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