tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post2529013761196511869..comments2023-10-03T11:41:21.191+01:00Comments on The Truth About Lies: Son of So who in their right mind writes a sequel?Jim Murdochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-577810628793625702009-08-20T21:18:08.059+01:002009-08-20T21:18:08.059+01:00Thanks for letting me know, Maryanne. Take your ti...Thanks for letting me know, <b>Maryanne</b>. Take your time.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-81684438235074616232009-08-20T18:10:24.232+01:002009-08-20T18:10:24.232+01:00thanks for the review copies, Jim! please don'...thanks for the review copies, Jim! please don't hold your breath on my account, though, as I am beginning school and SWAMPED with reading for the semester.<br /><br />congrats, tho!Maryanne Stahlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12461617567840191096noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-60438500203933583492009-08-17T22:27:31.519+01:002009-08-17T22:27:31.519+01:00Yes, many many funnier bits but I do not want to b...Yes, many many funnier bits but I do not want to be a spoiler. The joke, if there is one, is in the context of that one line and how it struck me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887517793752604788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-66523217339941266232009-08-17T18:14:37.399+01:002009-08-17T18:14:37.399+01:00Gabe, I'd love to say I'm delighted but th...<b>Gabe</b>, I'd love to say I'm delighted but that sounds just plain awful. May I recommend that read the rest of the book away from the dinner table? I do have to say I thought there were funnier bits than that, at least I intended them to be funnier, but I'm not complaining.<br /><br />The first draft for me, <b>Shelly</b>, has always been hard work. I <i>love</i> the editing process. I could sit down and edit every day without warming up first but getting the bare bones down on the page is always a bit of a chore for me. I literally spent years prettifying those first two novels and I think they're the better for it.<br /><br />And <b>Conda</b>, I will never cease to wonder about how little control we really have over the writing process. We think we are but if our head wants to go in one direction then that's us. I would love to get stuck back into my novel at the moment but all I seem to be able to write is poetry. It's not bad poetry, most of it, so I shouldn't complain. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-13683184966711368252009-08-17T03:20:34.049+01:002009-08-17T03:20:34.049+01:00Congratulations, and thanks for the insight into y...Congratulations, and thanks for the insight into your writing process. That is a great read in itself.<br /><br />I was reading some of Ray Bradbury's essays on writing the other day, and he says that you better enjoy the writing of the first draft, because that's just pure joy. After that, you'll have plenty of more drafts over which to feel the anxiety of editing and so forth.Shellyhttp://web.me.com/shellybryantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-4931888403222376792009-08-17T00:58:50.430+01:002009-08-17T00:58:50.430+01:00With writers it's a strange, strange process, ...With writers it's a strange, strange process, Jim. Congrats on the courage to write a sequel! I've written series, spin-off short stories from a novel, but never a sequel, for some of the reasons you list.Conda Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12972790965426924941noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-82689219331591359122009-08-16T21:27:58.885+01:002009-08-16T21:27:58.885+01:00Jim: my laughter WITH you would never be derisive....Jim: my laughter WITH you would never be derisive... "It didn't last long before the governments had to bring in strict regulations to control them because all the pictures ended up with nothing but sex and violence." That for me elicited one of those spitting fluids (or cole slaw as it was) through the nose laughs... lately I have been getting the impression that sex & violence is the end-goal of the proliferation of flash on the net. Bravo!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887517793752604788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-40600463585216830092009-08-16T14:56:33.317+01:002009-08-16T14:56:33.317+01:00As long as it's not derisive laughter I can li...As long as it's not derisive laughter I can live with it, <b>Gabe</b>. And I'm so anticipated I'm thinking of going to see my doctor about and maybe get some anticipation tablets or something.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-4560647586842763862009-08-16T13:00:50.840+01:002009-08-16T13:00:50.840+01:00Jim:
Wings landed in mailbox yesterday... and re...Jim: <br /><br />Wings landed in mailbox yesterday... and reading... reading... laughing... the arrival made my day. <br /><br />Stay anticipated!<br /><br />GOAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887517793752604788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-17289421876321145742009-08-14T12:48:46.942+01:002009-08-14T12:48:46.942+01:00So many of the things I've written have begun ...So many of the things I've written have begun with a line that's come from nowhere, <b>Dave</b>. The most striking was the opening line to my fourth novel. I was walking across the footbridge across the Clyde and just as I was setting foot onto Glasgow Green the following line popped into my head: 'Milligan and Murphy were brothers,' and I knew immediately that this was something worth developing. By the time I'd crossed the green I had the opening paragraph and I knew, I just <i>knew</i> this was the start of a novel, not a short story, a whole novel. The problem was that I didn't have a pen on me – bad writer – and so I had to keep that paragraph in my head until I got to work whereupon I scribbled it down as fast as I could. I think I wrote another paragraph after that and then didn't touch it for weeks terrified that I would muck it up.<br /><br />So many writers have a 'fear' of the blank page. I never have. I could sit down right now and start something. That's not the problem. My problem usually comes a page or two into the work, where to go next. I knew with <i>Stranger than Fiction</i> that I wanted to start off in a similar vein to the first book but I really didn't know where I was going until the words began flowing. <br /><br />Now, as to whether my work is allegorical, it was never intended to be but what we intend and what we end up with are often two different things. You're the reader and so if you find you can read into the piece then all the better. <br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-17216087375712946182009-08-14T11:40:51.173+01:002009-08-14T11:40:51.173+01:00Jim, the most significant part of your post for me...Jim, the most significant part of your post for me was:<i><br />I have racked my brain and I can honestly say I have no idea where the notion of Truth came from any more than I can say where the concept for the second novel came from. I simply sat down one day and typed:<br /><br />Jonathan Payne woke with a crick in the back of his neck.<br /><br />I hadn't a clue where I was going but it seemed as good a place to start as any.</i><br /><br />That is how most of my best work has come about. Perhaps I should have said the work that most pleases me - but actually, I think it is a good omen for any writer it happens to.<br /><br />It suddenly occurred to me as I was reading: You are the 21st century's thinking man's John Bunyan. That makes your story allegorical, unless I'm mistaken. Excellent post.Dave Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08430484174826768488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-75004036809845311392009-08-14T11:08:11.556+01:002009-08-14T11:08:11.556+01:00A hearty thanks right back at ya, John.
And, Mari...A hearty thanks right back at ya, <b>John</b>.<br /><br />And, <b>Mariana</b>, yes, I had heard of Lem's book. As for <i>Sandman</i>, I read him faithfully. I was collecting comics at the time so I was buying them as they came out. There was some really good stuff being produced back then. I've only actually read one book by Gaimen, a collection of short stories, which was quite excellent. I quite fancy giving <i>American Gods</i> a go too when I've maybe cleared by feet a bit.<br /><br />I do hope the second half of the post is as good as the first half seems to have been for you.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-30450036044509796752009-08-14T05:21:01.576+01:002009-08-14T05:21:01.576+01:00Hi jim just a quick comment, cause I did not finis...Hi jim just a quick comment, cause I did not finish reading your post yet. Fist I do love sandman, I read it so many times when I was a teenager, he is great. I wanted to ask you if you know if stanislaw lem has a book that is all about prologues of non-existing books, of course he invented those prologues himself.<br /><br />Thanks for your time friend, I ll be back and finish your super interesting readingMariana Sofferhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13351209522681966230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-8853677779277603102009-08-13T23:02:55.215+01:002009-08-13T23:02:55.215+01:00A hearty congratulations!A hearty congratulations!John Ettorrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18229971392235689875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-37188167838452033702009-08-13T12:10:51.871+01:002009-08-13T12:10:51.871+01:00You shouldn't have to wait too long, Gabe, as ...You shouldn't have to wait too long, <b>Gabe</b>, as your copy is winging it's way to you.<br /><br />The film sounds cool I have to say. I love quirky things like that.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-87894529564761794682009-08-13T11:22:09.537+01:002009-08-13T11:22:09.537+01:00dynomite bro! looking forward to reading
while re...dynomite bro! looking forward to reading<br /><br />while reading your post I was reminded of the Polish movie Angel in Krakow, it starts out w/ a somewhat bumbling angel in Heaven sitting w/ Elvis learning guitar tunes and smoking a jay... but then he gets tutored by all of the Great masters and he is supposed to be sent to Holland on a "mission", but ends up walking out of a tree in a field in Poland... if you can get hold of it at least a good laugh, but might give you some inspiration too, I found it at our local library<br /><br />i like your cameo, i like you keep the flexibility to do a cameo, good workAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887517793752604788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-26057776874833678932009-08-13T09:54:50.406+01:002009-08-13T09:54:50.406+01:00In some respects Jonathan is an Everyman, Rachel, ...In some respects Jonathan is an Everyman, <b>Rachel</b>, but he's also quite untypical too. At the time I started writing about him there was no grand plan and it's easy to make claims now because who is there to argue with me but what I can see I've done is take my life down a different path and imagine, at its most caricatured, where I might have ended up at 53, which is only three years older than I am at the moment. About the only thing I got right was that I look older than I am but that wasn't a hard one to guess because I have always looked a lot older, ten years easily. Jonathan was a 'worst case scenario', my own personal Krapp which is effectively what Beckett was imagining when he wrote <i>Krapp's Last Tape</i>. <br /><br />As for the plot, you have no idea how much I fretted about how to approach this post because I didn't want to give away the ending of the first book in the hope that at least a few of my newer readers might have their interest sufficiently piqued and decide to take a chance on both books. I hope some do. <br /><br />Jonathan may not be an Everyman but he <i>is</i> an underdog and people love rooting for the underdog. And could anyone be up against a more daunting opponent than the personification of the truth?<br /><br />And, <b>Ken</b>, thanks for that. I am really looking forward to seeing what you make of the book. As nervous as hell but you wouldn't expect me to be anything else.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-91612302159633314712009-08-13T09:47:24.921+01:002009-08-13T09:47:24.921+01:00Great Jim! I am excited to see this out in the wo...Great Jim! I am excited to see this out in the world and I wish you every success with it.<br /><br />The first one was on my wavelength in so many ways, I look forward to this one.Ken Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07775956557261111127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-82983158857132371142009-08-13T06:53:21.360+01:002009-08-13T06:53:21.360+01:00Great stuff Jim, you got me trying to guess the pl...Great stuff Jim, you got me trying to guess the plot so that's always a good sign...also, your first book made me think of Everyman...is there a hint of that in there?Rachel Fentonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10046917627054462214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-62293916788919146172009-08-13T03:08:20.285+01:002009-08-13T03:08:20.285+01:00Well, I guess then you don't have to, Koe. The...Well, I guess then you don't have to, <b>Koe</b>. The review copies went out a couple of days ago so I'll be holding my breath now until I get my first feedback.<br /><br>Jim Murdochhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12786388638146471193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6327348657265652781.post-61568697352376591142009-08-13T02:10:31.382+01:002009-08-13T02:10:31.382+01:00Congratulations. . . I can't wait to read Stra...Congratulations. . . I can't wait to read Stranger than Fiction!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com