"What is story?" That’s one of the prickly questions tackled by screenwriting guru Robert McKee in his book Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting, which does a remarkable job of both dissecting the craft of the storyteller, and inspiring the reader to stop shirking and get to work. At the heart of … Continue reading What is Story?
“The Push”
Today's Birotech sketch is a scene from my 1999 novel Stone & Sky. It illustrates the moment where, having survived both the eruption of Krakatoa and his unexpected relocation to a strange and inexplicably vertiginous alien world, Victorian explorer Jonah Lightfoot finds that his new companion Annie West is not all she seems. I've always enjoyed … Continue reading “The Push”
Ten Reasons to Write Fantasy
“Why don’t you write something normal for a change?” That’s what my wife says to me occasionally after she’s read a piece of fantasy I've written. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t like it (well, not always). It’s just another reminder that one man’s meat is another woman’s poison. So, why bother to write fantasy at … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Fantasy
Ten Reasons to Write Horror
Some people seem to think that, just because a novel is labeled as fantasy or crime, romance or historical, it should be devoid of horror. "I liked your book," they say, "except for that nasty bit in the middle. Couldn't you have left that out?" My response to any such question is: "No! And thrice no!" Why? … Continue reading Ten Reasons to Write Horror
“The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell
Ever since the publication in 1999 of his first novel, Ghostwritten, author David Mitchell has consistently delighted in playing with narrative structure. For example, in his earlier work, Cloud Atlas, no less than six narratives spanning many centuries are nested together like matryoshka dolls. Like Cloud Atlas, Mitchell’s latest novel, The Bone Clocks, is divided … Continue reading “The Bone Clocks” by David Mitchell
“Kurosawa Lander”
Here's a time-lapse video of my latest Sunday sketch, which I've called Kurosawa Lander. The title's a total cheat, since the subject isn't Kurosawa-ish at all. Nevertheless, just like last week's sketch, it's inspired by the images still sloshing around inside my head since my recent viewing of the master Japanese director's 1980 movie Kagemusha. This is first time I've tried a … Continue reading “Kurosawa Lander”
“Kurosawa Watchtower”
Last night, I found myself alone in the house. An unusual situation which, on the rare occasions it occurs, usually sees me frittering away the hours by completely failing to decide what to do with the unexpected me-time. Should I read? Write? Watch a movie? Lie in a semi-comatose state and relish the peace and quiet? For once, tonight's decision came easy. After … Continue reading “Kurosawa Watchtower”
Another Interview with the Ghostwriter
I've finished another edit. I've submitted another manuscript. That means I'm two-thirds of the way through my latest ghostwriting odyssey, with two novels of a middle-grade fantasy trilogy completed and one to go. Book One is due to be published this summer, with the sequels rolling out in 2016 and 2017 respectively. After finishing Book One, I … Continue reading Another Interview with the Ghostwriter
“Strange Cargo”
My latest Birotech drawing took me an hour, using the cheapest, nastiest ballpoint pen I could find. It appears to show some kind of strange containment apparatus disgorging an even stranger item of cargo. I've no idea what that thing with the tentacles is but, fortunately for all concerned, the team appears to have it under control.
Mike Batt’s “The Hunting of the Snark”
Rummaging through a forgotten drawer the other day, I dug out a dusty collection of ancient audio cassettes that hadn't seen the light of day for years. Among them was a real oddment: a concept album for a musical theatre adaptation of Lewis Carroll's nonsense poem The Hunting of the Snark, which tells the story … Continue reading Mike Batt’s “The Hunting of the Snark”
Graham Edwards – Author & Journalist 