Well, yes it was fun! S’plosions, one liners, music (Cherry Bomb!), abs a-plenty, Groot (‘we are all groot!’ sob!), some good old fashioned heroics, and Rocket the smart-mouthed raccoon.

I watched the film trending on Twitter for days before I went to see it. In our immediacy-addicted world, that’s a lifetime of people talking about the movie.

While the story wasn’t particularly riveting, each member of the rag tag band made up for it with their charms. Zoe Saldana as Gamora was as understated as always and won my vote for the coolest blue/green chick ever. And Chris Pratt as Peter Quill was a wholesome hero. Rocket, however, stole the show. Not only did Bradley Cooper give enormous personality to the role, but Rocket’s Meerkat swagger was hilarious! And then there was Groot: perfect in every way.

So many comparisons have been made to Star Wars, and I don’t really see them as valid. GOTG is its own thing, complete with a winning soundtrack of 70’s and 80’s classics. Ooga Chaka! Let it be…

I’m booked to run two spec fic master classes for Writers’ Victoria in September. Sign up now, or miss out. Course outlines below:

Spec Fic Masterclass

(Londsdale Street, Melbourne)

Sunday 28 September 2014, 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Presented by: Marianne de Pierres
Rating: Emerging and Established
Type: Masterclass

Address some of the key issues in writing speculative fiction, including how to build convincing worlds, maintain narrative drive, and effectively mix sub-genres. Get an up-to-date insight into the industry, explore the concept of creating adaptable content for New Media and how to survive in the brave new world of publishing.

Learning Outcomes 
• Excellence in world-building 
• How to maintain narrative drive 
• How to successfully mix speculative fiction genres 
• How to create speculative fiction for the new world of publishing 
• Current industry insight

Marianne de Pierres is a multi-award winning Australian author of novels written in the science fiction, fantasy, crime, and young adult genres. Over the eighteen years Marianne has been a professional writer, she’s acquired a wide skill base and knowledge about the craft and business of writing. Marianne is currently tutoring in writing at the University of Queensland and is the Project Manager for WRITE101x, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) being developed by uqX as part of the edX consortium.

Marianne will also be giving this workshop in Geelong on Saturday 27 September.

This tour is made possible by the support of the Australia Council for the Arts in collaboration with the national network of State and Territory Writers Centres.

Book online now.

Spec Fic Masterclass

(Geelong)

Saturday 27 September 2014, 10:00AM – 4:00PM

Presented by: Marianne de Pierres
Rating: Emerging and Established
Type: Masterclass

Address some of the key issues in writing speculative fiction, including how to build convincing worlds, maintain narrative drive, and effectively mix sub-genres. Get an up-to-date insight into the industry, explore the concept of creating adaptable content for New Media and how to survive in the brave new world of publishing.

Learning Outcomes 
• Excellence in world-building 
• How to maintain narrative drive 
• How to successfully mix speculative fiction genres 
• How to create speculative fiction for the new world of publishing 
• Current industry insight

Marianne de Pierres is a multi-award winning Australian author of novels written in the science fiction, fantasy, crime, and young adult genres. Over the eighteen years Marianne has been a professional writer, she’s acquired a wide skill base and knowledge about the craft and business of writing. Marianne is currently tutoring in writing at the University of Queensland and is the Project Manager for WRITE101x, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) being developed by uqX as part of the edX consortium.

Marianne will also be giving this workshop in Melbourne on Sunday 28 September.

This tour is made possible by the support of the Australia Council for the Arts in collaboration with the national network of State and Territory Writers Centres. It is presented in collaboration with Geelong Writers and Belmont Library.

Book online now.

To celebrate the launch of my new website, I’m giving away two bundles of my short fiction (5 short stories with cover art, all sent to you inbox immediately!) to whoever posts the best Twitter or Facebook post about the new look.

Copy your post into the comments section below or email it to me through the contact form.The competition will be open until the midnight on July 13th AESDT.