ML Mckenzie

Author of Literary Fiction- Poet and Lover of Poetry- Short Story Writer- Reader

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A snippet from my work in progress, The Curse of Being Gifted. 

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When your mind pauses

The world also comes to rest

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The saddest thing about Nick’s opening monologue is that he wants to see the best in people and he doesn't want to judge anyone. He has such faith in people. which is stark contrast than to the end of the story when he has lost faith in humanity and can no longer see the good in everyone. The world of the rich has turned him in a different person, he has lost some of his better qualities. He no longer wants to believe the best in people since he has been so let down by the other characters in the story. It shows how much the events of The Great Gatsby  and how deeply Gatsby's death effected him. 

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They Are Real To Me

An original poem 

You say that they are not real You say that they are made up

But what you do not realize Is that they are more than that more than what you think they are

They are the friends that I never had The family that I made myself Souvenirs of a journey Memories of a time gone by 

My transports to another place My guides to another world My defenders of unknown threats My teammates in battle My most trusted advisors  My friends by my side 

They have helped me through my greatest struggles, Helped me through the worst of time, They have told me that I am not alone, When I felt the most alone that I had ever been

They are my closest confidants My found family My loyalist allies  My desirable enemies  And my secret keepers 

They have me guidance,  When I had no sense of direction They told me where to go  When I felt lost,  And were a friend to me When I needed a friend the most 

They are more than what you think,  They are not only a figment of imagination They are not made up, They are real to me. They are so much more than what you think And they are so much more than what you could imagine. 

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I am not a huge fan of Baz Luhrmann's adaption of The Great Gatsby but I do love this scene.

When Daisy says Gatsby's name her face and voice changes. It is like a part of her heart that she had buried away has come out again. The man whom she loves and has loved since she met him, she never thought that she would never see again is across the lake from her. Suddenly the life that she had convinced herself she would never have is suddenly in her grasp. 

I love how when she says Gatsby's name the windows fly open whereas when she was with Tom the windows were closed and they close again as soon as he enters the room. It represents how when she is with Tom she is a more repressed version of herself but when she is with Gatsby she is real self. 

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A teaser from my work in progress, Project Marilyn-Elizabeth. 

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I relate to this poem and have ever since I read it. It is one of the best poems that I had ever read on what it is like to be a bookworm and what books mean to us bookworms. Books are not only a love or a hobby, they are a way to celebrate, to feel less alone, and a way to escape from our problems. 

Poem is from Journey Back to Me by Lexi Bruner now available in eBook and paperback 

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Meet Violet Collins 

Meet Violet Collins, she is one of the many characters in my works in progress that I will be introducing to you over the coming weeks. She is one of two of my main characters in Project Violet and Christine. 

She is a bisexual British musician and songwriter. She is a vocalist, songwriter, lead guitarist and founder of The Rebellion, an all-girl rock group active in London in the 1970s. She is the girlfriend and primary love interest of Christine Thompson, the band's lead singer. She was born in a lower-class borough of London and started the band, The Rebellion when she was sixteen years old. She has a firecracker of a personality and is never afraid to speak her mind and is unapologetically herself

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Happy Release to Journey Back to Me! 

journey Back to Me by Lexi Briner is a self-published collection of poetry that is out in eBook and paperback on Amazon now! 

A collection of poetry and prose exploring themes of love, sex, relationships, identity, and self through five chapters, journey back to Me is a vulnerable and raw recounting of the author’s journey to understand love and life. Ranging from humorous to poignant, from joyous to subversive, this work is a little piece of Lexi’s soul bared for the world to see.-Amazon synopsis 

I was lucky enough to receive an e-arc of the collection. I read it in one sitting and I loved it! The poems were relatable, memorable and easy to read. They tackled important themes in easy to understand ways. It was one of the best poetry collections that I have in a while. If you love poetry then I highly recommend that you give this collection a try. 

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/journey-back-Me-Lexi-Bruner-ebook/dp/B0BHZD4H8F/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YK78LMY246DT&keywords=Journey+Back+to+Me&qid=1665663294&qu=eyJxc2

Full review of the collection coming soon. 

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The mood board for my Project Marilyn-Elizabeth. 

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My Collection of Historical Images for Project Violet and Christine

Below are a fraction of the images that I have started collecting to help me to better write Project Violet and Christine, my queer stand alone literary fiction book set in 1970′s and 1980′s London. I often find myself collecting historical images like these to help me better understand the time period that I am writing in as well as the aesthetic of the book and to better get into the minds of my characters. 

Photograph 1: The Runaways in London

Photograph 2: Blondie Whiskey A Go Go concert poster in 1977

Photograph 6: A pride parade in 1977

Photograph 9: Joan Jett and Cherie Currie perform with The Runaways in 1977

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A Snippet from Project Marilyn-Elizabeth #2

I was four when my parents left. Four, old enough to understand that I would never see them again, old enough to know that they would never come back for me, old enough to know that the home that they had built was gone forever but too young to understand why they had left me, too young to understand what revenge was,  too young to understand what suicide was or why people did it, too young to understand why no one knew whether my parents had died by chose or had been murdered, too young to understand why parents would want to leave me. 

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Teaser Tuesday #1 Project Marilyn-Elizabeth

We were avoiding the subject, I would be eighteen soon, the same age my mother was when she moved from California to London, the same age my mother was when she met my father, the same age she was when she fell pregnant with me, only four years younger than she was when she died, or was murdered.

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Project Marilyn-Elizabeth

Project Marilyn-Elizabeth, my newest writing project. It is on the first draft and I am around 10,000 words into it. I started writing it at the beginning of July when I was on holiday from work and school and have been slowly writing it ever since. It is very different from my previous books. It is my first stand alone. It is a historical literary drama a multi-POV, dual timeline set in 1970's London and 1990's California, told through a combination of chapters, letters, diary entries and interviews. It features a tragic romance, a murder mystery, morally questionable characters and themes such as how fame changes a person, the pressure of growing up under the shadow of a famous family and a infamous tragedy, survivors guilt among others.

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Beta Readers Wanted! For 100k Word Literary Fiction Novel

Hi everyone I am looking for beta/sensitivity readers for my 100,000 words contemporary coming-of-age literary fiction novel set in modern day Ireland.

The book is the first in a trilogy and it follows two modern-day geniuses an artist called David O’Connor and a writer called Elizabeth-Anne James a married couple who were once the greatest in the world at what they did, they were acclaimed by critics and the public alike and they were seen by the world as living a fairytale life, that is until she was institutionalized for mental illness and he was sent to rehab for his alcoholism and substance addiction.    

The first book is told from Elizabeth-Anne’s POV and it tells her side of the story. It is duel timeline, the first timeline takes place in the modern day, where she has been institutionalized for her mental illness and it follows her reflecting on her life and writing her memoir. and the second follows her rise and fall from fame. 

It explores themes like what is it to be a genius in the modern world, what it is to an icon and the pressures of fame. 

Comparison titles are The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Daisy Jones and The Six and The Queen’s Gambit. 

My timeline is 15 August-16 September but I am lenient with this deadline. 

Trigger warnings are; suicide, self-harm, substance addiction/abuse, alcoholism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, split personality disorder, institutionalization due to to mental illness

Dm if you are interested! 

[author-ml-mckenzie]

It Is Time for An Introduction

I realized that it has been a while since I have introduced myself and so I thought that it would be a good idea to do just that. 

I am an author of literary fiction currently working on my contemporary coming of age literary fiction trilogy, the first book in trilogy The Curse of Being Gifted is on it’s fifth draft, the the second book, This Blessed Curse is on it’s third draft and the third and final book which doesn't have a title yet is on it’s second draft. My other work in progress is a novella that I keeping a secret since it is a prequel to different series that I am writing, I wrote the first draft of this novella for Camp NaNoWriMo last month. 

I am currently editing the fifth draft of The Curse of Being Gifted, the final draft before it goes to beta readers in the middle of the month. I am currently revising and editing the second draft of my my secret novella and I regularly reveal details about it on my social media’s. Other than a novelist I am a poet and I try to make a habit of writing poetry weekly and am trying to put together enough poems to create a poetry collection. I am also a short story writer currently working of four different short stories.

 My Favorite Tv Shows Are: 

The Crown

Derry Girls

Gilmore Girls

Downton Abbey 

The Queens Gambit 

Godless 

Anne with an E 

My Favorite Films Are: 

Atonement 

Tik, Tik...Boom

The Power of The Dog 

Bohemian Rhapsody 

My Favorite Books Are: 

The Great Gatsby 

Atonement 

Looking For Alaska 

Turtles All The Way Down

My Favorite Authors/Poets Are: 

John Green

F Scott Fitzgerald 

Ian McEwen 

Emily Dickinson 

Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

Edgar Allen Poe 

W.H Auden 

Roald Dahl 

Enid Blyton 

Rudyard Kipling

Atticus 

My Favorite Poems Are 

Stop All The Clocks by W.H Auden 

Hope is The Thing With Feathers 

If by Rudyard Kipling 

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poem 

Pidgeons at Oppneheimer Park by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

Keep off The Grass by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

Always a Suspect by Oswald Mbuyiseni Mtshali

When I am not reading or writing I can usually be found exercising, binge watching tv, drawing or doing puzzles, or doing research for my newsiest novel.

If you ever want to talk about tv, films, books and/or writing then don't hesitate to dm me I am always on the lookout for new writer and reader friends!  

Your turn! what are your your favourite films? your favourite tv series? your favourite authors? your favourite books? and what are you currently reading and writing?