This time we’re talking about where and how to write for the Internet.
Well where is easy - any where you feel comfortable. It really is that simple. When you are writing for the Internet you need to write material that is personal, passionate, contemporary and compelling. This sounds like an impossible combination. It’s not. To [...]...
One of my favourite exchanges in The Sun Also Rises, by Ernest Hemingway:"Here's a taxidermist's," Bill said. "Want to buy anything? Nice stuffed dog?""Come on," I said. "You're pie-eyed.""Pretty nice stuffed dogs," Bill said. "Certainly brighten up your flat.""Come on.""Just one stuffed dog. I can take 'em or leave 'em alone. But listen, Jake. Just one stuffed dog.""Come on.""Mean everything in the world to you after you bought it. Simple exchange of values. You give them money. They give you a stuffed dog.""We'll get one on the way back.""All right. Have it your way. Road to hell paved with unbought stuffed dogs. Not my...
I'm a little happier with the voicing of my latest column, but still not immensely so. Especially at the end I lose my ability to sound as if I am saying things naturally rather than reading them. Of course, it doesn't help that I actually am ill at the moment, suffering asthma like when I was a teenager and not really able to speak in full sentences. Also, I had grown sick of reading the column by the time I finally got a completed version. In my first take I had a coughing fit, second take I got distracted by my neighbour's speaking baby talk to his grandchild, third take the phone rang, fourth take the doorbell rang. It ended up taking 45 minutes to record this. I need to get some software that would allow me to edit voice tracks rather than having to get them right in one take.One...
My latest column is out and as has become the custom I've decided to read it to you. In listening back to it, though, I sound a bit odd. I sound angry. I am trying to annunciate, but it's not working. The traces of my Texas accent cause me to mumble and slur words (listen to me slaughter the word "generally" at the end of the recording), so I was trying to make everything clear. In so doing, I've made everything slightly bitter, as well.Obviously, my career as a professional voice artist won't be getting under way any time soon.One benefit to the audio version, though, is that I chose to read it as I wrote it. The published version is missing a sentence because my editor was concerned it would offend. That sentence is: "(I am) enjoying the fact that they show naked breasts on primetime...
Ok so you want to write online. It’s not an uncommon desire. In fact blogging has become one of the most popular of activities taking place on the Internet. I don’t want to restrict myself to blogging though. I want to look at the concept of publishing online. This can be fiction, non-fiction, newsletters, newspapers. [...]...
It's been a while since I've written any sort of update on what's actually going on in my life. A fair number of this blog's readers are family members who check in occasionally to see how the child bride is doing, and who have no interest in "Doctor Who." Sorry, y'all.Rachel's fine. She's been in better spirits since summer arrived and her Welsh course ended. I think the latter may have had more effect. The summer is typically British. Occasionally the sun will peak out and make you think: "Ooh, I'm a bit busy at the moment, but tomorrow I will go out and make the best of this weather. I'll make a lunch and bike out to Gelynis and pick strawberries and it will be lovely." But then it will rain for three days. The child bride is planning to carry on with her Welsh learning in the autumn;...
I’m going to mention a project right at the very start of its life and I’m wishing it the very best of luck.
It’s called the Mindmunity and it is a blog dedicated to the creation of a community of like minded individuals sharing and improving ideas.
The Mindmunity team have put together a fun [...]...
For the three of you still reading, I haven't had a chance to blog in a while because I've been working on my book. I have now reached the landmark of having enough words to be able to apply for a bursary, which I may do simply because I love rejection letters.Things are coming along with said book, although I do wonder how many people will actually end up reading the thing. At least I can probably still rely on my parents to purchase a copy. Totally unrelated to writing is Ken the Box, a YouTube video I referenced to Anthony (point) when he was visiting. It's video from some bottom-level wrestling promotion in, I'm guessing, Japan. The whole thing takes a bit longer than it should, but it's worth it to watch start to finish because the build-up makes the eventual result even dumber and...
A recent interview with American writer James Howard Kunstler on Futurist dot Com....
Night before last I dreamt (a) that Hillary Clinton managed to hijack the American political process and set herself up as a "presidential candidate" of the despotic ilk, i.e., she was a shoo-in to win. I was part of a large group of people who were rounded up and detained for expressing pro-Obama views. The argument was that our blogs/media connections/etcetera were tainting the political process and making it impossible for "average Americans" to make decisions on their own. So, for the preservation of American democracy, we were being temporarily removed from the discussion.I was first detained by South Wales Police who were pretty laid-back about the whole thing and somewhat empathetic of my situation, themselves being stuck acting out directions from MI5, who were stuck acting out...
We speak here of writing, film and other media, but I’ve been taking a look at a blog that speaks about design. Design tends to sit about and when its good - we hardly notice it, when its great - we go “Way Cool”, and when its bad we tend to gripe. Yet despite the [...]...
Once again I give you the audio version of my latest column. this idea of reading the column aloud would be far better if I weren't doing it. In a perfect world, I would resurrect Orson Welles and he would provide the voice. I had also thought about having my dad read it. He and I have slightly similar voices but he has better annunciation. It would be amusing to give him a column and provide no direction, allowing him to decide what words should be emphasized and what pauses belong where. One of the weird things about writing is that the voice is not all that clear. I've been to book readings in which I sat there listening to the author voice his own work, thinking: "Dude, you are getting it all wrong."Although, I don't suppose there's a great deal of variation in the interpretation of a...
My second year of university finally comes to an end this week. Like the Democratic Party nomination process, it has dragged on for far too long, with my last lecture actually having taken place more than a month ago. In the interim I have had to try to stay mentally in tune for exams. The exam process in Britain is comically archaic, placing massive groups of students into large halls and gymnasiums to sit in uncomfortable chairs and scribble out essay questions for two hours. It is an unnecessarily stressful set-up that forces me to develop ridiculous patterns and superstitions similar to when I played sports. You know, the "I always wear these socks and I put them on in this exact way" sort of thing. Before every exam I have to do 100 push-ups and 300 stomach crunches, eat two pieces...
Ok things have been a bit quiet on Projects recently. I apologize for any inconvenience. To make up for this here are few thoughts on the nature of broadcast.
I cannot help to see the rise of personal broadcast. These thoughts have been brought on by a culmination of experiences. I think these are important [...]...
In a fit of whimsy (a) this week I decided to record myself reading my latest column. I realise that this is a sort of poncey thing to do, so I have come up with a few lame attempts at justifying myself:1) I always wanted to be one of those "snarky commentary" guys you hear on NPR. But since I am not from New York or Jewish, the odds of my getting that gig are minimal.2) Due to Congressional incompetence blind people aren't getting a chance to listen to as many audiobooks. It breaks my heart that there would be a blind person out there who might miss out on my column, so I've taken the initiative to provide the service on my own. I have no idea how blind people are supposed to navigate themselves to my blog, though...3) There is no #3.Anyway, here it is: (a) Fit of Whimsy is a good name...
On Friday morning, upon hearing the news that much of Aberdare and Rhondda Cynon Taf would still be represented by the same old faces, our hearts sank.
With a bird’s eye view of the Official Count at Michael Sobell’s Sports Centre, near Aberdare, we witnessed sombre scenes.
The whole Local Election was a quiet, subdued affair. There was no ostentatious campaigning. With an economy unravelling and spiralling out of control, both the electorate and politicians were somewhat confused.
We left this scene of uncertainty for the rocks and hills of the Brecon Beacons, and a walk to Pen y Fan, the highest summit in South Wales.
This was a balm for a troubled Welsh soul.
We searched for metaphors as our muscles ached. But none came. Stealing rest after rest, we listened to the...
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As featured on Click2Houston.com:This time of year is difficult for a man; there's nothing good on television.What I mean by that, of course, is that there isn't much to watch in the way of sports. For many men, sports is the only thing worth watching.The football season is months away, baseball is at its tedious early-season stage, most people's knowledge of hockey begins and ends with the film "Miracle," and the only ones paying attention to soccer are us Anti-American Europhiles who are hell-bent on having the U.N. take over your town."What about basketball?" I hear you say. "It's playoffs, baby!"Exactly. There's nothing good on television. I question the legitimacy of a sport when the players haven't figured out how to dress properly.As a side note, due to my lack of interest, I had...
I have fallen out of habit of directing to my columns, but I am still writing them. Here's my latest one, which I am sort of pleased with simply because of the imagery, e.g., "dairy-treat-bearing land shark."To that end, I'm pretty sure that Bomb Pops to the Malevolent is a good name for a...
Leighton Andrews boasts “I am now on Twitter”. Congratulations, bach.
This statement was published via his website (see screenshot, left) .
For us it it provoked an image of a comic conversation between the generations. Something one might hear in a play by Rhondda dramatist Frank Vickery.
“I’m on Twitter” claims the politician. And in reply, the elderly grandmother says, “Oh, poor dab, you must be baad. I’m on Co-dydramol for my knees. I’m still under the doctor waiting for the op.”
Every few weeks, Mr Andrews telegraphs another message via his blog about his latest online toy. In January, the toy of the month was Facebook, an online social networking site.
The constant name-dropping of American brand names eg. You Tube,...
Is that a general Kerouac question are you referring specifically to On The Road, since it is mentioned in the list of things I've read this year? This was actually my third time to read the book and I have to say that with age (that is, as I age) it loses something. Kerouac is a good gateway for people who haven't really thought about using words to convey complex and convoluted emotions, rather than, say, cohesive thought. But there are authors before and since who are better at it than he was. If you strip away the events, you get storytelling that isn't actually that strong. Kerouac holds you with the action and pace rather than plot, narrative, craft, etc.But, perhaps those criticisms are too easy to make 50 years after the fact. Classic literature rarely holds its initial impact for...
There comes a point in many creative projects when everything seems to come to a halt. It is a totally languid time. We’ve hit it a few times in the making of Consumed and we’re in such a time at the moment. It seems to go a little like this.
When things take a long time [...]...
We’ve just experienced the Easter weekend, and for a change the Consumed crew were not scouting locations or testing ideas out. We were taking a break - spending times with our families who for once did not get to comment on the irony of planning a Zombie film over the Easter period.
Then I realised that [...]...
A friend of mine via the Shared Creation Facebook group mentioned Bewildering Stories, in fact he added a link to a story of his that you can read here. I hope you enjoy it, and I should mentioned that this author is always up for a creative challenge.
I would go and talk about Cheshire, but [...]...
My latest column is out. It contains an edit that makes no sense to me. In talking about my university experience it says: "Consequently, I am struggling. Despite my ability to start a sentence with la-dee-da words like 'consequently,' I feel I'm just not good enough to be here."But "consequently" is not the word I had there. Originally I had "hitherto.""Hitherto" means "up to this point," whereas "consequently" means "as a result of;" so the meaning of the sentence is changed and it makes me seem like a person who thinks "consequently" is an obscure word. Ah, well. I'm not...
My latest column is out. If you read my blogging of the Super Bowl, the themes will be familiar but they are better fleshed out. My favourite part is the observation that: "rugby... is what football used to be before being taken over by figure skaters. American football is so laden with rules and technicality that is at times more performance than sport. Yes, I realize you need to be fit to run really fast and catch a ball, but is it a real test of mental and physical capacity when you're allowed to stop every 15 seconds and do the...
Something of a departure here. It’s probably not going to be what you expect.
I’d like you to take a look a Yew Tree Farm - a house renovation project; and now I can hear you cry this is Shared Creation - Not Grand Designs! Well that’s true, but this is why I want you take [...]...
My latest column is out. Actually, it's been out since Tuesday, but I wanted to give more time on top to the story of my being attacked by a crazy woman. That's life, innit? You start to think things are getting too dull, and then someone comes at you with an axe and Samurai sword.I've only just noticed that the link I put in the column isn't working properly, so here's the link again. I'm not sure it's worth it for me to ask someone to fix in the story -- I get the feeling sometimes there aren't a whole lot of people reading that column. Not a whole lot beyond those of you who already read this blog, at least.To that extent, I've been carrying on an internal debate about whether I want to put the fiddle on the roof in terms of my column. "Rhoi'r ffidl yn y to" is a Welsh metaphor that...
Better late than never… this Christmas we discovered the television comedy Gavin and Stacey, thanks to a gift from a kind uncle. The comedy was written by Ruth Jones and James Corden.
It was a thrilling discovery. We had to pause the DVD several times to try and recover from fits of hysterical laughter.
Gavin and Stacey is a lovely romantic comedy romp, with a strong Welsh flavour.
There were one or two scenes that really tickled the heart-strings in a big way. We fought (and failed) to hold back the tears watching the scene with Rob Brydon on the way to the Church with his niece.
Rob Brydon was absolutely excellent. He recently appeared in a one-man show in the Coliseum Theatre, Aberdare. How we now wish we had gone to see him!
The humour in Gavin Stacey is reminiscent of...
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If you haven't had enough Christmas spirit, my latest column is...
