Thomas Brown's Blog, page 13

What Do I Desire?

It is usually quite late when I find myself lost in thought. Sometimes I have been listening to music, or writing. Sometimes I think it is the quiet house,  coupled with the weariness from a busy day, which fills me at once with fatigue and a sense of dislocation, like I am not quite myself, or at least have a sense of something else. However I have found myself here tonight, I want to take a moment to share a video, narrated by Alan Watts, which I have found very affecting.

I don’t know if it is growing up that has made me begin to realise the importance of being who you want to be. It might be personal development, specific to me and my own experiences. It certainly feels like I am alone in feeling this way sometimes. I suspect, however, that an awful lot of people might empathise with me, if they actually listen, take a step back, and consider the question posed in the video. If it is not growing older, then it is experiencing more of the world and the way that it seems to work that drives this point home. I could go on, except the video above does a wonderful job of expressing what it is I am trying to say.

If there was ever a dream, a love, ‘an itch’, as Alan describes it, hold on to it, take a chance on it, partake in it for the pleasure of partaking. Yes, we need day jobs and wages, but we needs dreams too, desires, and these should be treasured without worry, because these are the things that will make everything else all right, and give our lives meaning, and define us as people in a world where there are so many people without definition.     

Book Shrine

It has gone by many names. The Wall of Words. Literary Jenga. The Book Shrine, where pacts are sworn, dark knowledge gleaned and murder most foul committed across yellowing, well-worn pages. Virgins might even be sacrificed before it (depending on how successful a night out it has been). In short, it is an acting bookcase featuring an eclectic collection of reads, from classic horror and young adult lit to high fantasy, weird tales and some of the best contemporary writing belonging to our genre.

It goes without saying that our books speak volumes about the kinds of people we are, but to see a person’s private collection is a beautiful thing, I think. Are you a bedside reader? What does your bookcase say about you?

Recent Writing

“He should have seen this coming, he thought, touching the man – his friend – by the shoulder. No, he knew this had been coming. They both had, although neither would have admitted it. Such things were beyond the complexity of words; base and beautiful. . .”

‘In The Dark’, nftu.co.uk

I hope everyone has had a productive week so far. If not, there’s still a few days left before the weekend reaches us. You still have time to redeem yourselves! I find myself with a little time this morning, so thought I would take the opportunity to update everyone on the last few months, with respect to my writing.

February saw the release of Almond Press’ debut anthology, Fall. Almond Press is a newly-established Scottish publisher of themed short story collections, for which they run entry competitions. I didn’t win the competition, although my short story (‘Dark River’) was selected as one of the sixteen stories to feature in the collection, which is winning enough for me! With reviews like ‘unique and interesting’, ‘rich in quality’ and ‘truly immersive story-telling’, I think Almond Press should be very proud of their first collection.

February also saw the release of my next Pen of the Damned post, ‘Route UB1′. This is a very short piece of lyrical prose, resulting, I think, from a hectic few days on public transport, coupled with poetic influences like ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and Channel 4′s Random. I feel very proud of it, as I feel it conveys well the sorts of themes I like to explore, offering another glimpse into a Damned world as I see it.

Finally, in March, ‘Notes from the Underground’ republished my flash piece, ‘In The Dark’. In this contemporary story, a man is woken in the night to a knocking at his door, where he shares an encounter with a drunk friend. The story was originally published in The Storytellers’ Anthology, but I am very glad to see it online, where it is more accessible to readers. NFTU has also paired it with a striking piece of abstract artwork, which I think complements the surreal turn of events in the story very well.

So it has been a busy few months! If you are interested, please do check out some of the stories and leave comments with your thoughts. Mostly I hope you enjoy them, and find them interesting. As always, thank you for stopping by.

Supportive Sentiments

For the vast majority of people, the world is a challenging place. Life will always find ways to disrupt you, throwing you off course. These challenges are not necessarily negative things; they force us to improve, to change, to rise to the current situation, and this makes them vital to any creative process. Lack of support does not need to be one of these challenges, however.

Perhaps the only thing more satisfying than spending your life doing the thing you love most is watching somebody else doing the same. To see them so happy in their work, so content, so proud of what they are achieving – regardless of their level – is the most magical thing, and it costs nothing to nurture this. I was originally just going to post the image below, but on finding myself here, I felt compelled to share my thoughts more personally. A word of encouragement is all it takes to keep someone’s spirits high, their determination true, and their progress developing. In our mad, material, money-grabbing world, where so much of their work will be lost or unappreciated, I think the artist deserves this much, at least.

 

 

 

Stalking the Damned

Reblogged from Flashbangs and Fiction:

Come with me on a journey, an excursion into murky depths as I stalk the abyss for the Damned.  We will commune with those who write for the Pen of the Damned.

I give to you, dear reader, a word of caution.  This odyssey is not for the faint of heart.  The abyss is home to beings that savor fear, feast on distress, and have mastered the realms of terror. 

Read more… 1,022 more words

A recent interview with Flashbang and Fiction's Zack Kullis. Thank you, Zack, for the opportunity to talk a little about my writing.

Guillermo del Toro

When not writing or reading I watch a lot of films. Inspiration means so much where creativity is concerned – see my last post re: music – and movies are a big influence. They expose the viewer to themes, characters, settings etc. that they might not otherwise have considered and can turn to their own hand.

Ever since I first saw Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, I was enamoured with his vision, which sees fairy tale themes and motifs emerge in dark, twisted ways. The Orphanage soon followed; a much more melancholic but no less haunting film about a missing child. And I doubt there was anyone more excited in the cinema than I when Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark started playing. All three films made swift additions to my DVD collection.

You can understand my excitement, then, when he announced the release of a new film: Mama. The terrifying trailer revealed del Toro trademarks – two girls go missing in the woods, and are only found five years later. Having been left to their own devices, they have turned feral, so it falls to their uncle to re-civilise them. Except they have not emerged from the forest alone…

I will direct you to an excellent review of the film by Michael Juvinall, writing for ‘Horror Society’. The film is not out in the UK yet but it has already been released across the Atlantic. I will also suggest you watch the 3-minute film below, on which del Toro’s expansion is based. It should demonstrate some of the creepiness that inspired del Toro himself.

‘A mother’s love is forever.’

Music

We are all inspired by different things. A big influence on me is music. I know some writers find it distracting, preferring to work in peace and quiet. I get that; sometimes you’re so caught up in a scene or a moment that the slightest sound can throw you off. Generally speaking, however, I love listening to music while I write. It can help me to find a certain mood, empowering my writing, or complementing an atmosphere I am striving to reach. I think mostly it helps to clear my mind, so that I can lose myself in a character or narrative.

Favourite tracks include: Twice, by Little Dragon, The Fate of Little Adelaide, by Murray Gold, I’m Sleeping Under The Dead Tree, by Films, On the Nature of Daylight by Max Richter and Stumbleine’s remix of Leave The Light On, by Asa. These tracks share a common theme in that they move me when I hear them. I think it’s this that translates into emotive and stirring writing. Many of my Pen of the Damned posts were written to these tracks, as was Lynnwood – and much more music besides.

Do you write to music? Or is it a distracting influence?

Reflections

I want to take a moment to wish everyone the best of luck for the year ahead. It is easy to dwell on the past, and by all means spare a thought for the year we are leaving behind, but it’s all about forging ahead. We move, we change, we drop jobs, make friends, meet family, we drink too much, then not enough, we spend too much, then not enough, we laugh, we cry, we aspire for future greatness.

Some will be looking humbly to the year ahead. Others will want more from it, though it is not enough to expect more – if we want something great from 2013, we must take it for ourselves. Whether your aspirations are for a happy, healthy year, or an ambitious one, or simply to enjoy life more, or work harder, it doesn’t matter, only that I wish you the best successes.

On a personal note, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me to date, whether they have followed my writing, spared encouraging words, shared in my successes or looked after me when I’ve been down. Some of you I have known for years, others I have never met in person, but to each and every one of you, thank you. 2012 wouldn’t have been the same without you.

Happy New Year!

The Devil Comes To Whitby

Reblogged from Pen of the Damned:

“One must be possessed of the Devil to succeed in any of the arts.”
Voltaire.

When darkness falls the Devil comes to Whitby.

As the sun fades, an old man sits writing in his study. He has lost track of time, though he knows from the light that it is evening and the day is almost spent. He has been sitting here for hours, his head bowed, spine arched from the back of the chair.

Read more… 1,050 more words

Originally posted at Pen of the Damned: 'The Devil Comes To Whitby', shared here for your convenience. Enjoy!

Passion Food

I am a huge fan of Masterchef. There’s no denying it; from the classic Masterchef series to Masterchef: The Professionals or my personal favourite, Masterchef Australia, I have watched them all. For the longest time I put this down to my love of food.  When I gave it thought (and I have considered it many times, believe me), this was the obvious connection between the program and myself. And that is certainly part of the appeal. I might not be at liberty to spend all day eating but there’s nothing to stop me filling the time in between by watching other people cook and eat.

Quite recently, however, I have come to recognise the real reason behind my love for Masterchef, and that is a love for watching someone as they pour their heart and soul into what is essentially a work of art.

It doesn’t especially bother me who wins or loses each week. I don’t care if the end result is brilliance or disastrous. What I find so attractive – and addictive – about  the programs and the people who compete in them is the passion they show for their food. I feel extremely proud of and happy for the contestants, watching their faces as they cook and listening to them describe the challenge ahead. Mostly, I feel a very strong connection to them because I recognise and empathise with their passion. I might write, instead of cook, and I wouldn’t really recommend eating anything I have written, although I am sure I have seen stranger, more ambitious plates of food served on the show, but that passion is the same. And the buck doesn’t stop with you or me.

When I see individuals  so passionate for their chosen field, I feel a very strong sense of belonging. Passion unites us – not just every writer and every chef but every musician, every artist, every man, woman and child who throws themselves into an activity not for money or fame or because it makes any sense at all but because they love it and they must.

This passion is a most admirable thing and it makes me feel very proud to be a writer, as it should make you feel proud too, whatever your chosen field. This is why, week after week, I tune into Masterchef, which so wonderfully captures the spirit of cooking and living.

Also,  they don’t half rustle up some decent food.