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Sunday, 31 July 2011
Monday, 18 July 2011
Friday, 3 June 2011
Why I hate Sci Fi
I don't hate all Sci Fi, that would be mad. I do hate most of it, though. Here's why.
When facing a dilemma a person has a limited number of choices. With a rabid dog snarling on their path, running away or kicking the crap out of it are the only likely scenarios. There may be a broken bottle nearby or a hoodie with a samurai sword he's nicked but that's about it. There's a rabid dog, sort it out.
When it comes to Sci Fi there are endless possibilities. This is fantastic for writers and readers with amazing imaginations, however when I pick up a book or watch a film I tend to want a plausible conclusion - battered heads, broken legs, even a counselling session where the rabid dog realises the error of it's ways, apologises and takes the time to contact anybody it may have upset over the years.
An infinite number of improbable weapons or situations such as time travel have never appealed to me as, at the time of going to press, it could never happen. I've dreamed of what I might do if I could travel back in time, leaving the images firmly in my head. I don't want to deny anybody their right to the sublime, it's more that my subconscious can't detach itself from real life. I have a long writing career ahead of me if all goes well and I'm sure I will run out of probable scenarios, but when I do make sure I haven't fallen into another world in another dimension.
My feet should remain firmly on the ground at all times.
When facing a dilemma a person has a limited number of choices. With a rabid dog snarling on their path, running away or kicking the crap out of it are the only likely scenarios. There may be a broken bottle nearby or a hoodie with a samurai sword he's nicked but that's about it. There's a rabid dog, sort it out.
When it comes to Sci Fi there are endless possibilities. This is fantastic for writers and readers with amazing imaginations, however when I pick up a book or watch a film I tend to want a plausible conclusion - battered heads, broken legs, even a counselling session where the rabid dog realises the error of it's ways, apologises and takes the time to contact anybody it may have upset over the years.
An infinite number of improbable weapons or situations such as time travel have never appealed to me as, at the time of going to press, it could never happen. I've dreamed of what I might do if I could travel back in time, leaving the images firmly in my head. I don't want to deny anybody their right to the sublime, it's more that my subconscious can't detach itself from real life. I have a long writing career ahead of me if all goes well and I'm sure I will run out of probable scenarios, but when I do make sure I haven't fallen into another world in another dimension.
My feet should remain firmly on the ground at all times.
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Kama Slumber Q&A
I have been asked to do a Kama Slumber Q&A, so here it is as it was posted on Twitter. @Scott_Ruminates asks the questions. Here we go...
Q1. In 140 characters or less can you describe what Kama Slumber aims to provide the reader?
Kama Slumber is a tongue-in-cheek look at sleeping positions, not to be taken too seriously. It was written purely to raise a smile.
Q2. What qualities did you see in Helen to star in the book. Was one of them 'laziness'?
I'd seen a few stills of Helen and knew she would be great as a model. Her work is always very professional, which struck me.
Q3. For research purposes, did you trial the positions in bed for several weeks beforehand prior to producing the book?
The only reference I had for the positions was a stickman drawing of each drawn in a notebook. Any alterations were done on shoot day.
Q4. Did you use your own bed in the book?
The bed came from Freecycle about a month before it was needed. It went back on Freecycle the day after the shoot. (www.freecycle.org)
Q5. How long did the book Kama Slumber take to produce?
The photoshoot took about 1 1/2 hours as the light was perfect & we had the notebook as a guide. The writing took around a month or so.
Q6. Did Helen actually fall asleep at any point during the photoshoot?
I loaded Helen with coffee before the shoot to avoid that problem. Each position was shot in 1 take so there was no time to nap.
Q7. Al Murray & Robin Ince both gave Kama Slumber glowing reviews. Are you aware of any other celebrity readers?
I forced the book on Ewen Macintosh and rumour is rife that Gary Barlow stole a copy from a branch of Waterstones.
Q8. What time do you go to bed?
I try to get to bed at a sensible time as I work during the week, but sometimes when I’m writing it can be much later than expected.
Q9. Is Kama Slumber available as an audiobook?
I'm not sure if Kama Slumber would translate well as an audiobook but I will happily produce one on request should a reader need one.
Finally, Q10. Will we be seeing a follow-up to Kama Slumber ?
A follow up is unlikely as I believe the book works well on it's own but I would never rule it out. Anything could happen in the future.
I hope that gives you all a better insight into Kama Slumber. Thanks to @Scott_Ruminates for the questions. Buy your copy at www.lyvit.com or a copy for your Kindle at Amazon.
Follow me on Twitter - @Lyvit
Follow Scott on Twitter - @Scott_Ruminates
Follow Helen on Twitter - @TheDelovely
Follow Kama Slumber on Twitter - @KamaSlumber
Q1. In 140 characters or less can you describe what Kama Slumber aims to provide the reader?
Kama Slumber is a tongue-in-cheek look at sleeping positions, not to be taken too seriously. It was written purely to raise a smile.
Q2. What qualities did you see in Helen to star in the book. Was one of them 'laziness'?
I'd seen a few stills of Helen and knew she would be great as a model. Her work is always very professional, which struck me.
Q3. For research purposes, did you trial the positions in bed for several weeks beforehand prior to producing the book?
The only reference I had for the positions was a stickman drawing of each drawn in a notebook. Any alterations were done on shoot day.
Q4. Did you use your own bed in the book?
The bed came from Freecycle about a month before it was needed. It went back on Freecycle the day after the shoot. (www.freecycle.org)
Q5. How long did the book Kama Slumber take to produce?
The photoshoot took about 1 1/2 hours as the light was perfect & we had the notebook as a guide. The writing took around a month or so.
Q6. Did Helen actually fall asleep at any point during the photoshoot?
I loaded Helen with coffee before the shoot to avoid that problem. Each position was shot in 1 take so there was no time to nap.
Q7. Al Murray & Robin Ince both gave Kama Slumber glowing reviews. Are you aware of any other celebrity readers?
I forced the book on Ewen Macintosh and rumour is rife that Gary Barlow stole a copy from a branch of Waterstones.
Q8. What time do you go to bed?
I try to get to bed at a sensible time as I work during the week, but sometimes when I’m writing it can be much later than expected.
Q9. Is Kama Slumber available as an audiobook?
I'm not sure if Kama Slumber would translate well as an audiobook but I will happily produce one on request should a reader need one.
Finally, Q10. Will we be seeing a follow-up to Kama Slumber ?
A follow up is unlikely as I believe the book works well on it's own but I would never rule it out. Anything could happen in the future.
I hope that gives you all a better insight into Kama Slumber. Thanks to @Scott_Ruminates for the questions. Buy your copy at www.lyvit.com or a copy for your Kindle at Amazon.
Follow me on Twitter - @Lyvit
Follow Scott on Twitter - @Scott_Ruminates
Follow Helen on Twitter - @TheDelovely
Follow Kama Slumber on Twitter - @KamaSlumber
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Dark Dawns Bring Blood
Guest Blogger - Alya Bessex
During the early part of 2009 I had the idea to do a dark poetry book. I'd read quite a bit of poetry, including that of Terry Lander, and I liked the idea of including myself in the 'poet' category. I'd already written 'The Unaired Views Of A Twenty Four Year Old Nobody' and felt that a darker direction was needed.
I got in touch with Terry at Lyvit to see if he would be happy to publish it and, after a couple of days of debating, he agreed. I set to work putting it all together, deciding on a shorter book of just 100 pages as I wanted to make the content as powerful as possible without diluting it too much. This also meant readers shouldn't get bored while reading.
The problem I had was the title. I wanted something that screamed about the poems, ripping the reader away from other books and into mine. I knew that I wanted a demonic car on the front too, choosing Terry's Mini as they have such a cheeky charm that suggests an air of evil lurking in the background. Meep meep, I'm coming to kill you.
As I was finishing the last few poems a film was released with the title 'Drag Me To Hell' by Sam Raimi. It hit me immediately - the imagery of being dragged across a concrete floor until you're bleeding and screaming before plunging to the depths of a fiery afterlife really conjured up the image I was going for. I'm not a sadist, I just wanted a book that brings home the reality of the worst people roaming the planet. Finally, 'Dark Dawns Bring Blood' came to me. While everyone is still asleep, the scum of the earth roam to bring the red tides flowing. It was perfect.
I'm only writing about this now because I finally saw the film last night and have to say I really enjoyed it. The premise of a gypsy curse had been done before in Stephen King's 'Thinner', but the film didn't suffer any more for the repetition. The ending really caught my attention as the promise of the title came to life on screen. Drag me to hell. Done.
During the early part of 2009 I had the idea to do a dark poetry book. I'd read quite a bit of poetry, including that of Terry Lander, and I liked the idea of including myself in the 'poet' category. I'd already written 'The Unaired Views Of A Twenty Four Year Old Nobody' and felt that a darker direction was needed.
I got in touch with Terry at Lyvit to see if he would be happy to publish it and, after a couple of days of debating, he agreed. I set to work putting it all together, deciding on a shorter book of just 100 pages as I wanted to make the content as powerful as possible without diluting it too much. This also meant readers shouldn't get bored while reading.
The problem I had was the title. I wanted something that screamed about the poems, ripping the reader away from other books and into mine. I knew that I wanted a demonic car on the front too, choosing Terry's Mini as they have such a cheeky charm that suggests an air of evil lurking in the background. Meep meep, I'm coming to kill you.
As I was finishing the last few poems a film was released with the title 'Drag Me To Hell' by Sam Raimi. It hit me immediately - the imagery of being dragged across a concrete floor until you're bleeding and screaming before plunging to the depths of a fiery afterlife really conjured up the image I was going for. I'm not a sadist, I just wanted a book that brings home the reality of the worst people roaming the planet. Finally, 'Dark Dawns Bring Blood' came to me. While everyone is still asleep, the scum of the earth roam to bring the red tides flowing. It was perfect.
I'm only writing about this now because I finally saw the film last night and have to say I really enjoyed it. The premise of a gypsy curse had been done before in Stephen King's 'Thinner', but the film didn't suffer any more for the repetition. The ending really caught my attention as the promise of the title came to life on screen. Drag me to hell. Done.
Saturday, 18 December 2010
How presents get from parents to Santa
On the first day of December every year, "Jingle Bells" plays in the house of the Phwell for the first time. This is his call to wake up from the slumber that has engulfed him since the start of the new year and the sign that his work must begin. After a healthy breakfast and a cup of coffee he prepares himself for a busy period.
In Santa's early days he had a team of elves to make toys and presents for the children of the world. However, since toy companies came to be, the elves found themselves having less and less work to do. The Phwell was one of these elves but, instead of complaining about the reducing workload, he set to work finding a solution. He spoke to Santa about a delivery service, where he would pick up the presents from parents and deliver them to Santa.
He has a whole month to visit the parents, picking up the gifts they have bought for their children and friends. However, parents now buy the gifts a year in advance, allowing the elves more time to wrap the gifts and label them ready for Santa's deliveries. This also provides a chance for them to help load the sleigh in time for Christmas Eve. The Phwell is also responsible for collecting reports from parents about whether children have been naughty or nice. These are updated right up until Christmas Eve and the gifts of naughty children are turned into cheeseboards for supermarkets.
Once the Phwell has collected all of the presents from parents and Santa has delivered the presents collected the previous year there is a big party at Claus HQ. Mrs Claus makes a giant buffet and there is punch for all of the guests. The Phwell always joins in with his fellow elves as they celebrate another successful year before his sleep begins again in January.
In Santa's early days he had a team of elves to make toys and presents for the children of the world. However, since toy companies came to be, the elves found themselves having less and less work to do. The Phwell was one of these elves but, instead of complaining about the reducing workload, he set to work finding a solution. He spoke to Santa about a delivery service, where he would pick up the presents from parents and deliver them to Santa.
He has a whole month to visit the parents, picking up the gifts they have bought for their children and friends. However, parents now buy the gifts a year in advance, allowing the elves more time to wrap the gifts and label them ready for Santa's deliveries. This also provides a chance for them to help load the sleigh in time for Christmas Eve. The Phwell is also responsible for collecting reports from parents about whether children have been naughty or nice. These are updated right up until Christmas Eve and the gifts of naughty children are turned into cheeseboards for supermarkets.
Once the Phwell has collected all of the presents from parents and Santa has delivered the presents collected the previous year there is a big party at Claus HQ. Mrs Claus makes a giant buffet and there is punch for all of the guests. The Phwell always joins in with his fellow elves as they celebrate another successful year before his sleep begins again in January.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
The changing face of social networking
When I proposed to my wife I was using the internet daily, particularly for email and research. I was not really aware of social networking, although I believe Friends Reunited was established by then. I would never have considered using the internet to propose to my wife or to tell people about our engagement; these are things best done in person.
I started using Friends Reunited shortly afterwards, although I don't think I ever got in touch with my old school friends. Once the novelty had worn off I was back to checking emails and logging off almost stright away. My first real experience of using social networking came with MySpace, which offered me a chance to do a little advertising for the books I had started to write and get in touch with people I'd never met before, some of whom I still keep in contact with now.
Like most of my friends I abandoned MySpace for Facebook, which seemed to offer little more in the way of communication and photo sharing. I wasn't a fan of the layout, but I knew that if I stayed with MySpace I'd never hear from my online friends again. I have stayed fairly faithful to Facebook, joining Twitter mainly as a way of getting word round about our ever growing website. Both sites, however, remained fairly superficial in that I would use them for throw away comments and a spot of advertising but never as a voice-over for my life.
Two comments recently have got me wondering about the future for the human race. The first was a marriage proposal; this seemed like a joke at first as, although I know the two people involved are in love, I'd never put a proposal online as it seems to cheapen the moment. The second was when two people had broken up and the conversation finished at "I'll know she's serious when she changes her relationship status to 'single'". What about the hours of screaming phonecalls and the very definite response of 'I want you out of my life'?
Perhaps it's a good thing that we can monitor our lives online, maybe it's even cool that everyone else can. However I will continue to live life outside the glow of the monitor as I believe deaths in families, proposals, relationship meltdowns and house fires are private and should remain that way - at least until the dust settles.
Buy Lyvit books.
I started using Friends Reunited shortly afterwards, although I don't think I ever got in touch with my old school friends. Once the novelty had worn off I was back to checking emails and logging off almost stright away. My first real experience of using social networking came with MySpace, which offered me a chance to do a little advertising for the books I had started to write and get in touch with people I'd never met before, some of whom I still keep in contact with now.
Like most of my friends I abandoned MySpace for Facebook, which seemed to offer little more in the way of communication and photo sharing. I wasn't a fan of the layout, but I knew that if I stayed with MySpace I'd never hear from my online friends again. I have stayed fairly faithful to Facebook, joining Twitter mainly as a way of getting word round about our ever growing website. Both sites, however, remained fairly superficial in that I would use them for throw away comments and a spot of advertising but never as a voice-over for my life.
Two comments recently have got me wondering about the future for the human race. The first was a marriage proposal; this seemed like a joke at first as, although I know the two people involved are in love, I'd never put a proposal online as it seems to cheapen the moment. The second was when two people had broken up and the conversation finished at "I'll know she's serious when she changes her relationship status to 'single'". What about the hours of screaming phonecalls and the very definite response of 'I want you out of my life'?
Perhaps it's a good thing that we can monitor our lives online, maybe it's even cool that everyone else can. However I will continue to live life outside the glow of the monitor as I believe deaths in families, proposals, relationship meltdowns and house fires are private and should remain that way - at least until the dust settles.
Buy Lyvit books.
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