Fortieth Time
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.
[Note: I’ve removed this section of the blog, not because I had a problem with what I’ve written – I don’t – but because I’m aware that people are coming here as a result of a link from a review of the Sixth Black Book of Horror. Whilst I stand by what I said, i would like it if people could just Mark and my stories as stand-alone pieces, rather than in light of the disagreement we had. I’ve read Mark’s story, and it’s very enjoyable, as (I hope) is mine – just groove with the tales, folks].
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!!!
ThirtyNinth Time
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.
ThirtyEighth Time
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…
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