WAG THE DOG

     I'm feeling very pessimistic this week so I hope I don't bring anyone down too much. My goal for the end of the week was to have the first draft of THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT finished. A huge task to be sure, but one that was achievable. That was, until I became sick with the flu, suffering all the stings and bile that come with that, coupled with the fact my neck on the right side decided to swell up and become extremely sore for no particular reason. The bloody joys of getting old, yes?

     As a result of all this impending joy, I haven't been able to write, let alone look at a computer screen (looking at this now makes me nauseous and my neck hurts), but this is not a woe is me blog. Just stating the facts, bub. My wife seems to think that I am again being plagued by the, well, plague, because of the pressures of a) writing the new book THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT and b) stressing about the sales of my books. As I said last week I have no job, taking a volutary redundancy package from my previous employer. It will tide me over for a few more weeks but the hour of searching for a job is looming fast, unless a miracle happens. And maybe the thought of working for someone else will drive me crazy and make me sick. God knows I hate being stuck in a cubicle or doing some ridiculous menial task just to bring home the bacon, but that's what you have to do right? But I found my mind slipping back to those dark days of bad thoughts, of self loathing that seems to beguile creative people in the modern world. I found myself after a karate class last Friday having a mini breakdown, having to rush home, for no particular reason. What was the cause? Hell if I know. But it wasn't pleasant and not a space I want to be in. I try to pride my self in being positive most of the time, I mean, how else do you get the job done? But by God it's hard and hats of to all of you who have to struggle day in and day out doing what you hate just to survive. That's what being a real hero is about in the modern world.

     Wow, that is a pessimistic assessment, reading back over it. But it's true and I hate not telling the truth. It gets you nowhere. We all have coping mechanisms (mine are probably reading good stories) and whenever your feeling blue or lack the energy to go on, put them into overdrive. At least that's what I plan to do. So I hear by pledge to do nothing for the rest of the week except for this:

THINK ABOUT WHAT I CAN CHANGE TO GET THAT POSITIVE MINDSET BACK. WHAT ARE THE CHANGES THAT CAN FURTHER MY WRITING CAREER? TRY AND BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT I'VE GOT. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, TREASURE THOSE THAT MEAN THE MOST.

Yes, well, not too much to ask is it?

I'll do a better post next time, I promise ;)

What I am reading:

Kirby: The King of Comics by Mark Evanier....A mini biography of one of the most influential artists ever to grace the medium, small on talk but packed with oversized art. A man full of imagination that was taken for granted by all that employed him. Heartbreaking yet inspiring stuff. Read a short bio here.

Have a great week and cheers!

John

    

The Muppets

I finished working my day job about six weeks ago. It wasn't because I'd suddenly sold one million books and fell into the life of the leisurely writer. My former place of employment was downsizing, a product of the age we live in; increase in corporate profiteering followed by a shift in the determinants of where and how the work force actually, well, works. I won't name the company I was formerly employed for except to say to them good luck delivering all those letters whose volumes are currently in free fall. I received a payout. Not as big as I would have liked, but enough for me not to work for a couple of months to finish my next book, THE MONSTER IN THE BASEMENT, the sequel to my little book that could (I never get sick of saying that !) THE SPIRIT OF THE MOON. I am absolutely surprised how much not working in a deadend job that I loathed so much, improved the quality and output of my writing. I've doubled my daily word count (had a blitz last Friday of 4000 words which was astonishing!). Is it because I'm not meandering in said job that I'm doing so well or the pressure to get these books finished, selling more, and thus keeping me further and further away from the man? Who knows... I've also had the great pleasure over the last few months to working on a short comic book story called ENIGMA AND THE GAS STATION OF HORRORS.

ENIGMA Page 1.

 For those who know me well, I don't have to tell you how much I have loved the medium of comic books, graphic novels and sequential art all my life. I remember it was about 20 years ago, at the age of 19, that I first came up with the concept of the story. I had just moved away from home, after finishing year 12. I had moved from the country to live in the 'big smoke' with my sister. This was after an absolutely horrendous year of teenage angst, self doubt and general misery. I had no direction, no job, no life. I remember writing these two stories for an Australian anthology magazine called (appropriately enough as we will see) NERVOUS BREAKDOWNS. The first story was called NO MERCY and it was a short mafioso story about a made man who has to kill his cousin, because he's a general stuff up to the family. The twist at the end was that the mafia family are actually monsters. His cousin turns into a vampire at the end and bam, he kills him. Highly original. The second story was called ENIGMA and has the basic premise of the lone stranger walking into a diner and horror ensues.

ENIGMA Page 2.

 I sent them off but never heard off them again. Meanwhile I was going through my personal horror at the time of having a real life nervous breakdown, losing my mind, thinking of dying and generally in a sad, sad state. I was sent home with my tail between my legs, with everyone thinking I was stupid and lazy. I guess my point is that ENIGMA stayed with me all these years, I had my ups and downs mentally, but here I am today, ENIGMA drawn and about to published. That's how the world turns baby. Never give up!

Watching at the moment: Downton Abbey which was charming and well produced. Dodgy plots points redeemed by supurb acting and set pieces. Dame Maggie Smith as the Countess was my favorite. What a legend.

Reading: Casanova volume one by Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba is James Bond on LSD. And a few other bloody books I can't be bothered remembering at the moment...

Haven't seen any movies for a while as I'm too busy writing! Still waiting for DRIVE to come out on DVD. 

See ya next time pilgrim.

Cheers,
John