Friday 30 April 2010 Tell Them L.R. Sent You

Just a couple of quick recommendations this week. Check out Write Good or Die – a free download available here.

It’s a collection of articles edited by Scott Nicholson with contributors including J.A. Konrath, Alexandra Sokoloff, Jonathan Maberry, Douglas Clegg and more. In other words, people who know what they’re talking about.

It’s good stuff.

Also, if you’re a Stephen King fan, head over to the Castle Rock Podcast for a discussion on Carrie - the first in a chronological series looking over his back catalogue.

I first read Pet Sematary when I was 12 years old (probably too young, I guess) and was hooked for years after, so I’m looking forward to a little misty-eyed nostalgia in the weeks to come.

Friday 23 April 2010 Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink

I’m lucky enough to have a fairly short commute into work – a mile or so walk where my mind wanders where it will, followed by a bus ride where I can catch up with a little reading. As the bus rounds a particular corner, a story always nudges me, gives me a sly wink before slipping away.

It’s a story I wrote around 18 months back and set aside soon after, knowing something wasn’t quite right with it, but not sure exactly what or how to put it right. A story I’d more or less forgotten about, like many others that don’t seem to have that peculiar spark or whatever else it is that makes me think it’s something worthwhile.

Yet, every morning without fail, that story crops up; doesn’t matter how intent I am on what I’m reading or what else is on my mind, something just clicks in my head at a certain point on the journey and disappears again just as quickly.

It’s the click of a light switch as a bulb pops a fraction of a second later.

Quite frankly, it’s beginning to bug me, so I think it’s time to dig into the archives and take another look.

Maybe there’s something in that sorry tale after all.

Or maybe I just need to burn it and lay it to rest once and for all.

Thursday 8 April 2010 Lost No More

Found: one mojo. A little bruised, a little battered, but more or less intact… I think… I hope.

Time will tell.

Amazing what unplugging for a while can do.