C.C. Adams's Blog: C.C. Does The Write Thing, page 7

Game Talk - Anton Marks

October 2019 was when Russell Smith had introduced me to one Anton Marks. Not only to talk about shared experiences as black authors, but also to feature as guest on his podcast - the Urban Fantastic Show. After recording the show, we would still keep in touch. And pretty much in every conversation, Anton will tell me he's putting in work.

1. For those who don't know, who are you?

My name is Anthony Hewitt aka Anton Marks, I'm a speculative Fiction author based in London. I call my style of fiction Urban Fantastic and it’s a speculative fiction brand using crime, action adventure, horror, sword n soul and Sci-Fi - to highlight the black experience through the lens of the extraordinary.

2. Game talk – how do you organise and manage your game? How has it evolved?

My writing process has developed over the years but there are some elements that remain the same even with the advent of smartphone technology. The first draft of all my work is done in notebooks. For me, the act of putting pen to paper awakens a part of my brain that is amenable to creativity. I usually begin my plot process with a character and stemming from that a few standout scenes that the main character plays a pivotal role in. Sometimes I have a vague idea of the ending but not always. From this point onward I begin fleshing out the ensemble of characters and tightening the story. I’m a very visual writer so I like to have photographic references of places, faces, how characters dress etc. Once I’ve created my first draft, I rewrite it from my notebooks to a word file. This process gives me the opportunity to view the completed work as a whole and make some amendments as I transcribe. This is revision one. Once the transcription is complete and I've finished my first revision, I send the manuscript to a developmental editor. This is a new step that was not in place in the early days. I work together with this editor to get the characters, their motivation and plot as seamless as possible. With revision two complete, I now send it off to a copy editor. My final revision takes place when the copy editor has done their job and given me the amendments to work on.

3. Talk us through one of your biggest achievements in your game – give us the story behind it. How did it play out?

My latest book Joshua N'Gon & the Battle for St. Augustine is my biggest achievement not just as a novel but as an experiment in Trans-media Marketing. It's a great read and is the second in the four book Last Prince of Alkebulahn series that I'm working on. I’m proud I’ve written a good YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy book but also because I added some interactive elements you can access via QR code which will add depth to the story. I’ll be using it more often in my work.

4. I'm with you on the visual aids thing - everything from pictures and video to GoogleMaps, I'll use it. I wanna come back to your Urban Fantastic style of fiction, since that's also the name of your podcast. How did that come about?

In this regard I’m speaking predominantly to diverse audiences who weren’t included in the imaginative worlds created by authors for many years. The Urban Fantastic brand is meant to highlight genre fiction that is accessible to diverse audiences. So although the stories are sci-fi, horror, fantasy, thrillers or action adventure and based in inner cities, there are characters and situations that readers can relate to and also aspire to. I want readers to be willing to give my work a try without worrying it will be completely unrelatable. I think there’s definitely a gap in the market for characters that many people would expect to be male and white. It’s my honour to help fill that gap.

5. It's great if things go according to plan. Tell us about when it didn't; how did you handle it? What were/are those challenges?

When you have your work published with traditional publishers you lose a large amount of control. The final straw for me was a book I had worked hard on that came back from the editors totally decimated. It was a train wreck of an edit that had removed chunks of my manuscript, messed with dialogue, and tried to redirect the plot. That was the final straw for me. I refocused and began self-publishing. I’ve never looked back. I’m not saying I would never go traditional, but the terms and conditions would have to suit me. And right now, I’m enjoying the process of self-publishing too much to jump ship.

6. Give a pep-talk to someone on game in your field.

Read.

Try to write every day.

Imitate writers you admire.

Experiment.

Develop a thick skin.

Believe in yourself.

Listen to the masters but do it your own way.

Joshua N'Gon & the Battle for St. Augustine: http://marksman.anton-marks.com/battleforsaintaugustus/

Amazon: www.smarturl.it/lastprince2

Website: www.antonmarks.com

#game #gametalk #game101 #antonmarks #urbanfantastic #crime #action #adventure #horror #swordnsoul #SciFi

Game Talk - Jim Mcleod

Some time around 2005/2006, a good friend recommended Brian Keene's "The Rising." Which is, to date, my favourite zombie story in any medium; book, TV, or film. What's notable here, is that, as a member of the FUKU (Fans Uv Keene United) on Brian Keene's forum, this is where I first met Jim. It would be some time later when I first heard 'Ginger Nuts Of Horror' mentioned as an idea. Fast-forward some years, and I see the monolith it's become. No mean feat. That takes game.

1. For those who don't know, who are you?

Hey, folks, I'm Jim Mcleod, the owner, editor, I'd like to say brains, but that might be pushing a bit much behind The UK's largest independent horror review website.

Ginger Nuts of Horror is now entering its twelfth year of existence, which is something that I never dreamed off when I started doing it as something to pass the time away with while being off work for an extended period as I recovered from a series of bone grafts on the left side of my body. And it is certainly not the sort of thing that I thought that this severely dyslexic reader would be capable of doing.

But here we are 12 years on, with something like 12 or 14 BFS Nominations for best non-fiction and magazine, and a surprise nomination for a Stoker last year behind us, and I stress the "us", as we wouldn't have a millionth of the success without the contributions of the Ginger Nuts family, under the belt.

As for who am I, well that depends on who you ask, some call me The Gingefather, some call me The Don of horror, some call me a coffee cream loving imbecile, and others call me an opinionated buffoon.

In truth, I'm just a passionate horror fan, and I'll stop short at calling myself a guru or expert, as only an arrogant eejit would say that about themselves.

In real life, I have a masters degree in virology, but thanks to the messed up way the country pays people I gave up working in that field to work the night shift for a supermarket, where I earn just as much money, but have way more free time.

When I'm not doing all things horror, I love doing hillwalking with the family and our crazy working cocker Poppy, where I'm trying to rekindle my passion for photography.

2. Game talk – how do you organise and manage your game? How has it evolved?

Organisation is everything to me, and I hate chaos, one of the things in that I fall out with my partner the most is how, in my mind's eye, like beauty, it's all in the beholder which she seems so disorganised.

I use a combo, of electronic and physical methods, to keep things organised. Starting with my email, I have a dedicated email account, and I use an excellent email client called Spark. Spark is brilliant; it has a powerful folder facility, which allows for folder upon folder for emails. This allows me to filter at the touch of a button into, book reviews, interviews, film reviews, features, news requests etc. You can even schedule emails to go out, which is excellent when you email an author to say a review or interview is live on the site, you can load up a week's worth at once and sit back. But its best function is it's response templates; these are a lifesaver. You can create a load of standard replies, click the response button, and fill it all in. Yes, you can use a word doc and copy and paste, but when you answer the number of emails I do, every second counts. Plus it means I can reply to emails quickly on my phone.

However, for some weird reason I'm not too fond of online diaries, so I use an old fashioned pen and paper. Don't ask me why I prefer them, and it might have something to do with it being more comfortable to have an open diary while going through all of the scheduled posts on the site.

Finally my office desk, I say office, it's the space beside the dog's bed in the living room, and she is slowly but surely pushing me out into the hall, has a magnetic whiteboard built into it, which is handy for keeping an in your face record of the things I have to do that week.

As for managing my time, that's always been difficult. Working heavy going 12-hour night shifts is terrible enough, but if my shift pattern is not right, I can lose one or maybe two days to crashing out on the sofa. This week, for example, I am off Sunday Monday and Tuesday, and each week is basically the same. Come home from work on a Sunday, grab a coffee and breakfast, take the dog out for a three hour walk, shower then try and watch some TV but fall asleep on the sofa for the afternoon. Monday and Tuesday are basically without the falling asleep on the sofa.

However, at the moment, life is way more complicated, with my wife trying to teach online classes and my two kids trying to do online learning, so I'm continually being consigned to the bedroom, where the temptation to take 40 winks is too great.

I do most of my work on the site when I get up, or get home from work, and the two hour period between getting up for work and leaving for work. It seems to work, and it means that I can relax on my days off.

3. Talk us through one of your biggest achievements in your game – give us the story behind it. How did it play out?

Apart from going two rounds with Bill "Superfoot" Wallace?

I could say interviewing Joe Dante was daunting but a tremendous amount of fun, or the numerous award nominations we have received. Still, truthfully the most significant achievement has to be the positive impact on the horror genre. So many authors have contacted us to tell them how much a review from us means to them, and how they see a significant upturn in sales after we have reviewed their book.

That's what the site is all about; it's what it has always been about. As soon as you bring in ego, personality, or money into it, the vision blurs. There are loads of great sites out there, but there are also sites that seem to be more about the cult of personality behind the website, and when you end up talking more about yourself than the books you are supposed to be reviewing, or when you make it into a pissing contest about reach, followers, or even the number of books you read in a year, that's when you need to talk a long hard look at yourself, and ask are you doing this for the right reason?

A great side effect of doing this, especially in the UK where everyone in the genre knows everyone else, is the friendships. You've been to a fair few FantasyCons, CC. and you just know how heartwarming and uplifting it is going to them. Walking through the doors to be greeted by folks such as Mark West, Phil Sloman, Laura Mauro, Kit Power, Dave Watkins, Justin Park, Penny Jones, Tracy Fahey, Steve Shaw, Ramsey Campbell, Tim Lebbon, Dan Coxon, Lisa Childs, James Everington and hundreds more is a feeling that is beyond my capabilities to describe correctly.

4. You mention the Joe Dante interview, which I imagine would have been a lot of fun; no doubt that man had stories to tell. Given that I know you from FUKU days, back when you first had the GNOH vision, at what point did you think the GNOH vehicle would be such a mammoth and far-reaching venture?

The interview was amazing. I started like a startled bunny in the headlights, but within minutes he made me feel so relaxed. The interview was only supposed to be a quick 15-minute soundbite interview for Bury The Ex, the film he was promoting, but it turned into a mammoth 80-minute interview, which would have gone in longer if his PA hadn't pulled him away.

As for when did I the Ginger Nuts would turn into a mammoth and far-reaching venture, I still haven't got around to thinking that, it's weird, you spend all this time online as a reviewer and promoter of horror, but you spend so much time feeling as though you are in a bubble all by yourself. It's the nature of social media I guess, you see the posts being shared, but you rarely get direct interaction with those sharing the stuff. I used to be a compulsive stats watcher, but that quickly a massive time sink. I've found the best way to keep the site running is to do what I do, and not worry too much about things like stats etc. I have no clue about the stuff that makes a big difference on it, or at least the things I can control like SEO, that's just gobbledygook to me. I'll let you into a big secret; I wing it every day, there are days where I feel like the Del Boy of horror.

I suppose the one thing that has made me understand the importance of the site is the multiple award nominations. I wouldn't have them if people either didn't know about the site or thought that what we are doing is worthy of nomination. Although it would be nice to win one just once, not for myself, but for all of the hard work and dedication that the Ginger Nut family put in. I'm lucky and immensely honoured to have surrounded myself with a review team, that are far better at it than I am. Seriously I read some of the reviews and features they send in, and I feel like an imposter. They make me raise my game, and that is always a good thing.

5. It's great if things go according to plan. Tell us about when it didn't; how did you handle it? What were/are those challenges?

A couple of years back I went through what I call my three months of hell, a lot of personal issues, both health-related and mental health-related culminated in a ten day stay in hospital with a nasty dose of blood poisoning, and all the time, while I was lying there with an antibiotic drip in my arm all I could think of was I need to get the website published.

After a few days, I came to the conclusion that the root of all my problems was the website and the demands it made on me. I made a knee jerk reaction, closed the site down, made an announcement on social media, and went into hiding for a couple of weeks. It was only when I received an email from Phil Sloman, telling me I need to click onto Facebook for a quick look, that I saw that hundreds of people had changed their Facebook profile picture to the Ginger Nuts logo in a sign of solidarity, that I decided to come back. I swore at the time that I would cut back on everything, only do "office hours" etc., but that only lasted a few weeks.

The knee jerk reaction is my biggest failing. I'm too quick to react, a good example of that has been a few of the genre falling outs if only I took a step back and thought about was going on would I realise that in a lot of cases I had been played by interested parties, and used as their personal attack dog.

Thankfully this has been the year where many bridges have been fixed, once I realised that certain parties had been playing me like a cheap fiddle.

6. Give a pep-talk to someone on game in your field.

Never give up, never let anyone what you can and cannot do in your review space. Never let anyone tell you that your reviews have no value. You'd think this wouldn't need to be said, but the number of reviewers out there who seem to believe they are the gold standard of what reviewing is all about is worryingly commonplace.

Don't give up, while it might seem that you aren't getting much reach with your reviews, it will come, it just takes time, there is an audience out there for you, and every view on the site will bring you closer to that tipping point. Find your own voice, don't waste time trying to find a unique selling point, just find the voice of your reviews, keep them honest and respectful, and keep plugging away. Reviews are the lifeblood of the genre, and there is more than enough space for everyone.

Website: https://gingernutsofhorror.com/index.html

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GNutsofHorror

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jim.mcleod.3939/

#game #gametalk #game101 #jimmcleod #gnoh #gingernutsofhorror

Game Talk - J.R. Park

In the run-up to the release of Volume 3 of The Black Room Manuscripts, I'd headed to Edge-Lit. Among other things, one reason was to finally meet face-to-face with J.R. Park - one of the heads behind the publisher known as the Sinister Horror Company. Those who've heard me talk werewolf over recent years will know his Mad Dog novel is truly one of my favourite reads to date. Savvy, creative, and one of the genre's treasures, I'd have to talk game with him.

1. For those who don't know, who are you?

My name is Justin Park, I run the independent publishing imprint Sinister Horror Company. I also write horror books under the name J. R. Park, work on independent horror films (directing, sound, writing and acting), design book covers and from time to time embark on dalliances in the realm of (non-horror) poetry.

2. Game talk – how do you organise and manage your game? How has it evolved?

I am a ruthlessly organised person. I always say it’s because I have a bad memory and being organised stops me having to remember stuff, and this is very true, it reduces stress, keeps me on track and allows my brain power to be directed towards things more productive and creative.

I use a number of tools to help me organise my time. I’ve adopted the use of a yearly wall planner for the last 5 years. With one glance on the wall I can see deadlines, appointments, conventions, payment cycles and how they all fit into each other. It also shows me if I am overdoing things. I can’t express enough how important rest time is. It’s so easy to push yourself into burnout. I’ve done many times in the past and learnt from my mistakes. Once you burnout you are no good to anyone especially yourself, so give yourself a break!

On a more detailed level I create a weekly plan which lists out (in hour blocks) what I intend to tackle when. This helps stop me from expecting too much from myself and then getting stressed when I haven’t completed everything. There is only so many hours in a day, so I learnt to be realistic with my time.

All this planning isn’t completely rigid either, sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind, and sometimes you have to move things around. It’s important to allow some flexibility and roll with the demands and unexpected.

I usually set specific time aside for publishing, and other time for my own creative work, with the time comparatively swelling or shrinking depending on what I’m working on. When I’m writing a new book then more time will go one that, and when a new book I’m publishing reaches me then that may be my main focus. But I always make some time for both, and I’m always spinning multiple plates at once.

At the moment for instance I have seven books at various states of completion from other authors for Sinister, I have three books of my own at various drafting stages and we’re currently gearing up to shoot a new feature film, which involves A LOT of prep – for instance yesterday I was writing a props list and planning the meals for the cast and crew.

The trick I find is to break it all down into small chunks, plan when I’m going to tackle these chunks, and conquer with the ‘little and often’ approach,

3. Talk us through one of your biggest achievements in your game – give us the story behind it. How did it play out?

I think one of my biggest achievements in terms of validation and monetary success was when I sold the movie option for my book Punch. Punch was the first horror story I sat down and seriously, although at the time I wrote it as a script. After a year spent compiling a complete collection of all the movies on the famed Video Nasty list uncut I fancied writing a horror film.

The idea of using Punch and Judy as a theme for a slasher style movie was something that been circling my mind for years so I decided to create that story. After many drafts and feedback from friends I completed the script. However I soon realised that no one would ever read it, so a year later I decided to turn it into a book. When released, no had heard of me so the audience was small, but it slowly gained an appreciative audience. A year or so after its release it was reviewed by Ginger Nuts of Horror, which marked my first appearance on the site, marking something off my writing bucket list. The book wouldn’t die and every year someone else would pick it up and talk about it on their end of year reading list, then one day I got a message from a scriptwriter via my website. He gave me his number and we chatted on the phone a few times and he asked to purchase the film rights. So nearly 5 years after being published the book got picked up. The thing that pleased me most about this was the validation of my work, that someone had enough faith in the story to pay me for its use and had the vision and belief to see it as a successful film.

4. Publishing, writing and film making – that’s a lot of different disciplines. Which is the most involved?

The most complex by far is film making. I work with Matt Shaw under the name Purgatory Pictures and we’ve created three very different films (Monster, Next Door, They Came From The Sky, I Saw Them). We use a small independent crew, and I’m involved at so many levels. First there’s the creative side of script drafting, shot selection and editing, but then there’s the technical and organisation side – what scenes to shoot in what order, location scouting, crew hiring, props, getting actors and as mentioned before, absolute basics like food – honestly one of the biggest drains on a film’s budget is food! There’s a lot of prep work and a lot of post-production work to finalise a film, but the most fun and tiring is shooting the thing. You can plan as much as you like, but things will go wrong on the set, or ideas will change and you need to think on the fly. It’s an incredible buzz, but I need a day or two afterwards just to sleep.

5. It's great if things go according to plan. Tell us about when it didn't; how did you handle it? What were/are those challenges?

Things don’t go wrong. I’m so damn good and what I do that everything happens just how I want it, and everything is perfect. Ha ha ha. I wish!

Things are always going wrong, but that’s okay, a signal of success is not necessarily avoiding problem, but the grace with which you work around them.

From a publishing point of view getting books finalised without any errors (as every error looks bad and costs money to fix – bad for reputation and business), but it’s very rare that I get a proof copy in my hands and don’t make any further corrections, despite having many eyes going over it before sending it to the printers. I have learnt to factor thus correction process into my timeline for a book. When I first started I didn’t think about this, and we almost had a disaster with The Black Room Manuscripts Volume Two, arriving with errors in it with only a few weeks to go before the convention we were releasing it at. In order to get around it, I made the corrections, and paid through the nose for super-fast service and delivery – however I only ordered enough to sell on the day, which meant I could keep the costs as low as possible and still have representation at the convention.

6. Give a pep-talk to someone on game in your field.

You are wonderful. You are unique. There is not one single person exactly like you on the planet. There never was, and there never will be. Only you have your complex weaves of experiences and influences, so make use of them. It’s great that you might like Stephen King, but why try and write like him? If people want books written like Stephen King books, they buy a Stephen King. Use his influence on you by all means, but dig deep and look inside yourself – what else can you meld with that influence? What other writing styles interest you? What emotions does your favourite albums invoke, and can you recreate that? What scene or concepts in films have left you breathless? What things did you experience that left a mark on you, are remain unresolved and you’d like to explore? Think about these things, boil them up into a broth of your own creation and bring that to the table. Then you’ve got something to offer.

And once you’ve done it once, do it again. Learn what worked and what didn’t last time, improve your craft, and most importantly push yourself. Experiment. If you are just lazily bashing out another story, what is in it for the reader? Every book / creative project should be a challenge for you, it should be difficult, and you should be improving with each one.

And you can do it. You can create something new. Something interesting. Because there is not one single person exactly like you on the planet. You are unique. You are wonderful.

Sinister Horror Company: https://www.sinisterhorrorcompany.com/

J R Park: https://jrparkemail.wixsite.com/justinpark

As J. R. Park, Justin has released the horror books Terror Byte, Punch, Upon Waking, The Exchange, Mad Dog, and Postal (with Matt Shaw), and three short story collections, Death Dreams In A Whorehouse, Death Dreams At Christmas, Death Dreams In The Dark.

As Justin Park, he has released the poetry collection I Promise I’ll Let You Down.

He has recently finished work on the novel Beheaded, a collaboration with horror legend Guy N Smith which should see publication later in 2021.

#game #gametalk #game101 #jrpark #justinpark

Let's Talk Game

January sees me having finished basic clean-up on the latest novel. It's by no means finished, but it'll keep for now while I turn my hand to other things. Which include another novella or two, as well as the next novel. No rest for the wicked. Even though we're in the midst of a pandemic.

I know for a number of creators that last year was something of a 'dumpster fire' - an expression I hear more and more in describing 2020. I know a number of peers weren't in the mood to create and didn't - which I understand. In what can be seen as truly troubling times with massive fatalities on both sides of the water - and around the world - making it out alive is paramount. Do that and you're golden. Everything else is just detail. That said, a number of people rolled with those punches. Where social distancing had become part of everyday life, they still wrote, published, drew, painted, hosted, et al. Bringing dark media to the audience.

Even outside of a pandemic, there are those individuals who are seemingly unstoppable. The ones that are always writing, always working on something. The ones that bring stunning visuals with or without written words, and the ones with a critical eye to polish rough diamonds. The ones that review swathes of dark media landing in the marketplace, and the ones that give a platform to the creators. Those individuals who will champion diversity, inclusion and representation. The ones with talent, drive and savvy in how they do what they do.

The ones with game.

From a conversation I've had with one of my oldest beta readers more than once, there are varying levels of game. As an author, the bottom line is that you write. What you write, how you write and how often you write are something else altogether. A novice author who has written the first story might feel apprehensive about having someone else read it, let alone send it to a publisher/editor. That's the kind of confidence and resilience that can come with time and practise.

But that's not the thrust of this entry.

I don't have any trouble motivating myself to write. Certainly not with the muse still outrunning me. But in the realm of an indie (independent) author, I do my damnedest to make sure that nothing less than my best work gets to my audience. That's the game I bring; and if you really want it in detail (Game 101), ,feel free to look here.

Recent times - and certainly the last year - have shown me how a whole host of people bring game to the table. What I did was reach out to a number of those people to talk game; how they do what they do. And they accepted, for which I'm grateful.

So. Starting from the end of January, I'll take a back seat from the regular monthly journal updates and be hosting a series of Q&A sessions on game. Regular updates will still be on my homepage here, along with my Facebook and Twitter pages. Of course, I'll still be putting in work behind the scenes (as a slave to the muse, I'm cursed to obey). I imagine the guests will, too.

Let's talk game.

#game #gametalk #game101

Back To Formula

There's a line in the first Spider-Man film from the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire outings, which is, "We need to take the whole line back to formula." In the context of the film, this was work on a performance enhancer; which was to increase physical strength, among other things. Dr. Stromm points out that side effects were violence, aggression and insanity. While Norman Osborn cites that Stromm is the only member of staff who doesn't believe the enhancer is ready for human testing, the General asks Stromm for his opinion. Which is: "We need to take the whole line back to formula."

In other words, strip shit down to the basics and give it an overhaul.

In writing terms, this is what I did.

I say this from reviewing more recent projects. The last novella I wrote didn't sit well with the beta readers at all. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing, because the beta readers are there to give critical and constructive feedback - but I'm not obliged to take it. It's more a case of cherry-picking the criticisms to help hone and refine the work into something sharper, tighter, and which brings my vision of the story to life. That said, for this one novella, the beta feedback showed me where my game was not so tight. As for the last novel I wrote? That quickly ran out of steam, at a novella length.

So I took 'the whole line' back to formula.

From when I started writing, I was knocking out novel-length work, with little in the way of outlining. The move to focus more on short stories came from the need to get more work into the marketplace quicker; and build that body of work. With that achieved, then came the move to produce novellas. Now, with a number of those done, it's back to novels, at least for the time being. The bottom line is that I write what speaks to me, or what I think would make a cool/entertaining/disturbing/pick-your-adjective story

I've said before that from both an author and reader point of view, it's the long(er) fiction that moves me, because I find it to be a more immersive experience. The first couple of times I'd written a novel, there wasn't as much in the way of outlining. Be it known that everything I write has a degree of outline. All of my writing, from short stories to novel, has the bare minimum of the elevator pitch and the ending. I outline everything but now, the way I outline depends on whether it's a short story or a novella or a novel.

That's for the time being, at least. Because I'm still writing at pace and I don't want to be so arrogant/complacent/pick-your-adjective that I think 'this is good enough.' So at some point down the line, I might head back to formula.

#writing #game #shortstory #novella #novel

Capital L.

For those who don't know, I'm from London, UK. A native Londoner. Born and raised in the capital and proud of.

One thing I hear more and more of is how vividly London is depicted in my work. That makes me proud to hear, because I take great pains to ensure that shines through.

Throughout my years , I've seen the city evolve. Bear in mind that the younger I was, I was less outgoing - literally and figuratively. As for shops close by, there used to be the likes of a fish and chip shop, a couple of newsagents, where you'd get crisps and sweets and such. And let's not forget back then, VHS video was a thing. In particular, a place known as Electrobug Video. This is important, because when VCRs first came out and we first got one, it was my oldest brother who led the charge and started to hire films from there. If memory serves, it was a two day rental. And this is where/how I saw a lot of horror films.

London had become more diverse in my years and I feel the attitudes to it had changed. Pre-teen, I might go to the newsagents around the corner for a video game magazine (Zzap!64 or some such). The Classic cinema was the nearest cinema to me - where the first film I watched by myself there was Clash Of The Titans ...with Harry Hamlin (pre L.A. Law). Yes, that was a while ago.

Teens saw me discover more diversity in and around the city. The likes of Tiger Lil's up at Clapham Common. I never went, but you'd always recognise the place when you got to the area. If memory serves, it was Mongolian barbecue and the shop front window would be down/open and you'd see the big-ass flashes of fire in the pan as the chefs put in work. My earliest forays into lifting weights were in a leisure centre, back when I would down two boxes of Lyons Viennese Whirls after doing nothing but bench press, lat pulldowns and leg extensions. And I still managed to grow. Youth was definitely wasted on the young. Hell, I even earned the nickname 'Bencher' from a couple of the bigger and older brothers. The skinny kid at 67kg who could easily rep out +90kg. Still with the stretch marks to prove it.

Fun fact about gyms: despite London being a big city hosting your fitness studios, leisure/wellness centres, whatever you want to call them, the number of hardcore gyms were - and are - few and far between. I started out at Grove Gym (which used to be owner by Olympic weightlifter and coach Mike Pearman). There were other gyms; Beauty & The Beast, Squats, MuscleWorks, Dave Prowse Gym (yes, the body of Darth Vader), etc. but these were private gyms. When Grove Gym closed, I finally ended up at MuscleWorks. Where all the monsters were.

Still are.

I never really did anything serious in the way of international travel until my early thirties. Sure there'd been the family trips to Barbados (where the heritage is) or a school day trip to Boulogne on the ferry. But the likes of Toronto, Brazil, Miami, Singapore, et al. - great as they are - enforced one thing.

There's no place like home. Especially in the capital.

I used to work at the forerunner to Starbucks in this country, long before said Starbucks and Costa, et al. had really gained such a foothold. Be it known that I don't really drink/like coffee, but barista skill is something I learned, taught and pride myself on. Beans, roast varieties, tasting coffee like wine. Grind, espresso shots, crema. Knowledge (and skill) I still keep, it seems. La Marzocco machines are still the weapon of choice. But one thing I remember before those times is how many people, whether they were from the UK or not, would be of the mind that they didn't like London or the UK. It's dirty, expensive, places close early. Blah, blah, blah. The worst part was I used to believe them. Now, having travelled and seen much more of the world, I encounter less of those people, if any. Just as well, because I'm of the mind, 'get the fuck out. I won't miss you.'

The landscape, literal and figurative has changed. Now there's more racial/cultural diversity in communities and workforces. On TV and in commercials. Gay men unafraid to hold hands and kiss in public. Older generations dining out, or putting in work at the gym. London Underground (subway system) is now 24hr. 'More' - not necessarily 'enough.' But positive. The kind of changes and diversity that make me proud to call the capital home.

There used to be the antiquated idea that if you came here to visit, you'd have to see things like Buckingham Palace or the houses of Parliament. Big Ben, and such. As a native, there are cooler places that I can reel off, off the top of my head. The Shard up at London Bridge, for one (built in 2012). So called because it looks like a glass shard. At east central London, with the restaurant and bar up 32 floors, you get a good view of the city - especially from the urinals in the men's room. Similarly, you've got Heron Tower up at Bishopsgate (east central), where you still have the likes of the Duck & Waffle restaurant. There's more of the taller architecture now in the capital unlike years ago, but I never hear the echo of car horns like I do in the canyons of downtown Toronto. Or the London Eye (built 2000), up by the river Thames. No, I've never been on it, but head up to Waterloo early evening and you get to see the sun set behind it, which is pretty cool. The kind of places that give the capital a unique and modern skyline.

Note that Waterloo isn't far from the South Bank, where, among other things, you have the BFI (British Film Institute). Where the likes of Vue and Odeon might pander more to Hollywood blockbusters and Oscar-winning fare, the BFI may showcase older and/or themed work, e.g. that of Stanley Kubrick or based on stories by Stephen King, etc. For views and architecture, head up to St. Paul's at night. Lots of bars where you might hear the chime of cathedral bells at night in the background. Nighttime sees the dome bathed in ghostly light. Maybe head up to the rooftop terrace at One New Change. If my Twitter wallpaper still has me arms folded in front of a sunset, that's where the picture was taken. Maybe get close to the river, whether it's at Vauxhall or Canary Wharf (financial district. Skyscrapers for the likes of Citibank and HSBC. Red aircraft lights on the top, looking beautiful at night, especially when you catch the DLR (Docklands Light Railway that serves Central to East London, e.g. Greenwich. As in Greenwich Mean Time, or GMT). Very scenic and peaceful, no matter what time of day. Or take a boat along the river; the same way you'd catch a bus or a train. Grey, choppy water free of charge.

London has a lot that I've still not gotten to grips with. Sure there are wider known attractions, like Trafalgar Square (cited as the centre of London). If you've seen An American Werewolf In London, this where David tries to get himself arrested. The fountains are still there, as are the statues. Although I believe the yearly pillow fight (I shit you not) is due to move to Hackney for 2021. Theatreland, around London's West End, if theatre is your thing, for Les Misérables, The Lion King, et al. The Lion King was the last show I saw, way back. A brownie point move in watching it with my then-girlfriend.

I need to give the nod to Peter Mark May here, who's said, 'you can tell if CC wrote a book, because there's people eating in it.' Smart-ass. Foodie I am, it features. I'm no snob about it either. I'll get into chicken at Nando's or brunch at Balthazar's with equal gusto. I'd love to take in The Ivy; a Gordon Ramsay restaurant at London Bridge, near the river. Ditto for Langan's Brasserie. And places like The Avalon are always a winner. Monmouth Kitchen does a line in tapas style, not a million miles away from the Forbidden Planet comic store in Leicester Square.

Let's not forget the niche places, depending on your poison. Wunjo Guitars in Tottenham Court Road (area around tube station) for guitarists and bassists. Hotel Chocolat (no 'e') stores peppered throughout central London( but not so, further out) for the truly discerning chocolate connoisseurs. The wine experience, Vinopolis, which closed years ago. Ditto the Erotica fair which, of all things, had a great line in toffee vodka. (I missed the Dita von Tesse dance in her glass though, but the fire dancers were impressive).

And those still going strong: The Jazz Café in Camden, North London. Floridita - 100 Wardour Street - in Soho for the Latin vibe; mariachi bands too. Not to be confused with the 100 Club (100 Oxford Street) - another dimly-lit basement affair which, among other things, has hosted some solid funk - George Porter. Lots more besides. Or step to the Royal Albert Hall (in Kensington), if you want a sense of architecture/history as well - near 150 years of it. Great acoustics. Not keen on the lack of leg room (narrow tiers, if I remember rightly). Still, shows like Earth, Wind & Fire and Liza Minelli took the edge off.

So, be advised - I've barely scratched the surface of the capital, let alone what insidious narratives I'll weave into it. But bear with me; because I'll show you more. From the likes of Alexandra Palace to Zizzi's. All in good time.

#London #capital #writing #ILoveLondon

The Muse

I guess I have something of a motif, certainly on social media, in that I have a muse. In much the same way that Dexter Morgan had a 'dark passenger', so the muse is that driving force that motivates me to write. The unseen partner that whispers all those dark, delightful and twisted ideas in my ear. Who throws tantrums and screeches in impotent fury when I don't get to write anytime soon.

Not all the people I meet realise I'm an author, let alone a horror author. There have been those instances where after learning I'm an author, they ask 'what do you write' and I ask them to guess. While I can't remember those answers, on hearing I write horror, the usual response is some degree of surprise. And then come the follow-up questions. Like 'why horror?' And 'where do you get you ideas from?'

In terms of the 'why?', it's the villainy. From an early age, stories we're introduced to have that villainy; even something as seemingly innocent as The Lion King. Yes, it's a Disney film, yes there's a happy ending (at least for Simba) but let's not forget that Mufasa was murdered by his brother. Death by stampede. What horror does is take that villainy to more extreme and insidious levels. And I'd grown up with a lot of horror; Rabid, Scanners, the Evil Dead, An American Werewolf In London, Dracula, The Kindred, Phantasm, Poltergeist, et al.

Which now brings us to, 'where do you get your ideas from?'

I guess I've always had an active imagination. I can remember some of my earliest dreams. The earliest one I remember (back when I was younger than ten years old) was that there were two of me. A human me watching from behind a glass observation screen, and the other me - as a vampire. Complete with a black car and two women, pulling up somewhere that looked like a sunset desert. Other dreams I had were me being hunted/chased through the house by a dinosaur. The earliest one of those I can remember was a T-rex in the back garden looking into the dining room and me hiding under the table, as if that would make it alright. In the dream, I bolted for the front door and ran down the street. This was years before Jurassic Park. Subsequent dreams over later years involved me being naked, or at least in some stage of undress. And nearly always barefoot.

In the context of writing, I'm grateful that I get ideas faster than I can write them. In the earlier days of getting an idea for a story, I used to scribble them on the back of a shop receipt. I think on one occasion, I may even have written the idea - or potential story title - in the steam on the bathroom mirror. Thankfully, smartphones are useful things, so I've jotted many an idea on the notepad app.

As far as the inspiration goes, it's a question of what would I like to see, or what would be a cool idea. It used to be a case of looking through open submission calls and seeing if there was any theme that spoke to me. The disadvantage there is that I'm writing only if there's a particular topic that moves me. That grew stale when I realised if there was a submission call that spoke to me, I'd have to take time to prepare something. Now, as I'm 'always' writing, there's more chance I'll already have something good to go when the right call comes.

Most of the stories I write take place in London, so when I'm out and about in the city, it could be anything that sets off the muse. From a lift in a glass tower in East London, or a late night commute on London Underground in South London. Don't believe me? "Sunset Is Just The Beginning" - all because a co-worker threw a spider at another co-worker; back in my account manager days. "Forfeit Tissue" - for all the times I spent a late night in the Jazz Café up close to the stage with the likes of Maceo Parker or the Average White Band. Not the kind of scenario you'd want to be in if a fire broke out. "Just Him" - for all the fruitless nights out, left with trying to keep warm and awake on the nightbus home. "Kin" for where the wind blows around a quiet house. Seriously; it could be anything. Because my work is set very much in the real world, what speaks to me is to take those everyday characters - including the city itself - and nudge their narratives to somewhere dark and insidious. Old. Young. Gay. Straight. Employed. Jobless. Newly-wed. Divorced. Victims. Bullies. And more besides.

For all the time I spend doing this, that and the third during the day, the muse comes alive at night. There's something about night that speaks to me; not only because it's when the house and neighbourhood are quiet, but also because nuances are profound at night. Wind rattling the windows in the frame. Silence in the room. A creak from somewhere else in the house. Those are the times when my ideas truly come alive - when those nuances speak to me. While there's violence and drama in my work, I pride myself on the nuance, the pacing. Playing with whether it's the characters or the audience who are ahead of or behind the curve. Yes, I can write during the day (as long as I have that quiet and solitude) but the ideas come alive after dark. Whether it's a fire at night or a cemetery at dawn - night brings those ideas into focus. One thing I can't/won't do is work on more than one idea at a time. Yes, the muse is generous with me, but I never like the idea of writing multiple projects at once. The closest I'll get to that is to maybe write one, and do basic clean-up of typos on another one in-between.

More often than not, there's a quote that precedes my work - the hors d'oeuvre that sets the tone and hints at the story to come. Like, "There are no wild animals until Man makes them so." - Mark Twain (and I love that one). Those, too, are work for the muse - and it's not unheard of that I spend hours looking for the right one. But when I find the right one, it fits like a glove (which pleases the muse no end). And because the story starts with a quote, that alone gives me a feel of where I want the story to go and how I want it to get there. I'll do an outline and research, but not a framework so rigid that it doesn't allow me to improvise. The muse speaks to me whenever she wants, even if it's not convenient. Still, the business of writing - let alone the plotting/outlining, editing, etc. can be time-consuming - especially when I (thankfully) have more ideas to write. As such, I write as quick as I can - to the point that my first drafts are sloppy with typos. But at least they're finished first drafts.

Currently I'm about halfway on the first draft of the new novel. Already the muse has been bugging me with more ideas about what she wants to see/do next. All I'll say at this point is that it'll be something new and different for me. of course, the muse doesn't care. And she usually gets what she wants; especially since we continue to serve each other well.

#writing #themuse

Authors Are Fans Too.

One of the things I've been watching of late is Netflix' Daredevil. Just to give some context to this, as a comic-fan, Spider-Man is my go-to. I'm still the proud owner of several hundred original issues, which include the likes of Harry Osborn on drugs, the origin of the Human Fly, the death of Kraven, and Venom's first appearance. That said, I've yet to see a Spidey film that's truly wowed me. Poor, yes. Okay to good, yes. Great, no. (FYI, my favourite screen appearances of Spidey are still the MCU debut in Civil War, and both seasons of the Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon. Let's not forget the first Maguire/Raimi film, e.g. for the final swing). Probably my favourite superhero film to date is the theatrical cut of Daredevil.

But as much as I love that film (for the bar fight alone), it's not a patch on the Netflix show. Again, I'm a Spidey fan, if anything, so what I know of Daredevil is largely through the wall-crawler. But the Netflix show has blown me away. Charlie Cox plays a relaxed, charmingly nuanced and articulate Murdock, with a pitch-perfect sense of a thin veneer to the ruthless brutality of his alter-ego. The stories are solid, dialogue is sharp, the photography is inspired, gritty and beautiful - man, I could go on. It's made a fan of me.

Which made me think on how I've made fans of people.

I've not made fans of everyone though. Mama, as much as she's on board with me writing, doesn't particularly want to read it - no matter how much she protests otherwise. For her, it's like reading a foreign language - she can read the words, but what they convey simply have no interest or meaning for her. But I'm okay with that. The same way I'm okay with negative reviews and reactions to the likes of Semen. Thankfully, it's got some favourable reaction too, so, again, I'm humbled it's wowed people.

For those I've made fans of, it's heady stuff. I maintain that it's humbling and cool that people gravitate to your work, let alone like it. But, they do. I've had people rave about But Worse Will Come, and perhaps even more so about Forfeit Tissue and its antagonist (which still surprises me, given it's a short standalone work). About how I put London on the map and bring it to life in my work. Humbling, indeed. As I've said more than once, I'm born and raised in the capital and proud of. The city is a character; from the cultural diversity to the physical landscape. Red buses and black cabs that crawl in heavy traffic. London Underground stations and the distinctive red and blue circle-bar logo. From the terraced houses of residential areas to the glass and steel structures in and around Central London; the London Eye, the Shard, et al. From the distinctive smell of a Subway sandwich shop to the sheer breadth of restaurants throughout the capital; cuisines that span Nigerian, Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Italian, Lebanese, etc. From the theatre district of Soho to the more modern vibe of the O2 out in East London - again, I could go on. I've only lived outside of London when in uni all those years ago, but the capital has made a fan of me.

I remember having this conversation with Paul Feeney some years back at Edge-Lit, about wowing fans. Developing and expanding on a mythos - in this case, the Sunset mythos. Dropping teasers and Easter eggs into your work. Cliffhangers. Making fans out of your readers; give them more than they bargained for. If it's good enough to wow, I've done a good job.

Having anyone be a fan of my work, whether they're an author or not, is just cool. To see them amped for when you do a cover reveal and announce release dates. It's just humbling and cool, along with being asked to sign copies of the book. As a horror writer, to have your work (or at least aspects of it) labelled as 'made my skin crawl', 'shudders', '...truly kickass and terrifying...', 'chilling', or 'some of you motherfuckers need Jesus', etc. is gratifying. And from an author point of view, I want to make fans of people. Give them those characters and narratives that they can lose themselves in and invest in. Debate about. Dialogue they can quote, and scenes they can re-read. Just like the O'Jays said, 'Got to give the people. Give the people what they want.'

Well, well.

To bring this narrative full circle, one thing I do remember of recent times is V. Castro sharing a Tweet on what properties would 'you' write for. For the longest time, as a horror author, I never figured on writing for other properties - but over more recent times, it's become more of a consideration (even if it's not a major consideration). Spider-Man is the first one that comes to mind, having been a lifelong fan of the character. In addition to the comics, I still wear the t-shirts - proudly. Making Spidey hands too - 'thwip, thwip'. Villains like Electro, the Lizard and the Human Fly would be my top picks,. The last one I read was No Turning Back, a violent but very clever story which has the web-slinger face off against the Lizard, with help/hindrance from Morbius. A nod to Amazing Spider-Man #100, for the connoisseurs, and the kind of story I'm still re-reading. So, still a fan.

Maybe I'll end up creating a property that other authors would want to create for, or adapt to to other media . That'd be a whole other level of fandom.

#writing #fans #fandom #horror #SpiderMan #Daredevil #ButWorseWillCome #Semen #ForfeitTissue #property

Yes, I Write Horror.

Before I get into it, I feel the need to start with disclaimers. Such as:

I write horror.

Yes, I write horror.

You're not obliged to read my work, let alone like it.

And I'm okay with that.

My work isn't for everyone.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

In part, what prompts this entry is that I had a friend that unfriended me recently. Not an author friend, and seemingly not a fan of the genre. This follows a conversation with then friend who was preaching with some degree of alcohol in her. In vino veritas, indeed. Observant and curious child I am, a couple of lines of the convo stuck with me, to which I said I loved them (the words) and would have to use them in a new work at some point.

Anyhow.

Fast forward about a week or so, and I get a text from leftfield, courtesy of this friend. That if I'm going to use such dialogue in my fiction, I need to ask for permission. And that, as a result, it was 'best that we shouldn't speak anymore.' Said friend went on to say that she finds some of my work misogynistic, and asks what was I thinking, naming a novel Semen? (Okay, it's a novella, but I'm guessing that's not the point.) And then said friend goes on to mention that she doesn't like horror, refuses to read any more of it, and that I shouldn't ask her to proof any of my work. This is in spite of the fact that she's read some of my work (e.g. Curious, If Anything) and claimed to like it. Has she read Semen? Don't know, don't care.

Again, note the disclaimer: I write horror. Where bad things happen to good people. And bad people. And the people somewhere in between. Men and women alike. Young and old. Open season on all, including age, race, gender, orientation and such. Suicide. Evisceration. Dismemberment. Maiming. Burning. Etc. Some survive, some don't. Some are completely unscathed. As someone born and raised in London and proud of, I love this city. The cityscape/scenery, the diversity, the culture and cultures. Food, entertainment, news, public transport; London Underground, etc. For me, I'd be doing a disservice to the capital if I didn't bring it to life in my work like any other character.

I'm aware that people may have their triggers and therefore their boundaries. Which I accept. If they read my work, great - if they like it, even better. It's humbling and appreciated to engage the audience, let alone wow them. The bigger concern for me isn't losing a friend (not in this instance), but whether my work is in any way misogynistic. Again, I write horror. While some of the monstrous things I write aren't human in nature, some of them are. Not all of my characters, human or otherwise, are characters you'd want to spend any length of time with. Unreliable. Cowardly. Misogynistic. Short-tempered. Selfish. Reckless. Manipulative. Etc. All in varying degrees.

That said, I'm aware that I don't have an outside perspective. What to do? Speak to those closer to me; peers and friends. To have that conversation, I picked one of each. One peer first; a fellow traveller, who handles game similar to how I do. Said peer reassures they're sure that I'm not misogynistic, but that some of my work has shown characters with some degree of misogyny. Fellow traveller is also a feminist, and regardless, I value their opinion and perspective. My take was/is that I'd be remiss if didn't do a little self-examination: is my work gratuitous? Hopefully not. As a person, can I do better? As for the friend in this? Said friend poses the question 'would this person react so strongly if Semen was written by a woman?'

What I find interesting about all of this is that even the reaction to the title is strong. The original short story was called Seed (written back in 2017 as part of the A Story A Week challenge). But, for me, 'Seed' sounded tame. 'Semen' on the other hand, not so much. Certainly not a swear word, but not without connotation either. As far as Semen is concerned, that's one of the works I'm more proud of to date. Narrative and flow. A more experimental work for me, but, yeah.

Given the content, I was keen to get a number of people to beta read it - not wanting to have anything gratuitous in it (or any of my work). Note that most of those are women; some authors in their own right, some not. Aside from one peer who declined to read it (which is fine), the response has been mostly positive. Out there in the world, as it were, not everyone will like it or has liked it. But that's standard practice - it comes with the territory, and that's okay. No, Mama still doesn't want a copy, let alone read it. And to be fair, she doesn't 'read' my work. Of course, she can read, but what the words convey simply don't interest her for the story to sink in (as much as she might protest otherwise). And that's okay. That said, she likes the cover art. Go figure.

So, let's bring this full circle, as it were. There's one friend who likes the atmospheric and eerie. And is fine with a degree of violence and mayhem on humans, but not animals. There's another friend who will tell me now and again that she will have to read some of my work. Said friend isn't quick to watch Kingdom, as zombies and such aren't her bag. She, too, gets the disclaimer - as do the wider audience:

Yes, I write horror. No, it's not for everybody. Yes, you've been warned.

#horror #writing #friend #unfriend #semen #misogynistic

The Art Of Hugging.

A couple of weeks ago, I was working on a new short. But, for me, the first part of the process is to come up with the title as well as the quote/tagline that sets the story off; a process that has been known to take hours, rather than minutes. Anyhow. When I finally come up with the title, Phil Sloman says, 'Please tell me it's The Art of Hugging by CC Adams.' And (with love, I assure you) I told him 'fuck you.'

So, you can blame Phil Sloman for the title here.

With both StokerCon and FantasyCon shelved for this year in light of the current pandemic, I think it's fair to say more of my peers are feeling it. The good thing about these conventions - certainly from an author point of view - is that sense of camaraderie. And party of that camaraderie is to hug those people: your peers. The authors, editors, publishers, readers/reviewers, artists, et al. who make up our genre. Those who not only share a love for the genre, but share the similar methodology. Now I didn't realise that I'm apparently someone that people queue up for hugs from. This only came to light a little while ago, when - given that current conventions are being postponed/cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, someone mentioned they missed the hugs. Then came talk of best/preferred huggers - for which, my name came up. What was ironic is that at the time; in this case, the Nov/Dec Ghost Story festival from last year it didn't register. Especially since I went at the last minute, and only for about an hour. A real fly-by, to catch up with both Dion Winton-Polak, as well as Lewis and Sue from Corona Books. As such, when I finally set foot on site and I see the usual suspects, I'm on some, 'okay, you get hugged first, you , I need to catch up with as soon as I'm done here, you get hugged next...' Apparently, I give good hug.

From the last day (1st Dec. 2019) of the UK Ghost Story Festival, in Derby. l-r: Dion Winton-Polak, Lisa Childs, me, J.R. Park, and Tracy Fahey. Note that, for this picture, I'm rocking Dion's hat.

Usually before a convention, I'll comment that bespoke hugs are available, 'from Quiet Reassurance to Full-On Dislocation.' Those, like Steve Shaw, have the strength, size, and audacity, to sweep me into a bear hug. Those like Laura Mauro and husband Mr. Mauro get the quiet reassurance. The likes of Eric Ian Steele, Georgina Bruce and Dave Watkins get the warm fraternal (although fellow comic fan Eric usually hits me with the look of exasperated amusement that says 'you're such a child'). Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane who hit me with the maternal/fraternal - not overbearing, but more like I'm the kid who blew through town after a year away. Which is partly true. The likes of Kit Power who get the Full-On Dislocation. My earliest memory of this good man was at my first signing (for copies of Turn To Ash, Vol. 1), he comes to the table, asks me who I am, what I'm about and if he can get me a drink. I had no idea who he was, but figured, 'uhhh, o-kay...' Thankfully, Kit is again one of the nicest guys in the business, and genuinely passionate about the well-being of his fellow human. As such, he's one I always try and make time for. And many more besides. So many of my peers worldwide I've had the pleasure of meeting and those not as yet (J Daniel Stone, Daniel Braum, Karen Runge, et al).

Note that my standard disclaimer before a convention is that I'll try to greet and hang with everyone, even if it's only for a minute, and,

1. if you see me eating, say hey.

2. if you see me at the urinal, say hey.

3. if you see me eating at the urinal, give me a slap.

This is where I'll reference Phil Sloman again, because, in the relatively early days of me stepping to conventions, Phil was one of the first to make me feel welcome. The feeling of trepidation when someone takes time out to ask a (relative) rookie the who-are-you, what-do-you-do-and-how is always some kind of humbling. So you talk game for a while, and realise you have the common ground. And in the case of Phil Sloman, when you agree to connect on social media, you (well, okay, me) are damn-near waiting by on Facebook on some 'come on, connect, already'). The camaraderie here in part is not only because Phil is genuinely The Nice Guy Of Horror, but he, is regularly working on something. Plus, he's got that goofy ass-sense of humour. Don't believe me? I dare you to ask him about 'the best legs in horror.' So whenever he spreads his arms and says, 'bring it in', I'm there. Bear hug for him.

The camaraderie runs deepest with the likes of one Andrew Wilmot; author/editor based in Toronto. This bond goes back to when the first volume of weird fic journal Turn To Ash was published, since we both have stories in there. Seeing the cover art alone, blew me away. What's notable about this book is that, for all the magazines, anthologies and journals I've been published in, this was one of the rare few where I got around to reading it cover to cover. (Note that this is where I first discovered author J Daniel Stone, whose name is firmly engraved on my hug list). Having read all the stories in this journal, Andrew's story stood out. With a title like, 'The Recovered Journal of Marius Vladimirescu, Last of the Clown Hunters', I had to reach out to the man, since it was my favourite story in there by a country mile. Finally got to meet him a couple of years down the line, since I'm usually in Toronto each summer. The common ground here is that while we don't always share the same aesthetic taste, we have a similar work ethic, the 'publish or perish', along with a mutual appreciated for each others' work. So always a bear hug for this good man. And yes, there needs to be roti at some point.

Thinking back on this mountain of text I'd written, I'd be be remiss if I didn't mention that on social media of late, some women have come forward to mention inappropriate conduct from men. Inappropriate words. Unwelcome hands. Drunken phone calls on how horny they are. Sexual harassment. Regardless of their gender, treat them as people - hell, treat people as people - this goes for any kind of harassment. Not everyone will be so comfortable with such displays or encroachment of their personal space: so, be mindful of boundaries and respect them. Not everyone is so outgoing or sociable, especially from the first encounter. But here's the thing:

Taking time to get to know people and taking an interest in them is partly what the art of hugging is about. A genuine sense of connection which, if it's done right, make that connection - that hug - not only genuine but welcome. Which is part of what makes conventions good fun.

That's the art to it.

#hug #convention #StokerCon #FantasyCon #EdgeLit #coronavirus