A Plethora of Other Arty-Farty Types

The festivals of Edinburgh are gearing up and the city is starting to bloat with visitors and tourists, mingling with acrobats, actors, comedians, writers and a plethora of other arty-farty types. I have my tickets ready and will report back over the coming weeks on my highs and lows of the festival.

Publishing is in a state of meltdown. Tech is changing the industry faster the it is able to keep up. This is probably the worst time ever for a new writer (such as myself) to try and make it with a big publisher (I'm trying, really I am). The publishers are unwilling to enter into lengthy expensive contracts with unproven talent and yet a new model for ebooks has not yet arrived. Publishers are trying to keep up with the demand of readers wanting works quicker and in different formats, but so far they seem to be at loggerheads. So bad has it got that some writers are quitting, which is a real shame. This week M. D. Lachlan (Mark Barrowcliffe) wrote a polite opposite view over at The Speculative Scotsman. I have to say, I agree for the most part with him. I'm a quick writer and I thrive on deadlines. If the last year has taught me anything, it's that I have both the ability and stamina to write and to move my projects along. I just haven't got a publisher (yet) willing to take that chance on me.
The views above were then amplified by both the Guardian and the Independent. Their respective websites carried articles about an established authors inability to sell ebooks (but get free advertising) due to the sheer amount of work being produced and the death throws of the printed medium.

Over at the blog Dee Scribe, there is helpful advice for writers maintaining some kind of network. This is something I plan to concentrate on over the next year. I need to get the writer "Adam J. Shardlow" better known and during the festival is probably the best time to do this. I just need to be a little more assertive at meeting people.

As part of my task of meeting other writers in Edinburgh I plan to visit the Inky Fingers Minifest at some point over the weekend. They are completely free events, so if you get the chance, pop down.

I've been using Twitter for several years now and I didn't realise how many #hashtags for writing there now were. I really should learn some and make use of them. PublishingTalk has a handy list.

Some very lucky students at Napier University get to be taught by a real Doctor Who writer. Wish I could gate crash and meet Robert Shearman. I'll just have to be content with the second half of the new series.

Not writing related, but I wonder if my brother DC Benny has seen the Dark Spartan in action. I believe the real life (and maybe suicidal) superhero prowls his patch.

Swallowed a Stoat.

I've hit my writing target for the day, so before I go and do my reading, here is an update on last weeks trip.

Edinburgh - Turned out I had no time at all in Edinburgh to do anything that I planned. I was meant to be going down to the Cameo (my favourite cinema in town) and the Filmhouse (a very close second) to catch up all the films I've been missing here in India. This never happened. Instead I spent most of my time shuttling between interviews for job prospects. This seems to have turned out good in the end as I've accepted a new job with a company I admire - good news for me, and a relief for Madame Vin.
I did get along to the Edinburgh Secret Society's seance for the spirit of the magician Lafeyette, of which I've already written.

Nottingham - I came down with a cold and spent most of my time trying not to get too close to friends and family, and snorting into my handkerchief with watering eyes and a throat that felt like I swallowed a stoat.
I did get to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie, which wasn't bad. Not as good as the first, but substantially better than the last one.

London - At last I felt a little better and just in time as my Dad was in town and together we went to see the Doctor. I spent a bit of time with him and he even let me have a go at flying the TARDiS. True to form, I left the breaks on.

Me trying to look cool in the TARDiS. Taken by the Doctor.

I saw a small exhibition of the work of Paul Duffield of Freakangels and Kate Brown (of the same) at Orbital Comics.

We went to Greenwich and stepped along the Prime Meridian.

Dad then departed, so I went to see the 'Under The Damp Earth' exhibition which features the work of Stuart Kolakovic, at NoBROW.

And finally ended up seeing Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham Theatre featuring the 10th Doctor and Donna - both of whom, were excellent.

Not bad for three weeks. Now, back to 'Waters Deep.'

Super-Active, Timey-Wimey, Hyper

Finished Doctor Who (new) Series 2 last night. Really enjoyed seeing Tennant's new super-active, timey-wimey, hyper Doctor after the more serious dark Doctor of series 1. Below are my tweets from the series.

• Dr. Who s2 ep1: New Earth: the Dr reborn as a saviour for all humanity and the longevity of those people.
• Dr Who s2 ep2 Tooth & Claw: The birth of Torchwood. Britain protects itself from the strange universe.
• Dr Who s2 ep3 School Reunion: Sarah Jane Smith & K-9. The universe seems so small after travelling with the Dr.
• Dr Who s2 ep4 The Girl in the Fireplace: The Doctor and the monsters go hand in hand
• DrWho s2 ep5 Rise of the Cyberman: Parallel worlds but the same old problems. The UK, one step away from going wrong.
• Dr Who s2 ep6 The Age of Steel: Emotions are what make us what are we are. Take them away and ... 
• Dr Who s2 ep7 The Idiot's Lantern: Light relief after the loss of Micky with a clever and witty @Markgatiss special. 
• Dr Who s2 ep8 The Impossible Planet: a truly adult Who; the mythos complicated with the concept of religion.
• Dr Who s2 ep9 The Satan Pit: conclusion the universe is more complicated than even the Dr can understand.
• Dr Who s2 ep10 Love & Monsters: the silly episode about those left behind, those that get a whiff of the Doctor.
• Dr Who s2 ep11 Fear Her: The power of children and imagination. The fear of being alone. The coming storm.
• Dr Who s2 ep12 Army of Ghosts: The beginning of the end for Rose. Classic storytelling with Cybermen and Daleks.
• Dr Who s2 Ep13 Doomsday: Goodbye to Rose. An epi that takes all those loose strands and ties them in a neat bow.

Re-watching Doctor Who

I forgot to mention that I spent the last couple of weeks re-watching Doctor Who. One reason for this is that Indian television is rubbish, but more importantly I want to see how the different writers work together over the last five series to create something whole. There are many facets to the show that you just don't pick on with a weekly break.

I've been adding them to Twitter, but have pulled all of series one together here.

• Doctor Who re-watch in order. First up Series 1 episode 1: Rose.#DrWho 
• Rose: Intro to the Dr, Aliens and modern UK. Good use of Dr as manic, mad yet bad, opening up the universe. #DrWho 
• #DrWho S1 Ep2: The End of the World: Dr as the lonely hero. Humans as the great race. Time as the ultimate ending. 
• #DrWho S1 Ep3: The Unquiet Dead: First death of an innocent, history not just the future, intro of time rewrites. 
• #DrWho S1 Ep4 Aliens of London: Modern Britain with all its problem, the people of Earth introduced to the Dr's world. 
• #DrWho S1 Ep5 World War Three: We're all heroes now, a new golden age for Britain? The problem with companions.
• #DrWho S1 Ep6 Dalek: mortal enemies, the loneliness of the long running Dr, listen to your companion. 
• #DrWho S1 Ep7 The Long Game: The power of a controlled & manipulated media, the power of info - Murdoch of the future.
• #DrWho S1 Ep8 Father's Day: Rose learns the dangers of time travel, the worth of all, the Dr as ultimate father fig.
• #DrWho S1 Ep9 & 10 The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances: The darkness of childhood but for once, everybody lives.
• #DrWho S1 Ep11 Boom Town: Sometimes you have to let one go, creating a God, the TARDIS lives. 
• #DrWho S1 Ep 12 & 13 Bad Wolf & The Parting of the Ways: Gods & monsters, time power, the heart of the TARDIS
• #DrWho Special 1 The Christmas Invasion: New Doctor, new aliens, new humans and a reference to Douglas Adams. 

I'll do the same for series 2 when I start re-watching it.

Quick Break

Enjoying my new writing life and trying to get all sorted out for the big trip to India. My father's coming for a few days over the weekend but I hope to get the current draft of 'Juvie', plus a synopsis for the three book series to my agent before I go.


The past written on top of the present through photography.


Apparently, I'm a 'selfish elitist' for owning an iPad. I've been called worse.


A quite scary robot talks German and demands fruit.


The cheap and useful Indian computer for under $35 has its critics. This would be great if they can get it off the ground. Lets hope it's not dead in the water just because hardware companies impose high price structures.  I think we should have something similar world wide. Get everyone online, turn it into a real democratic cyber world, with a everyone participating. That's what the internet is all about, freedom. I'll follow this story with interest whilst in India.


Good website Design Mind with interesting things to say.


And I leave you with the Doctor Who Themes. All of them, showing both the continuity and the increase in tempo over the years.