Bryan Murphy's Blog, page 5
February 19, 2015
Boko Haram v. Malala
Boko Haram, the Islamo-fascist movement that is currently terrorizing Northern Nigeria and other states on its porous borders, is a collection of murderous, brain-dead bastards. However, in its depravity it has got one thing right: it has identified the enemy that can destroy it, though only in the long term, namely secular education, whose banning it trumpets in its very name. This was also recognized by another Islamo-fascist organization, the Pakistani Taliban, when they attempted to murder a girl who stood up to their attempts to deny all girls an education. Fortunately, they failed, and in so doing made Malala Yousafzai a global hero. Those two antagonists encapsulate the battle of the 21st century, a battle over books. Books that must never be changed or challenged, whatever the real-world evidence suggests, versus books that present current knowledge with a rider that it is neither infallible nor complete. To put it another way, fiction masquerading as non-fiction versus non-fiction that acknowledges its own limitations. Either way, it’s all about books.
January 29, 2015
Kidnapped on Google
I've started writing the third story in my Sean Linehan series. This time I'm sending him to Hong Kong, where, unfortunately, the poor man gets kidnapped by Maoists. This is in the future, I should add, when things are different. Never having been kidnapped myself, I sought advice from Mr Google, who sent me to Wikihow, who provided a great deal of advice on How To Survive An Abduction. http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-an-Abd...
Now Sean Linehan has a realistic fighting chance, and I thank Google for it.
Now Sean Linehan has a realistic fighting chance, and I thank Google for it.
January 11, 2015
Goals
A year ago, I decided to set myself specific quantitative goals for my writing in 2014. I came up with these:
- publish more poems in one year than ever before;
- produce the first draft of my novel;
- double my e-book sales/downloads to date.
How did I do?
In the event, the first goal went by the board as I concentrated on the other two. I would have had to publish 29 poems to break my record from 2012, but I only managed two.
In contrast, drafting the novel proved to be a doddle. I worked on it steadily and finished the first draft in August.
The target for e-books required securing as many sales/downloads in 12 months as I had in the previous 18 months. It was never really on the cards after Sony pulled out of the e-book market in March, though a late flourish in December helped me to achieve a respectable 89% of the target.
This year, I intend to play things by ear, not by numbers. Keeping stats can be fun, but it can also become compulsive. I think I have enough discipline not to need quantitative goals, but maybe not enough to keep them in their place. This year, I’m going for quality.
- publish more poems in one year than ever before;
- produce the first draft of my novel;
- double my e-book sales/downloads to date.
How did I do?
In the event, the first goal went by the board as I concentrated on the other two. I would have had to publish 29 poems to break my record from 2012, but I only managed two.
In contrast, drafting the novel proved to be a doddle. I worked on it steadily and finished the first draft in August.
The target for e-books required securing as many sales/downloads in 12 months as I had in the previous 18 months. It was never really on the cards after Sony pulled out of the e-book market in March, though a late flourish in December helped me to achieve a respectable 89% of the target.
This year, I intend to play things by ear, not by numbers. Keeping stats can be fun, but it can also become compulsive. I think I have enough discipline not to need quantitative goals, but maybe not enough to keep them in their place. This year, I’m going for quality.
December 6, 2014
Weekend giveaway
Weekend giveaway: “Angels versus Virgins” is free today and tomorrow, December 6 and 7: http://amzn.to/1vaWwap It’s short, but well worth a read. Social science fiction, for lovers of sport and the future (if there is one).
December 1, 2014
Introduction to Freemasons
We have a splendid post on Freemasonry over on the Write Room Blog, http://www.thewriteroomblog.com/?p=2637, in which Canadian author Clayton Bye makes it clear that in North America, the Freemasons are good guys.
Over here in Europe, it is not always so evident. In the UK, Freemasons are often seen as a bit of a joke – “grown men prancing around in fancy dress” – although there are concerns about the prevalence among them of high-ranking police officers, who might form bonds inside the lodge with dodgy businessmen. Italy has had real problems with a lodge called P2 that tried to subvert its fragile democracy. That, however, was a secret rogue lodge, run more like a personal fiefdom by its main man. In stark contrast was the role played by Freemasonry during the fascist days in Portugal: when the dictatorship finally fell, the leader of the new centre-right political party (PPD) stated bluntly that “the Freemasons saved my life” from the former régime.
I was very interested by Clayton’s statement Freemasons have to profess belief in a God, though it does not matter which one. In the e-book I have just released, “Angels versus Virgins”, http://amzn.to/1vaWwap, that precise demand is the basis for the new order established in a future Britain following a religious revival. I didn’t get the idea from the Freemasons, nor from Alcoholics Anonymous, but from our former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who seemed to get hooked on it after taking our country into a war that has yet to end.
If you have any experience of Freemasons or Freemasonry, do hop over to the Write Room Blog and join the discussion.
Over here in Europe, it is not always so evident. In the UK, Freemasons are often seen as a bit of a joke – “grown men prancing around in fancy dress” – although there are concerns about the prevalence among them of high-ranking police officers, who might form bonds inside the lodge with dodgy businessmen. Italy has had real problems with a lodge called P2 that tried to subvert its fragile democracy. That, however, was a secret rogue lodge, run more like a personal fiefdom by its main man. In stark contrast was the role played by Freemasonry during the fascist days in Portugal: when the dictatorship finally fell, the leader of the new centre-right political party (PPD) stated bluntly that “the Freemasons saved my life” from the former régime.
I was very interested by Clayton’s statement Freemasons have to profess belief in a God, though it does not matter which one. In the e-book I have just released, “Angels versus Virgins”, http://amzn.to/1vaWwap, that precise demand is the basis for the new order established in a future Britain following a religious revival. I didn’t get the idea from the Freemasons, nor from Alcoholics Anonymous, but from our former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who seemed to get hooked on it after taking our country into a war that has yet to end.
If you have any experience of Freemasons or Freemasonry, do hop over to the Write Room Blog and join the discussion.
November 25, 2014
Amazon
If you have enjoyed any of my literary snacks, please ask your friends to visit my ‘snack bar’: http://amazon.com/author/bryanmurphy …
October 31, 2014
Angels versus Virgins
My latest short e-book is an antidote to fundamentalism, as well as a story about soccer, society and growing up. http://amzn.to/1vaWwap For young adults and others interested in the future.
October 28, 2014
Land Lords
Today the Camel Saloon is full of Land Lords. http://thecamelsaloon.blogspot.it/201...
October 20, 2014
New interview
This week, I have the honour of being interviewed by Bulgaria’s top sports journalist, author Ognian Georgiev: http://ogigeorgiev.wordpress.com/2014...
October 18, 2014
Interview
I have the honour of being on the Flipside of top author and blogger Julianne Snow: http://theflipsideofjulianne.wordpres...
