Monday, January 12, 2009

Hello, Again

I keep trying to think of things to write here, and failing miserably.
It strikes me that assuming anyone actually gives a crap about what I have to say, about anything, is pretty arrogant. And yet, thousands of people do these blog things all the time. Can they really all be twats? (answers on an e-postcard, please)
I currently have some very vague notion about being all post-modern and using this blog to slag off blogging in general, but I don't think I'm clever enough to do that, so I suppose I'll just have to be an arrogant twat like everyone else. Ah, well.
A good balance, for me, would be if I use this to tell the world (or, sorry, the three people who might read this) about other writers I admire. Not famous and lauded ones, obviously, they need no help from the likes of me, the bastards.
However, some very talented, but as yet unfamous and nowhere-near-as-lauded-as-they-should-be writers are embarking on interesting experiments, and they're worth pointing out, I reckon.
The first I want to mention is Dan Holloway - a beautifully lyrical writer whose novel, Songs from the Other Side of the Wall (see links above), has deservedly reached the top of the charts on several writing sites recently, including Authonomy and YouWriteOn.com. That's a hell of a good book, and will, hopefully, be published before long. Dan, however, has taken a real gamble recently. He's decided write his next book in public. On Facebook, no less.
Dan has opted to make the novel writing process completely open - a very, very brave move. We'll get to see his first drafts, his ideas that work, his ideas that don't work. He's chosen to expose himself (ahem) in a way that very few writers would (I know I wouldn't). He deserves our support, and, knowing how good a writer he is, our backing. Go and join his group on Facebook, the link's up there on the right.
Okay, the book's title - The Man Who Painted Agnieszka's Shoes - may be a bit offputting to some, but his writing is worth it, believe me.
Plus, Dan is the smartest weightlifter I've ever had the pleasure of knowing.

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