Thursday, June 4, 2009

Posted @ 09:40 GMT

finding direction

I'm off to Dublin today for the Give Me Direction screenwriting conference. On Saturday the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild is having its AGM, and I'll be attending that as well.

It's Thursday, so here is my weekly pico-prose:

In the Tube, crushed, Lin watches the Brontë Waterfall on the vid-strip, hears splash and spray via her earbuds, and inside, space clears.

Brevity is the soul of those pressed for time.

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Posted @ 00:27 GMT

the garden of death

This month Fantasy Magazine ran a competition for writers to come up with a story in ten lines based on a piece of artwork.

I found the challenge interesting, and picked "The Garden of Death" (1896) by Finnish artist Hugo Simberg (1873 - 1917).

Fantasy Magazine decided to shortlist ten stories. A readers' poll will decide the three winners, which will be podcast. My piece, also called "The Garden of Death", is among the top ten.

All the stories are strong, but if you think mine is among the best, I'd appreciate it if you would vote for me. The poll will remain open until June 12th.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Posted @ 17:06 GMT

words on foot

I've been reading Nietzsche today. As thinkers go he's clear and reasoned. In fact, he's a little too perceptive for those who like their self-delusions, so sometimes his surgical excision of unpleasant human motivations can make for glum reading. He's a bit of a grump at times too, especially when it comes to young people.

In Human, All too Human he has an entire section called "From the Soul of Artists and Authors", which had me laughing, nodding, and sometimes grimacing.

He has high standards:

Speak not of gifts, or innate talents! One can name all kinds of great men who were not very gifted. But they acquired greatness, became "geniuses" (as we say) through qualities about whose lack no man aware of them likes to speak; all of them had that diligent seriousness of a craftsman, learning first to form the parts perfectly before daring to make a great whole. They took time for it, because they had more pleasure in making well something little or less important, than in the effect of a dazzling whole. For example, it is easy to prescribe how to become a good short story writer, but to do it presumes qualities which are habitually overlooked when one says, "I don't have enough talent." Let a person make a hundred or more drafts of short stories, none longer than two pages, yet each of a clarity such that each word in it is necessary; let him write down anecdotes each day until he learns how to find their most concise, effective form; let him be inexhaustible in collecting and depicting human types and characters; let him above all tell tales as often as possible, and listen to tales, with a sharp eye and ear for the effect on the audience; let him travel like a landscape painter and costume designer; let him excerpt from the various sciences everything that has an artistic effect if well portrayed; finally, let him contemplate the motives for human behavior, and disdain no hint of information about them, and be a collector of such things day and night. In this diverse exercise, let some ten years pass: and then what is created in the workshop may also be brought before the public eye.

Nietzsche is very quotable. There are numerous examples I'd like to repeat, but perhaps I'll just tantalise you with another epigram that made me laugh, and merely suggest you delve further into his work (if you haven't already).

One should regard a writer as a criminal who deserves acquittal or clemency only in the rarest cases: that would be a way to keep books from getting out of hand.

He's strict!

Since it's Thursday here's my weekly snippet of prose. Nietzsche might not have approved of the length of time it took to compose, but every word fought for its place -- especially since I only had 140 characters in which to complete it.

My lips, damp, your mouth, eager. Pressed together, we devour emptiness with voracious need. We possess each other's flesh. I and you bleed.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Posted @ 12:12 GMT

try out a diet

Issue three of the electronic magazine Arkham Tales has been published, and it contains my short story "The Diet" - a tale in the Lovecraftian tradition.

It's available for download in two formats: .pdf for web viewing or .pdf for printing.

I enjoyed writing "The Diet", partly because I love this type of horror story, and because its characters are Irish, and it's set in Dublin. I set stories all over the world (or invent worlds for them), but I've noticed that my stories which are most influenced by the work of Lovecraft are often set in Ireland.

I've another two stories in this style, both located in this country, gestating in my brain--one of them is a loose sequel to "Home", which was published in Shroud Magazine last year.

I'm working my way through a number of incomplete projects at the moment: finishing them, and polishing them up for submission. I want to clear up this backlog before I start on another new story.

One story, which I began two years ago, finally got hammered into shape last week. It was the most fun I've had writing a story in ages. It's also the longest story I've written. I try to keep everything under six thousand words if possible--it increases the chances for a sale because more markets take stories of that word count, plus I think it's an ideal length for a short piece.

The story is King (or Queen), however. Sometimes you have to bow to the demands of the characters and the dictates of the world and allow them a looser rein.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Posted @ 23:26 GMT

hearing the resonance bell

Today I wrote a poem, went to a poetry reading, and read out a different poem at the open mic section.

I know no one at these events, and it's nerve-wracking for me to read poetry in front of strangers. Still, it's a good exercise, and I haven't had the opportunity to attend of late. Generally, I find listening to other people read their work inspiring. I enjoy the diversity: the rapid shifts of pace and subject matter. Even when some of it is not to my taste.

Often, there is a combination of words, a phrase, a verse, or an entire poem that hits the resonance bell.

Then those echoes pulse softly in my head for days.

It's Thursday, so time for my weekly pico-prose in under 140 characters:

"End of days," he says. His coal-black teeth snap, gleeful, like a bear trap. I tip my hat in salute. "Maybe for you. Call me Armageddon."

Monday, May 18, 2009

Posted @ 19:27 GMT

d day

On this day in 1897 a book called Dracula was published for the first time. In a strange bout of synchronicity my screenwriting group is looking at three screen adaptations of Dracula: Dracula (1931), the BBC mini-series Count Dracula (1977), and Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992). Afterwards, we're going to a screening of the marvellous Swedish vampire film, Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In - 2008).

I'd been tipped off about the 1970s BBC version while doing research for the public interview with Kim Newman last month. Everyone who'd seen it heaped the adaptation with high praise, so I was interested in watching it. The series was adapted by Gerald Savory and directed by Philip Saville, and is by far the best and most faithful adaptation of the novel. Most film versions are riffs on the stage play, which was first produced in England in 1924.

Savory cleverly makes Mina and Lucy sisters. This could have been for the purposes of budget and location - fewer sets - but it makes a lot of sense in regard to streamlining the story. While this adaptation of Dracula evidences a number of quirky 1970s sensibilities and effects, there is also terrific acting, and a certain patience with the story. This is certainly the most faithful adaptation of the novel to the screen, and has become one of my favourites.

I'm less enamoured of the original Dracula, mainly because it's a film very much of its time. There's a lot of emphasis on getting the concept of vampires right out in the open, partly because that wasn't such a well-known fable in its day. Now, it comes across as overkill. But, Tod Browing has some excellent moody shots, executed without any dialogue, which makes me forgive some of its melodramatic excesses. And the Renfield is superb. Surprisingly, the Van Helsing character is rather understated, and I enjoyed the one-on-one showdown between the count and the Dutch scientist.

Originally I didn't have much time for Bram Stoker's Dracula, partly because there's a great deal of invention: in particular the reincarnation storyline. However, the style and the direction of the film have grown upon me. I can now appreciate the influences of German expressionism in Coppola's version. Ultimately the film is a love story, with a lush, Gothic, and torrid atmosphere. The accents are all pretty dreadful, and Hopkins' Van Helsing is probably my least favourite interpretation of the character. Still, there is a palpable frisson between Ryder and Oldman, which elevates their scenes.

Happy Birthday Dracula. You continue to inspire books and films, long after your first, humble publication.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Posted @ 21:09 GMT

look around you

I haven't forgotten it's Thurday. Here's today's micro missive:

Houdini's first afterlife message, delivered by email: Lack of limbs renders escape awkward but not impossible. Flexibility of will, vital.

Sometimes I like to have fun with these little splashes of words.

After signs of an incipient summer we're back to monsoon rains. I was thinking of hitting the cinema this afternoon for the latest Star Trek movie but I was in a midst of a strong writing session--I was having fun--so I decided that Kirk et al. could wreck CGI havoc without me for another few days.

I did brave the floods and rain for a poetry reading, only to realise I got my dates wrong and I was a week early. Doh! Ah well, maybe the break will be good for me. I thought a lot about the next scene as I sat in my car and my windscreen wipers thumped and sloshed (and of course I paid attention to the road--far better than some people who don't realise you are supposed to slow down when it's raining).

I also dropped by my library and picked up a bunch of writing books. Recently I read On Writing, by Stephen King. Yeah, I know, I'm late to this party. Actually, I enjoyed the biography sections the most, and thought his description of his horrendous accident proved what a masterful writer he is. Real life horror served up with brutal honesty.

I selected a hodgepodge of writing books, including The Third Mind by William S. Burroughs and Brian Gysin. This is the beauty of libraries. Oddball stuff like this lurks on shelves, hiding between typical fare like Mastering Chick Lit and Crash Testing for Dummies.

There's a cool little interview with Burroughs right at the start, which is as far I've read. At one point he says: "Most people don't see what going on around them. That's my principal message to writers: For Godsake, keep your eyes open. Notice what's going on around you."

It's a simple thing, but true. I get a lot of ideas just by watching how people behave, and noticing the extraordinarily odd things that happen all the time. Sometimes you wonder if you are the only person who witnessed it. Which makes it special.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Posted @ 15:45 GMT

happy and sad: a Paradox

First the good news: issue 13 of Paradox: The Magazine of Historical and Speculative Fiction is now available.

It contains my short story "Beautiful Calamity". There's a snippet on the magazine's web site from the beginning of the story if you want to get a feel for it.

I can't wait to receive my contributor copies (which are navigating the postal system to me), so I can read the story in print.

I'm proud of this one.

The sad news, however, is that issue thirteen will be the last edition of the print incarnation of the magazine. Editor Chris Cevasco says that there are plans for future book anthologies through Paradox Publications, and there remains the possibility that the magazine could re-launch in an online format in the future.

I certainly hope so. I'd love to work with Chris again, whom I found to be a helpful and thoughtful editor.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Posted @ 16:09 GMT

children's book conference

The children and young adult fiction markets are awash in speculative fiction writers, which is wonderful. Adults often read this fiction, sometimes because they come to it via their children, and often because young adult fiction is damn good.

Irish fans should therefore be interested in the Children's Books Ireland conference, which takes place from 16-17 May in the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin.

The theme this year is Challenge and Change in Children's Books, and there is a big range of Irish and international writers at this year's event.

On the home front, Ireland is well represented by the talents of Celine Kiernan (The Poison Throne), Andrew Whitson and Caitríona Hastings (An tSnáthaid Mhór), Orla Kenny & Mary Branley (Kids' Own) and Eoin Colfer (Artemis Fowl, Airman), who will close proceedings on Sunday in conversation with Robert Dunbar.

From the UK, CBI is delighted to welcome illustration expert Martin Salisbury (Play Pen), award-winning authors Patrick Ness (The Knife of Never Letting Go) and David Almond (Skellig, Jackdaw Summer), as well as writer and publisher Verna Wilkins (Tamarind Books), who will present this year’s Ibby Ireland session.

Making perhaps the longest commute ever in the history of CBI conference speakers will be the celebrated Australian author and illustrator Shaun Tan (The Arrival, Tales from Outer Suburbia) who makes his first visit to Ireland especially for the conference.

It's not cheap to attend, however. A full weekend costs CBI Members €75 / Non-Members €95, while a one-day ticket costs CBI Members €40 / Non Members €50.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Posted @ 13:04 GMT

celebrate short fiction

I noticed that Poets & Writers magazine is making a case for the concept of May being National Short Story Month.

Well, as someone who writes and reads short fiction I think it's a fine idea. The Emerging Writers Network is behind the campaign, and is blogging all month with reviews of short fiction to lend momentum to the movement.

There are a multitude of online sources for short speculative fiction, and here is just a small sample:

E-Zines

• Abyss & Apex
• Arkham Tales
• Beneath Ceaseless Skies
• Brain Harvest
• ChiZine
• Clarkesworld Magazine
• Fantasy Magazine
• Farrago's Wainscot
• Hub Magazine
• Ideomancer
• Jim Baen's Universe
• Lone Star Stories
• Strange Horizons

Podcast Magazines

• EscapePod
• PodCastle
• Pseudopod
• Star Ship Sofa
• Transmissions From Beyond

Don't forget to give some love to the print magazines, and the many excellent print collections in your brick and mortar bookshops too.

So why not read and/or download some short stories during May?

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Posted @ 19:59 GMT

get some direction, quick

Before I inflict my weekly tiny piece of prose upon the web I'll mention a couple of items that might be of interest to some of my readers.

First off while perusing the films appearing in the forthcoming Spanish and Latin American Film Season at the IFI in Dublin I noticed that on Monday May 11th it's showing a Mexican science fiction film called Sleep Dealer. We don't often get opportunities to see sf films from other countries in Ireland, and it looks like it will be at least entertaining.

Also, I've posted an entry over on the Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild's Blog about a new screenwriting conference, called Give Me Direction, that's being held in Dublin on June 4th—5th.

A number of excellent international screenwriters will be attending:

• Shane Black (Lethal Weapon)
• Shane Meadows and Paul Fraser (A Room for Romeo Brass, SomersTown)
• Eran Kolirin (The Band's Visit)
• Conor McPherson (The Eclipse)

I had the fortune to attend a Q&A session with Shane Black when I was in L.A. a number of years ago, and one of my favourite possessions is a signed copy of his screenplay for Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. He's worth the price of admission alone (€40) since we don't normally get someone of his calibre in Ireland, but the other writers are hardly any slouches either. It's a fine ensemble. Places are limited, and since I've already emailed the Guild's membership about the event I would recommend you secure your place immediately.

Here's my Thursday Twitterfic:

The corkscrew dial clicks and filters flick: people flare colour by mood, icons replace buildings, and data chains link the streets. I blink.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Posted @ 21:22 GMT

uplifting

Another one of my twitter stories has been published on Thaumatrope: if you're hungry for a fictional nibble.

Reviews of Black Static, issue 10, have been appearing online. I realised before reading the first one that I had been bracing myself: like how you involuntarily clench your muscles when you expect a terrible blow.

My story, "Vic", is intimate, small, and poignant, and I suspected some people might want a story that's more action-packed and brutal. Although, that's the beauty of a diverse collection of stories in a magazine--you should find one to your tastes.

However, Colin Harvey over on Suite 101 enjoyed "Vic" very much, and rated it "Outstanding". He blogged about it again the following day.

SF Revu also offered its opinion on the contents of the magazine.

It's a relief, and a pleasure, when I discover other people enjoy my writing. It makes the slog, and the disappointments, seem worthwhile. It also motivates me to write more, which is the best result.

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Posted @ 14:11 GMT

back on track

I'm returning to schedule for my weekly Twitterfic Thursday. Here is today's offering:

Your pain blurs your eyes with chiaroscuro patterns, and I watch, entranced at the truth it reveals. Your mouth becomes an O of revelation.

Not much else to add: it's a beautiful day in the West of Ireland, which is a lovely change from yesterday's magnificent downpour. I thought I'd been phase-shifted to India during the Monsoon season, but without the heat and insects.

This is far more like the beginning of an Irish summer. Tomorrow is May 1st, after all.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Posted @ 21:07 GMT

catching up

The past three weeks have been hectic, and my weekly Thursday Twitterfic lapsed during this period, but as it happens a bunch of my twitter stories hit the web so here are links to them:

There are two stories, here and here, on Thaumatrope, and a pico story on Outshine.

During Easter my poem "Exchange" went live on the fabulous Goblin Fruit.

Finally, issue 10 of British horror magazine Black Static is now on sale, and it contains my short story "Vic".

I had a brilliant time at Eastercon in Bradford. I thoroughly enjoyed all the panels I was on, and moderated tightly for the two I shepherded. Generally, I enjoyed the other panels I attended, but they highlighted to me that a sharp moderator is an essential component to their success.

Much of Eastercon is about socialising: meeting old friends and forging new relationships. So much of my daily interactions are online that it's common for me to know people in a virtual fashion long before I meet them in person. At Eastercon I managed to connect with a number of people I've only known previously via email and web sites. One of my personal highlights was catching up with Ian MacLeod, one of my instructors at Clarion West.

It's also a timely mention since I've just heard that Ian won the Arthur C. Clarke Award this evening for his novel Song of Time. Congratulations Ian!

I also got to see one of Ireland's best-selling - and most under-recognised - writers in action: Eoin Colfer. He's writing a new book in the The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series, titled And Another Thing....

Since the Adams' books are much beloved by fans I suspect Colfer anticipated a grilling at the convention. Except, Colfer was so charming - in an unassuming, witty, and honest fashion - that it was impossible to imagine he was part of some conspiracy to plunder the Hitchhiker world. At this point I plan on obtaining the new book, so I can see what Colfer brings to the series.

The following weekend I was in Dublin for events themed around Dracula, as part of Dublin City Council's One Book, One City celebrations. A long time ago I examined Bram Stoker's Dracula as part of my M.A. thesis, so I'm pretty familiar with the novel. Much to my delight I received a gift of The New Annotated Dracula, edited by Leslie S. Klinger, while I was in Dublin. It's a fantastic - if weighty - text, and a must-buy for any Dracula devotee.

I attended a lively and fascinating talk hosted by Leah Moore and John Reppion about their forthcoming comic book adaptation, The Complete Dracula. I've already ordered this from my local comics shop, but after listening to the process involved in adapting the book to a graphic format I'm even more eager to read the final product.

The following day I was in conversation with Kim Newman in front of a public audience at the IFI regarding film adaptations of Dracula, as part of its weekend season of Dracula and vampire films. I enjoyed the dialogue very much, partly because it prompted me to do a lot of advance research (my favourite kind of chore), and also because I learned a great deal from the exchange.

Since then I've been trying to catch up with my work. These breaks are wonderful, but also exhausting, and always there is a backlog to tackle upon my return.