A mostly quiet week.

Firstly, congratulations to my mate Steve Duffy, whose tale The Lions Den has been picked by Ellen Datlow for inclusion in her Year’s Best Horror #2 anthology. Way to go, mate! Apart from a smidgeon of professional jealousy on my part, this is great news!

So, this week, I’ve had been mostly tweaking. The snowman story has now gone through the third and final set of edits and is ready for submission. Well, it would be if one of my critical circle (my godfather, Chris, who lives near Quebec and so is in the position to know about these things) sent me a comment about the sound of snowstorms which I really, really like and which I want to fit in if I can. So, it’s back to the keyboard to work out if I can lever in one or two more sentences. I wouldn’t normally be adding at this stage, but the comment he made is really unusual and I think will add to the story, so I’m making an exception if I can. However, I’m trying hard not to overwrite the damn thing, so this is absolutely and definitely the last addition and I’ll have it finished very soon. I think.

Still no news on the novel, and the Sherlock story is currently undergoing major structural rearrangements. More news on that as it happens…

Gaslight Grotesque

Other news: my copy of Gaslight Grotesque finally arrived (after spending two months in transit between Canada and here – all on the UK leg of the  journey, I’ll bet!). I haven’t read any of it yet, but am looking forward to seeing what my friends and fellow authors have done with the Holmes mythos. Well, I say I’ve not read any of it, but I have really, I read my story. Does anyone else do that, I wonder? Read their own stuff first? I mean, is it a sign of huge arrogance? Oh well, sod it. I haven’t read my story since it got submitted, so it was nice catching up with it. There was stuff in there I’d forgotten I’d even written, and it was nice to rediscover it. It’s impossible to read it as a reader does, of course (I keep seeing things I’d do differently if I was writing it now), but it was nice to reread the tale and think, Hey, that’s pretty good I think… Full review soon.

Oh yeah, one other thing: a review of Lovecraft Unbound finally mentioned my story Vernon, Driving in a positve light! The review can be read here:

 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fdoctorray.livejournal.com%2F41520.html&h=c62455f4506301335bab1e9b4293e471

Hurrah!

Review: Only one review this week, of an older movie called the Lady in White. Now, I’ll say straight up that this isn’t a perfect movie – the special effects are quite often ropey and basic – but it’s a film I’ve liked for a long time. It’s an old-fashioned ghost story, well acted (especially by Lukas Haas and Katherine Helmond), tragic and creepy. It doesn’t rely on ‘jump scares’ particularly, but instead goes for an atmosphere of loss and confusion to make its point. What I like most about it is that the main character, Frankie, has a loving family and this is shown in a positive light (but never rammed down the audiences’ throats), which emphasises the loss felt by the ghost and her family and the threats to Frankie himself. It pops up on TV every now and again, or is available in a rather fine DVD, either of which I’d receommend.

Okay, think that’s it. Can’t be bothered to type much more, so I’m off for a coffee. More next week, Lords and Ladies!

A really good week.

So, the first thing that happened was that I got permission to start showing the front cover to my Ash Tree Press collection, Lost Places. This isn’t quite the final version (there are some tweaks that the supremely talented Mr Van Hollander has to make), but its close enough to show you:

Lost Places (artist: Jason Van Hollander)

It’s good, isn’t it? Well, no, it’s brilliant, and it’s exactly what I wanted! The photo is one of Morecambe, taken by my gorgeous wife, and I just love the way it shades over from normality to chaos. Jason’s managed to capture perfectly what I try to do with my stories, and I can’t wait to see the actual book (which is definitely on for a launch at the World Horror Convention in March). I love the imps on the car as well…

At long last, I’ve started writing again. After the false start of the Sherlock story (which is on hold while I think through some plot and structure details), I got back into it this week, shelliung out a story called A Man of Ice and Sorrow. It’s only in draft at the moment, but the feedback so far has been excellent – one critic gave me some personal feedback that meant a huge amount to me, telling me that I’m getting my descriptions of grief and sorrow and loss just about right. Huzzah! I’m not sure what to do with it yet, but I’m hoping it’ll find a home soon. There are a couple of places that I think it may be good to submit it to, so fingers crossed…

The other exciting thing that’s happened this week is that the details of what I’m doing at World Horror Convention (hereafter refered to as WHC because I can’t be arsed typing the full thing again) have begun to emerge. On the Thursday night I’m doing a panel on New Blood in the horror field (I’m part of the new blood, apparently), moderated by my friend Steve Duffy. This is the first panel that I’ve been on, so I’m a bit nervous but excited. It’s on my favourite subject (me!), so I’ll hopefully be well-informed and passionate!! On the Friday, I’m doing three (count ‘em!) signings: at midday, I’m part of the lineup for the launch of the paperback edition of the Very Best of Best New Horror, at 2pm it’s the Ash Tree launch event (five authors launching new collections, including Steve Duffy, Lisa Tuttle, Lawrence C. Connolly and Gary McMahon, as well as the formal butterfly-like emergence of Lost Places) and at 4 I’m signing for the launch of The Black Book of Horror 6. After all those signings on one day, you’d think my work would be over and I could get stuck into the beer, but no – at 9.30, I’ve been allocated a reading slot (huzzah again!). I have half an hour, so I just need to decide which story I read and then get practicing so that I can wow my appreciative audience. Well, Wendy has said she’ll probably come if nothing better’s happening, Steve Duffy said he might pop his head in and Allyson Bird said she might be there. So that’s three possibles… I think I might read a story from the collection (or a part of one), as it seemed sensible to read something that might then encourage people to go and buy the damn thing! WHC is shaping up to be a simply superb event, and I’m beginning to get massively excited about it. I’m hoping to go and support my friends on their panels, as well as buy some books and get them signed. Maybe best of all, though, will be the chance to catch up with all of those friends that I don’t see anything like often enough. Roll on March…

No reviews, I’m afraid – still being lazy, although I will have some for you soon, I promise.

Right, Lords and Ladies, that’s yer lot. Off you go!

Just got permission to share the cover of my forthcoming Ash Tree Press collection, Lost Places:

Lost Places cover

Due to the inclement weather conditions, this blog post has been cancelled. There’s too much risk for the assorted horror fans, people who don’t like me and old ladies who might possibly stumble across this blog slipping and falling on the pavement outside for them to have to read this as well. Come back next week.

Happy 2010, Lords and Ladies!

Okay, let’s start as I’m hoping this year will go on, and tell you some good news: Lost Places is complete! That’s right, complete. Done, dusted and dealt with. For me, at least… Last night, I received the file containing all the stories, the introduction by Barbara Roden, the acknowledgement and the endword and story notes, all put together and lovely. I’ve proofed everything and I’m happy, so all that needs to happen now is that it goes for a final proofing by an external editor and then it needs printing…and of course, selling, publicising, reviewing, reading and loving ! Working with the Rodens and Jason Van Hollander on Lost Places  has been an absolute joy, and I’m convinced that the final product is going to be one that all concerned can be proud of and that people will enjoy. Reading all the stories again to proof them, I was struck by how Lost Places contains some of my best writing, and a stories that I’m enormously proud of, and I can’t wait for people to read them and for the fan mail to start rolling in (ha ha ha!). It’s still on for a March release, so get yourself ready…

In other news, I’ve had some great feedback on my story The Hand Delivered Letter in the anthology Gaslight Grotesque, including feedback from Stephen Volk that he liked the story, which is praise indeed in my book. My copy of Gaslight Grotesque still hasn’t arrived, unfortunately (cursed postal service!) so I can’t comment on any of the other contributors’ work, but its the anthology from last year that I’m most excited to be in and I can’t wait to read everyone else’s stories.

So, what next? Well, it’s World Horror in March, and I’ve been told I’m doing two signings and one panel, so that should be fun (one of the signings is the mass Ash Tree signing with 5 of us author types in attendence, including my friends Steve Duffy, Gary McMahon and Larry Connolly, which I’m really looking forward to). I have a bunch of new stories to write, and I’m still waiting for feedback on the novel so that may yet bloom to life (although I’m not hopeful at this point, to be honest – if it doesn’t, I’ll make a decision later in the year about whether to tackle a novel and if so, which one). I’m definitely going to pitch a second collection in the next few months – I have about two thirds of the stories done and the others aren’t far off completion, so it’s a viable proposition at this point. I have stories due out in the next issue of Black Static magazine and the newly released Exotic Gothic 3 anthology, and of course, I’ll be looking for other anthologies who want contributions from a tall, slightly overweight northerners with a grumpy streak… Watch this space folks!

Reviews: The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston – the true story of the investigation in the the Italian serial killer known The Monster of Florence. Now, I’m not normally a big fan of true crime stories, but this is a fantastic, highly recommended read. Preston is co-author of a large number of books (including The Relic) which I like, and this is the story of his involvement with the Monster of Florence case. It’s partly a precis of the events that make up the Monster’s killings, but it’s far more a description of the intricacies and stupidities of the Italian justice system. This second half (which is the section dealing with how the case was and continues to be investigated) is by far the scarier part of the book, and when I say that it concludes with the author under investigation for his involvement with the monster case, and with a chapter that made me re-evaluate my opinion on the recent Meredith Kercher murder trial, it may give you some idea of how bizzare this book gets! Highly, highly recommended.

The Roar of Butterflies by Reginald Hill. The latest Joe Sixsmith (Luton’s finest black, middle-aged PI) novel, this is a great read. Hill’s Sixsmith books are my favourite by him (now that the Dalziel and Pascoe novels have gone off the boil a bit), and although it’s not as good as the simply magnificent Singing the Sadness (which, along with the Dalziel and Pascoe novel On Beulah Height are among my favourite crime novels ever), it’s still very good – intricately plotted, witty and as well-written as ever. Recommended, although one question remains: why the illustrations?

I’m behind on my reading and reviewing, so I’m going to make a concerted effort to read the various things by my bed and then post my thoughts on them. I don’t make new year resolutions, but if I did, that would be one of them (along with ‘get healthy and thinner’). Promise. You have my word on it.

Right, that’s your lot. Until next week, Lords and Ladies, goodbye!

I had hoped to keep this blog as a kind of review/reflection entry, but unfortunately a situation I thought over has reared its ugly head again. Some of you may remember (were you reading carefully? were you?) that after FCon this year, there was some unpleasantness over Allyson Bird’s Bull Running for Girls winning best collection. The main problem was another author called Mark Samuels, and what I wrote about it then was this: “The attitude to Allyson Bird’s win, as expressed on the Vault of Horror board, is less easy to forgive – whilst I didn’t like the way the original post [not by Mark Samuels] described Bull Running for Girls, it was at least simply an opinion on the book. However, Mark Samuels’ subsequent posts moaning about BRFG’s win being down to pressure from the publishers rather than people simply liking the collection are at best unprofessional (so you lost; grow a skin and deal with it) and at worst offensive and condescending both to the author and to the readers who enjoyed and voted for her collection (who, according to Mark, clearly can’t make their own minds up and have allowed themselves to be forced by external pressure to vote for a book that he clearly believes was less worthy of victory than his own tome).” I still stand by this opinion.

All done and dusted, thought I, and everything seemed to be quiet. This week, however, Mark left a comment against my ThirtySeventh Time blog. The comment itself can be read as quite positive, which is how I took it and responded. However, my blog seemed to be getting a few more hits than normal, and one of the referring sites was Mark’s blog, so I went and had a look at what he had written:

http://marksamuels.wordpress.com/2009/12/18/keeping-your-mouth-shut/

I think what bothers me about this is that Mark clearly put something up about me and then removed it and replaced it with the current post (showing that either he doesn’t think before he publishes online, or that he’s a coward without the courage of his convictions – he’s refused to tell me what he originally wrote so I can’t tell), and that, instead of just dealing with it all and moving on, Mark seems to think there’s some kind of issue between us. Which there isn’t. Now, if Mark wants to keep the argument going I actually don’t mind, because I quite enjoy things like this – especially when people do themselves more damage by their own actions and words than I could ever do them. I might think they’re pompous or arrogant or half-arsed, but they then prove it! Wonderful! I’m confident enough in my own skin and in my own skills to be able to keep this in perspective. However, I’m also aware that it’s risking becoming a slanging match, which does no one any good, so here’s my final words on the subject:

1. Whilst I appreciate that it’s well written and can see how people will respond to it, I have never really warmed to Mark’s fiction (incidentally, this predates this whole situation by a long way – I wrote a review of his novella The Face of Twilight a couple of years ago for All Hallows, in which my conclusion was that “Ultimately, this work is a disappointment. Samuels is clearly talented, and there’s enough in The Face of Twilight to make it a faintly interesting (although undemanding) way to spend an afternoon, but it’s certainly not a high priority read. A missed opportunity and a great shame.” I don’t see this as a problem – no one likes everyone else’s work, and I don’t imagine Mark likes mine very much.

2. I don’t dislike Mark because I don’t know him (although I did meet him very briefly at FCon 2008). The problem with him that I had was solely related to his posts following FCon 2009, a problem which I was not alone in having. Ellen Datlow and a number of other people also felt his posts displayed an unprofessional, unpleasant (and, fundamentally, incorrect) attitude. I’m reliably informed by people I know and like that Mark is a great guy in real life, and I have no reason to believe otherwise; he maybe just comes across badly online.

3. My story in the Black Book of Horror 6 is not about Mark or Allyson Bird or the FCon situation – I just used their names. This was partly as a little in-joke for Allyson to enjoy, and partly because I’m crap at thinking of names for my characters so I tend just to take them from life. When I was writing Traffic Stream, the FCon thing was rumbling on around me, and the names Bird and Samuels were in my head. Is it some kind of guarded attack on Mark? No. Well, okay, maybe a bit. Just a small one.

4. I’ll happily admit that Mark has a long and well-regarded publishing career, far longer than mine is at this point. He seems to be implying, however, that this makes his opinions or writing more valid in some way then mine, which I’d absolutely disagree with. Maybe he thinks he simply knows more than me, I don’t know. I do know that I’m entirely capable of being me, however, and that’s about the most important thing there is. I’d imagine Mark would say the same; I hope so, for his sake.

5. I don’t imagine Mark and I will ever be friends which is a shame, isn’t it? Well, no, not really. I don’t want to make enemies, but I have enough good friends to not worry too much if Mark and I never connect.

I think that the comments I posted on Mark’s blog, my earlier blog posts and this post are an accurate representation on the matter, and I stand by them and won’t take them down. There isn’t an issue between Mark and me unless he wants to make one, and even then there isn’t because it’s not worth it. I wish him well for his future career, and hope that one day he wins a BFS award. I only hope that no one then mars the experience for him by saying that he’s only won it because of political voting or because his publishing company made an effort to publicise him! And that, friends, is all I propose to say in print on the matter.

It’s been a hell of a year! I went back and read my first few blog posts this week, and it reminded me of lots of stuff that’s happened. I started the year in a good place, and am happy to report that I’m ending the year in the same way! Different good place, but good place nonetheless. Looking back, I was very excited about my Ghostwriter collection and some of the other things we were planning, and I still think it’s a shame how that situation turned out. However, I’m also still convinced it was the right decision, made at the right time. Since leaving them, I’ve heard from other GWP authors who had the same kind of concerns that I had, and the company appears to have pulled itself back from most of the product it originally intended to put out to concentrate solely on chapbooks. In its defence, I’ll say that there are authors still involved with GWP who are no fools and whose work I like, so maybe things have improved since I was there – I hope so, and I wish them all the best. Losing the GWP collection, however, did me a huge favour and freed my stuff up for an Ash Tree Press collection. I mean, how cool is that? Really? An ASH TREE PRESS collection! We’re four stories away from a complete and final edit, I’ve seen my proposed cover (I have. it’s fantastic, and exactly what I wanted). So, all’s well that ends well.

Other notable successes this year were getting stories into Gaslight Grotesque, Exotic Gothic 3, Black Static magazine and The Black Book of Horror 6 , so overall this year has been a positive experience (despite some struggles outside of the writing, including having to take a proper job…), but it’s not been without its downsides. I didn’t make the cut for the Tartarus Press Strange Tales 3 or a couple of other anthologies, which was a shame, but you can’t win them all. I’m still waiting for feedback on the novel chapters and the last month or so the writing has gone slow while my brain recovers. Still, a life with no negatives would be a little strange, I think, so I’m good.

And what next? Well, the novel may still be a go-er and if not, then I have another novel idea brewing. I have a long WIP list of stories I want to do, and will definitely be pitching a second collection (I’m at the point where I have almost enough stories). I’ve been invited to contribute to two anthologies, which I’ll definitely do, and of course the ASH TREE PRESS collection, Lost Places, comes out in time for World Horror 2010, in March. How exciting will that be? Very, I tell you, very. I’ve got another short collection almost sorted (no details yet as it’s not definite, but it’s looking hopeful – soon as I know I’ll let you know). But, mostly, you know what? I’m going to keep on enjoying the writing and the worlds I create, and I hope that you might enjoy them as well.

Right, that’s it for the year. Have a great Christmas and New Year, Lords and Ladies, and I’ll see you in 2010!!!

Okay, that’s your lot, I think.

Now, before you go and panic that I’m retiring from the blogosphere (see how up to date and cool I am, that I know words like ‘blogosphere’ and can use them without apparent irony?), I simply mean for this year. I’ll probably blog once more so that I finish the year with a nice round number of blogs under my belt, but really, I think I’m still in ‘go-slow’ mode so I don’t have much to say, and it’s almost certainly boring for you to read me being boring about not having much to say. My mojo, it has to be admitted, has not really returned to full strength as yet, so I’m not writing too much at present – I suspect I need to take a ‘planned’ break from it over Christmas and the new year and get back into things properly in 2010. I have had a hell of  a year, my most productive and successful yet, so I think my writing brain is definitely allowed a breather, don’t you?

Having said that, the Sherlock story continues to develop nicely. It’s proving to be a sod to write, because I’m trying to make it into a thriller as well as a horror story, and trying to co-ordinate what’s going to end up as two narratives within one story. Part of the problem is that I keep writing really neat little scenes (in a mortuary; in a study; on a lonely country road) and then realising that if I use them as I’ve written them, they give away the story too early. I’ve written and rewritten it about four times so far, and I’m only about halfway through (I’m anticipating about 7000 words). It’s hugely good fun, because I’m trying something new (for me, anyway) and it’s helping my writing because it’s forcing me to focus on a slightly differently structured tale. The challenge is exciting, although it’s slower than most of my creative work, but still, I hope to have a good story at the end of it all!

Apart from the Sherlock Story (currently unnamed, and which I don’t anticipate being finished anytime soon, although I have an internal deadline of the end of January to give me chance to send it to the valued critics and then edit/reqork before sending it off), I have no ongoing projects, which is (oddly) quite nice. I’ve been asked to contribute to the Words on the Waves radio show (reviews mainly, although some writing tips and ‘how to avoid writing’ tips as well) and I’m hoping to do some mini audio pieces for a multi-author project next year (more news on that soon). After that? Who knows… Stories, definitely, maybe more work on the novel (and if not, I have another novel I’m toying with). We’ll see. One more blog next week (year’s review, I think) and than that’s definitely, absolutely it for 2009.

Right, Lords and Ladies, bugger off and leave me in peace. It’s Sunday and I want coffee.

A good week, all things considered.

I haven’t had any good news, don’t get too excited – no more acceptances or commissions. No, this week has been about finding the rhythm again. I had some time on trains because of work commitments, so I had some uninterrupted writing time, and I put it to very good use. After the last few weeks’ downtime, I’m happy to report that the mojo is definitely back, and working hard. I’ve made good inroads into the current story, and I’m happy with what I’m writing.

Well, sort of happy. The mojo might be back, but the story’s still emerging wonky! It’s not a problem, though, because I’m in another one of those situations where I don’t mind having to constantly rewrite and delete and add. I’m trying a new type of story (for me), so it’s all a learning curve, and dealing with the problems inherent in writing new stories is how I learn, I think. This is a Sherlock Holmes story, so it needs to work more like a thriller than my normal flat-out horror stories, and the rythyms and tones of the plot, in particular, are different. I realised that every one of the things I’d written weren’t, in fact, subtle elements of foreshadowing adding to a sense of foreboding, but in fact deeply unsubtle signs saying THIS IS A DAMN BIG INDICATOR OF WHAT THE MYSTERY TWIST WILL BE! ARE YOU WATCHING? ARE YOU? Consequently, I’ve had to delete a lot of what I’ve written and rework what’s left (and also adjust the plot that remains as yet unwritten) to make the story work. It’s fun doing it though, which is the benchmark for me of something that remains a worthwhile endevour. It’s not finished yet (I’m probably halfway through), but I’m hopeful it’ll be good when it’s done. Watch this space.

The other thing I did this week was revisit an ‘inspiration space’. Background: about three years ago, I took a risk and became self-employed (it’s not been a great success, but that’s another story…), one of the benefits of which was being able to spend time with my wife and child. One day, we decided to go out to lunch and we ended up in a local park’s cafe/play area. Now, this place had a pirate theme (‘Pirates in the Park’!), and we were the only ones in there. Although we had a good time, there was something creepy about the place, about how quiet it was, and by the time we left I had a story in my head that I hoped might tap into that sense of creepiness and desolation. I wrote An Afternoon with Danny in about a week (fast, for me), and it remains a story I’m immensely proud of – it’s the story I use when I do readings, and it always seems to go down well, and it’ll be in the Ash Tree collection (due in March, folks!). Well, this week, I went back to the park for the first time since writing the story. I’ve not been avoiding it (“That place has a bad atmosphere, Wendy….I just can’t go back there and I don’t think you or Ben should either. Something bad will happen, I can just feel it…!”), it’s just that the opportunity hasn’t presented itself. Saturday, however, my son was invited to a party being held there, back I went, and it was really interesting to see the place again.

It’s much smaller than I remember (although that may be do with the fact that this time, there were about 20 screaming kids charging about the place), but I still think there’s something sinister about the place. It’s basically a Victorian park, and the building that houses the cafe/play area is a big brick shell, so it’s freezing. Everything about it looks just slightly careworn – not dirty or dangerous but a bit rundown. The bouncy castle is decorated like a pirate ship, but is really dark inside because it has a roof and the large snakes and ladders game painted on the floor in one corner only has 25 spaces, and about 2 snakes and one ladder. There’s a smell, not unpleasant exactly, but of food and sweat and rubber and coffee, and the kids scream and shout and make it a place where there seems little room for thought. The climbing frame, ball pool and slide (a particular favourite of Ben’s) are in good condition but look a little frayed at the edges, so why did the place inspire me to write what I consider to be one of my bleaker stories?

Well, it might have something to do with this guy:

Scary-ass Bastard!

 This is a plastic/resin statue that stands inside the door, contributing to the whole pirate ambience. He has an eyepatch made from an old black plaster and a cork on his hook (seriously – I assume to stop the kids scratching themselves and then suing Lancaster District Council!) He’s about 6 feet tall, and quite honestly, he gives me the creeps. I mean, this is a kids’ play area, and he looks like he eats children! This gentlemen was the inspiration for a character in the story called Captain Crossbones Grim, and seeing children playing at his feet on Saturday was a little odd. I do know that my version of the place and the real place aren’t the same, but I still had an urge to call to the children, Don’t mess about with him kids, he’s trouble! Dumb, really… Still, it was fun to visit the place again and to see if it still had the same effect on me. And on the way in, I passed a very old and waterlooged crazy golf course, which started me thinking…

Okay, this week we have some good news, some reflecting and some learning.

Good news: my story Traffic Stream has been accepted for inclusion in the Black Book of Horror 6! The Black Books series are the brainchild of Charles Black, who runs the Mortbury Press, and the details of the previous 5 volumes (whose covers are as eye-catching as the contents are excellent!) can be found here:

http://www.freewebs.com/mortburypress/

Have you been? See? I was right about the covers, wasn’t I? I think that the book will be out in time for March 2010 and World Horror in Brighton, so I’m particularly excited – I’ll have a whole bunch of things available at WHC2010, which might make me look like a proper author. Plus, it’s always nice to get an acceptance, especially when the story is a little stranger than my normal stuff – it’s feels like a validation of the fact that I’m capable of writing weirder stuff that people want to read as well as more ‘traditional’ horror stories.

Okay, the reflection stuff: my best friend (Barrister Steve) told me that my last few blogs had sounded quite maudlin and melancholy, which as well as being alliterative must also mean they were a bit dull to read. It was a surprise, to be honest, as they were never meant to come across that way – I was (I thought) just musing on some of the downsides of being a writer. I’m very clear in my head that the blog shouldn’t ever turn into an ‘it’s a hard life being a writer’ moaning venue because, let’s face it, it’s not. professionally, I do a job that I like and that I’m very good at and which pays the bills, I have a family that loves me and who I love, and the writing is the icing on the cake. Yes, I sometimes struggle with a particular phrase or word, or a plotpoint, and yes the waiting can sometimes be frustrating, but is it hard? No. Not in the grand scheme of things. It’s something I love which is sometimes complex and frustrating and difficult, but which, more often, is exhilarating, fun and helps to keep me sane, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. So, I shall try to be less maudlin and melancholy when I reflect on the more negative aspects of writing, and I shall also try to keep in mind that it’s also one of the most important things in my life.

The learning stuff: this week, I have been looking at the Ash Tree edits of some of the stories for Lost Places. Apart from one of two comments (mostly based on slight errors with my text, I hasten to add, and not to do with any edits that the Rodens have made), the proofs have been fine. But, boy oh boy, have I wanted to mess about with them! I can see all kinds of tweaks I’d make, and it’s been hard to resist making them. I’m starting to realise that part of being an author (as opposed, maybe, to simply being a writer) is knowing when you have to leave the words alone. Are they ever going to be perfect? Not in my head, for sure, but I also can’t keep messing with them. I suspect strongly that I’d never actually find a final version that I was completely satisfied with, and that every time I read them I’d see something I wanted to alter or add, but I simply don’t have the time. Now, the stories need to stand or fall as they are. Besides, I also have a strong suspicion that if I start messing with the stories, Chris and Barbara might just kill me…

One last thing: the mojo came back this week, and I started a new story tentatively intended for Charles and Jeff’s next Sherlock Holmes anthology (which I think is going to be called Gaslight Arcanum). I’m only about 2000 first draft words into it, but it’s going well and has reminded me why I like writing so much: I’m having fun! I’m creating a whole new world, peopling it with characters, letting them loose to act, react and interact. And, of course, killing some of them…

Right, that’s it. Go on, be on your way, Lords and Ladies, there’s nothing more to see here…

Still waiting.

It’s been another of those ‘nothing doing’ weeks. I still haven’t done any writing, but am going to start again this coming week. After last weeks ‘I cain’t do no writin’ ‘cos I’m a-stalled’ blog, I got lots of nice messages reassuring me that it’ll pass, that it’s normal and not to worry – thanks everyone! I’m happy to report that the urge to write is building again, and that I have train journeys this week and a story in my head that I want to get on with – another Sherlock Holmes horror story – so I think my little sabbatical is over (whether my writing mojo likes it or not). I honestly think it’s been good to have a break, as I’m thinking now that whatever stories are still poking me to be written are the ones to go with. I have a few on the burner (old hotels haunted by claustrophobic art, houses that appear only when it rains and their child-stealing inhabitants, the morning commute to work and what happens when it changes, a story told entirely in letters in which none of the letter tell the reader what happened ), so there’s lots to be getting on with. I have a life of trains and hotels coming up for a few months because of a busy spell at work, so some of these should see the light of day soon. Here’s hoping…

I still haven’t heard back about the novel, or about any of the outstanding submissions, so I’m trying to ignore them. I heard from Barbara Roden that she’s now starting to edit the collection, so I’m waiting (that damn word again!) to see what comments she makes about the stories and what changes she recommends/requires. Similarly, Jason van Hollander is on with the cover, so Lost Places is coming together nicely now. I still haven’t made any decisions about my second collection – I don’t have enough stories for a collection yet but I’m not far off, so I need to think about who to pitch it to and how to pitch it. Some of the stories in it are a little less ‘concrete’ than the ones in Lost Places, so pitching it will be a slightly tougher sell I think. I think my plan is to wait until Lost Places is out and generating some interest (and some positive reviews, with luck) and then maybe use that as a springboard to sell the second. We’ll see…

My only other writing related news is that I went to the launch of Rob Shearman’s new book, Love Songs for the Shy and Cynical. Rob read a story and then answered questions, and if the story he read is anything to go by, then Love Songs… is going to be even better than his first, World Fantasy Award-winning, collection Tiny Deaths. Buy it now, lads and lasses! Big Finish, the company publishing the book, laid on a good do, with much free wine and food (and, incidentally, I drank far too much wine and would like to apologise now for any drunken stupidity and slurring that I engaged in – sorry!!) and I met some fine people. Some of them may even still be speaking to me…

Okay, that’s about it for the week. More next week, Lords and Ladies.