “If you think that, you go home as you are not indigenous to Australia. As you are a descendant of a ‘Boat Person’.” As he is a white guy, isn’t he forcing multiculturalism on Aborigines? This is our land, not his but I guess that is different.

In the end, it, like the Michael Jackson song says ‘Black or White’, it doesn’t matter if you are black or white, you are human, and you deserve respect and the right to be heard. Even racist people have the right to be heard because they show us the past. From this, we can learn from our mistakes and, together, forge a new future of a united human race.

A Family…

Fare-thee-well, my Sister.

I stare at the keyboard wondering how I can express losing my sister; the sister I didn’t know. My sister, Liz, passed away yesterday, and I was contacted by my aunt to tell me the news. Numb is all I felt; I wasn’t upset, but something was missing. My heart goes out to my nephew and nieces and their children; I could not understand what they are going through as I am numb.

This morning I told my mother about the passing of her first born. She mourns, more than she will ever admit. Tears stream from her eyes and all she say was what a waste, my sister; her daughter would be turning fifty this year. Our mother does not show her feeling to anyone, most of all her children. Since that point, I have to be bewildered with my feelings. Should I be crying or mourning the loss of an unknown sister?

I recount when I meet her throughout my years. Meeting her for the first time when I was three years old after my father took my other sister and me away from our mother. It is blurry what was happening; I was at my gran’s house, and there was Liz with my nephew in her arms. I can’t remember if they explained who she was, but I knew she was family. It wasn’t for another seventeen years before I meet her again.

After prompting from my elder brother, I meet Liz and my nephew and nieces. My nephew was a father as well, so I meet my grandnephew as well. It was interesting meeting her; I had fun with my nieces and nephew as much as I could; as they did not know me. Then some time passed, it came to become my last visit.

My sister asked me to choose between her and our mother. That was the last time I saw her. So many things happen to me and her over the last seventeen years. My nieces and nephew had more children and grew up. I don’t know what their lives are like or what they do.

I think that is what I mourn the most, not knowing my blood and regret of choice. You will be missed, my sister.

Why Do I Write?

I have been thinking about this for a while, why I write. For such a simple question has huge ramifications to becoming aware of why I am a writer.

Going back to when I was quite young, six years old, I used to tell stories about fantastical places and things. Why did I tell these stories? I was trying to live past some hurtful things of my past. As a teenager I wrote and told stories, these came out as role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons (D&D).

It helped me through the bullying and abuse I was receiving at school and home. The pain was a catalyst of my stories, pain and hurt and then it reflected my being the big hero that stood up to the evil and save the damsel/innocents.

That reflects my personality, being the knight in shining armour, not to stop people hurting me but for me to save others from suffering.

Most of my storylines came from my pastime of role-playing, so I stayed in the fantasy-type world, creating characters with a detailed background, so I act them out better. It helps me escape from my dull and stressful workplace; this was a place that uses my muscles but not my brain. Playing in the games kept up like this for a while, until I was thrown out of my gaming group,

This allowed me to create the country and world of my first novel, Favinonia of Amsul.

Favinonia’s creation came from rejection, and it wasn’t until a few years later that I found a new group of friends who asked for me to run a game in D&D. I thought heck why not use this.Then my writing changed, it wasn’t just for my escapism but for the entertainment of others, which started to drove me to think up new storylines and scenarios for my group’s characters.

I think the running theme behind my efforts at writing is escapism but isn’t that why most people dream about better things. Some think about cars or houses; some reflect on their sports teams winning the final, some think about winning the lotto, and so on. I don’t consider having things, or money neither drives my soul. I use my writing to escape too, but I like to go back to my scrappy young self and say, this is my path to becoming an author, so others can read and have enjoyed my writing.

My Book: Creating the Map.

This morning I finally started on an idea of the map for Favinonia. Over the years I have drawn many different maps for this country that my book in set in. One by one they don’t last the test of time, sometimes it because of me moving them around from place to place or just being clumsy with them. I thought that a textural feel for this map would be great!

As you can see in the pictures that I started with a canvas and had begun with a pencil outline of the main features on the map (which I could draw with my eyes closed). The mountains made out of paper mache and to give the water features of my map texture, dried glue (I’m not sure if clag glue is the best for this but giving it a go). With it being a side project in conjunction with my book, hopefully, I will be successful. I keep you updated with my progress.

The Core

Iron Dukedom

Hawthorne, gateway to Favinonia

Noble’s Playground

My Country

Thawing Winter’s Heart by Samuel Colbran

In the deepest depths of Winter,

where the heart lies.

Only with a promise of Spring,

does the frost recline.

Cold and dark.

Forever alone,

Crying out for the anticipation,

Of days to come.

As the sun becomes warmer,

Winter’s frost melts,

from its frigid state.

The passionate warmth,

heats the cockles,

of the slumbering heart.

Awake,

Ready to live.

But as Spring,

moves through its want,

has risen to excess.

Summer’s heat,

boils away the freshness

of Spring.

At the height of Summer,

the reaping of,

Heart-life begins.

As Summer wanes,

the coolness of Autumn

browns the life from the leaves.

The heart feels,

a great weariness.

The hibernation,

of Winter,

Is upon us once more.

As passions modify,

laughter of the deepest part of

the heart’s life.

Comes to an end.

As the ice and cold,

chills and freeze,

the heart in place.

Only the promise of

Spring,

will thaw it again.

History of Rants Part Two

Here is part two of my rant history on Facebook. Looking back on this rant about ranting, I can see I was trying to find an outlet but just didn’t know what. I do know now, and the possibilities are endless.

5th of February 2014

It seems it has circle has turned again, and the rant shall begin! What is a rant? A rant by definition is “speak or shout at length in an angry, impassioned way”, which originated from the Dutch word ranten from the late 16th century. There are five words in German, which mean to rant, four in Spanish and only two in French. Does this make the English language is more efficient than the Germans or does it meant that our rants are just more annoying!?
The word rant was used more in the 1800’s but dropped off in use during the 1900’s. But now it is back on the rise, does this mean that we have become rantier due to the influx of social media or have we more on to becoming more dignified? I wiL lt U 2 Dcide dat 4 urself. i hOp U hav a gr8 dA & fEl d rant!

19th of April 2014

About end of my birthday, I guess a rant is in order. To all who message me on the one particular time of the year. The only time of the year most people would go out of their way and say “happy birthday”. Well done, I feel the love all the way over here! For all those who haven’t, well have a nice day and may all your Karma come your way as you deserve it. But I haven’t ranted about rants. O to rant, such sweet ramblings! Only if rants can go forever and, we would feel justified to the moment! But like all rants no-one care or even likes, but we do it to feel better about oneself but in the end, we are people on their phone/tablet/laptop/desktop who have no life

Merry Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

26th of August 2014

Once again the feeling of ranting has pressed upon my weary mind. As in times past, I have to take a point in ranting about ranting and this too will be in the spirit of the past, present, and future. What I love about my pure ranting is, in fact, it does not explain what is going thru my mind at the moment, nor need to go on about my comings and goings.

What I also love about an unbiased rant, is the freedom from said reader to interpreted how they wish it. It is never to clearly pointed out what this rambling is about; only to allow me to for fill the need to describe a need for it, as always it is just a rant.

But again as I feel the need for this jabbering, blubbering, gibberish, wordy excuse for a rant has come to an end. As always your rants or ramblings are neither to the point or need for explanation, as it is only for the author.

Ode to Rant: A History of Rants.

Looking back over the years I had written a few rants about ranting I do have some others, but they are more severe, well not as fun. Each of these rants did help me to find my way through some difficult times. The last one on this blog, I think was my first indication I was meant for better things, but it still took another three years for me to realise the path. Ode to rant!

17th of January 2012

What does Sam Like, Sam Like ranting! The rant, a favourite thing of the average person on Facebook. Ode to the rant, such sweet rambling. Only if I could go on such random rant about rants. How can I describe such a nice lovely fixture of words?
But like all rants, this one must end as the ranter is at a loss for words. May all your rants be random and enlightening, be at peace and laugh once in a while, and think of others.

But not too much

15th of July 2012

It’s been a while since I have ranted for the sake of ranting! How can I put this new but continue rant into words? Shall I be formal? Ode to rant, how sweet methinks twas to be frank and straight wilt thee. Could only word perchance be the gift of thine has on this ball of earth? Maybe mine shrift that I am judicious, but shall I then come roundly to thee have acquaintance with my desires as this is mine rant. But enough of this ungodly language let’s be simple and direct.

RANT IS GOOD, ME AM ‘APPPY

9th of December 2012

Good morning to all my friends out there, again I have come to a new rant. Thrice before I have ranted about ranting, I have enjoyed these rants but now wish to make one that has been inspired by a book.

The two books I have just read of recent, are The Name of the Wind and Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss. I will not go too much into the storyline as it would ruin the book for anyone to read. The main character is a man named Kvothe (pronounced as Quothe). I will not describe him; I will not talk about his history or his happenstance in the book. Most of this are how he has affected my thinking, this, of course, is due to the excellent writing style of Mr Rothfuss.

Some of you might know of me as a cook/chef at Montezuma or some as a student at QUT. Some knew at school, some thru even Facebook. Family and friends, some very dear to my heart, even if we have little or no contact. Knowledge and understanding are my bread and butter, my need to understand all walks of life. Sometimes this is just in passing, others I throw my life and soul into existence! Gaming, cooking, and math are three of examples. Two of them are significant failures; one is an over-indulgence. But again I digress. My curiosity has gotten me in trouble many of times. My of the need to know, this is what truly drive my soul! Knowledge, no woman (or man) touch could overcome this. Even words can not encompass my real feelings. People say that I am smart, intelligent and some think of me as slow, stupid, even mentally retarded. Very few have seen every facade of my personality. Most will as always under or overestimate my abilities. The more I write on this, even I do not quite understand myself. Kvothe and the author are my new inspiration; I need to return to the path which I have zig-zag for most of my life. I need to finish what I have started! I wouldn’t like to push as this would irritate me and cause grief for both parties. Most people who might pick up this book series, will not come to the epiphany I have, some will not quite understand the character ( this is apparent with some reviews). I am 33 years old; life is supposed to begin at 30. I guess I didn’t get the email. My life has remained trapped in amber.

Again lets my life’s journey begin