Luke Walker's Blog: https://lukewalkerwriter.wordpress.com, page 24
August 31, 2014
Short story collection - titles
I've been working on the stories for my planned collection over the last few weeks. A few of them are more or less ready; I've got another six or seven to edit and polish plus another one to write (6/13 was originally planned for this collection but as that's published any day now, there's obviously been a change of plan). After that, I'll do the usual of letting my wife and a couple of friends give them the once over to tell me where I've gone hideously wrong and what I should either cut out, bury under a rock to never speak of again or what's not too bad and is worth keeping. After that, it'll be a case of a final read through and final polish before they're completely ready. I'm still looking at early next year for publication. While I could rush it and have it all done sooner, I want to make sure these pieces are first rate. Just because I'm doing this myself does not mean they should be anything less than my best work.
Anyway, most of the stories have titles so I'd thought I'd post them here. Obviously they might change and this is not a final table of contents. Here they are.
Static - a short piece which will probably be the first story.
Prison Break - a bit of body horror.
Anti-Social - future horror? Maybe.
Upload - she's on the train. Problem is, so is he.
Coco - a Portuguese nightmare in the middle of England.
Time Gentlemen, Please - a few old men, a pub and something outside that wants to get in. Something hot.
When Thatcher Became Prime Minister - another pub and a young guy who makes a promise that will last for decades.
Dead Leaves - a spot of gardening reveals an old secret in the bushes.
In The Middle Of Nowhere - With thanks to Mr Lovecraft.
Under The Table - a rainy day and fun for all the family.
They Always Get Inside In the Films - zombies!
Her Hair - more zombies!
Dando And The Stranger - let's head back to the fourteenth century and a very bad man.
The Fairytale - not one for bedtime.
The Guardians of Suburbia - Jack the Ripper. Kind of.
Anyway, most of the stories have titles so I'd thought I'd post them here. Obviously they might change and this is not a final table of contents. Here they are.
Static - a short piece which will probably be the first story.
Prison Break - a bit of body horror.
Anti-Social - future horror? Maybe.
Upload - she's on the train. Problem is, so is he.
Coco - a Portuguese nightmare in the middle of England.
Time Gentlemen, Please - a few old men, a pub and something outside that wants to get in. Something hot.
When Thatcher Became Prime Minister - another pub and a young guy who makes a promise that will last for decades.
Dead Leaves - a spot of gardening reveals an old secret in the bushes.
In The Middle Of Nowhere - With thanks to Mr Lovecraft.
Under The Table - a rainy day and fun for all the family.
They Always Get Inside In the Films - zombies!
Her Hair - more zombies!
Dando And The Stranger - let's head back to the fourteenth century and a very bad man.
The Fairytale - not one for bedtime.
The Guardians of Suburbia - Jack the Ripper. Kind of.
August 22, 2014
Honesty
It's often the case that a plot for one of my books comes when a couple of ideas that seem unconnected and might have been stewing for ages eventually meet. For example, Mirror of The Nameless came from wanting to write something slightly Lovecraftian as well as wanting to write a pure page-turner - something that was all story. Similarly, this blog post is two issues connecting.
A friend of mine has recently a book rejected because the agent thought it too bleak and said fiction needs to be better than real life. I couldn't disagree more. Fiction doesn't need to be better than real life just as it doesn't need to be happier or sadder, uglier, prettier, funnier, stupider or anything other than one little thing.
Honest.
That's all there is to it. Fiction, while obviously made up, needs to be honest. The writer needs to tell the truth with what they're saying. Insisting on a happy end if that might not be the right one is a cheat just as shoving in a downer purely because you can is a cheat. The right end is the best end and whether or not a story is bleaker than reality is not important. Being honest is.
Which leads me to the second issue I didn't realise at first was connected to this whole honesty malarkey. I'm nearing the end of the outline for the third draft of May Day. Possibly because this book has been such a pain in the arse - going from a messy novella to a messier novel to stubbornly refusing to admit defeat - I've gone through roughly a billion ideas on how to supposedly improve it. Without giving away too much, the supernatural angle involves ghosts while the human angle are my olds favs: grief and regret. An idea the other day - keep the ghosts as a threat but the reveal is they're all in the head of a particular character. They're not actually real.
Problem is that wouldn't be honest. It'd be a cheat, a way of being a smug bastard who wants readers to think I'm oh so clever. The only thing I want is to keep the reader turning the page (and have them enjoy the book, of course). So I'll be honest. I'll keep my ghosts. I'll keep my grief and regret and I'll put it all together in the third and final draft. And I'll remember to tell my story honestly.
A friend of mine has recently a book rejected because the agent thought it too bleak and said fiction needs to be better than real life. I couldn't disagree more. Fiction doesn't need to be better than real life just as it doesn't need to be happier or sadder, uglier, prettier, funnier, stupider or anything other than one little thing.
Honest.
That's all there is to it. Fiction, while obviously made up, needs to be honest. The writer needs to tell the truth with what they're saying. Insisting on a happy end if that might not be the right one is a cheat just as shoving in a downer purely because you can is a cheat. The right end is the best end and whether or not a story is bleaker than reality is not important. Being honest is.
Which leads me to the second issue I didn't realise at first was connected to this whole honesty malarkey. I'm nearing the end of the outline for the third draft of May Day. Possibly because this book has been such a pain in the arse - going from a messy novella to a messier novel to stubbornly refusing to admit defeat - I've gone through roughly a billion ideas on how to supposedly improve it. Without giving away too much, the supernatural angle involves ghosts while the human angle are my olds favs: grief and regret. An idea the other day - keep the ghosts as a threat but the reveal is they're all in the head of a particular character. They're not actually real.
Problem is that wouldn't be honest. It'd be a cheat, a way of being a smug bastard who wants readers to think I'm oh so clever. The only thing I want is to keep the reader turning the page (and have them enjoy the book, of course). So I'll be honest. I'll keep my ghosts. I'll keep my grief and regret and I'll put it all together in the third and final draft. And I'll remember to tell my story honestly.
August 11, 2014
Short story sale - 6/13 to be published next month
Very happy to reveal I've sold another short story (more thrilled than usual because a) 6/13 is one of my best, and b) it feels like a long time since I've had a sale, frankly.
So, yeah. 6/13 will be published next month in volume two of Wicked Words. Links etc to follow as soon as I have them. All I'm saying about the tale is concerns an event happening on the thirteenth of June - not a very nice event, it has to be said - and the effect that event has on one man. And that one man isn't neccessarily who you might think it is at the start of the story.
So, yeah. 6/13 will be published next month in volume two of Wicked Words. Links etc to follow as soon as I have them. All I'm saying about the tale is concerns an event happening on the thirteenth of June - not a very nice event, it has to be said - and the effect that event has on one man. And that one man isn't neccessarily who you might think it is at the start of the story.
August 5, 2014
Mirror of the Nameless back in the top ten
Almost a year after its publication,
DarkFuse's bestsellers.
DarkFuse's bestsellers.
July 29, 2014
Interview with Jennifer Handorf
I'm very happy to be interviewing the horror film producer Jennifer Handorf. Two of my favourite horrors of the last couple of years - The Borderlands and The Devil's Business - are Jennifer's work so I jumped at the chance to ask her some questions.
Over to Jennifer...
LW: Let’s start with introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your background? How did you get started in film?
JH: I'm a film school kid, really- I did four years studying film as an undergrad in NYC and two years getting my masters in LA. It's what I knew I wanted to do from a young age, and so I really worked at it. I've always produced my own stuff, though. I started in theatre in NY, producing my friends black box productions. Then, one day, a grad student I was friends with asked if I wanted to come help him produce his thesis film. I said yes and never looked back! I've basically been producing progressively larger and larger projects, rather than working my way up a title ladder. I would say, though- I've also spent a lot of time working on other people's projects in other departments - art, costume, camera… I think a producer should spend as much time as possible in other people's shoes to really understand how to facilitate their department's work on set.
LW: Is there a standard day in the life of a film producer?
JH: No. But that's why I like it. I might be up at 5am so I can get the train to some thousand year old caves or I might be able to sleep in until noon and go have a pint with a potential new collaborator. But producing is always on my mind- I'm never really able to shut it off, no matter what I'm doing. But everyone is different- just because that's how I approach it doesn't mean that's prescriptive. I know some producers who get up and go to the office every day for 9am and come 5pm they shut off. As long as you're getting projects made, you've got to go do what's right for you.
LW: Your films The Borderlands and The Devil’s Business both have a gradual build up of a sense of dread. Was that intentional? Are you more interested in slowly creeping out the audience rather than going for a more immediate scare?
JH: Thank you! And yes! I think mood and tension are really what horror is about- sure, you can get a jump out of your audience with a quick loud noise or make them squirm with over the top gore, but you've got to take the time to build something if you really want to get in their head. Not to say there isn't a place for gore and loud noises- there absolutely is!- but they are like cotton candy on their own… a treat with no substance that's gone in a moment. What you've got to have is a slowly building sense of dread- I guess it's like the fibre part of horror nutrition. It stays with you.
LW: A particular scene in The Borderlands takes place in a very confined space. How did you choose the location and was it as difficult filming down there as it appears?
JH: Our costume designer suggested it, having been there when he was a kid. It's actually called the Chistlehurst Caves down in Kent - for £2 anyone can go visit. I really recommend it - it's actually a really interesting historical site as well. Several thousands of people were based down there during World War 2 - it was a refuge. Besides the naturally occurring creeps that come with filming in a place like that, the history was really palpable… it definitely added to the atmosphere.
LW: In The Devil’s Business, there’s a great contrast between the scenes of dialogue with the two leads and tense moments of silence where the viewer is listening for (and scared by) every small sound in the background. Was that always the plan when scripting and shooting?
JH: Sean is a big fan of dialogue, and he's good at it. But you can't really just hit an audience with a wall of words, you've got to balance it out. I'm obsessed with sound, so I was like a kid in a candy shop playing with the quiet moments, which really aren't quiet at all. There is a clock sound in one seen that builds and builds until a particular climax- then it immediately drops back down to normal volume. I'm not sure anybody really notices it while they're watching, but they can feel the atmosphere building.
LW: Working with smaller budgets must present some challenges. Have you encountered any which have meant changes to a script or planned ideas?
JH: Always, but that happens on films of all budgets. I've got lots of friends who work on bigger budget jobs, and we always talk about how the problems never change, you're just able to throw more money at them. Which isn't always the best solution. There is a lot of creativity that comes from budgetary limitations. And, because every penny on screen has to count, you've got to think every moment through and really prepare. A lot of bigger films will shoot for six weeks, then wind up with thirty minutes or more of the film on the cutting room floor. Why not just shoot what you need for four weeks and leave ten minutes on the floor?
LW: What are you working on at the moment?
JH: I've just wrapped production on my first Sci-Fi film- a production entitled NATIVE starring Rupert Graves (Sherlock) and Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones). It was a lot of fun - I'm very excited to get into the edit. I've also got a film premiering at Frightfest this August - THE FORGOTTEN. We actually filmed this between Devil's Business and The Borderlands, but the nature of micro-budget is that things take as long as they take. It's exciting though - to go back and see what I did before… I'm looking forward to seeing what audiences think of it.
LW: What’s next?
JH: A thriller on a downed submarine, a horror about murderous children in Nottingham, a World War 1 creature feature, and an action horror set in a tank. Life is never boring!
LW: For someone interested in getting started in film, what’s the single most important piece of advice you can give them?
JH: Just do it. Volunteer to work on short films for a film school, make a bad short with your phone, apply for extra work on big features- just get involved, and then do it again and again. There are so many films being made out there now, even if you aren't getting paid, you're learning by being involved. Then, once you've made at least a few bad films yourself, get some money together, pool all those favours you've tallied by working on other people's projects, and go make your good one. But don't expect to be a brilliant filmmaker out of the gate - you've really got to fail at it a while before you learn the right way to do it.
Thanks to Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions. You can buy The Borderlands here, and The Devil's Business here. Jennifer's IMDb's page is and she's on Twitter over here.
Over to Jennifer...
LW: Let’s start with introductions. Tell us a bit about yourself. What’s your background? How did you get started in film?
JH: I'm a film school kid, really- I did four years studying film as an undergrad in NYC and two years getting my masters in LA. It's what I knew I wanted to do from a young age, and so I really worked at it. I've always produced my own stuff, though. I started in theatre in NY, producing my friends black box productions. Then, one day, a grad student I was friends with asked if I wanted to come help him produce his thesis film. I said yes and never looked back! I've basically been producing progressively larger and larger projects, rather than working my way up a title ladder. I would say, though- I've also spent a lot of time working on other people's projects in other departments - art, costume, camera… I think a producer should spend as much time as possible in other people's shoes to really understand how to facilitate their department's work on set.
LW: Is there a standard day in the life of a film producer?
JH: No. But that's why I like it. I might be up at 5am so I can get the train to some thousand year old caves or I might be able to sleep in until noon and go have a pint with a potential new collaborator. But producing is always on my mind- I'm never really able to shut it off, no matter what I'm doing. But everyone is different- just because that's how I approach it doesn't mean that's prescriptive. I know some producers who get up and go to the office every day for 9am and come 5pm they shut off. As long as you're getting projects made, you've got to go do what's right for you.
LW: Your films The Borderlands and The Devil’s Business both have a gradual build up of a sense of dread. Was that intentional? Are you more interested in slowly creeping out the audience rather than going for a more immediate scare?
JH: Thank you! And yes! I think mood and tension are really what horror is about- sure, you can get a jump out of your audience with a quick loud noise or make them squirm with over the top gore, but you've got to take the time to build something if you really want to get in their head. Not to say there isn't a place for gore and loud noises- there absolutely is!- but they are like cotton candy on their own… a treat with no substance that's gone in a moment. What you've got to have is a slowly building sense of dread- I guess it's like the fibre part of horror nutrition. It stays with you.
LW: A particular scene in The Borderlands takes place in a very confined space. How did you choose the location and was it as difficult filming down there as it appears?
JH: Our costume designer suggested it, having been there when he was a kid. It's actually called the Chistlehurst Caves down in Kent - for £2 anyone can go visit. I really recommend it - it's actually a really interesting historical site as well. Several thousands of people were based down there during World War 2 - it was a refuge. Besides the naturally occurring creeps that come with filming in a place like that, the history was really palpable… it definitely added to the atmosphere.
LW: In The Devil’s Business, there’s a great contrast between the scenes of dialogue with the two leads and tense moments of silence where the viewer is listening for (and scared by) every small sound in the background. Was that always the plan when scripting and shooting?
JH: Sean is a big fan of dialogue, and he's good at it. But you can't really just hit an audience with a wall of words, you've got to balance it out. I'm obsessed with sound, so I was like a kid in a candy shop playing with the quiet moments, which really aren't quiet at all. There is a clock sound in one seen that builds and builds until a particular climax- then it immediately drops back down to normal volume. I'm not sure anybody really notices it while they're watching, but they can feel the atmosphere building.
LW: Working with smaller budgets must present some challenges. Have you encountered any which have meant changes to a script or planned ideas?
JH: Always, but that happens on films of all budgets. I've got lots of friends who work on bigger budget jobs, and we always talk about how the problems never change, you're just able to throw more money at them. Which isn't always the best solution. There is a lot of creativity that comes from budgetary limitations. And, because every penny on screen has to count, you've got to think every moment through and really prepare. A lot of bigger films will shoot for six weeks, then wind up with thirty minutes or more of the film on the cutting room floor. Why not just shoot what you need for four weeks and leave ten minutes on the floor?
LW: What are you working on at the moment?
JH: I've just wrapped production on my first Sci-Fi film- a production entitled NATIVE starring Rupert Graves (Sherlock) and Ellie Kendrick (Game of Thrones). It was a lot of fun - I'm very excited to get into the edit. I've also got a film premiering at Frightfest this August - THE FORGOTTEN. We actually filmed this between Devil's Business and The Borderlands, but the nature of micro-budget is that things take as long as they take. It's exciting though - to go back and see what I did before… I'm looking forward to seeing what audiences think of it.
LW: What’s next?
JH: A thriller on a downed submarine, a horror about murderous children in Nottingham, a World War 1 creature feature, and an action horror set in a tank. Life is never boring!
LW: For someone interested in getting started in film, what’s the single most important piece of advice you can give them?
JH: Just do it. Volunteer to work on short films for a film school, make a bad short with your phone, apply for extra work on big features- just get involved, and then do it again and again. There are so many films being made out there now, even if you aren't getting paid, you're learning by being involved. Then, once you've made at least a few bad films yourself, get some money together, pool all those favours you've tallied by working on other people's projects, and go make your good one. But don't expect to be a brilliant filmmaker out of the gate - you've really got to fail at it a while before you learn the right way to do it.
Thanks to Jennifer for taking the time to answer my questions. You can buy The Borderlands here, and The Devil's Business here. Jennifer's IMDb's page is and she's on Twitter over here.
July 24, 2014
A quick one before sofa time
It's a nice evening, I'm more or less up to date with current plans so what better time to post a quick blog update before sofa time starts (complete with a few beers and a film)?
My plans for a collection of short stories are coming along nicely. I've written a few new ones over the last couple of weeks - the longest comes in at 9k - and I'm quite happy with them. Obviously, they're first drafts so they'll need a good going over to get them to publishable standard which isn't a problem. I'm still thinking early next year for the collection. While I know I could have it all ready for publication within a month, that wouldn't be right. Self-published or not, I want this collection to be as good as anything I sub the traditional way.
I think there'll be about fifteen stories in the end. I'm going to write another two and possibly three before I start the second drafts and edits. So far, you're looking at stories concerned with Jack the Ripper, a fourteenth century priest, an event I'm calling social murder, and a storybook that isn't for anyone let alone for kids.
In other news, a writer friend gave me some feedback with one of my books, one I thought was done and ready for the world. Turns out, I could be wrong about that. I've got a pretty big decision to make with it mainly involving cutting several scenes. Not the end of the world, of course, but still a big chunk of work I wasn't planning on.
Outside writing, our house is off the market mainly because the estate agent couldn't sell it. We're going to try another company soon. My dad and step-mum are getting married next weekend which means I need to polish my smart shoes (after I find them), and I've got an interview lined up with a horror film producer which I'm excited about.
Now, time for sofa, beer and film. In that order.
My plans for a collection of short stories are coming along nicely. I've written a few new ones over the last couple of weeks - the longest comes in at 9k - and I'm quite happy with them. Obviously, they're first drafts so they'll need a good going over to get them to publishable standard which isn't a problem. I'm still thinking early next year for the collection. While I know I could have it all ready for publication within a month, that wouldn't be right. Self-published or not, I want this collection to be as good as anything I sub the traditional way.
I think there'll be about fifteen stories in the end. I'm going to write another two and possibly three before I start the second drafts and edits. So far, you're looking at stories concerned with Jack the Ripper, a fourteenth century priest, an event I'm calling social murder, and a storybook that isn't for anyone let alone for kids.
In other news, a writer friend gave me some feedback with one of my books, one I thought was done and ready for the world. Turns out, I could be wrong about that. I've got a pretty big decision to make with it mainly involving cutting several scenes. Not the end of the world, of course, but still a big chunk of work I wasn't planning on.
Outside writing, our house is off the market mainly because the estate agent couldn't sell it. We're going to try another company soon. My dad and step-mum are getting married next weekend which means I need to polish my smart shoes (after I find them), and I've got an interview lined up with a horror film producer which I'm excited about.
Now, time for sofa, beer and film. In that order.
July 14, 2014
Short story plans
I'm finally able to get to the blog post I was originally going to talk about more than a week ago. Hurray.
For a while, I've been thinking of a collection of my short fiction. I've got plenty of tales to choose from, after all. Some need a bit of a polish, some are good to go and a few others are brand new. The problem is while the market for short stories isn't small, particularly, I'm not sure how large the audience is unless the author is a big name already. Which counts me out, sadly. But still, the idea of a story collection has been needling me for a few months. When an idea like this keeps shouting, the best thing for me to usually do is listen to it. So, I will.
In about six months, I'm going to self-publish a collection of short stories. Six months gives me time to write another three or four to go with the new ones I've been working on recently, tidy the hell out of some older ones and research everything I need to do. Give it til the first part of 2015 and you should see me come up with something hopefully pretty decent.
The odd issue about this is the timing. Given that my first two books are now dead, it might look as if I'm desperate to chuck any old crap out there which isn't the case. I read a comment from an author (who shall remain nameless - mainly because I can't remember their name) last week which basically said readers don't care if the author makes mistakes in their fiction; mistakes meaning everything from changing a character's eye colour halfway through to publishing a piece that might still need improvement. They just 'feel' if a story works or not. Count me out of that sort of thinking. I'll do my best with everything I write and I won't submit it or, as in this case, publish it myself until it's as close to flawless as can be which is a long way of saying this has got bugger all to do with last week's events. It's more of an experiment that anything else since I've never done anything like this before and whether the collection fails or succeeds is pretty much all on me.
I'm keen to see how it goes.
For a while, I've been thinking of a collection of my short fiction. I've got plenty of tales to choose from, after all. Some need a bit of a polish, some are good to go and a few others are brand new. The problem is while the market for short stories isn't small, particularly, I'm not sure how large the audience is unless the author is a big name already. Which counts me out, sadly. But still, the idea of a story collection has been needling me for a few months. When an idea like this keeps shouting, the best thing for me to usually do is listen to it. So, I will.
In about six months, I'm going to self-publish a collection of short stories. Six months gives me time to write another three or four to go with the new ones I've been working on recently, tidy the hell out of some older ones and research everything I need to do. Give it til the first part of 2015 and you should see me come up with something hopefully pretty decent.
The odd issue about this is the timing. Given that my first two books are now dead, it might look as if I'm desperate to chuck any old crap out there which isn't the case. I read a comment from an author (who shall remain nameless - mainly because I can't remember their name) last week which basically said readers don't care if the author makes mistakes in their fiction; mistakes meaning everything from changing a character's eye colour halfway through to publishing a piece that might still need improvement. They just 'feel' if a story works or not. Count me out of that sort of thinking. I'll do my best with everything I write and I won't submit it or, as in this case, publish it myself until it's as close to flawless as can be which is a long way of saying this has got bugger all to do with last week's events. It's more of an experiment that anything else since I've never done anything like this before and whether the collection fails or succeeds is pretty much all on me.
I'm keen to see how it goes.
July 10, 2014
The Red Girl and 'Set
Another blog post I didn't plan for today. At some point, I'll get to the one I did plan. That'll have to wait for now because...
I'm sad in a way to report that my first two books, The Red Girl and 'Set are now no longer available from Musa Publishing. I'm immensely proud of both books and hoped they'd have a home for a long time, but that's not the case. Whether they find a new home in the future or just sink without a trace, I don't know. All I can say is sometimes things don't work out as you planned and hoped for.
In the meantime, my other stuff (including Mirror Of The Nameless from DarkFuse and the collections with various short stories) are still available and I still have plans for plenty of future works, so feel free to read and hopefully enjoy.
If you'd like to join me in raising a glass to my first two books. Cheers.
I'm sad in a way to report that my first two books, The Red Girl and 'Set are now no longer available from Musa Publishing. I'm immensely proud of both books and hoped they'd have a home for a long time, but that's not the case. Whether they find a new home in the future or just sink without a trace, I don't know. All I can say is sometimes things don't work out as you planned and hoped for.
In the meantime, my other stuff (including Mirror Of The Nameless from DarkFuse and the collections with various short stories) are still available and I still have plans for plenty of future works, so feel free to read and hopefully enjoy.
If you'd like to join me in raising a glass to my first two books. Cheers.
July 6, 2014
Publishing, marketing and complete and utter bollocks part 2
(This isn't the blog post I planned for today but I've read a few things over the last couple of days about promotion and marketing so there's a change of plan).
Back in January, I blogged about some publishers putting all the responsibilty of book promotion on their authors because it's apparently down to the writers these days to promo themselves and any author who doesn't get that is doomed to faliure. You can read that post here. Six months later, I'm involved in a discussion about the same sort of issue. Some people seem to think my point is writers should just focus on their writing and not promote themselves at all. No matter how many times I say I don't believe that, it doesn't appear to get through. For what it's worth, I think anyone involved in a creative endeavour should do all they can to get their name and book or film or song out there. If that comes from blogging or taking part in interviews or anything public, then cool. Go for it. But at the same time, I expect the publisher to do their bit. I expect them to seek out review sites, get review copies into the hands of the right people, tweet and Facebook their releases and anything else they can. If they don't, well, they're not the publisher for me and I wouldn't encourage anyone else to submit to them.
It comes down to this: publishing is a business. It take a lot of effort to make a business work. Time, focus, interest, confidence and not to forget a willingness to listen to feedback. While a writer is working on their next book, they can't forget about their older releases and nor should a decent publisher. Not for a second. It's a two way street, a team effort and all that jazz. If either the author or the publisher forgets that, they've lost because the most important person involved - the reader - won't be reading the books and the publisher won't be in business for much longer.
And by the way, the main statement that inspired this post was this quote from a writer, not a publisher:
'Believe me, MOST publishers do no promotion of authors or books at all. None.'
Utter. Crap.
Back in January, I blogged about some publishers putting all the responsibilty of book promotion on their authors because it's apparently down to the writers these days to promo themselves and any author who doesn't get that is doomed to faliure. You can read that post here. Six months later, I'm involved in a discussion about the same sort of issue. Some people seem to think my point is writers should just focus on their writing and not promote themselves at all. No matter how many times I say I don't believe that, it doesn't appear to get through. For what it's worth, I think anyone involved in a creative endeavour should do all they can to get their name and book or film or song out there. If that comes from blogging or taking part in interviews or anything public, then cool. Go for it. But at the same time, I expect the publisher to do their bit. I expect them to seek out review sites, get review copies into the hands of the right people, tweet and Facebook their releases and anything else they can. If they don't, well, they're not the publisher for me and I wouldn't encourage anyone else to submit to them.
It comes down to this: publishing is a business. It take a lot of effort to make a business work. Time, focus, interest, confidence and not to forget a willingness to listen to feedback. While a writer is working on their next book, they can't forget about their older releases and nor should a decent publisher. Not for a second. It's a two way street, a team effort and all that jazz. If either the author or the publisher forgets that, they've lost because the most important person involved - the reader - won't be reading the books and the publisher won't be in business for much longer.
And by the way, the main statement that inspired this post was this quote from a writer, not a publisher:
'Believe me, MOST publishers do no promotion of authors or books at all. None.'
Utter. Crap.
June 25, 2014
The Borderlands - dvd review
Remember a few weeks back, I blogged about a film called
The Devil's Business
? Well, over the weekend, I watched another great British horror. Two in the space of six weeks? I know. Madness.
Anyway, The Borderlands is another lovely slice of low-budget and creepy as hell horror. It's a little more normal in its approach than The Devil's Business in as much as it takes place over a longer timeframe, a fair bit occurs outdoors and in daylight...and it's a found footage film. It seems these days, everyone and his dog has had enough of found footage. Personally, I don't think it's an overdone genre, but it is one that's easy to cock up. If the focus is on the style of filming rather than character and story, then it's bound to fail. I'm happy to say that's not the case with this film. The balance of character and story is spot on.
We have a church somewhere in rural England that's supposedly the site of poltergeist activity. Enter three guys sent by the Vatican to see if it's legit and therefore potentially a miracle, or if - as at least one of the men suspects - a fake by the local priest in order to boost the low numbers of his congregation. Along with the two priests (who are not your usual doddering old farts), we've got the techie in charge of all the monitoring equipment including some pretty cool headcams, and another man - the main investigator from the Vatican. Before the real meat of the film kicks in, the relationship between Gray (the techie) and Deacon (Vatican official number one) is superbly done. Two bored men with little in common, both waiting for the priest to arrive so they can get stuck in, and both privately desperate to know for sure what the deal is up at the church. How their relationship develops from two strangers wary of one another to the closest thing the other has to a friend in the back end of beyond and with what might be some serious shit kicking off is done very well. You actually like and care about these guys - sadly rare in a lot of horror.
But it's not all sitting around and gettng to know you type stuff. There's definitely something going on at the church (special mention to the use of location) and it's not nice or friendly. Once they start digging deeper, things get creepy. Very creepy, very quickly.
I've read comparisons between this and films like the Paranormal Activity series. I made it through the first film and about half an hour of the second before my boredom and irritation made me turn it off. The Borderlands is far superior and proves yet again that filmmakers don't need big money, overdone scares and unlikeable characters to make a solid horror film.
Anyway, The Borderlands is another lovely slice of low-budget and creepy as hell horror. It's a little more normal in its approach than The Devil's Business in as much as it takes place over a longer timeframe, a fair bit occurs outdoors and in daylight...and it's a found footage film. It seems these days, everyone and his dog has had enough of found footage. Personally, I don't think it's an overdone genre, but it is one that's easy to cock up. If the focus is on the style of filming rather than character and story, then it's bound to fail. I'm happy to say that's not the case with this film. The balance of character and story is spot on.
We have a church somewhere in rural England that's supposedly the site of poltergeist activity. Enter three guys sent by the Vatican to see if it's legit and therefore potentially a miracle, or if - as at least one of the men suspects - a fake by the local priest in order to boost the low numbers of his congregation. Along with the two priests (who are not your usual doddering old farts), we've got the techie in charge of all the monitoring equipment including some pretty cool headcams, and another man - the main investigator from the Vatican. Before the real meat of the film kicks in, the relationship between Gray (the techie) and Deacon (Vatican official number one) is superbly done. Two bored men with little in common, both waiting for the priest to arrive so they can get stuck in, and both privately desperate to know for sure what the deal is up at the church. How their relationship develops from two strangers wary of one another to the closest thing the other has to a friend in the back end of beyond and with what might be some serious shit kicking off is done very well. You actually like and care about these guys - sadly rare in a lot of horror.
But it's not all sitting around and gettng to know you type stuff. There's definitely something going on at the church (special mention to the use of location) and it's not nice or friendly. Once they start digging deeper, things get creepy. Very creepy, very quickly.
I've read comparisons between this and films like the Paranormal Activity series. I made it through the first film and about half an hour of the second before my boredom and irritation made me turn it off. The Borderlands is far superior and proves yet again that filmmakers don't need big money, overdone scares and unlikeable characters to make a solid horror film.
