LATE "The Hunger Games" Film Review (spoilers)

I've been meaning to write a review of "The Hunger Games" film for a little while now but because I've left it so long I've actually managed to see the film twice which hopefully will mean this review will be even more objective. A little warning; I will be discussing some specific details concerning the plot and way it was interpreted in the film so if you have not watched it yet and don't want it to be spoiled then I'd advise that you don't read on and go and see the film instead (as it's fantastic)!

So, overall I thoroughly enjoyed the film both as a fan of "The Hunger Games" book trilogy and just as someone who appreciates good films. As book to film adaptions go it stayed remarkably true to the characters, plot and themes and I would even go so far to say it is one of my favourite films based upon a book. The fact that Suzanne Collins, the author of the trilogy, was hugely involved in the film and co-wrote the screenplay really comes across when you watch it as the dialogue was always relevant and believable and true to the characters. Of course the actors' performances carried the lines beautifully. Jennifer Lawrence gave a stunning performance as Katniss and Josh Hutcherson was a perfect Peeta and Woody Harrelson as Haymitch and Lenny Kravitz as Cinna were both very convincing.There was never a point during the film were I found any of the acting unconvincing.

The only real issue I have with this film is the censorship and the way the deaths and murders were presented in the film. The original cut was rated a 15 in the UK so they cut out a lot of the violence and gore to bring the rating down to a 12A so that part of the target audience would still be able to see it. And whilst I can understand why this decision was made as "The Hunger Games" is a young adult piece of literature and the higher rating may have limited the audience, a cynical part of me thinks that they were thinking about the market in terms of money rather than doing justice to the series and what it stands for.

How to motivate yourself to write!

I've been bursting with ideas lately for various stories that I'm working on and I've been staring at my computer screen for the past hour, checking emails and other mundane things like that thinking I really need to write these ideas down but for some reason I just can't get in the writing spirit at the moment. In terms of ideas I'm on a roll but I know that if I don't get them down on paper soon, I'll forget about them. So, I decided to help motivate both myself and anyone who reads this I would write a list of ways you can motivate yourself to write.

1. Remind yourself why you're writing the story. Think back to the early stages of the project when you were really excited about the characters and the plot and the themes raised. It's easy to get bored of a writing project that you've been working on for a long time and want to move on to something new. But, the truth is all writing projects take a little while and if every time you gave up when it got tricky and moved on, you would never ever produce anything. So keep working at it and don't loose faith in the story that you've spent so much time creating.

2. Create a routine for yourself. Put aside a few hours in the day for writing and whether you choose to do this in the morning, afternoon or evening make sure you choose a time that will work for you and stick to it. Avoid time wasting activities like going on Facebook.

3. Take breaks. If you're completely stuck and you're just sitting there staring at your paper with a blank mind then you know it's time to take a small break from your story. Move away from where you are sitting and make yourself a drink or a something to eat. The tiniest change of scenery and a little activity does wonders for a frazzled brain and you will probably find that when you return to your writing, after your break, that you can see a way to get past the "writer's block".

4. Don't give up on your story. When you get to a tough part in your story it can be tempting to just give up on it and start something new instead. You may think that there is no point investing time in finishing a story which you simply don't think is any good anymore but NO story is a hopeless case and if you don't like it at the moment then work on it, building on the weak aspects and you will make yourself like it again.

5. Know that you can do it! Writing a novel can sometimes seem like an impossible task especially when you'e struggling it. There is no denying that it takes a long time it's definitely not easy but it is not impossible. If it was impossible then all the bookshops and libraries would be empty but their bursting with hundreds of diverse books written by all sorts of people. So have faith in your ability and you will complete your story.

So...what are you waiting for? What am I waiting for? Let's go and write!

TOP TIPS: How To minimize frizzy/flyaway hair.

I know I don't usually write tutorials on my blog but I haven't updated it in a while and this is the only thing I really feel like writing about today. I'm having serious trouble articulating myself well enough to do book reviews or anything similar.

So I've been wanting to write a post about taming frizzy hair for a while now. When I was younger I used to really hate having frizzy hair and I used to scour the internet looking for tips to help with it as I'd tried countless frizz ease shampoos and conditioners without any luck. Now I've managed to regain a bit of control over my hair, I figured I would share the top tips I've learned over the years as I'm pretty sure some of them are little known.

1. Don't blow-dry your hair. It dries out frizzy hair and makes it course and extra frizzy. It's best to let your hair dry naturally. If you really don't want to wait then use a diffuser to evenly distribute the heat through your hair but I recommend just gently wringing out your hair (DON'T RUB WITH A TOWEL) and then letting it dry in its own time.

2. Keep hair hydrated and healthy. Of course it's always important to maintain healthy, hydrated hair, whether or not it's frizzy, but it's especially important if you have frizzy hair as dry, unhealthy hair makes it worse. So, to care for your hair, use a hydrating shampoo and conditioner and be sure to leave your conditioner in for about 2 minutes before washing out. In order to keep your hair healthy, as well as hydrated, get it trimmed regularly to prevent dry or split ends. Also do NOT bleach your hair or use heat tools excessively.

3. Don't wash hair with cold water. I used to have very greasy hair about three years ago so, when I washed it, I rinsed out the shampoo with cold water to close the hair follicles. This prevents oils building up in your hair and stops it getting greasy so quickly. This is a good tip if you have very greasy hair but it doesn't do any favours for frizzy hair as frizzy hair requires a certain amount of oil to stop it from becoming dry and, as I mentioned above,it is crucial that your hair is hydrated. So when I became aware of this is stopped rinsing with cold water.* Additionally, make sure you don't over-wash your hair. If your hair remains fresh for three days, wash it every three days. Only wash your hair daily if it is extremely greasy.

4. Don't brush your hair when it's wet. Your hair is extremely fragile when it's wet and the worst thing you can do is repeatedly run a hair brush through it, regardless of what your hair type is. It not only causes your hair to dry static and frizzy but it can rip your hair and cause damage. If you want to untangle your frizzy hair after washing it then either comb it with a wide toothed comb or simply brush through it gently with your fingers.

5. Don't overestimate frizz ease products. It is true that most frizz control shampoos, conditioners and serums are useful but you cannot solely depend on them to make your hair tame. For example you can't just blow-dry your and straighten your hair and just assume it's not going to make your hair dry and frizzy because you've used a frizz control shampoo. You're much better of using more basic tips to solve frizz rather than just spending a fortune on products. I regularly use "Dove 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner for normal hair", which isn't a product specially for frizzy hair but I still have relatively frizz free hair, when using it, as long as I follow the tips that I preach.

The only remaining tip I can offer is don't let your frizz rule your life. True, it's a pain and it does mean you may have some bad hair days if you get caught in the rain but don't let it get you down! Just care for your hair the best you can and don't panic too much if a little bit of frizz still shows up now and again. Hope this post helps!

*Recently, after washing my hair less often I've found that finishing with cold water isn't making my hair frizzy anymore due to the fact that I'm not washing it excessively. Try both and see what works for you.