Inkpot Challenge

Shadowthorne challenged me to write my poem in blood AND to write a poem about the colour red. So here it is Shadowthorne. I apologise for the bad quality of the photo, but I was feeling woozy when I took it and passed out soon afterwards. In case you can't make out my writing, this is my haiku to the colour red (I thought it would use up too much blood to write a longer form of poem)

Red

Red tastes like velvet

Smells of sweet cranberry tea

Texture smooth as blood

I hope it meets your exacting standards, Shadowthorne.

Anon also challenged me to write a limerick about blood. Here it is Anon.

Most people have veins full up with blood.

It carries their air, water and fud.

Some say it is blue,

But I don't think it is true,

I know mine is the colour of mud.

Finally, SSQuo challenged me to write a poem set in the future, contained alliteration with the letter Z, included my name Murphy and had a metaphor for my Iphone. Thanks for going easy on me SSQuo. :) I decided to write in the lyric form because it is my favourite type of poem to recite (I have been told I have a very lyrical voice). Here it is, I hope you like.

The End of the World

Zealous zombie zealots

clog the streets

wondering about how they look,

and who they're going to eat;

while the last sunrise turns the sky

blood red before my eyes.

The redness of their broken veins

matches the bloodstains on their chin,

and between their teeth and fingernails

are shreds of human skin.

But they are merely empty shells,

hungry echoes of their former selves.

My love nestles warm within my palm,

a safe haven against the horror,

soothing me with his gentle voice,

keeping count of the day and the hour.

The undead try to grab us as we hurry past.

I almost pity them, but the feeling doesn't last.

The ship is waiting in the square,

a shining metal monster exhaling white hot breath.

They beckon, calling for us to run;

there is room for one more left.

They chose Murphy, my love, over me.

Only the useful ones can survive, you see.

The spaceship scorches a blazing trail through the clouds,

as the zombies gather near.

I check my gun - one shell left.

One left for me, I shouldn't fear;

while I watch my last sunrise

the world turns red before my eyes.

Any ideas for my next Inkpot Challenge? Let me know.

Book of the Month

Spencer L Casey lives in Northern California and has been writing since he was in Primary School. ‘Dalia’s Fire’, his first full length work of fiction, combines his love of horror and thriller in a fast paced supernatural page turner reminiscent of Dean Koontz.

The book centres on Dalia, a young woman, and her estranged father Jay. Dalia is pregnant, but can’t remember who the father is until he comes calling for his offspring. She disappears and Jay’s home in the mountains burns in a raging fire impossible to put out. Suspected of murder, and plagued by visions, Jay has to find his daughter - and soon to be granddaughter - before it is too late. Can this curmudgeon recluse get anyone to help him?

‘Dalia’s Fire’ starts strong and hooked my interest from the first page. The pace, apart from the occasional blip, rolls forward with gathering intensity, making it very hard to put the book down. The characters are likeable and well written and I cared about them, often shouting at the book to egg Jay on to action or worrying for Dalia in her hardship. I found the character of Dalia particularly appealing. She is a young woman who lost herself in drink, drugs and debauchery to escape the pain of life but, during the course of the novel, slowly wakes up to her behaviour and matures. The antagonist (who I won’t name here for fear of spoilers) was also one of my favourite characters. The pages sizzle every time he appears and he is evil, tempered with enough depth to make him human.

The supernatural elements, hinted at from the beginning, come into their own in the middle and latter parts of the book. As a fan of the paranormal, this extra string to the story line increased my interest in the novel. Spencer weaves the supernatural story into the plot well, without damaging the believability of the realistic modern day setting or reducing the story line to fantasy. The supernatural element itself is new and refreshing and while I did not agree with some of the rules of its universe, they were complete and well told.

By the end of the book it becomes obvious that the central theme is love – something that Spencer is quite open about in his books. Love a parent has for a child, love a man has for a woman, love we all have for our environment. This made the story stronger for me, and the ending is fantastic, wrapping up the threads with a satisfying, and emotional climax, leaving just enough of a hint about things that may or may not come in the future that you are left wanting more.

This was the first book of Spencer L Casey that I’ve read and he is an author I will look out for in the future. His fast paced writing, strong characters and emotionally satisfying plot are exactly what I look for in a book and once you find an author who delivers, it is good to hang on to them.

‘Dalia’s Fire’ is a highly enjoyable, entertaining piece of fiction. If you enjoy thrillers, and especially ones with a different edge such as the works of Dean Koontz or Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, then I think this book is for you. It is currently available from Lulu and Amazon. Its ISBN is 0557033470 and is 298 pages long. $1 from every book sold goes to fire relief or fire prevention in California. To learn more about Spencer L Casey, read my interview of him here.

Writer Out and About

This week I visited Milano's Italian Restaurant in the Dundrum Town Centre.

The Dundrum Town Centre is really a massive shopping centre with lots of shops, restaurants, a cinema, theatre and lovely courtyard with a cool fountain, music and flashing lights. Milano's is a nice place to eat. It has good food, nice waiting staff and they don't try to rush you out. On mild/warmish days you can sit outside and watch the fountain and flashing lights. I didn't get too much writing done because I was tired and I forgot to bring my earphones and couldn't shut out the background chatter of the other diners, but I think on another day it could have been a good place to write.

I took with me

1. Black biro

2. 79 c foolscap writing pad

3. Iphone (minus earphones, unfortunately)

4 The Chocolate Monster aka Pinky

Challenge Me

Just a reminder in case any of you have an idea for a challenge I have to complete before Friday.

Thanks

Inkpot

Sunday Toon

Inspired by this post on Young's blog.

Enjoy.

Blog Post Bingo

I thought I better blog about the Blog Improvement Project as I haven't mentioned it in a while and I still have to do my brainstorming, which was the last task. However, more about that next week. I'm here to talk about blog post bingo.

A little while ago Kim set a challenge. Us BIPers had two weeks to mix up our blog posts. The suggested post topics were

1. A link post

2. A short post - less than 200 words

3. A list post

4. An opinion post

5. A poll or question post

6. A how to post

7. A long post - over 700 words

8. A review post

9. A definition post

10. A free space post

We had until midnight tonight to include as many posts from the list as possible and there are prizes for those who posted the most list items.

Now, I didn't do very well in the last two weeks. Here are the posts that I feel qualify:

1. Link Post - Blogs of Note

2. Short Post - Sunday Toon (much less than 200 words, but it does have a picture)

3. List post - The Books I'm Not Reading this Week

4. Long post - My interview with Spencer L Casey, Author of the Month

I think blog post bingo is a great idea and I even though I didn't post about all ten items on the list, they have given me ideas for future posts. If you have any post ideas you would like to see for a special Inkpot post bingo, let me know.

Inkpot Challenge

Today is Friday 13th. I'm not superstitious, but if were I would say that the bad luck arrived early for me. A day early in fact. I scheduled my posts so I could leave the blog for a day and when I came back to make sure everything was ok what did I find? Chaos, that's what! So I apologise that my posts haven't appeared for the last two days. I hope I have rectified the problem now and that everything will be ok in the future.

Now, onto the important matter of the day. My challenge. I was challenged to write a poem by Malice Blackheart last week. The form - sonnet. The theme - favourite fictional character. Words to be included - entirely, lonesome and caricature. The deadline - today, Friday 13th February 2009.

Shadowthorne decided to further challenge me to approach a random stranger while on my travels out and about and ask them how they would like the poem written. It was a brilliant challenge, Shadowthorne, but I am afraid I failed. SSQuo told me not to leave the house - ordered me! - how could I disobey? :)

As for the sonnet? Well, Malice has already posted his excellent poem titled 'The Crow'. You should read it, it is fab. How did I fare? I am pleased to say I wrote a sonnet. It was tough, but I got it done on time. Here it is:-

Mal Content

By Inkpot

When burdened with the problems life does bring
And earth bound all the sky is denied me,
I let the darkness inside reign as king -
Shades and caricatures are all I see.
Freedom-less with clay feet I cannot fly,
Wildly I reach for dreams beyond my scope,
Wishing for a different path where I
Forego my lonesome ways for ones of hope.
In this malaise serenity I seek,
To fill my vision entirely with you.
Watching you shoot your gun and hear you speak,
My spirits your adventures doth renew.
For thoughts on you gives me such sweet delights;
Sustains me through the hardest days and nights.

Thank you Malice for challenging me, I really enjoyed it.

Now, who is next? What new challenge will I have to complete by next Friday? Step up now, don't be shy.

Author of the Month

I first became aware of the work of Spencer L Casey earlier this year when I read his new novel, ‘Dalia’s Fire’. It is a thriller about Jay and his daughter Dalia, who must face adversaries of both the human and supernatural kind, set against the backdrop of a raging fire in the Californian mountains. I found it an absorbing read. He very kindly agreed to be interviewed for my inaugural author of the month.

Hello Spencer, it is very exciting interviewing you for my blog. I really enjoyed ‘Dalia’s Fire’. I’m interested to know how long you have been writing?
My first poem came out in the fourth grade. It's a funny story, actually. We had a writing contest to get into a book published by educators in our county. Probably 30 schools and 15,000 kids. So our teacher had everyone write a poem. I wrote mine and threw it away. She retrieved it - love this woman forever - submitted it and it was chosen for the book along with maybe a hundred other pieces.

More than twenty-five years later, after I had been married to my love for several years, we were digging through some old boxes and discovered that we were both in that same book. The poem she "wrote" at five years old from a school sixty miles away, two decades before we would meet was published on the page just before mine. Weird, eh?

My first short story was in my late teens and my first novel was about nine years ago.


How you describe your writing style?
When I wrote for the county's Scripps Howard paper I was told I had a friendly writing style. I think I write in the moment. If you know horror, Dean Koontz would be in the moment and Anne Rice would be in a more abstract state. I'm closer to Mr. Koontz. I write mostly complex, difficult, emotional, sometimes horrific stories in a very straightforward way.


Is 'Dalia’s Fire' your first published novel?
I've written six books. Two are short-story compilations published under a different name. The other three are, well, practice novels. They will never be seen by any eyes but my own. So, yes, this is my first published novel. I have three more in various states of composition and plan on releasing one a year.

Can you tell me a little about your inspiration for the book?
I grew up and live in the area where the book takes place. In my early 20's a blaze called Fountain Fire swept through the hills and trees I had known like friends since I was old enough to know, much the way Jack Bastion knows and loves the wilderness near his home. The fire was a devastating time. My grandparents lost their home of twenty years or so in Round Mountain, Rounders Mountain in the book. The story grew from there, fueled by my fascination with the power of the human mind to create beyond the boundaries of thought.

I notice that a percentage from each copy of your book sold goes to help people who have suffered from the recent fires in California, which is a lovely idea. How often do real life events influence your work?
Real life events almost always influence what I write, whether it's for a setting, a character, an emotion or an idea. Even the most fantastical creations are filled with pieces of my own life. Real life is the fuel that burns during the writing process and the resulting flames are the story.

I heard you say once that you find writing in different genres helps you keep your writing fresh. You likened writing in one genre all the time to being like only eating one type of food. With that in mind, which genre do you consider the staple of your literary diet?
It's horror, definitely, although I'm afraid that turns many people off. I've tried dressing it up with words like suspense and thriller. I believe when many people think of horror they picture "Friday the 13th" movies where everyone must die, save that one final victim. That is miles from what I do. But horror is the accepted term for what I write most often.


Do you have a writing routine that you would mind sharing with us?
It varies, certainly. With four kids, a full-time job and seemingly endless obligations, I have to find writing time where I can. I think it's that way with many writers these days. But I carry with me either my MacBook or AlphaSmart NEO almost all the time, so I can take advantage of unexpected bits of time.


They say every writer should first be a reader. Which authors are your favourites and why?
I read a lot. I think that's as important as writing to an author. Favorites are hard, but I think my top five right now would be Koontz and King for their style and fantastical stories, Terry Brooks for nostalgic reasons, Orson Scott Card for his pure brilliance and Christopher Moore for his blending of horror and comedy.


I really enjoyed 'Dalia’s Fire'. It gripped me from start to finish and I would like to find out more about the characters introduced in the book. Have you plans for a sequel?
There are five element novels. The second is called "Twin Waters" and I expect to complete it in 2010. Right now I have two others in process, a wonderful futuristic fantasy I conceived many years ago and am finally capable of writing and a pure fantasy which may or may not take precedence.


And finally Spencer, if you only had one paragraph to describe 'Dalia’s Fire' to potential readers, what would you say?
Well, that standard blurb is : In the beautiful mountains of Northern California, a young women is abducted and thought murdered by her estranged father. Now she must fight for her life and the life of her unborn daughter, a child who holds the key to the greatest power the world has ever known.

If I was just talking to someone I might say, "This book is a ride. It's about sacrifice and courage and the power of the mind. But in the end, as with nearly everything I write, this novel is about love, and what a human being can accomplish and endure simply because love exists. That theme is what I write and why I write it."

If you would like to find out more about Spencer L Casey and ‘Dalia’s Fire’, check out his blog, which he writes under the name George Coddard, a character in a D.H. Lawrence book, his Facebook Fan Page for Dalia’s Fire and Dalia’s Fire is also for sale on Lulu.com and Amazon.com.

Next week I will post a review of ‘Dalia’s Fire.’

The Books I'm not Reading this Week

I'm not reading a book this week. I've finished the ones I have with me and I haven't found a new one yet. So, to keep this post novel related, I thought I would write a list of some of my favourite books. This list is in no way exhaustive, is arranged in no particular order and doesn't include any books written by my family - you know you are top of my list guys.

Here are 11 books for the 11th of February.

Enjoy.

1. Dracula by Bram Stoker - as scary now as when it was first written, this classic was almost solely responsible for catapulting vampires into the limelight - and eventually into our beds. If you haven't already, you should read it.

2. The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien - I know this book so well I almost know it off by heart. It is an old dear friend I like to revisit on cold winter evenings.

3. The Abhorsen Chronicles by Garth Nix - I enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, Sabriel, but the second and third parts (Lirael and Abhorsen) blew me away. Oh, and Kelloggs gave me Lirael for free, so it was a double win situation.

4. I am legend by Richard Matheson - Thinking about this book still gives me shivers. It has become part of my brain chemistry. Good game to play - what would you do if you were Robert Neville?

5. The Sheep Pig by Dick King Smith - I think I cried the beginning of a large size garden pond because of this book. It got to the stage where my sister had to change the story so it wouldn't cause me any more heart ache. It's a classic.

6. The vet books by James Herriot - He inspired legions of fans to become vets and entertained millions of animal lovers with his sometimes humorous, sometimes poignant accounts of being a vet in rural Yorkshire.

7. The Heart Shaped Box by Joe Hill - This book was like a waking nightmare for me. I could not sleep I was so traumatised after reading it. It was absolutely brilliant!

8. Stardust by Neil Gaiman - It has magic, whimsy and evil witches. What more could anyone ask for?

9. The Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - They hit the right note of science, thriller and horror with their first joint outing and were never quite able to do it again.

10. Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz - I love Dean, and it is hard to choose a favourite among his works, but wow!

11. World War Z by Max Brooks - Finding a good zombie novel can be hard. Most are pure guilty pleasure, but this book is a real find. Building on his earlier novel - The Zombie Survival Guide - Brooks improves upon the theme and creates a book which should be a must read in every school and university.

Writer Out and About

This week I am writing from the Pot's Writers Retreat in Dublin. I have with me

1. My laptop

2. Pen and paper

3. My trusty iphone

4. My dog, Janna (took a picture of her but she looked dead so I decided not to post it)

I recommend the tea and chocolate croissants. They were delicious - and free!

Ok, you have caught me, I'm writing from my sister's house. I think it classifies as an out and about because it is somewhere different to where I normally write. But Inkpot, I hear you cry, why are you staying in doors when you have the whole city of Dublin - Ireland's capitol city, no less - to explore and write in? Where are the cathedrals, museums and laundry mats that I long to see you writing in?

What answer can I give to that, except that now that I have no car I have to walk everywhere and I am lazy and I don't have money for the bus and I'm afraid if I go outside the door I have to accost people and ask them for poetry tips.

Weak, I know. I'll do better next week. I promise.

Writing Exercise #10

Ah yes, it is good to get back to my normal blogging routine. I feel like I have been away from it for a lot longer than two weeks.

Anyway, this week I am taking a leaf out of the excellent Pictures, Poetry and Prose (hope you don't mind Laura Jayne). I will be dedicating a post to PPP next month, but if you can't wait til then (and really, you shouldn't) pop over to the blog now and join in the fun. You might even win an Exceptional Writing Award!

Your assignment this week, oh dear blog readers, is to write a short story in the comment section based upon the picture above. I look forward to hearing what you have to say! Oh, and thanks to Valinora Troy for providing the photo.

Sunday Toon

If you were to call my mobile phone (or cell, for those of you who know it as such) and I didn't want to talk to you, this is what you would hear. What you might not know is what the creature who takes my phone messages looks like. Now you do. This is my message minder.

I know, not quite the Sunday Toon, but it has sound and vision. What more do you expect? :)

First Friday Challenge

Yes, I know I'm a day late in posting this, and that my post is hours later than it should be, but I'm putting it down to delayed shock after my accident. I'm also attributing my terrible skull crushing tiredness to delayed shock. I might as well blame everything on it today.

As I am up in the air about things at the moment and still unable to update my DIY downsize me challenge, I thought I would introduce the inaugural Inkpot Friday Challenge. Malice Blackheart has been kind enough to challenge me to a poetry writing contest. I say kind, but what I really should say is sneaky as he knows he is brilliant at poetry and that I'm not, but that just makes it a greater challenge for me (you know I love you Mal).

Anyway, the deal is this. We are going to decide on what form the poem is to take and I want one of you, dear readers, to decide on the theme. I'll post the poems next Friday for you all to see and bask in our glorious-ness as wordsmiths. Poetry is the highest of the art forms, after all.

So put your thinking hats on for themes (and a new challenge for next week if you want) and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

Snow Locked

This is what my little patch of turf looks like today. I know for those of you who live in the land of snow and ice, this petty frosting is nothing, but for Ireland it is a lot. Apparently we are going through the worst cold spell since 1991. The snow and ice continue to keep me trapped in the house. :) More time for writing I guess.

Blogs of Note

Here are a couple of blogs I thought you might be interested in checking out:-

1. The Anam Cara Writer's and Artist's Retreat Blog

I helped start this blog up while I was down in Cork, so I have a personal interest in directing my readers to it! :) Check it out to read some funny songs and poetry about blogging, as well as finding out more about the wonderful woman who runs the retreat (and some of the other writers and artists who have been there over the years).

2. Erica Hanson's blog for Writers, Readers and Educators

Erica has very kindly featured me in her Writer's Write spotlight this week. You should check out her write up about me, it's really nice. And drop her a comment too, I'm sure she'd like that.

Inkpot Files Update for February

This is my 500th post! I feel I should be celebrating with fireworks and whistles and a marching band. Prizes too (maybe for my 1000th).

Anywhoo, as I am slowly working my way back to normal posting I thought I would give you a hint at some of the things I have planned for the Inkpot Files over the coming month (and a short month it is too):-

Things to look out for in the up coming weeks

1. More posts on the blog improvement program.

I'm already behind on my last task, which was brainstorming about blog improvement. I'll post soon about what brainstorming techniques I used and what the results were.

2. An Author of the Month.

I'm hoping to make this a regular to the blog. The inaugural Author of the Month will be Spencer L Casey. I'll post a review of his new book 'Dalia's Fire' in the next week or so and also an interview with the author, which is really interesting and I know you will like it.

3. The Inkpot Challenge

I haven't finalised the details of this yet, but I am planning on instituting a Friday Challenge where I either challenge myself or one of your guys (or you can challenge me) to do something over the weekend and then report on it the next week.

Anyway, these are just some of the things to expect on the Inkpot Files in February. If you have anything you would like to see, make sure you tell me in the comments!

The Snow Got Me!!!!!!!!!!

Anchors away

I hate to leave, I hate to leave but when I've gotta leave I've gotta leave.

This is my final morning in Anam Cara and what a beautiful morning it is too. I was going to work on my novel this morning but I think I'll work on a short story instead. I read my prologue to the group last night. I got plenty of constructive criticism which has given me food for thought on where I am going with the novel and I've decided to take a couple of days away from writing it to really think about its future. The drive back to Dublin this afternoon will be a good time for doing that.

Spring has arrived!

In Ireland today is St. Brigid's day and therefore the first day of spring, and as all first days of spring go in this country, it is wet and windy.

I can't believe January is over for another year. It was a good month for me, starting with my story appearing in Necrotic Tissue on the very first day of the New Year, then getting three stories accepted and ending the month writing my novel in the lovely surroundings of Anan Cara (which means soul friend in Irish, I don't know if I mentioned it before).

Thank you to everyone who gave me such good advice yesterday. I should have taken advantage of the sun but being a) slightly nervous of the flesh eating fairies and b) the dark queen of laziness, I had a nap instead. I feel a lot better today for it and my writing is benefitting to.

I am unconciously preparing to return to the real world tomorrow. I'm trying not to let it spoil my last day here and making sure I get lots of notes written and chapters polished so I am set up for continuing with the novel when I get back home.

There was a lovely golden crescent moon over the ocean last night. It shone with the intensity of a child's night light, softly cushioned by the clouds. For those who know the book I'm writing, it reminded me of two special characters who started the whole thing in motion.

Here comes the sun

The sun is shining today and all the colours have intensified. I feel like a feather gyrating on the breeze or a tiny downy seed pod from a dandelion blowing this way and that.

I can't settle.

I'm flitting from writing to reading to listening to music to wanting to nap to yearning to go for a walk and explore the fairy paths on the first dry day since I've been here.

A drum beat at the back of my mind beats out the ticking clock and tells me I don't have much time left here.

I'm sure I'll come down to earth soon.

Conversations with my Characters

As you know Fluffy was hanging around yesterday raining on my parade. As I sat at the laptop watching my words turn into sludge and dribble off the screen a funny thing happened. Fored leaned out of the computer and took my hand.
'How long have we known each other?' he said.
'Er, I don't know, eighteen years or so.'
'And do you trust me?'
'Gosh Fored, you're my character, you're a figment of my...'
'I think after all this time you should know me well enough to trust me.'
'Ok.'
'So let me tell the story, it is my story after all.'
'But what if it's no good?'
Fored shrugged.
'I'm only a character. It's your job to make it good.'
And so the writing flowed from that. I had worried that it was too stilted and fantasy-ish (if you know what I mean) and Fored took care of that. Everytime I slipped back into lyrical prose and thee and thou dialogue he would put up his hand and say
'Hang on a minute, that didn't happen.'
So writing went well yesterday. I might be crazy but I'm happy.

The clouds are attacking!

The rain has taken the mountains.

I woke up this morning and thought it was an hour earlier than it was because the day was so dark. During the night the wind and the rain crept in on tigers feet and Vaseline coated my view into a soft focus starletts face with the ocean and mountains obscured, although I can still hear the waves.

I read some of my stuff to my companions last night. It was scary because I've never really done that before but they liked it.

Fluffy, my dark cloud, is back over my head today. I hope I can wring all of her misery into some killer writing.

For those who asked, Jack is a tiny wire coated jack Russell terrier. He is very friendly and cute and if he wasn't kept away from me I would play and talk with him all day. He was born under a wandering star (like Lee Marvin) and spent his early years living with different families in Eyeries under different names until he wandered up the hill one day and chose Anam Cara as his home.

Today I am listening to Regina Spektor's song, Edit. I like it because it seems particularly apt today. I feel the line 'You can write but you can't edit' applies.

The book I am reading this week

Is my own!

I wrote some blurbs before I started writing the book to help me focus my mind. Here is one of them:-

A slain king and a country at war, but the rightful heir has fled with his loyal companions and seeks refuge in the lands beyond the sea.

An island of power and magic, the prison for a creature from the stars who seeks to escape and get revenge on the peope who put it there.

A young man who wants to escape from the responsibility of the life he has left behind but discovers that he must face his enemies if he is to survive, and save the world too.

My companions are not fans of fantasy or well versed in speculative fiction, but they are interested in my work. It is a very international house at the moment. I represent Ireland, the other writer is from the U.K, our host is from the U.S and her friend is German.

There are books everywhere in the house. They line the corridors and are over the bed in my room. I think the fact there are so many is one of the reasons I felt so at home the moment I walked through the door. Even though the people don't know my genre, my old friends were waiting in my room to greet me:- Tolkien, Bradbury, Conan Doyle, Douglas Preston. Odd Thomas was already smiling welcome from the shelves, and so was Jimmy Tock unfortunately (but I don't have to talk to him).

Writing went well yesterday. I got the prologue done - lots of killing, so I'm happy with that - and started the first chapter where I introduced the hero Fored. I first wrote this book when I was a child so revisiting it makes me feel like a 12 year old again, but in a good way.

We watched a movie last night, Tropic Thunder, which wasn't my companions cup of tea. I am told there are 700 movies in the house. From what I have seen while browsing the shelves they are all romantic comedies. I might just evaporate in a puff of smoke like the witch in the Wizard of Oz when she had a bucket of water thrown over her. I can take rom coms but only with a healthy dose of horror afterwards to take away the sickly sweetness.

It is cold today and the clouds are rolling over the mountains down to the sea covering everything in fog. My window is misted up and I can't see my lovely view. Maybe just as well, I've writing to do.

Thank you for the lovely comments. Keep writing them. Anon, the food is really good, thanks. Shadowthorne, stop trying to get me to sleep and not write, I'm having a hard enough time battling narcalepsy as it is. :) Everyone else, thanks.

For anyone who is interested, my favourite Regina Spektor song today is Apres Moi because it has a nice Russian feel to it.

Anam Cara

Greetings from Eyeries on the Beara Penninsula in County Cork! As I write this I am sitting at my desk looking out over rolling green hills that sweep down to the ocean. Mist covered mountains rise mysteriously out of the sea, like new ideas from my imagination and I can hear the roar of the waves as I watch huge breakers beating against the land.

Yes, I'm feeling inspired!

I felt like I was back in New Zealand yesterday as I drove through the Mountains near Kenmare. Every new twist and climb of the road revealed snow capped peaks and wide lakes on either side of the road. It was breathtaking.

The people at the retreat are very friendly and welcoming. There is just myself and one other writer as well as the woman who runs the centre and her friend. They immediately made me feel at home.

The house is fab nestled on five acres of fairy tale paths winding through the woods and fields and there is a river too. There are also ducks and hens and a little dog called jack.

The only problem (and perhaps it is a good thing) is that the Internet access is seven euro an hour for dial up connection and even my trusty iPhone is struggling to get not only a consistent signal but any signal at all. I had hoped to vblog but that is out of the question. I'm writing this on my phone and hoping to get it uploaded some time today. Because of the connection problems I might be able to read comments but not reply so I apologize for the rather one sided communication over the next few days.

I'm off to start on my novel now. I'm feeling very excited about it.

Oh, and SsQuo - I received your commands yesterday and obeyed. I listened to Regina Spektor over and over again for the full six hours of my journey. I can't say which is my favourite song because I love all of them for different reasons, but I am going to say That Time is the one I like best today for the way she says 'so cheap and juicy' :)

Writing Retreat

I'm going on a writing holiday, no more working for a day or two.

Hang on, that's wrong. I'll be working all week! But I'll be having fun as well!

Thanks to my wonderful, supportive, loving family (who I don't thank enough) I'm winging my way to Co. Cork to the Anam Cara Writing Retreat for seven days of dedicated writing and relaxation. My plan is to start work on my first novel of 2009, working title 'The Bobbit', which is set in my fantasy world of Reath and is an origin tale of sorts for the different creatures that dwell there. I first wrote it when I was twelve and it wasn't bad, but I want to update it, polish it and send it out to publishers. I'm hoping the retreat will help me get the tone right from the beginning.

Because I am going on a week long writer out and about I thought I would take a break from my regular routine and chronicle my week on the blog. I am hoping to vblog every day about my progress, but if I don't have the Internet connection for that, I will text blog.

I start off my week with a six hour drive to get to the retreat centre. I'm looking forward to it because a) I have never driven to Cork before and I'm looking forward to the achievement of completing the drive and finding my way on my own and b) I am going to use the drive to help clear my mind of the everyday clutter and focus on the project that lies ahead. I love driving on my own - good tunes on the radio, the wind blowing in my hair (or the air conditioning),the feel of the steering wheel against my palms, the countryside blurring past my windows.

Here is to a week of adventure and productivity!

P.S Just heard my flash 'Death's Girlfriend' (inspired by a dream - first hand experience that my writing exercise last week works!) has been accepted for publication in Sonar 4's Anthology of Horror and Science Fiction Flash due out in June. Yay! What a good start to the week.

Sunday Toon

Another oldie. These are a set of animations I did back in 2004. I put them together and added some music. They look quite cute.

DIY Downsize: Week Two

I had a very busy week this week and unfortunately both my downsizing and my record of downsizing suffered. I did climb a lot of stairs though and I have begun to notice my clothes getting looser, especially around my waist, which is a good thing. A bit disappointing there is still no change in my weight, but the inches are continuing to come off and my body fat percentage to come down.

I'm going to a writer's retreat this week and it will be interesting to see how my downsizing gets on.

Anyway, here is my week in a rather boring video. Enjoy.

Acceptance is a Wonderful Thing

I received some good news recently. Two of my stories are going to appear in The Drabbler #13.

I am pleased that the good people over at samsdotpublishing accepted not one, but two of my stories for their publication. I am also overjoyed to have a story featured in both The Drabbler #12 and The Drabbler #13.

The Drabbler #13 is due out in March. The theme is Alien Magic. Start saving your pennies.

Poetry Corner

I thought I would post some poetry today. Many years ago Hoofpot and I decided to write a book of donkey poems. Some of the poems were good, some were not so good, but one stood out head and shoulders above the rest. I have never forgotten it and I often think of it in times when I'm feeling down. Here it is in its entirety. I hope you enjoy it.

My Father, The Donkey

by School Girl

Of all the donkeys ever

My father was the best.

He didn't wear a three piece suit,

He didn't wear a vest,

He never started work on time,

He never knew if it would rain or shine,

And if you put every farmer in a line

They would all confirm he was a pest.

*

My father had a favourite quote,

And that was - men are cruel.

And so he did his very best

To save me from their school.

Instead he taught me how to play,

To kick up my heels most of the day,

To give the very loudest bray

And to break almost every rule.

*

My father lived a happy life,

Waving his great big ears.

And he doesn't give a toss

That he's the cause of many heart felt tears.

Of farmers who have bought him,

Of mares that loved and lost him,

Not a thought have they cost him,

Through his fun filled years.

The Book I am Reading This Week

This is the fourth installment in the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. In the first two books Odd was a humble fry cook in a diner in Pico Mundo, haunted by Elvis and greeted daily by ghosts, bodachs (evil creatures) and bad guys. In the third book, Brother Odd, he moved to a monastery to find peace but instead found evil in a new guise as well as new friends and companions. In Odd Hours, he has moved again to a small town on the Californian coast called Magic Beach, where he cooks for an old actor and gets caught up in a web of mystery, magic and murder.

I love Dean Koontz and among all his works the Odd series is my favourite. I devoured the previous three books in one sitting. However, I am struggling to get into Odd Hours. I was very disappointed by Dean's last couple of books and it seems that Odd Hours is following the trend. All I can hope is that the next three books in the series (yes, he has said there will be seven) will improve and reach the heights that Odd Thomas and Brother Odd achieved.

Writer Out and About

This week I choose Cafe Anne in the Carroll Village Shopping Centre, Dundalk. I pass it every week going grocery shopping, so it was nice to actually go into it for a change. It has the ever so slight feel of a greasy spoon with plastic table clothes and rather depressed workers. However, my malteaser cheesecake was excellent and the latte hit the spot. I found a quiet table out of the flow of action and settled in for some work. They were playing the greatest hits of Westlife, so I was doubly glad to have my iphone with me (I don't like Westlife). There were a lot of workmen at the other tables eating hearty breakfasts of sausage, egg, beans and black pudding. Strangely enough I found it had a much more relaxing atmosphere than my choice for last week. Go figure.

I took with me this week... (gosh, I really have to shake this list up; I'm thinking of wearing a clown suit next week, or bringing a placard that reads 'Writer At Work' to put on the table)

1. The loose change that is all I have left from my Christmas budget

2. My Mary Poppins bag that holds everything

3. Iphone (duh)

4. Pen, paper, yada yada yada.

Writing Exercise #9

This week's exercise is about how dreams can inspire your writing.

Dreams have always inspired my writing - whether they gave me a plot, a character or an atmosphere to recreate, they are woven through much of my work. I also have notebooks full of interesting dreams that I have written down to use when the time is right.

Have you had an interesting dream recently? Perhaps you had a dream years ago that has stuck in your memory. Even a nightmare can inspire writing.

The exercise is to write down a dream you remember clearly, making a point to highlight the part of the dream that struck you as most important.

After you have done that, read what you have written and structure a story from the inspiration your dream has given you. Remember your story can be as short as 50 words!

When you have finished your story, read it and the dream again to see how similar or different they are.

I don't expect you to post your dreams or stories in the comment section, but if you did the exercise, I would love to hear how you got on.

Sunday Toon

Raiding the archives again this week. This picture is titled 'Flying under the influence'. It is a picture of a Pegasus who had a little too much to drink and is finding it hard to get home. Why should drunken behaviour be limited to humans?

DIY Downsize: Week One

Here is my week in three minutes. Enjoy!

My first week of the DIY Downsize Me Challege didn't go as well as I had hoped but didn't go too badly either, so here is to week two!

On a side note, thank you to everyone who took the time to leave such excellent comments on my post yesterday. I really appreciate it. It has given me a lot of food for thought.

Have a good weekend!

Inky's note: I'm sorry that this post is so late. I spent the whole of Saturday trying to upload the video and failing. Better late than never! :)

2009 Blog Improvement Project

I stumbled upon the 2009 Blog Improvement Project while browsing Deb's blog. The project is the brain child of Kim and the aim is to have an improved blog by 31st December 2009. To facilitate this, Kim will set two tasks a month to help towards improving your blog with different tasks focusing on goal setting, writing better content, building community with readers, getting more readers, and blog layout and design. Participants can choose which tasks they want to complete and are encouraged to blog about the tasks they do, linking their posts back to the BIP site.

My first thought when reading about the project was 'What a good idea.' My second thought was 'I won't sign up, I'm happy with the way the Inkpot Files is.' However, the more I thought about it the more I thought the Files could do with some improvement. It is good to want to improve things, after all, and I'm all for having a better blog come 31st December (whatever that might mean). So I signed up.

The first task is Setting Goals.

If you had asked me last week what my goals for my blog were I would have said:-

1. To post everyday and

2. To get more readers.

However, after reading the very useful articles Kim linked to on BIP, I now have more lofty aspirations. So lofty, in fact, that they fill up pages and pages of A4 paper. I won't post them here because they would take up too much room and bore you, but I will list some of the projects I plan to implement to improve my blog.

1. Design a personalised banner for the Inkpot Files.

2. Do research into blog promotion.

3. Introduce guest blogging.

4. Write more about my writing, the writing process, agents and publishing.

5. Review works by up and coming authors.

6. Showcase the work of and/or interview up and coming writers and people in the writing industry.

7. Do more vblogging with book trailers, interviews and sketches to amuse, entertain and inform.

These are some of my ideas for improvement. Now I want to know what you think. Is there anything you would like to see on The Inkpot Files? Anything you want to stop seeing? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

RIP Patrick McGoohan

Patrick McGoohan was born on the 19th March 1928 in the U.S but grew up in Co. Leitrim in Ireland and later in England. He always identified himself as being Irish. He started his acting career on the stage before moving to TV. In the sixties he starred in the British tv series Danger Man as secret agent John Drake. The series was very successful and broke the US market under the name of Secret Agent Man. After Danger Man, McGoohan went on to write, direct and star in The Prisoner, about ex-secret agent No.6 who is held captive in the nightmarish 'village'. It is the role he will be best remembered for. Due to the success of The Prisoner he moved to L.A where he lived for the rest of his life. In the seventies and eighties his most notable acting appearances were in detective series Columbo. At one time he was tipped to take over the title role from Peter Falk. More recently he appeared as Long Shanks in Braveheart and as Billy Zane's father in The Phantom. He retired from show business in 2002. Among parts he turned down were Simon Templar in the tv series 'The Saint', James Bond, Gandalf in 'The Lord of the Rings' and Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies. He died on Tuesday 13th January aged 80. He is survived by his wife Joan, three children and five grandchildren.

Rest in peace Paddy.

Patrick McGoohan was on my list of people that I would like to meet/contact. However, I never wrote to him although I meant to many times. Now it is to late. I must write to the other people on my list before it is too late. Do you have a list of people you would like to meet? Who is on it?

The Book I am Reading This Week

The back of the book proclaims it 'attacks all the religious explanations of faith... undermines the idea of sexual relations based on jealousy... pokes a bitter satirical finger at the materialists and politicians.'

Sounds fun.

The front says (on my version anyway) 'the most famous science fantasy novel of all time.'

True.

I like Heinlein, I do (I have to say that or the League of Science Fiction Fans will get me) and I particularly enjoyed The Puppet Masters and Starship Troopers. However, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress I didn't like quite so much. The book was very well written but I felt that story line and character were pushed aside in favour of Heinlein's views and I am not a fan of books that do this. If there is a message - and really, what book doesn't have one of some sort? - I prefer it to be subtly written into the plot rather than the novel being used as a soap box for the author. And yes, I like action in books. If I want to read about philosophy and politics I will read a non fiction book, magazine or newspaper.

With that in mind, I feel I am obliged to read this book because it is so famous. I find the language quite dated and while I'm sure it was ground breaking in the sixties, parts of it seem quaint by today's standards. However, I am being entertained (so far).

Writer Out and About

This week I went to Mizu. It is a sophisticated cafe in the basement and a luxury spa on the upper floors. The food is very nice and gives the illusion of being healthy. As you can see the decor is relaxed and almost homelike. I had lunch in Mizu a while ago and liked the place and that was why I choose it for writing this week. Oddly enough, I didn't find it a good place to write. I couldn't find any crannies to hide in and I wasn't as relaxed as I have been in my other haunts. Just goes to show.

I took with me this week paper, pen - oh, you know the list.

Writing Exercise #8

Think of your favourite character and/or world from fiction. It can be from a book, graphic novel, tv show or movie.

Now write a short piece using that character and/or world.

I don't mean fanfic. No stories about the firefly class spaceship Serenity stopping by your house to pick you up for adventures with Captain Malcolm Reynolds (or is that only my fanfic story?).

Ahem.

Anyway. Write the piece portraying the character and/or world as accurately to the source material as possible. This will make you appreciate how well written the original character is and the tricks the author used to make the character fleshed out, 3 dimensional and likable.

And remember - this story is for your personal writing file. I don't want to encourage anyone to be a plagiarist. :)

Sunday (Not) Toon

No Sunday Toon this week ( I know, I know) but I thought you might find this as entertaining as I did. I was watching Chuck and he was wearing the t-shirt pictured above (ok, not this t-shirt but one very like it) and I thought 'I want one of those'. The floppy disc reads 'my entire life'. After watching the episode I went on line to find it and find it I did, along with many other cool Chuck themed tees at CafePress. After browsing their catalogue I think this has now jumped to the top of my 'I want' list.


For more Chuck inspired fashion and other t-shirt extravaganza, check out Cafe Press (they didn't pay me for a promotion or nothink!). While you're there check out their Firefly designs too. They have some shiny ones. :)

Vblogging has arrived!

There is a television programme in New Zealand called Downsize Me. Each week an expert in nutrition and one in fitness help a different person slim down and shape up over an eight week period. I have decided to do my own DIY downsize me challenge over the next eight weeks and vblog about my progress here every Saturday. My goal is to lose 8kg, but more importantly to get back into regular exercise and a healthy eating pattern. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I started today with a 45 min walk on the beach with Janna (and a video of Blackrock beach to prove I was there). It was a hard 45 minutes - I really have got very out of shape - but I feel better for having done it.

The Don't Wants versus The Wants

For most of my life I have focused very much on what I don't want - where I don't want to be, what I don't want to be like, what I don't want to do, etc. - and given very little thought to what I DO want. Those who believe in the Law of Attraction would say that doing this has kept me in the position I am in. By focusing on the things I don't want to be, I have actually been spending time and energy keeping those very things attached to me. I think it is time for a change. I'm changing the old mental tape (it really should be mp3 by now) and making sure I am looking towards what I do want. Let's see if it works.

Inkpot Forecast

Current Forecast


08 January 2009 11:36

Today

Very cloudy at first with a deep to severe depression, some pockets of self loathing, and some icy patches of conversation. The clouds will clear gradually to give another dark, unfulfilled day with the possibility of creative pieces developing later on.

Tonight

Activities tonight might lead to a break in the clouds, but expect more storm clouds to draw in around midnight with some self recrimination, some harsh judgement and depressive thoughts leading to lack of sleep.

The Book I am Reading This Week

Unless you've been living under a stone for the last thirty-something odd years you can't have missed hearing about Anne Rice and her vampire revolution in some shape or form. This book, about the life story of morose, pretentious so called vampire Louis introduced Ms Rice's most famous vampire - Lestat - and catapulted her into the public imagination.

Vampires have never been the same since.

Whether you have read the book, seen the film or come in contact with the thousands of spin off clones (be it Laurell K Hamilton, Christopher Pike, Darren Shan, Stephanie Meyer or any of the thousands of vampire writers out there) you cannot have failed to notice that vampires are no longer the enemy. They have gone from demons that possess the bodies of the dead and use every trick in the book to not only suck our blood but steal our soul to a creature just like us - except stronger, faster, sexier and, er, immortal.

Vampire rights and calling for their integration into everyday society has become a strong trend in modern books and tv shows about vampires. Having a vampire boyfriend is now so common it is almost expected. The vampire has become our cuddly friend - ostracized, misunderstood and marginalised. In all respects they have become defanged, no longer a threat to our own immortality. A domesticated monster made fat and friendly by our fascination for the macabre.

As you can tell I dislike this tame kind of vampire who usually has long curly hair and wears crushed velvet suits with frilly shirts. I like my vampires to be monsters. They should be scary, lethal, unquestionably evil and attractive in the way that jumping off a cliff or sticking your fingers into an electrical socket can appear to be. I am reading this book because it is so famous and I thought it might help me to understand why the enemy has now become our best friend. I am finding it hard going however.

Writer Out and About

This week I travelled to the scenic town of Carlingford. It is funny, but living in Ireland I sometimes forget how beautiful the country really is. A trip out to Carlingford and I remember. It was a cold day, but very sunny. I'm afraid my photographs don't do the loch justice. It looked much nicer in reality. Because of the weather I didn't get much writing done, but I did do some thinking and plotted out a story I am going to write this week, so it was worth the journey.

I brought with me:-

1. My car (too far to walk!)

2. My trusty notepad

3. A nice inky black pen

4. Too few clothes for writing outdoors in Ireland in January

Writing Exercise #7

Today is...

This is a handy technique I discovered on Erica Hanson's blog for writers, readers and educators. What you do is take five minutes out of your day to write a paragraph on what 'today is'. You can write about your feelings, your surroundings, things that happened or will happen. You should focus on the five senses - remember to describe the colour, taste, smell, sound and texture of the day. Don't over think your paragraph either. Write it down as fast as you can.

If you keep a journal this is a wonderful place to put your 'Today is' thoughts, but typing it on your computer, into your phone or scribbling it on the back of a napkin works just as well.

My advice is to get a really pretty notebook, with a soft leather or fabric cover and crisp white pages. Write your entry in every day with a black ink pen. Over time you will have a lovely collection of thoughts that capture who you were at that moment. To make it extra special, write your 'Today is' paragraph at the start of the day at the top of the page and in the evening write three things that happened that day which you are grateful for at the bottom of the page. At the end of the year you will be able to look back and see how you have changed over twelve months.

Tell me what your day is like for you today. Is it full of velvet promise, or is it foggy with skunk rich activities? I look forward to reading about them in the comments section.

Sunday Toon

Gosh, this picture is so old! It is from when I was a good little artist and used to post pictures regularly to my Elfwood account. I titled it 'Lost'. Mrs Penguin is giving out to Mrs Penguin - 'What,you had the map UPSIDE DOWN?' Somehow they ended up in the north pole instead of the south. Lucky for them that polar bear looks like he will help them out. A blast from the past I thought you might like to see (acrylic on paper 2004).

Positive Thinking

The song says it all - accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.

As a chronically negative person I find this very difficult. It is funny, I have no problem telling myself a hundred times a day how horrible I am, but when I try to tell myself I'm good at something, it sounds false. I think the negative 'affirmations' only sound genuine because they are so familiar.

Anyway, who wants to have anything to do with a sorry sack? Putting myself down isn't going to get me anywhere. I know I said I wasn't going to make any New Year's resolutions, and I'm not, but I am going to try and be more positive about things.

What do you do to keep positive, or do you think looking on the bright side is overrated?

2009

I decided not to do a review of last year because as far as I'm concerned I've put a big lid on 2008, sealed it up tight and hidden it away in the vault only to be taken out when I can say 'Gosh, remember when I used to think things were bad in 2008? I didn't know how lucky I was!'

With that in mind, I am looking ahead to the bright shiny New Year. I have already started the year with my micro tale 'The Vilage Shop' appearing in Necrotic Tissue and I can look forward to another micro appearing in 52 Stitches in the summer, which is two publications greater than I have EVER started a year with and is unbelievably awesome. I also have a writing retreat to look forward to later on in the year, and a niece and nephew on the way, so things are looking good already.

I don't want to make resolutions because they are too vague and ephemeral to keep to. Instead I'm going to set myself goals for each month.

My goals for January are very writing orientated:-

Get my story submissions up to 30 (currently at 17)

Finish Miranda's Maze

Write an outline for a fantasy novel

Read up to ten books or magazines

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome to 2009! A New Year and a new Inkpot! My green fur and grumpy mood has gone. I can safely say I have suffered the last of my grinchitious (although I'm still coughing a bit). The New Year has started on a high point for me with the release of the latest issue of Necrotic Tissue featuring my micro fiction 'The Vilage Shop'. Check it out (it's on page 65). What's even better is that Valinora Troy's story 'Reflections' also appears on the very same page! In case you didn't know, she's my sister, so not only do we appear in the same publication but on the very same page! Well done Valpot. Ok, I think I have used up my quota of exclamation marks for the year. I'll be back later to talk about New Year resolutions and predictions. I hope you are all enjoying the beginning of 2009. Ah, smell that new born air.