Thursday 13 #15 – Xena Episodes

I loved Xena. My favourite character though was Callisto, maybe because the first episode I ever saw was her introductory episode and the ladder fight. So here are 13 of my favourite Xena episodes.

1. Callisto – First episode I ever saw, I think up ’til I saw it I was aware of the show but it wasn’t until I saw the ladder fight that I thought this might be a show worth getting into.
2. Bitter Suite – the all singing episode, which starts with one of the most violent scenes of the series. The rift between Xena and Gabrielle is healed.
3. Ides of March – My favourite part of the series were Seasons 4 and 5. Ides of March is the culmination of a story arc ending with the deaths of Xena and Gabrielle, beautifully shot and heartbreaking to watch.
4. The Quill is Mightier – okay you’ve probably guessed that I prefer the more serious and dramatic episodes. So here’s one of my favourite comedy episodes. Gabrielle’s scroll becomes enchanted and anything she writes down comes true.
5. Adventures in the Sin Trade Parts 1 and 2 – The first episodes of Season 4 and the beginning of my favourite story arc. The introduction of a new villainess – Alti and the discovery that Gabrielle isn’t as dead as was thought.
6. Fallen Angel – First episode of Season 5. Xena, Gabrielle and Callisto as angels and demons.
7. 10 Little Warlords – One of my favourite episodes, Xena in Callisto’s body must restore Ares to his godhood.
8. Between the Lines – Second episode of the India trilogy and my favourite of the three. Xena and Gabrielle bring Alti back from the future to fight her where they are strongest – in the past. Very interesting to see Xena and Gabrielle’s future lives.
9. Been There, Done That – the episode where Xena kills Joxer with her chakram, but it’s okay because time is going to be reset. Xena, Gabrielle and Joxer all die at least once.
10. Remember Nothing – the episode where the Fates give Xena the opportunity to live her life over, a fresh start. We get to see what her life would be like if she hadn’t chosen to take up the sword. We also get to see what would have happened to Gabrielle. Very interesting to see how the lives of the characters would have been different.
11. A Day in the Life – Very funny episode, which basically does what it says on the tin. Just follows a day in Xena’s life.
12. The Quest / A Necessary Evil – Callisto becomes a God and falls into a lava pit. Guest actress Melinda Clarke chews the scenery as sadistic Velasca. Even though she only appeared in two episodes she was still one of the most memorable villains.
13. When Fates Collide – IMO this should have been the last episode of the series. Julius Caesar rewrites time to avoid his fate and by doing so alters the destinies of those around him – Xena, Gabrielle and Alti. Shot in washed out tones and with an ambiguous ending, I always watch this after watching Friend in Need.

WIP Update

The Bargain – Second Draft – currently working on Chapter 9

Word Count – 14,051

Chapter eight took quite a bit of work, added roughly 1000 words but deleted around 2000 words, added, deleted,  added, deleted. Lol most of this trying to decide who should be in the shower.

Migraines Suck

’nuff said.

Why Beta Readers are a Good Thing #1

When every one of your beta reader / crit partners says Huh? over a particular word, you know you’ve got to change it.

It seems the term ‘arsed’ (as a synonym for bothered) is not heard of outside the UK, and is possibly only known in certain regions of the UK. lol

Arsed is therefore deleted.

No Thursday 13 This Week…

Did I say last week I’d definitely do one?

Goes back to check…No…Phew!

I have an assignment due tomorrow so I am completing that tonight one way or the other - it’s on the inevitability of the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet.

And for next week I shall write my TT on Saturday so it’s ready to go.

As an aside, in a previous TT I think I wrote about the importance of keeping a notebook with you at all times to jot down ideas.

Note to self – take your own advice.

Luckily the brilliant end to the chapter that came to me just before I went to sleep last night, which vanished in the morning, came back to me in the shower half an hour later. And yep, I wrote it down.

WIP Progress

The Bargain – Second Draft currently up to Chapter 8.

Word count – 10,170 – actually a little higher than this at the moment, but I’m updating the count every 5000 words

Got the first love scene out of the way. I like the revamped version much better, still not completely happy with it, but I’m going to leave it as it is for the moment. I also have a feeling the second draft is going to go over the 50,000 word limit.

What I’m Reading

Still Pride and Prejudice at the moment and as I’m working hard on the WIP  have only made it to page 32.

On the positive side have now clocked well over 10,000 words on The Bargain – more on that tomorrow.

So far in P&P – Mr.Bingley has moved into Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet would like Jane (one of her daughters) to get her hooks in him. There have been a couple of balls and Mr. Darcy has not endeared himself to the local population by apppearing to have a stick permanently lodged somewhere it shouldn’t be. Jane has visited Netherfield but got caught in the rain and became sick. Much to the delight of Mrs. Bennet this means she’s stuck at Netherfield. Elizabeth (Jane’s sister) has visited Netherfield to look after her sister where the Bingley females are polite to her face but rude behind her back, mainly it seems because she had the temerity to walk to Netherfield rather than take a coach.

Austen certainly manages to pack a lot in.

Poem for a Sunday

Currently watching Romeo and Juliet as I go through the second draft, so here’s the opening of Romeo and Juliet:-

Two households both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life…

Has to be one of the best beginnings ever.

Okay, back to work.

So No Thursday 13 Today…

…because I’ve got a new laptop and have had to spend the past two days* setting it up. And also renewing the anti-virus program on my PC. Deleting stuff I shouldn’t, panicking, then breathing a sigh of relief when I manage to get it back again with no serious losses.

Techno-savvy I am not.

But whilst I am feeling quite technicial lol, I’ve also added a books page for my books, where hopefully you’ll be able to click on the cover and it will take you to Samhain.

*not two whole days, I’ve had to squeeze it in between going to work and other stuff, I’m not quite that bad.

WIP Update

The Bargain – Second Draft currently up to Chapter 4.

Word count – 5034

Have written a short extra Chapter to add a little bit of a back story.  It’s possible this won’t make it into the final draft and is more for me to use as an aid in getting the characters and their motivations fixed in my head.  I expect to hear from the beta readers that I should probably delete it.

For my major characters especially, I always want to know exactly why they behave the way they do and I’ll know far more about them than I’ll probably ever use.