Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 69
May 30, 2015
Seeking Solace by Callum McLaughlin
Here’s a lovely review of my poetry collection, Seeking Solace. Huge thanks to Marcia Meara for her kind words.
Originally posted on Bookin' It:
My Rating: 5 of 5 Stars
Callum’s Seeking Solace is a lovely, lyrical book, filled with musical language that lifts the heart and opens the eye. Many of you know I adore poetry, going all the way back to my childhood, so I’m always happy when I have a chance to read a new collection. This one was especially moving. My favorites include Light Bringer, Rise, Will You, and Annual. I lean toward the uplifting aspects of these, though there is a lot to be said for the impact of some of the darker themes in other poems. Overall, this is a wonderful collection that I’ll be reading again and again, I’m sure. And I’m looking forward to more from Callum, who puts his soul out there for all to see.
Do yourself a favor and check out Seeking Solace today!
May 29, 2015
May 27, 2015
Reflection
I am the eye of the storm; the glint of the blade
The destroyer of every self-promise you made.
Your hell is lined with mirrors; that’s where you’ll see me
The crippling admission that you yourself are key.
For I feel alive in fire; the burn of isolation
The sickening awareness that I am your creation.
My hands around your lungs; your mind my weary captor
The never ending story, stuck in this black-hole chapter.
And with a beating heart, you storm my tarnished stronghold
The union of warm blood, and battles yet untold.
May 25, 2015
Liebster Award Revisited
Liebster award
I recently discovered the great blog, Husband & Husband, and was very kindly nominated by them for the Liebster award. I’ve technically already accepted this award before, but there’s nothing to say I can’t accept again, right? In all honesty, I couldn’t resist when I saw the questions they had asked, so without further ado, here they are:
What would your patronus be? (If you don’t understand the question you shouldn’t be nominated, LOL)
Most likely a cat. Like our feline friends, I’m sociable to a degree, but I need my own space ;)
What is your dream job?
This is where I feel really lucky because I actually get to do my dream job. I’m a freelance writer as well as an author of my own creative writing. I love it!
If you can go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I totally fell in love with Iceland when I was there earlier this year, so the sooner I can go back, the better. I have a lot of extended family in Australia, so I’d love to make it over there one day as well. Oh, and Canada. (I have quite a bout of wanderlust, it seems.)
What is your number one guilty pleasure?
Food. All the food. All the time.
If you had a phobia, what would it be and why?
I’ve had a lot of anxiety problems, so I can’t think of anything much worse than having to speak in front of a huge crowd of people.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show?
Well, Harry Potter of course (both the books and the movies). I also love Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy and pretty much everything written by Patrick Ness. My favourite movies include Pan’s Labyrinth and the Alien franchise. As for current TV shows, I’m loving Hannibal but I’m still not done mourning for Lost and 24, truth be told.
If you were an X-Men what would your power be?
Probably something simple and predictable like invisibility.
If you could meet anyone in the world who would that be?
Definitely Björk and David Attenborough. In fact, the two are mutual fans of each other’s work and did a documentary together, When Björk Met Attenborough, where they explored the links between music and nature as part of Björk’s massive multi-media Biophilia project. Oh to have been a fly on that wall.
What was your favorite childhood story?
I remember a story called The School Cat that I always wanted read to me as a child (I’m pretty sure I still have it in my attic somewhere). Once I was old enough to read to myself, I loved Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and am hoping to revisit it soon.
What do you consider home?
Wherever my loved ones are.
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Huge thanks again to the lovely guys over at Husband & Husband. I’m going to name Mel, Johnny, Lisa, Sierra and Cassie. If any of you don’t accept awards, already have this one or just don’t have the time to write up a post, no worries at all. Just think of this as my way of saying I like what you do :)
If you do want to take part, I’m sure you all know how it works; just answer the following questions and pass on the nomination with some questions of your own.
As always, I’m all for getting involved, so anyone else who wishes to answer the following questions is more than welcome to do so in the comments. Thanks for reading and have a lovely day!
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What’s the first book you remember loving?
What’s your earliest memory of writing?
Do you have a favourite genre of books or do you enjoy to read broadly?
Do you have any hidden talents?
What’s your favourite season, and why?
Have you ever been abroad? If so, where’s your favourite place you’ve been so far?
Do you like to try new things or stick to what you know?
Do you hold on to your belongings (like books, etc.) or have regular clear outs?
What book are you yet to read but very excited about?
Who would your ideal dinner party guests be?
May 23, 2015
May 21, 2015
May 19, 2015
Freestyle Writing
Let’s write!
I was kindly tagged by Mel to take part in a freestyle writing challenge. I haven’t done any short fiction for a while and loved the idea of jumping straight into an unknown topic, so I couldn’t resist getting involved.
The scenario Mel gave us was:
The world as we know it has ceased to exist. Describe this new reality.
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The world lies dormant beneath a layer of ash, still as death itself. A new silence reigns now, one born of a purge so devastating not a single lifeform could have hoped to survive. Pushed beyond her limits, Mother Earth rebelled, erupting from her very core a genocide of global proportions, expelling each and every one of her assailants in a glorious retribution. There was no mercy.
Minutes pass, or perhaps they are decades, when all at once something miraculous occurs. The faintest whisper of a breeze disturbs the stubborn blanket of blackest dust, and beyond this residue of pain rises a single shoot of freshest, vibrant green – Humanity’s revival, the birth of second chances.
(115 words – 5 minutes)
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That was my interpretation of Mel’s concept and I had a lot of fun writing it! I chose to use the shortest time limit because I wanted to try some real flash fiction. I’m going to make this an open tag and invite as many of you who wish to take part to do so, even if you’ve already done one. Here are the rules:
Open a Word Document.
Set a stopwatch or your mobile phone timer to 5, 10, or 15 minutes, whichever challenge you think you can beat.
Your topic is at the foot of this post BUT DO NOT SCROLL DOWN TO SEE IT UNTIL YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR TIMER!
Fill the word doc with as many words as you want. Once you start writing do not stop.
Do not cheat by going back and correcting spelling and grammar using spell check (it’s only meant for you to reflect on your own control of sensible thought flow and for you to reflect on your ability to write the right spelling and stick to grammar rules).
You may or may not pay attention to punctuation or capitals. However, if you do, it would be best.
At the end of your post write down your word count so that we would have an idea of how much you can write within the time frame.
Do not forget to copy and paste the entire passage on your blog post with a new topic for your nominees and copy and paste these rules with your nomination (at least five (5) bloggers).
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Without further ado, here is your topic, should you wish to take part:
“One morning, your protagonist wakes up to find they can hear everyone else’s thoughts.”
May 17, 2015
Gold Dust
Like a sculptor moulds his clay
I have travelled worlds or words
in search of splendid justice.
But when I’m blinded to your smile
or deaf to your lost laugh,
could it ever be enough?
I feel the memories that flee,
trickling like gold dust
but I’ll chase that bittersweet mirage.
For though the stars we see are dead
their beauty still shines bright,
so too I’ll document this pain for you.
May 14, 2015
May 12, 2015
Spreading the Love | Real Neat Blog Award
Real Neat Blog Award
It never ceases to amaze and flatter me when I’m lucky enough to receive a blog award nomination. There have been a couple of times in the past when for various reasons I haven’t managed to write up a proper post in response, but upon reading Mel’s post, I knew I had to get involved. Firstly, to say a huge thank you to her for the nod and all her continued support and kindness. Secondly, the lure of her questions was just all too tempting. So, without further ado, here are my answers:
1. What is the #1 most played song on your iPod (or other listening device)?
The current most played song on my iPod is Stonemilker by Björk. It’s from her most recent album, Vulnicura, showing just how quickly I became obsessed with it. The album documents Björk’s utter heartbreak and eventual healing following the breakdown of her long-term relationship and this opening track in particular speaks of the moment she first realises that her partner is closing up and drifting away from her. It’s beautiful.
2. What is one of your favourite quotes?
As a writer, this iconic quote by Toni Morrison has always been something of a mantra of mine: “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”
3. If you were immortal for one day, what would you do?
I would climb to the highest point of the highest mountain I could find, stand at the very edge and just marvel at the sheer scale and beauty of the view. Or maybe look down into an active volcano in Iceland and breathe in the power of the natural world.
4. What’s the most recent movie/book you’ve seen/read? Tell us about it.
In terms of movies, I re-watched Pan’s Labyrinth recently and fell in love with it all over again. It manages to combine a dark fairy tale with a harrowing war story (that sounds odd, but believe me, it’s beautiful). As for books, I finally got round to starting the Saga series of graphic novels. I guess I’ve been on a bit of a fantasy kick of late!
5. What have you always wanted to study (but never had the time)?
When I was younger I used to play clarinet and a bit of piano but sadly have drifted from both. As a massive lover of music, it sometimes really irks me that I don’t have the tools to try and create my own, so I’d love to get back into the piano in the future. I’d also love to learn another language. We native English speakers are notoriously lazy when it comes to second languages, because most countries study ours and so we can get by without it, but I think being multilingual is a wonderful skill to have. I can hold a conversation in French but wouldn’t call myself fluent by any stretch, so I’d love to improve it or learn something new one day.
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Big thanks once again to Mel. As for passing on the nomination, I’m aware that a few of my favourite bloggers either already have this Real Neat Blog Award, or don’t accept nominations, but I’ll name S.R. Carrillo (She’s a triple threat; a great writer, blogger and vlogger) and Marcia Meara (a very active and supportive member of the writing community). No pressure to take part, as always, but feel free to answer the following questions if you so wish – As can anyone else who wishes to in the comments for that matter.
Physical book or ebook?
Music or silence?
City or countryside?
Factual or fantasy?
Extravert or introvert?
