(no subject)
The mood's lifted this week, thanks to the medicinal mojo which I rarely touch these days, lifting so many aches and pains in last week's puff up. I've got a diet and exercise list but busy procrastinating because work is so handy for a divergence in front of happiness — and yes, I know, I know I do. The neighbours were hollering and banging to 5am and I feel like shit this morning. Not much to elaborate on besides that. The new podcast is out, number 17, and for the second time, has attracted some of the attention that I think was worth my time and effort making it. Ignore the curmudgeon, James Roberts is quite pleased with it.
The Lost Light - A Socio Sci-Fi Magnum Opus feat. Transformers (1 hour)
In which we celebrate two anniversaries of James Roberts game-changing Lost Light stories: a hard SF epic of post-conflict rehabilitation and redemption, romance and loss, identity, gender, labour, philosophy, crime and punishment; but mostly relationships, all told with wit and poignancy and Transformers.
Occupied author and host Andy Luke talks about his favourite storylines and characters. A reader's cherry is broken as Simon Hodgkiss-Rodgers extols the virtues of the story's ease of access and freshness and Ciaran Flanagan talks musical direction. There's also an exclusive update from James towards the end, so look out for that!
It's made with the low-interest listener in mind. There's mild spoilers after the 30 minute mark. Go on then.
I don't enjoy blogging anymore
and I've been placed too lazy to read blogs. Such is the attraction and agony of micro-blogging. There was a fear this would happen when business capitalism interfered with social media. I gave Occupied a great deal and still do but tweets and statuses empty me. I miss the experience of fifteen years ago and a nurturing environment on Livejournal.
My health is not good: the creep of diabetes, the mental illness of being a creative failure. I've known for years these things could and probably would culminate. I'm trying to make a tight health plan that I can act on, one that'll likely need priority over the business of professional writing. The size of that latter work pile suggests I'd be better dropping the job altogether. I can't suffer for my art. I have more love for the academic transcription job.
There's things to figure out.
Here's a piece of token Occupied promotion... N.Irish identity academic darling Kevin McNicholl and myself reunited after four years in 'the space'.
Book shilled through Amazon at https://is.gd/occupybook
Patreon Year 2 (X-post to Patreon & WP)
Thank you to all my patrons! I wouldn't have had as much fun with all these writings without your encouragement.
In June, I'll be running the last commentaries, Season 2 audios, artblogs and the promised Trebitsch conspiracy vid. There'll also be bonus poems and posts.
Year 2, I'll be working up back-room material. Out-front, I'd like to create shorter works. On Patreon I'm now accepting commissions patrons want to see me work on.
Want SF prose? Ask, and I'll go for it. Want specific? Ditto. After meeting some patrons at a marriage equality march I was to draw a 'Fuck the DUP' colouring book. Do you have a concept ('draw a poem comic about a polar bear called Arcutus that works for Lockheed-Martin') in mind? Or a script? Ask and receive.
In the event of dead air, I'm lining up new novellas and 'Wee Hard Man' comics. Phase 2, I think, should bring Patreon back to the intention: collaboration between funder and creative. Think of it as an artist on the payroll and get thinking. There's a poll below to get us wondering what that will look like. Get specific in the comments. Friends can vote although priority is given to patrons and Patreon subscribers.
In June, I'll be running the last commentaries, Season 2 audios, artblogs and the promised Trebitsch conspiracy vid. There'll also be bonus poems and posts.
Year 2, I'll be working up back-room material. Out-front, I'd like to create shorter works. On Patreon I'm now accepting commissions patrons want to see me work on.
Want SF prose? Ask, and I'll go for it. Want specific? Ditto. After meeting some patrons at a marriage equality march I was to draw a 'Fuck the DUP' colouring book. Do you have a concept ('draw a poem comic about a polar bear called Arcutus that works for Lockheed-Martin') in mind? Or a script? Ask and receive.
In the event of dead air, I'm lining up new novellas and 'Wee Hard Man' comics. Phase 2, I think, should bring Patreon back to the intention: collaboration between funder and creative. Think of it as an artist on the payroll and get thinking. There's a poll below to get us wondering what that will look like. Get specific in the comments. Friends can vote although priority is given to patrons and Patreon subscribers.
What do you want in Patreon Year 2?
Comics
1(50.0%)
Prose
0(0.0%)
Poetry
0(0.0%)
Flash
0(0.0%)
Artblog
1(50.0%)
Video
0(0.0%)
Audio
0(0.0%)
Novella
0(0.0%)
Absence II
0(0.0%)
Wee Hard Man
0(0.0%)
Sleazy Political Histories
0(0.0%)
Action/Adventure
0(0.0%)
Comedy
0(0.0%)
DUP Colouring Book
0(0.0%)
Legal Comics
0(0.0%)
(no subject)
I love it!
(no subject)
Well, about ten last night I got the new chapter up on Patreon, and all the commentaries, art and videos, all the supplementary stuff for the next month. If i can get ahead on the next chapter I'll be getting back tothat other book.
Lots of other stuff in the background. Comics, damn comics: what have i wrought? An exhibition in about eight weeks assembling a dozen artists with funny strips; selling at a mart and convention; running a mini comic con in December, a Caption vibe but smaller; Peter Duncan and I have been talking about an MCR and I'm tempted by the 24 hr comics day in October, primarily as a way to catch up on my prose work, fast, the hackathon spirit.
Seriously, I'm glad I've caught up on Watch Thief. The last few weeks has been grueling. Time off is happening.
Ignacz
Hi Livejournal,
I couldn't post on the novel a few weeks ago and that ended up on my websiteblog. The big news is Ignacz the Watch Thief running on Patreon. I began researching this way, way back and quickly realised I'd struck a sort of golden fault line. It became a script for a graphic novel: some interest from Insomnia and Blank Slate but publication funding was non-existent. Four artists backed away from it, despite condensing a total monomyth into forty eight pages. The film treatment is out there in a slush pile somewhere. This year I decided to write it up as prose and that's out new life into it. Here's the pitch:
It's a globe-trotting time-crossing tragicomedy of adventure and escape which traverses the Edwardian age to World War Two. The story of the most famous person you've never heard of.
One US dollar a month buys four chapters (plus the three already written), and $2 (£1.60) gets you a weekly commentary. I've thrown in We Shall Not Be Stapled as a PDF for all subscribers. More info at http://patreon.com/andyluke
In two weeks it'll start running for free at andy-luke.com. I understand if people wait for the free version though I'd be grateful if you spread the word. This is unique. It's in the vein of my Horatio Bottomley story for To End All Wars, yet Unlike Anything.
I couldn't post on the novel a few weeks ago and that ended up on my websiteblog. The big news is Ignacz the Watch Thief running on Patreon. I began researching this way, way back and quickly realised I'd struck a sort of golden fault line. It became a script for a graphic novel: some interest from Insomnia and Blank Slate but publication funding was non-existent. Four artists backed away from it, despite condensing a total monomyth into forty eight pages. The film treatment is out there in a slush pile somewhere. This year I decided to write it up as prose and that's out new life into it. Here's the pitch:
It's a globe-trotting time-crossing tragicomedy of adventure and escape which traverses the Edwardian age to World War Two. The story of the most famous person you've never heard of.
One US dollar a month buys four chapters (plus the three already written), and $2 (£1.60) gets you a weekly commentary. I've thrown in We Shall Not Be Stapled as a PDF for all subscribers. More info at http://patreon.com/andyluke
In two weeks it'll start running for free at andy-luke.com. I understand if people wait for the free version though I'd be grateful if you spread the word. This is unique. It's in the vein of my Horatio Bottomley story for To End All Wars, yet Unlike Anything.
Ow comics my hand
Well, that's the new Livejournal Agreement with the Russian Federation ticked. Not sure how long I'll be around. I've some extensive work plans for andy-luke.com over the next year possibly beyond.
Simon Amstell's Carnage on iPlayer is my marked fave this week: a psuedo-docu in a Time Trumpetesque future of a world without meat, best not viewed over dinner. Imaginative, surreal and very funny. Running time: 65 minutes.
I've nearly completed 'What we too were once about', a black comedy comic strip written by Richard Barr. A few hours left to delete all the pencil smudge and it's ready for the anthology. Current page count is 32, with six to draw and as many as twelve to come in from other writers. Here's two clips from the thing with Barr, yes, that's a Sons and Daughters reference. The second needs a clean up.
Simon Amstell's Carnage on iPlayer is my marked fave this week: a psuedo-docu in a Time Trumpetesque future of a world without meat, best not viewed over dinner. Imaginative, surreal and very funny. Running time: 65 minutes.
I've nearly completed 'What we too were once about', a black comedy comic strip written by Richard Barr. A few hours left to delete all the pencil smudge and it's ready for the anthology. Current page count is 32, with six to draw and as many as twelve to come in from other writers. Here's two clips from the thing with Barr, yes, that's a Sons and Daughters reference. The second needs a clean up.
(no subject)
All done with The Shield season 3. Find it goes down a little too easy that Dirty Harry aspect. Of course loving the casting, great ensemble. Finickety deleted scene menu on Se3, but bonus features on The Shield are generally great: a professional insight into TV production. The commentaries are well structured too. Yes, full marks. Their subtitles have Dutch in Dutch.
Got around to 2000AD/Megazines from about ten years ago. A lot of Missionary Man in there, mixed feels. Wagner and MacNeill's sequel to America couldn't match the original but enjoyable enough with a few jaw-dropping pages and classic twists. I do love MacNeill. Other highlights: Steve Sampson's work on Harmony, Frazer Irving with Dredd in the wilderness, Siku's Fetish, where Africa comes to MC1. I'd an excerpt of XTNCT, beautiful batshit bonkers monosyllabic dinosaurs by Cornell & D'Israeli, putting me in mind of Jim Woodring.
Got around to 2000AD/Megazines from about ten years ago. A lot of Missionary Man in there, mixed feels. Wagner and MacNeill's sequel to America couldn't match the original but enjoyable enough with a few jaw-dropping pages and classic twists. I do love MacNeill. Other highlights: Steve Sampson's work on Harmony, Frazer Irving with Dredd in the wilderness, Siku's Fetish, where Africa comes to MC1. I'd an excerpt of XTNCT, beautiful batshit bonkers monosyllabic dinosaurs by Cornell & D'Israeli, putting me in mind of Jim Woodring.
And my brain has been buzzing this last week.
February was a bit of a blur. Sloth mixed with mental illness. Still not sure if I'm suited for 'self employed author', hanging on in case I am. I've been seeing Sam and Helen, lovely indy arty types in the comics-zine crossover and enlisting them in a Caption-like event in Belfast next year and an MCR-like event for later this year. I fancy doing the latter in a lighthouse.
Last week I decided to take a week off to focus on really cleaning the flat. That's only half done. OTOH, I've gotten a writer's unblock, writing poetry form for character POV prose. I hope I didn't peak yesterday laying down three strong pieces and one fifty percenter. And my brain has been buzzing this last week. Wondering if I work better under imagined public pressure. Perhaps I could publish 300 words a day for a year on that real history evil Quantum Leap story. And I want to do a comic again, for the Enniskillen festival in May, scripts to draw from Richard Barr and John Robbins.
Recently finished Christine Dwyer Hickey's Cold Eye of Heaven, very digestible literature, a life story of a Dubliner told in reverse and with great colour.
Last week I decided to take a week off to focus on really cleaning the flat. That's only half done. OTOH, I've gotten a writer's unblock, writing poetry form for character POV prose. I hope I didn't peak yesterday laying down three strong pieces and one fifty percenter. And my brain has been buzzing this last week. Wondering if I work better under imagined public pressure. Perhaps I could publish 300 words a day for a year on that real history evil Quantum Leap story. And I want to do a comic again, for the Enniskillen festival in May, scripts to draw from Richard Barr and John Robbins.
Recently finished Christine Dwyer Hickey's Cold Eye of Heaven, very digestible literature, a life story of a Dubliner told in reverse and with great colour.