I suck

I suck at a fundamental part of being an author in the 21st century. Honestly, I do.

I totally suck at social media.

My blog has the most famous attribute of a London bus--you wait forever for a post and then three come along at once.
I tweet sporadically.
And I wouldn't touch facebook with somebody else's rusty pole.

Why, when I am obviously so eloquent *rolls eyes* do I find keeping up with social media such a challenge.

Firstly, and probably the main reason, is that I have a very limited time set aside to actually write. And that includes blog posts. I'm sacrificing a day's work on my latest manuscript* to write and upload this post. There is a key word in that last sentence. Sacrificing. I see social media as a necessary evil which keeps me from the part of the job that I love, the act of story telling.

Secondly, much of social media boils down to authors waving their arms around and screaming 'hey, look at me'. It's hard to be heard amongst the shifting tide of other authors or the latest tropes and the louder and more often you shout the more likely someone will take a look at what you are offering. (Of course, go too far on that path and start forcing your way into conversations or your wares on unsuspecting readers and you will do more harm than good.) Unfortunately, as I've said before somewhere on this blog, I'm really not very good at blowing my own trumpet *insert lewd joke and Frankie Howerd's eyebrows here*.

That said I'm well aware that some changes need to be made. I will attempt to ensure there is at least one post a week here at the blog. Sometimes it won't amount to much more than what my plans and goals are for the coming month or it could even be as little as one of my own photos to brighten up your day, but I will attempt to be more visible.

Now, if I could just get some more traffic at my blog I'd know I wasn't just shouting into the ether.


*intended to be a short story for the Dreamspinner Random Act of Kindness submission, the story has escaped the confines of the 11k word count and is now racing through novella territory and heading toward novel length. Something else I suck at...

There's a chill in the air

Yes, the temperature is dropping and, for the first time in forever, I tugged on a pair of long trousers yesterday.
Do you know what that means?
I've been able to wear my Converse for the first time since threading my rainbow laces.

Okay, freaky angle to take your own photo, it makes my feet look tiny.
But I could hardly ask somebody else to take a picture of my shoes. Most people IRL already think I'm slightly mad.

Funky, eh? And a great match with my Converse.

But more importantly Rainbow Laces have been designed the raise awareness of homophobia in football (soccer). While other sportsmen and women have found the courage to be open about their sexuality, there are still no openly gay or bisexual professional players in the Football League in Britain.

That's a tragedy because footballers, for whatever reason, are seen by many young boys in this country as heroes. People to look up to and admire. To emulate. Haircuts, fashion, attitudes. Every time a footballer waits until they retire to come out they send a message to our young people. Unfortunately that message is not 'Yes there are gay players in the game and their sexuality doesn't affect how they play football' but 'I had to hide who I was to fit in'.

I'm not knocking anyone who decides to take that leap. Coming out is a courageous thing for anyone to do, whenever they choose to do it--at fifteen or fifty--and on whatever scale--to a few close friends and family or the world's press.

However, I fear that footballers who wait until their career is over before taking a stand send a jumbled signal to the youngsters that hero worship them, one that breeds an atmosphere of confusion and shame. And so the sorry cycle begins again.

If you want to learn more about the campaign to fight homophobia in football try the Stonewall website (worth it for the Arsenal Team's video supporting the campaign) or take to Twitter #RAINBOWLACES.

Tangent Tuesday (by the skin of its teeth)

Comedy is subjective. What one person finds hysterical, wet your pants funny can leave the next man cold. On an international level that can be even more pronounced.

However I defy anyone not to find this funny, especially the geeky TV nerd types that I seem to hang about with on the internet.

Most people will have seen it I'm sure, if so remind yourself of its brilliance. If however you are a Death Star Canteen virgin that sit back, relax and enjoy yourself.

Eddie Izzard's Death Star Canteen acted out in Lego.




If Eddie floats your boat, as he does mine, then you can find his offical Youtube channel here.

Tom of Finland this is not - Tangent Tuesday

I umm'd and argh'd over whether to post this for Tangent Tuesday or Fiction Friday. After all, fiction isn't just about books. Comic strips count too...at least they do in my world.

I just wanted to share the love for my favourite comic strip on the web at the moment.

Tripping Over You

I've been reading for a couple of months but they've just gone back and posted a prologue, so now seems as good a time as any to rec it. 

Here's the link to the prologue. After that you will need to go back to the start. Alternatively you could just use the archive. You'll notice the change in drawing styles going from the more recently drawn prologue and then back to Chapter 1, but then I think it's quite interesting watching the drawing style develop.

I'm currently up to date, on Chapter 5 and eagerly awaiting each new development. Luckily posting is regular and at the moment quite frequent. 

Chapter 5 also contains the warning 'Contains Adult Themes', which should give you an indication of the heat level of this comic. Themes, not images. There is nothing that could be construed as NSFW about this comic. In fact I would consider it to be the comic version of YA fiction. 

A sweet tale of two young men discovering their sexuality, beautifully drawn. 

Which are your favourite comics with gay characters?

Tangent Tuesday - Another clip

For a show that I sometimes find there are no acts I want to see once, let alone twice, this week's BGT gave me four acts I found myself wanting to share.

Sunday I shared the act that shocked and surprised me--and seriously I want that song as my ringtone--so today I thought I'd show you one of my other favourites. Which one though?

The cute?

The comic?

Or the camp?

Come on, everybody likes a bit of camp, right?




If you can find a clip with the judges comments all the better.

Tangent Tuesday makes way for Surprising Sunday

I hope I have such a 'kickass, don't give a f**k' attitude when I'm in my 70's.

From last night's BGT:




Can't see her singing that in front of the Queen though. But the idea of Prince Philip joining in with the chorus would make the Royal Variety show well worth watching.

And I'm so over it

Okay, it not really a secret that I love me a movie. So on Thursday I dragged myself out and braved what I knew would be a packed cinema (I know it's no good for the industry, but I do love it when we have the theatre almost to ourselves) to see Ironman 3 on the day of release. And it was packed, heaving in fact.

The film was great and two hours flew by. Even the kid was brilliant, although in part that might have been because practically all of his scenes were with Robert Downey Jr.

So you ask, your title, what are you over?

Robert Downey Jr? No, no, no. Is that even possible? Not for me at any rate. I find him a joy to watch these days--to be honest I always have, I thought his Chaplin was brilliant--he fills the screen with his delivery and larger than life persona. I can think of nobody better suited to play Tony Stark. And Ironman isn't even my favourite role of his, that honour goes to Sherlock Holmes.

If it's not the actor, then it must be superhero films in general? After all there has been such a glut of them of late and there is no indication that they are slowing down. Hmm, let's have a quick look down my favourite films of the last few years: Sherlock Holmes (both of them), Avengers Ensemble, Thor, Green Lantern, Ironman 3, Captain America... Are you seeing a theme here? Yep I love a man in Lycra.  And as we look forward to the coming months which films are on my must-see list? The Lone Ranger and Thor 2. Even the Avengers sequel in 2015 is penciled into my diary--it'd be in pen but I don't know the exact release date. Since I first picked up a Spiderman comic I've loved superheroes, and that feeling was only cemented by watching Dean Cain & Terri Hatcher in Lois & Clark - The New Adventures of Superman. I think I'll be a comic book geek in some form or another to my dying day.

Not superheroes that I'm over then. I'll put you out of your misery.

It's 3D. Why does everything have to be in 3D? I'll confess I'm probably biased, I can't watch 3D. The images never look right to me and I find myself with a headache that verges on a migraine before half an hour has gone by. I will always go to the 2D version of the film, if I can't then I'll wait for the DVD. No way am I spending a tenner to have a sick inducing headache.

The problem with 3D as I see it, certainly in these big blockbuster films, is that it is all so predictable. Even in 2D those scenes when a 3D effect is coming are obvious. The trailer for The Lone Ranger had these moments in spades, so much so that I leant over to my companion and started a litany of 'That's 3D' to what felt like every clip. Unfortunately those moments are even more apparent in the trailers when you don't have the flow of the story to distract you from the arrow shooting toward your head, or the derailed train flying out of the screen. All fun and games for a 15 minutes film at Legoland but not for 2 hours.

These films are fast paced, full of witty dialogue, stunning special effects and action sequence after action sequence. They don't need the novelty value that 3D offers.

Hollywood, give me a crossbow and arrows or a derailed train if they are necessary for the story, not just so you can show off your clever new toy.

Just a quickie

I know this video has been all over Goodreads and other feeds in the last week but I'm offering it up here as my Tuesday Tangent for anyone who hasn't seen it.

This Troublemaking Kid Is Reason Enough To Support Gay Marriage

Seriously it is so cute. Even watching with the sound off is worth it. Then scroll down the page for stills that will give you that mushy feeling all over again and a smile that won't quit.