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So what can I say about this? So very little to be honest - I feel so sad and shocked about the news and I have been trying to find the right words. Perhaps it is a little strange being so upset about the death of a woman I never met but the part she played had such a big impact on my life. There was various reasons why I frequently become lost watching Star Wars over and over again since I was a young child. The reasons don't matter, it was a film filled with characters that I loved. The talent of the actors who made those characters come to life for me was massive. Carrie Fisher was incredible in her role as Princess Leia; she was stunning and always came across as warm, compassionate, caring soul. She was so incredibly gifted as an Actress and Writer. Her influence on me has been incredible. You do accept one day that your heroes will pass away - we are all mortal after all; but I never thought I would create a post on this blog for her of this nature so soon. I just assum...

So for Christmas I have signed up to a PIXTON account, wanting to create more comic content. So I have started to create my own wee STAR TREK comic just for fun. So far I am pleased with what it can do. I am sure many of you will think its a bit silly; however, I just like anything creative! Will take me a while to complete this but hopefully you will get a chance to see it. Happy reading my friends. Jafwords

There are so many things in my life which I hold dear. Star Wars is one of those things. I grew up watching Star Wars and it became so important in my life - probably more that I can actually explain. Those involved in making it have become important to me...that is why when I heard the news before going to sleep last night I felt like a close friend was about to be taken from us. So I guess having never seen Carrie Fisher in the flesh makes that feeling a little strange...yet I know so many of you out there will have the same feeling. She was and is our Princess and our new General.  This year has taken so many great people away from us but it will not take Carrie. There is still Hope! Keep praying, send positive vibes into to universe...whatever is your thing, please do it for Carrie and anyone else who has fallen to illness over this festive period.  My own thoughts and prayers are with Carrie and her family. I pray for a speedy recovery and long life with good health...

This is just something that I did for a little fun to highlight some things about me. Why not try it yourself? I decided to call it "The Tree That's Me" #thetreethatsme Happy reading my friends, Jafwords

Spoiler warnings – so don’t read on if you haven’t seen Rogue One… So, can I talk about Star Wars yet? Or that thing called “A Star Wars Story?” not sure what best describes it. You see, if I call it Star Wars it might put some people (as mad as they might be) not to go and see it. How about just “Rogue One” …. Listen to me people…if you haven’t see Rogue One, then you are out of your mind…What we have here is a gem of a film that should be up for Oscars in my opinion. Gareth Edwards deserves an Oscar for this but it is a cracking film. The film has dropped of the classic stylisation that we associate with Star Wars films and it is just presented to you as a film in its own right with just the name keeping it associated with what we had come to expect from Star Wars – eg…no opening crawl….and this makes it perfect as it is an altogether different film and it NEEDED to be this way.  Now I don’t want to get stuck into George Lucas, a lot of people hated the prequels…. I liked t...

Okay, I suppose being Scottish makes me a little more enthusiastic about this but I am delighted to see Andy Murray top the world rankings in tennis.  He is a true inspiration for so many young people in Scotland and a testament to what you can achieve with hard work and determination.  In my opinion he truly is he greatest Scottish sportsman we have ever had.  Well done Andy Murray! A true Scottish legend.  Sent from my Samsung device

There are some days which you will look forward to in your life. Days which will bring you an immeasurable amount joy. That day has arrived for two very special people. I won't name drop others on my personal blog but I am sure if they were to read this post they would know it was them (since this is their wedding day) and I have been handed the honour of being the best man. So this got me thinking about the importance of friendship in people's lives. I've known the groom for just short of twenty-five years and hand on heart I can say my life has been far richer with his friendship. The sad reality of life is that when you get older we all start to move off in different directions. My friend no longer lives close by, he hasn't for several years, but I am delighted that we can still get together, reminiscence over old times and have some new adventures. Today he will start on a whole new adventure in life and I am delighted to be part of the group that will set him a...

So with the demise of Bitstrip, I needed to find a new alternative for making some fun comics ups. So I stumbled upon Pixton in my research and so far have been impressed with it. So I started to created a new series and here it is  https://Pixton.com/ic:3hfcsh0b Let me know what you think. Happy reading, Jafwords

Okay people, I need to be honest with you. When I heard this film was in production I was ready to throw my head against the wall. To be honest I am a bit scunnered (there is a good old Scottish term for you), with the whole Hollywood remake. I am sure many of you, like me, want to see originality in films, not the same rehash of old films brought up to scratch with modern CGI for a generation who probably haven't seen the originals. So I have paid my money, sat in the cinema, put the 3D glasses on and sat patiently waiting for powers of Hollywood executives to destroy a film which as a child I adored. WELL DONE HOLLYWOOD - you beat me. You took my thoughts and preconceptions and obliterated them in one swoop. After having a conversation with a friend last week which I said "I ain't gonna pay out a fortune for IMAX for that film. The best they will get out of me is my normal cinema price" (remembering of course that I actually pay a year membership to a cinema cha...

One of the things I find incredibly frustrating is lack of output from my brain. Well to say I have not been creative is not exactly true. The film making has been very cool and something that I enjoy doing. However, as far is the written word goes I have hit a mental roadblock of sorts. I am still continuing to edit my second book "Outriders". Its taking a long time but it is still an ongoing project. Writing, well that has become a bit more of a problem. I have become somewhat deskilled in that area and I need more practice. So, with that in mind I turn back to the things I love. I have started to plot out a Star Trek story. I know that its something that will never get published but that is not the point of it. Using a medium and a universe I love is a way to dive back into the creative process and most importantly, start to learn and better myself again. We will see where it goes and hopefully get me back to the wordsmith I had been in the past. So be well my friend...

Well it seems that bitstrip is no longer working, and has been closed down. As some of you, well one of you haha, may have been following my wee comic "Secret Agents in Space" can no longer be viewed from the website as the plug in that was used has gone as well. So sadly, I guess the announcement has to be that Secret Agents will not get any form of a conclusion. Unless I can find some form of an alternative. I will keep you updated but for just now you can still enjoy the first 5 episodes - http://secretagentsinspace.blogspot.co.uk/ Happy reading my friends! Jafwords

Well the film contest is over and there was no win for Rampant Film, but it was a lot of fun making the film and we are encouraged to continue on with our efforts. We will look for more competitions and other film making experiences. Could I encourage all of you to watch as many of the films made by all those who entered the My RØDE Reel film contest this year. The quality was incredible from filmmakers all over the world. Happy watching my friends, Jafwords

My RØDE Reel - Technical Winners announced.  So the technical awards for the #MyRØDEReel have been awarded and sadly, Rampant Film Production did not find its way into the finalists. Never mind, it was still a lot of fun to be a part of.  Congratulations to all those who took part and well done to all those winners in the technical sections of the competition. The films are simply awesome and so much to look at and learn from. The wealth of talent on display is a clear indication that the future of filmmaking throughout the world is indeed STRONG!  I encourage everyone to have a watch at the films and celebrate the achievements of these filmmakers!  Happy Watching, Jafwords

http://www.rode.com/myrodereel/watch/entry/1950 The film has been accepted and it's now competition time. Wish us luck and please feel free to cast your vote in our favour! Happy Watching my friends, Jafwords 

Keep up to date with the happenings from my film making world - some exciting stuff been happening this May!  http://www.rampantfilm.co.uk/ See you over there!

As I start to write this blog post its 23:56 on a Sunday night. Part of the reason for doing this update was the sad  realisation  that I have not added anything to this blog in over 3 months. (sort of defeats the purpose of a blog when you don't add anything to it).  As far as writing goes I may give the impression of inactivity, but that is not really the case. I have been creating things but at a substantially slow pace. However, the exciting world of "jafwords" is not just about creative writing. Its about creativity in all forms. Over the last few months I have done some pretty cool things - one of which was overcoming my fear of public speaking. As a teacher I think people think its something that would come quite naturally to us, perhaps that is true for some of us. However, its something that I have always been very nervous about. However, the  opportunity  arose for me to talk to some important people about a science project I was involved wit...

Another year has gone.  The 31st of Dec, marked the full year since I lost my dad. 2015 felt like a bit of a downer to be honest. I am kind of glad to see the back of 2015. But its a new year and I promise more writing is on the way. There are so many wonderful things to look forward to in this new year.  Happy New Year my friends, Jafwords Sent from my Samsung device www.johnaferguson.co.uk