What's New

Newcastle and Back Again (Christmas 2007)

¦ dialling in from Watershed ¦

12:44 GMT, Saturday 29th Dec. Jesus Christ. Hands are shaking. Major hangover. Flew back from Newcastle last night after an amazing week up there. Jo picked me up from the airport...she was waiting in the car...I climbed in and found her wearing nothing but a raincoat and a pair of stockings and suspenders. Hello Bristol. :o)

Long lie-in this morning. More delicious rudeness with Jo. Then I drove into town... smiling at the new acquisition for Swampy's dash-board...a Darth Vader with a bobbing head. From my sister. Love it. It was good to get into the car and drive. I'm needing to retune my radar and dial back into being in Bristol... or rather, shrug off the saddening nostalgia and deep gut churning sense of "missing Jesus Mound". I miss the Dene. I miss sitting in my old bedroom with a view of dense forest. I miss the sound of mum laughing as we whip each other at cards. I miss being together with my sister... smiling, having fun. I miss Kitsch'n Cafe, and hanging with Mike C. But all of these things are only a few hours journey away... and I can have them again, and appreciating the wonderful moments I had up there...and appreciating the incredibly good things I have down here too. House. Jo. Good friends. Job I love.

I'm getting close to completing the editorial review of Yellow Dawn (currently transcribing all my pen and ink scribbles in the proof copy onto the master document). I'll be ready to launch in a few days. I'm not going to delay the launch whilst I complete the scenarios I want to be available to go with the rulebook. They can come online over the next few weeks.

Key memories from Newcastle:
() Reading HP Lovecraft (Rats in the Walls) at 4am, sitting downstairs in mum's study, in soft lamplight with a cup of tea, and feeling really creeped out by the story.
() Sitting upstairs in my old bedroom, working on Yellow Dawn with DaVinci method, 45 minutes on...and then lying down for 15 mins...listening to Fungi from Yuggoth thing I started listening to early this year...totally Mythos vibe...sitting staring out at the dense wall of trees and reflecting on how my life has changed this year. So many good things accomplished.
() A night out with Mike C, drinking Tequila at Salsa Bar, then off to Digital and a solid night of clubbing. Meeting up with Floyd. Waking up with Floyd on the bedroom floor. A big breakfast at Kitsch'n... a long rambling walk in the Dene with Floyd... hanging out like school kids. Fun city. Floyd talking about Power of Eight with real passion... me feeling flattered and excited that the concept has merit beyond my own imagination.
() My sister fleecing me out of about £10 over three days playing cards... she should be a professional gambler... she could make a living from it.

Djr

THE BEST SUSHI IN THE WORLD

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

 

I first got into eating Sushi in 1999, through visiting my pal Raymond F in Brooklyn, NY. Since then I’ve enjoyed many places but none come remotely close to this new eating house in Bath:

 

Yen Sushi.

 

http://www.invitationplatinum.co.uk/bath/yen_sushi/index.php

 

Words can’t really describe how good it is: you’ve just got to go there.

 

 :o)

Final approach to Christmas 2007...

¦ Dialling in from workstation ¦

08:45 hrs, Monday 17th December, 2007. Grey skies outside the window, and ancient buildings of Bath clasped in jagged fingers of frost. Gods teeth, I'm feeling slightly wrecked... many sessions out since I got back from New York, much alcohol and euphoria and late nights. Thursday last week was particularly major: the office Christmas Party, but this was all 1,000 or so staff, in a vast and splendid hall decked out like Las Vegas...there were long legged woman wearing sequins, feather plumes and not much else, a vast dodgems circuit (can you imagine how much fun it is to have drunk people on these)...gambling tables, a Tom Jones performer...a free bar...a free shots bar... and a wonderful mix of lovely people. I'd never been to an "office party" like this before. Saturday swung round, and I was more-or-less recovered from my intoxications... I picked up the guys from Simon's house, with a detour to grab Hagen (who had only just woken up when he should have been at Simon's)... then to mine, RV with Simon and Tony... we played the final segment of Red Desire ¦ Cold Murder, a scenario I wrote a few weeks ago, and a story i would definately like to expand into a novel at some time. Great session. Great fun. Tony was able to stay late, which was a treat. The guys left, I chilled out for a while, planned a pint and a curry with Simon, which was then scuppered by yet more irksome relationship-politics, so grabbed some miso soup and toast then drove back to Hagen's and met up with Eivind and his crowd across the road from H's place... a brisk walk through freezing night to a local pub, drinking Leffe and chatting with good people, smiling and laughing... back to Eivinds and onto the whisky and coke until it reached a point where the room started spinning...so across the road to Hagens and collapsing blissfully on his sofa.

Wake up feeling slightly bleary but feeling satisfied... said cheerio to Hagen and stepped out into cold grey light. Drove home, parked, stepped inside and felt a wonderful sense of..."ahhh I'm home." It was still morning. I had food in the house. Coffee. And two sacks of wood for the fire. I turned on ambient lighting and got cosy; packed up all the Yellow Dawn stuff, took it back upstairs with my laptop and got to work on revising Red Desire - Cold Murder, and then continuing with writing up editorial changes of Yellow Dawn rules ... (2 months and counting!!!!)

About 6pm I came downstairs, built up the fire so that it had deep orange and bright yellow cores of heat radiating out... I went out, bought wine, chocolate, came back, lit candles, tuned the TV in KISStory, club classics from the 80's and 90's... and sat in the ambient light reading through S-O-Az, the next major campaign for the guys in Yellow Dawn.

Jo got back home around 7. Excellent night by the fire.

So I'm here at work, and I've had an email from my cousin Kenn-Ole in Norway. He came over for Dad's funeral around this time last year, which I deeply thankful for. He took some video footage, which he'd compressed and attached to the Email. It was surreal and yet delightful to watch it... much of it were random moments of preparation on the day of the funeral, the after party, and then the scattering of ashes a few days later... there was lots of really good "context" but there were also some vivid and poigniant moments which I hadn't expected... a long lingering shot of the coffin.... the moment when Dad's ashes are being scattered... small clouds of fine ash carried away by the breeze, and the heavier particles staying firm on the grass. How strange to be able to view these moments again...

...so, here I am at the start of the week. Several interesting things planned for evenings, and then Friday, driving up to Newcastle with Kelvin and Jo... Christmas in Kosekroken... ahh blisto. I'm looking forward to seeing Pete, and Rosie, and the kids... I'm looking forward to grabbing a pint and a curry.... of walking the desolate stretches of North East coastline in howling wind, sleet and rain, supping strong black coffee from a thermos and smiling at the anticipation of a hot shower later to come... I'm looking forward to seeing Ciaran, and connecting with him again, and of spending time in Kitsch'n cafe, seeing Mike, St John and Sam.

Djr

Reflections...

¦ dialling in from sky bunker ¦

05:06 GMT, Friday 30th Nov 2007, murky blackness above me, beyond the glass canopy, no starlight, no moonlight, if I stand up and look out across the city to the empty hills, I can see damp air caught in the sodium orange corona of street lights... Dundry is a black shape against all this, a sleeping giant with a sprinkling of lights across the top, very faint, very small. Life support is humming away by my feet, to my right, blowing warm air across my legs; one corner lamp throws soft light against the sloping cieling, and the lava lamp on my desk burns deep red and creates atmosphere. Dead Can Dance is playing by specific choice on my laptop, the album "A passage in time." As always it takes me back to the 2 years I spent living in Osborne Avenue.

I'm surprised I'm up. I was out with work last night, a lovely evening, which I left to then go to Matthias's pad and watch a film I've not seen for 20 years. "Sir Henry at Rawlinson End." I got home around 10, made food, lit a fire in the lounge (bliss), then made my way up here to the Sky Bunker, got cosy, and fell alseep on the floor with life support blowing on my back. Shuffled downstairs to bed at some point in the night and had a delish night's sleep, missing 2 calls from Jo at Midnight and 3.45 A.M.

This is the first time I've been up this early in ages. The routine I managed to establish, of waking up mega early and writing for 2 hours before work, got blown out the water past couple weeks, due I think to Stu (Boss) being away on annual leave and me picking up the responsibility and brain drain of keeping things rolling. This isn't a criticism or a complaint, just a statement; to be honest, I'm loving the challenge, but I'm looking forward to Stu getting back and being able to share the load.

Yesterday was particularly difficult for me. 29th November. 1 Year since Dad died. Me being the king of nostalgia and reflection, kept getting flashbacks to moments in time a year back, "10 Am, I would have been washing dishes in the kitchen after the phone call from mum saying Dad had gone critical..."; "Noon, I'd booked my flight up to Newcastle for that evening...I was sitting downstairs at the dinning room table, working on Shadows of Quantinex."; "3pm... Dad was going into a dying phase..."

Of course, all of this is happening whilst my critical projects that I've been defending all week (batting new work into next week) got trashed by even more critical projects (5 hour deadline, non negotiable), and there's a big floor meeting at 4pm... 15 minutes after I'm reliving the memory of 3.45 PM one year ago...the phone call from my sister... "Sorry David...he's gone."

So I had a few emotional moments...but I mainly held it together. I left work with Jason, brain numb, but 20 minutes later I had a pint in my hand and was bouncing back with vigour. Had a very enjoyable evening chatting with familiar (but unknown) faces from the floor where I work.

By 8pm I was at Matthias's pad. Sir Henry at Rawlinson End. This film had a massive effect on my mid to late teens, poignant memories of Ciaran dressed up as an Old Fogie, complete with Deer Stalker... however, it's now 20 years on, and I was curious to see if the film would still tickle me fancy. It did; I roared and chuckled, and guffawed, and grinned at the sheer surreal brilliance. Although Matthias had a pained-expression on his face most of the night... I admire his willingness to sit through it. At the end he said it was the most bizarre thing he'd watched since Erasure Head. I could see what he meant.

Getting home and being able to light a fire was a fantastic moment. The fire was installed at the start of this week and it's truly magical. I turned on the TV for the news headlines but everything else was shite, so I was able to spend some quality time just sitting on the floor, gazing at flickering flames as I fed the fire now and again. I think it's going to be a Godsend in a couple weeks when Winter finally starts to bite; the front of the house gets bitterly cold.

It was nice missing Jo, too. She's been away quite a few nights over the last few weeks... hotels with work; gigs in different cities; nights out with friends and crashing at mates. I always enjoy my own company, but I'm aware of her not being there...which is a good feeling.

05:36... time to make another mug of tea.

Djr

 

A week of sleeping through my writing time...

¦ dialling in from big telecommunications corp HQ ¦

12:19 GMT Sunday, 25th November 2007. Sitting in a rabbit warren of ugly desk compartments in a big corporate HQ building. Here with my G/F, she's come in to do a few hours work...

...I'm still making progress with final edit of YELLOW DAWN rulebook, and writing Shadows of  Quantinex. Have to confess I've not done my 4 AM start all week. Some late nights caused by watching Heroes... and the fact the temperature has dropped and I'm finding it sooooo warm and snug in bed with Jo when I wake up... stick my foot out the bed and think Brrrrrr.... and end up falling asleep again.

I've done two fancy dress parties in two weekends. Both times I dressed up as Darth Vadar, using the helmet I've borrowed from Matthias, my big New Planet ROck boots, and a huge black swathe of cloth I bought from St Nicks market, combined with some chunky black snowboarding gloves... I really felt the part.

I recently acquired Sir Henry at Rawlinson End, a fabulous chunk of comic surrealism that I've not watched since the late 1980's, and I'm blissfully looking forward to watching and sharing laughter with Mattias in a few days, fingers crossed.

I'm heading back to New York next weekend, I've not been there for five years!!! Incredible.  So I'm looking forward to cosey evenings in Ramona's apartment, and striding along Manhatten streets, hanging out with Floyd, chowing down on the world's best Macaroni Cheese in the Chat'N chew...and some time away from my laptop and computers in general.

[]

Skimming the Edge of the World

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

13:12 GMT, Thursday 15th November 2007. Taking a wee break from today's mayhem. Steep learning curve for me today trying to get my brain around some technical know-how on 3rd party advertising systems. So I'm waiting for a call back from techy people and decided to rest my brain. Slept-in til 5 A.M. today, woken up by Jo's alarm going off...she's up early to catch a train to London.  I padded downstairs, aware of the sharp stinging of the cold on my cheeks...thank god for thick home-knitted woollen Norweigan socks and the enveloping comfort of Starsky. Brewed mugs of tea for Jo and I...we sat downstairs in the dinning room, soft light from an occaisional lamp, listening to Classic FM and chatting about the day ahead, and smiling at the fact we're both so happy with each other. She left around 5.30. I went upstairs and did some work on Lovecraftian monsters... life support blasting out to my right, mug of tea and Gary Numan wailing away through speakers on my desk. I cooked up the last of the bacon from the weekend into a monster bacon sandwhich, washed down with more tea, then locked up the house, de-iced the car and drove into Bath.

Wow. What a journey. The sun had already risen but only had the effect of making the sky lighter (pale grey with bands of weak yellow and pink) than the horizon. Beyond the city, out in the rolling Sommerset hills, the terrain was locked under a dense blanket for white frost, and cossetted by a dense blanket of freezing fog. Perfect Cthulhu weather, eh? Driving along the edge of the high hill by Kelston, my car popped out above the fog, leaving me driving along the edge of a vast milky lake...with the skeletal limbs of trees reaching up near the edges... it seemed as if I was driving along the edge of the known world... a sugar frosted netherworld. It's yet another day when I've driven into work with a huge grin on my face.

[]

Parkour in a Saville Row suit ¦ Maria O, and Zombies

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

08:41 GMT, Wednesday 14th November 2007. Sitting at my workstation feeling slightly ropey. Went round to Simon and Vix with Jo last night, to babysit for little Orson; spend the whole evening cosey on their sofa, chatting with Jo and with no TV on. Then Sharky rang us from Spain and it was good to have a proper chinwag with him. Simon and Vix came home and proceeded to thrash Jo and I at the Wii Golf championship. Sheesh! Got home around 11 and both of us fell into bed, blissfully sleepy. I went through a whole night of vivid and bizarre dreams; I woke up around 4 again, but decided against getting up to write, figuring I could probably do with more sleep. And so had more dreams. In a nutshell the dreams consisted of following points:
() I'm dressed in a fabulous Saville Row suit, sprinting through some dense urban connurbation, leaping over walls and rebounding down stairwells in perfect Parkour style. It was an exhilarating dream.
() Then I'm in a hotel lounge/bar meeting Maria O.
() It was strange seeing her, because I felt like we were both really there... and not in a dream. I realised that the last time I saw her (2004?) I was pretty rude, and I found myself regretting that. At the end of the day, in reality, Maria and I had spent 4 years of our life together.
() Maria and I are in a hotel room; one wall of the room is formed of frosted glass panels, creating a partition with the rest of the room; there is a pair of frosted glass doors in this partition. Several figures are shambling around in the half-light beyond...I know they are zombies.
() Maria goes away somewhere
() I open one of the frosted glass doors. Several zombies turn to face me. One of them, a huge lumbering man, steps forward and grabs the edge of the open door. I try to shove it closed...but I can't...and that's when I start to panic.

Strange dreams. But the lingering thought today is...where is Maria? Is she okay? Is she happy?

Djr

3 A.M. on a Monday Morning

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

08:31 GMT, Monday 12th November 2007. What a beautiful day. Ice cold, white frost on every surface, purple-blue dawn followed by luxuriant deep gold sunbeams painting the world in a happy light.

Woke up at 3 A.M., brewed a mug of tea, ascended into the Sky Bunker and got to work the current project of designing new Lovecraftian Gods and Monsters for Yellow Dawn. I took at break after 30 minutes, detrained from my ergonomic stool and lay down on the floor, on my Swiss backstretcher (looks like a Geiger-esque creation) and listened to music for 15 minutes.

Mounted my stool, switched off the tunes and dug out a file I'd not listened to for months: an hour-long extravaganga of Lovecraftian narrative with musical accompaniment creating moods worthy of the horror of the Mythos, called "The Fungi from Yuggoth".  As the first mystical chords came through the speakers mounted on my desk I was gripped by an intensity of nostalgia and emotion; I was taken back to February, this year, sitting in my old bedroom in Jesus Mound (Newcastle), facing the vast verdant bulk of Jesmond Dene, only recently starting to lay down text for the 2nd edition of Yellow Dawn, utterly in awe of Cthulhoid atmosphere being created around me by the narrative and musical score of this file... and blissfully happy from the awareness that I had several months of creative freedom ahead of me without needing to worry about finding work... now kneeling on my stool in the Sky Bunker, in November, with so many positive steps and changes taken place...I was totally overwhelmed... I listened to less than 30 seconds of it before switching it off. Bizarre.

Was back in bed by 4.30 A.M. Up again at 7, mug of tea and hot croissants with Jo downstairs, and then a lovely drive into Bath.

Djr

Another Victory for Polite Society

¦ dialling in from worstation ¦

08.58 GMT, Friday, 9th November 2007. A glorious sunny day, bright beams of golden light, crisp blue skies and a shudderingly wonderful ice cold breeze. The kind of weather to turn your cheeks rosy and make your nose sniffle. Meanwhile the South East of England is getting battered by a storm surge and they're worried about the Thames flood barrier being able to do its job: cyberpunk is getting ever closer to reality. Well I've been back from Newcastle for 4 days now and I've systematically ignored my brain snapping me awake at 4A.M. in order to grab a few more hours in bed... a direct result of being out late most nights this week. Last night Jo and Hagen joined me at the Watershed for a quick bite to eat, pint and an awesome documentary-film called "In the Shadow of the Moon"... absolutely compulsory viewing for anybody with the smallest spiritual bone in their base fleshly body. The nights out and late mornings have meant I've not been making much progress on Shadows of Quantinex, or writing up the editorial corrections for Yellow Dawn, but... hell, I think I deserve a little bit chill out time.

I have a friend in the states. He read my recent post about "too many monkeys in the cage" which is a reference to the dying embers of polite society... and I was delighted to get a response from him which included his own stand against the mass-of-rudeness-and-ignorance that now pervades Western society. I enclose a segment of it here:

QUOTE: "Earlier on in the year I'm on the 'L' train from Williambsburg into 8th Ave, Manhattan. 9:15am, you know the score - packed solid, everyone looking like zombies and miserable, it's a very unpleasant time of day. I'm "strap hanging" stood up over the folk sitting down. It's so crowded, there would be no way for me to change hands or turn. There's a guy sat down in front of me playing one of those phone games - with the volume up full. I can see everyone around me getting increasingly annoyed. The train empties out at 14th/Union Square. The guy - totally oblivious - still beeping away. Something strange happened. I snapped. This NEVER happens (although New York brings it out in people). I bark at him, "Don't you have a volume button on that thing!?" Naturally all the commuters look down. get more engrossed in their books, look away etc. Time freezers. The guy (and it's a guy, not some "whateva dick 'ed" teen) I see the sheer crack-out madness in his eyes. Cold terror. "Ah, I can see the headline I thought" MAN SLAIN OVER SUBWAY TETRIS ROW "What the FUCK did you just say?" Now I'm proud of the next part - no shaking, lip wobbling or wavering, I repeat myself clearly, loudly and in my best British Patronizing Tone (which weirdly kowtows them). 6th Avenue stop looms. "Man you should speak Englidsh MotherFucker!" - said in classic semi-intelligent Brooklyn broken-English... I just grinned at him - what a tool. Got off just as the doors opened and he was starting to rise to his feet. I walked off all casual like. Okay it was a stop before I wanted but I felt like I'd scored a small victory for Polite Society. :) I should buy some Mace." END QUOTE

Here! Here!

Djr

Monkey Magic

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

08:43 GMT, Thursday 8th November 2007. Ahhhh *tranquil smile* I took a prudent approach today, following the sensible advice of a work colleague, and so avoided taking the regular bus in this morning. Instead I grabbed an extra hour in bed, then drove into Bath (lovely journey, blasting out Gary Numan I,Assassin), and used the Park & Ride. Amazing what a difference it makes to the start of your day, not having to deal with stupid people in the morning. I feel positively buoyant. Had fun round at Simon's Palace last night, met up with Nice Guy Tony, G-B-Hagen, Tom and Laura, and got into some simple yet satisfying roleplaying. It's especially nice to get those few minutes to socialise and banter, before the game starts, savouring the company of good people.

[]

 

Too many monkeys in this cage

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

08:46 GMT, Wednesday 7th November 2007. Riding a down-rush of adrenaline. I didn't have to worry about Heavy Metal kid today. He was outclassed by an insuferable teenager who was playing her music full volume from her phone. I twisted round in my seat and called down the bus, "Can you turn it down please."

I got this smug smile beaming back at me, and her shouting "What? I can't hear you?" Two lads beside her got uncomfortable and told her I wanted it turned down. Nothing happened. I yelled "TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN!", like some nut-case. The volume lowered for a while.

When the bus pulled into the station I remained in my seat and waited for them to file down from the back of the bus. The ignoramus gave me an evil-daggers look; I returned it and followed them out. They stepped aside and I walked past.

"Wanker..." I heard her call under her breath. I span round and confronted her. "I didn't say nuthing," she snapped, scowling.

"Are you going to wear your headphones tomorrow?" I asked.

"No! Why should I?" Her scowl deepended.

"I think you should wear your headphones tomorrow," I pressed.

"Fuck you... why am I talking to you, dick." she responded.

Hmmm. I had to walk away. I mean what else can you do in the face of such stupidity?

Anyway, enough of my "turning into an old fart" rant. Here's a link to a great little movie about advertising.

http://www.makemylogobiggercream.com/

Djr

Back in Brizzle

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

13:30 GMT, Tuesday 6th November 2007. Adjusting back into work routine after what feels like forever in Newcastle. Had a really good trip, although there was no longer that sense of a perfect bubble-world this time. Probably because my real-world is in such a good state of health at the moment. However, it was great to be able to take long walks in Jesmond Dene. Or stroll around the streets of Jesmond...picking up the threads of so many memories.

After a bruising from mum during the first few days, whilst playing a Norwegian card game, I finally turned the tables and devastated her, delivered a crushing victory against her. I think she was glad to see me go in the end. Heheheeh. Got back last night, Jo picked me up from the airport. Really lovely to see her, and great to come back to a home. I don't miss the Happy Flat, I don't miss being in Newcastle.

I was strangely looking-forward to coming into work this morning. I think it's a combination of liking the company/people, and still relishing the financial security of a contract again. Got on the bus and a couple stops later, Heavy Metal kid got on and started blasting his music out on his headphones. I thumped his arm and told him to turn it down, please. He did so but it gradually got louder again as we neared Bath, watch this space if he tries it on again tomorrow.

[]

5 Days Up North

¦ dialling in from Jesus Mound ¦

06:01 GMT, Sunday 4th November 2007. Dark outside, beyond the double French doors to my left, the dark mass of Jesmond Dene beyond. I'm sitting at the broad expanse of oak table, in the open-plan kitchen / lounge, a cavernous space, dark skylights above me. Silence fills the place. I've been here since Wednesday night: a quick train journey from Bath, picking up the coach-link to the airport, a swift flight, good landing, short Metro ride into Newcastle proper...off at West Jesmond Metro station, carrying my laptop satchel and a huge backpack full of all my gear. 10 minute walk home. This is my 1st visit since the new phase of my life began. Last time I came here (late August) things were...precarious; after 2 years writing, living on my savings and the sporadic income of freelance contracts. I've not seen anybody. A deliberate step. I wanted to savour Jesmond on its own. Just me, the house, my mum and Jesmond Dene. Regular visits to Kitsch'n Cafe but headphones plugged into my laptop maintained the isolationism. This visit made me realise how small and "village-like" the whole Jesmond thing can be. Same people with the same cynical and negative statements about life and the world. This irritated me and reinforced my desire to have some quality time in my bubble. Next door had a HUGE bonfire Friday night, divine, a ton of wood from the building site taking place across the road, old doors, bathroom fixtures, kitchen worktops... I sat there supping whisky and shooting the breeze with Pete for a bit. Mum has been kicking my arse at cards (Norwegian game) but the tide is turning now...

 

October "what's new" dump

October 2007. Two Norwegian newspapers have run full-page features on CLOUDY HEAD, you can see a scanned copy here, and here. I'm making steady progress with new novel "Dog Eat Dog" and with editorial and playtesting on Yellow Dawn. Busy promoting God Seed now. Press Release & Press Pack now available to download for God Seed: Press Release & Press Pack. You can read an article about the "print-on-demand" revolution in publishing by clicking here.

 

Perfect Rainy Sunday

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

13:19 GMT, Monday 29th October 2007. It's been a glorious sunny morning. The journey into work, traversing the wild open countryside between Bristol and Bath was a real pleasure today... an endless procession of trees lit up and on fire, touched by the sun, errupting with autum colours.

Had a great weekend, although got off to a sluggish start...woke up at 4A.M., went downstairs, got a drink, went upstairs to the Sky Bunker, turned on some lamps, switched on the laptop, and then realised the room was starting to spin. Urrrrrr, damn, hangover, a legacy from a "quick drink" with my boss on Friday night...I only just caught the last bus home, and arrived in Bristol barely able to string a sentence together - and I had to go with Jo to meet her brother and his wife for a social.

Went back to bed then up again and a drive across to Gloucester Road, and sitting in my old favourite "coffee #1" by 11 A.M. Met up with Kevin to do character stuff, then over to Simon's for more character stuff, and then the rest of the day was my own. Jules Ms Scarlet came over and I cooked up a wholesome winter stew.

Sunday was perfect. Miserable grey rainy day outside, and I had no reason or intent of leaving the house. Fried up some quality bacon for the two women, served with warm croissants and big mugs of tea. Then spent the rest of the day doing 45 minute shifts in the Sky Bunker, working on Shadows of the Quantinex. Grabbed 10 minute power-naps between shifts, or spent a few minutes sitting downstairs...brewing up strong coffee in the metal gizmo Kelvin bought for me last Christmas.

Fell asleep on the sofa at 8.30, crawled upstairs to bed with that delicious overwhelming sensation of deep tiredness, fell into bed and slept right through to 5.30. So managed 45 minutes work on editing Yellow Dawn rules - currently creating new Great Old Ones and Outer Gods - before jumping back into bed with Jo, then mugs of tea on the sofa and News 24 before heading out to grab my bus.

Djr

A day at work...

¦ dialling in from workstation ¦

13:31 GMT, Thursday 25th October, 2007. What an awesome day. Buzzing on a recent adrenaline rush following one of the day's numerous surges of activity.

Currently sitting in a room of a hundered or so people, rows of desks, filled with creatives, techies, multimedia specialists, marketting and advertising people; I've got a little down time whilst I'm waiting for things to come back in.

My boss is playing the CD I just leant him, HYBRID - I CHOOSE NOISE rumbling through deep woofer speakers attached to his PC...

I've just viewed the outcome of two weeks work on a creative brief for a client; and I'm pretty pleased, not only is it a good bit of work, but I've been able to insert the Sony Houseman robot into the concept... one of my creations used in the novel IRON MAN PROJECT, and in the Yellow DAWN RPG.

I love all this.

Djr

UNKLE - War Stories & HYBRID - I choose noise

¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦

08:41, Sunday 21st October 2007, baby blue sky above the canopy, golden hue of early morning sunlight, crisp and autumn fresh. I've got life support on, it's humming away down to my right, blowing warm air on my feet that are wrapped in a pair of hand-knitted Norwegian socks,with a second layer of wool hiking socks that must be 20 years old now (and still have my name label sown into the hem from when I used to wear them at School). I'm also wearing Starsky.

I've been awake for less than an hour; I left the delicious warmth of the bed, leaving Jo and Sarah sleeping. Just finished my 1st mug of tea, I spent many minutes sitting in the spare bedroom on the 1st floor, looking out the wide window with views across the city, the deep green slash of the river valley and surrounding forest (Bristol's answer to Jesmond Dene), the vast bulk of Dundry Hill rising up in the distance, through the mist, like some slumbering Cthulhoid giant.

Yesterday was my first session of Yellow Dawn since starting this new job/ new phase of my life. Excellent session. My brain is coping with a full time job and early morning wake-up/writing routine. Nice Guy Tony asked me to sign his copy of the Yellow Dawn rulesbook...which was a pleasure to do for him.

So now I'm up here, listening to two new albums I've got. What a treat for me to get these, now, at this point in my life. Rather than blend them into the vast mass of my music collection, part of the random play function, I'm now spending time playing them in isolation, side by side, repeating the experience again and again, embedding their sound into the memories of this period... ensuring that they become the soundtrack to this period.

UNKLE - War Stories (David J Rodger)
I've been into UNKLE since Matthias (Vega$) introduced me to them on a tape cassette in 1997. I walked around Amsterdam in the rain one weekend, with UNKLE as my companion to "the most beautiful Walk in the World". UNKLE became the soundtrack of my travelling tour across Canada.

HYBRID - I choose noise (David J Rodger)
I've been into HYBRID since going snowboarding in France in Jan 2005 with a bunch of people I didn' t know. Morning Scifi rocked my world and I've been eagerly waiting for something like this to come out of their creative womb ever since.

Both UNKLE & HYBRID deserve an understated roar of glory, a recognition that keeps them out of the minds of the mainstream chav-culture, they both create music that touches your soul, and elevates your imagination into new realms of emotionally charged awareness.

Plans for the day: I need to read through the existing material for Shadows of Quantinex, to pick up the threats left dangling from last November... and continue the editorial on Yellow Dawn (nearly finished first stage of this), both tasks don't require my laptop so I'm free to drive into town and grab a coffee, sit in the sunshine and savour my space and time.

Djr

Yellow Dawn...

¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦

03:44 GMT, Thursday, 18th October 2007. Solid inky blackness against the canopy above me. Soft lamps glowing. Life Support down to my right, humming. Debussy and the LPO is playing via random selection on laptop. Fresh mug of tea on my desk. Ahhhh it's all so lovely.

I'm into my 2nd week of the new job and still loving it. The bus journeys are still wonderful although I have one small annoyance, called the Heavy Metal Kid, who gets on two stops after me and always decides to sit in my general vicinity with shit metal music (as opposed to good metal music) bashing away like a pair of crashing dustbin lids through cheap headphones. *rolls eyes and smiles ironically whilst recalling his own teenage days* It is probably my karma.

Last night I completed a 16 page supplement for Yellow Dawn called "Rogues Gallery", which contains a list of ready-to-play NPCs from criminal and military backgrounds. I'm planning to make it available as a FREE PDF download from the main site when Yellow Dawn goes live.

So I've got a choice this morning: start writing Dog Eat Dog, now that all the research, note making and plot & character development is finished, or, finish writing Shadows of the Quantinex, a major campaign for Yellow Dawn.

Whenever I spend a long time working on Game stuff, by the time I get back to starting a new novel I usually end up feeling like I've forgetten how to write...which for somebody in my position is a TERRIFYING experience to go through. But it happens, and I've worked through it with Dante's Fool, with Iron Man Project and with the first few completed chapters of Edge.

The way I'm thinking is:
() having a novel set within the Yellow Dawn world, ready at the same time as a I launch the game is a Nice to Have
() having a large, well written, deeply thought out scenario ready for people to play with this new game system...when it comes out...it a pretty Important To Have.

So...I'm going to finish writing Shadows of the Quantinex. Anyway, I've left Dog Eat Dog at a point where it is ready to pick and run with. I've left Shadows of the Quantinex in a draft that was dropped messily when my Dad died last November. It will be good to pick it up and finish it.

Wow...my eyes just welled up. Hmm, been having a lot of thoughts about Dad the past few days. Been getting quite emotional. Not sure if it's the approaching 1 year marker, or, the fact I've found closure on the crazy period that all started back in October 2004, a closure that was sealed with the new job, and now I'm starting to reflect on those 3 years with the benefit of distance, renewed confidence and perspective?

As far as progress with Yellow Dawn rulebook itself, I'm STILL doing editorial. Can't believe how long it's taken me but it is nearly 300 pages, and I am only doing a couple pages a day, so work it out; and this is just the note making. Next stage is to go back through the notes and update the master copy for publishing. I'm smiling though, because the longer it takes me to finish this, the more time I have to finish off all the ancillary products.

Right, time to upload this and then grab another mug of tea.

Then start writing! Yay!

Djr

 

 

The weekend is here

¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦

05:30 GMT, Saturday 13th October 2007. Sitting wrapped in Starsky, life support blowing warm air on my bare legs, thick Norwegian socks on my feet. Darkness pressing down on the canopy above me. My favourite time of day...although I was kind of hoping for a lie-in today. *rolls eyes with a smile* Got back from work last night feeling deliciously exhausted (had a fantastic day). 15 minute power nap on the sofa and then a decision: stay in or go out. I jumped into Swampy, drove down to the Showcase and went in to see "The Kingdom". It's a not bad adrenaline flick... interesting trick of production when Chris Cooper came up on screen the film's score suddenly sounded a LOT like the Bourne Identity...and the interaction of all the FBI people was a lot like Chris Cooper's scene in that film.

Got back around 10pm, opened a bottle of wine, heated up some easy-cook noodles and fell into the sofa to watch the only bearable thing on TV on a Friday night (apart from the music video channels and news 24), which is QI. Love Stephen Fry. The man is an asset to England. Shuffled up to bed around 11... and blam... not long after 5 I'm lying awake in the dark deciding whether to try and go back to sleep or get up.

So, I'm up. I'm happy. I'm looking forward to my first weekend...

Djr

Near the end of my first week of new life phase

¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦

18:50 GMT, Thursday 11th October. Ahhhh. What a lovely feeling. Settling down into my chair, at my desk, in the ambient and warm lighting of the sky bunker. Philip Glass is playing via random selection of laptop, just merging into Brendan Perry "I must have been blind". It's been another great day at work, another day seeing me smiling as I walk, savouring the sudden and dramatic upward shift in my circumstances.

I got out of bed this morning in the dark, only to find it was already 6AM... so I'm missed my 4AM writing slot, but I guess I must have needed the exra sleep so I'm not complaining, and I made good progress with Yellow Dawn last night (rather than heading out for a social with Hagen at the Mud Dock), so I'm not feeling like I'm falling behind. As the daylight began to filter through the windows I discovered Bristol was submerged in dense fog. This remained during my bus journey and I looked up from my notes on Yellow Dawn, as the bus passed through Bitton / Kelston, as I usually do, to savour the visual treat... the edge of the road beyond the windows of the bus bordered by dry-stone walling, green with moss, and the illusion of being miles up, lost in cloud, because the sharp drop beyond was obscured by the fog...only occaisionally would the skeletal form of a tree be vaguely visible... it was an altogether Cthulhoid bus journey this morning, and I loved it.

Parked myself in Bath's Boston Tea Party around 8.25am, and stayed there with a mug of coffee, editing the proof copy of Yellow Dawn until 9.15. Work. Wow. What a buzz. I'm loving it.

So now I'm back home. A mug of tea with Jo downstairs before I clamber all the way up here.

Djr

1st Day

¦ dialling in from sky bunker ¦

19:47 GMT, 8th October 2007. Got back from work just over an hour ago. My first day of work. Whooo-hoooo! What great day. I was up just past four but stayed in bed til after 5. Supped a mug of tea in the big green armchair, then cracked on with creating a Rouges Gallery of NPCs for Yellow Dawn, a wee mini project I want to get finished before I commence writing Dog Eat Dog proper. Planning to get it finished by the end of this weekend, it'll be a wee freebie to stick up on the Yellow Dawn website for GM's to download, a resource to help them populate scenarios with thugs, cops and random people.

6.30, jumped back into bed for a snuggle with Jo, then up again and sitting watching News 24 with another mug of tea by 7am. Out of the house by 7.25. The bus stop is only a couple minutes walk up the road. I felt so excited about my journey in, and about starting the job. Bizarre eh? The journey in was fab: beautiful country roads, hills and fields, early morning mist. A decent 30 minute chunk of time to sit, relax and read.

The job is intense. I haven't got a learning curve, I've got a learning cliff, but my boss is a dude, the company is awesome, the people are creatives...so I'm fitting right in... and the role has a great blend of corporate/creative demands. Spent my lunch break sat on bench in outside the Roman Baths, supping a pot of soup and a crayfish sandwhich from Pret whilst some guy played chilled tunes on a xylophone. If I was to score how I feel after my first day I'd say 10 out of 10. Easy bus ride back. Brain numb but closed my eyes for half of the ride and recharged.

About to zip into town and meet up with Nice Guy and Simon P. Yay.

A little bit later:

03:08A.M.

Just pinged awake about 20 minutes ago. Got up, made a mug of tea, came upstairs and sat with one soft lamp on, chilling with my thoughts. Did a 3-card spread:
() 3 of Swords -PAST
() The Sun - PRESENT
() 10 of Pentacles - FUTURE

Wow,awesome.

Had a fab night out with Simon and Tony. Tony shared some great news about Sophie. Simon has just got back from a holiday in Portugal with Orson and Vic (their first with Orson). We then spent 2 hours talking about Yellow Dawn mechanics and being nostalgic about old Call of Cthulhu, and old Game sessions. Got back around 10.30. Watched some rubbish TV. Bed by 11. So I'm not too sure what I'm doing awake this early but I'm running with it: a couple hours creativity then back to bed by 5 for another 1.5 hours sleep.

Peace

David

Where I'm at (and what I'm aiming for)

¦ dialling in from the Sky Bunker ¦

08:04 GMT, Sunday 7th October 2007. Baby blue sky beyond the canaopy, chiffonous white clouds drifting high, really high, tinged with  pink, the last vestiges of a sunrise I missed. So much for waking up at 4A.M. again, as I'd hoped. I even went to bed at 10 O'clock... (on a Saturday night)... fighting the ideas sloshing around my brain, resisting the urge to get up again, brew a mug of tea and climb up into the sky bunker with the darkness pressing in tight and soft lighting creating a wonderful bubble to be creative within. I woke up about 7.45 from a deep sleep, groggy and clumsy as I pushed myself out of bed, downstairs, kettle, mug, tea bag.... upstairs into the backroom to sit in a small wooden chair with a view across the edge of the city, to distant hills of Dundry, vast swathes of green countryside all around, and the early morning light blending with gold beams of the sun. I smiled around that mug of tea and realised that I'm living in a moment, in a period, that I'll be remembering for many years to come. This is the end of July 2005 to Octobter 2007.

I'm looking forward to getting back into a work routine: different challenges, different parts of my brain getting used, different pressures and stresses; new people. I'm relieved that I've found something that pays the kind of money I'm used to. I'm really happy that I've scored a job in Bath, it means I can finally get to know that city better, and it means I'm closer to people like Mathias (Vega$) and Ms Zee West. I'm delighted I can take a bus into work, rather than drive: more environmentally efficient, an enforced buffer between personal world and work world, I can read a book, or stare out of the window at the passing countryside as this backroad to Bath (not the congested A4) snakes along the upper ridges of high hills that fill the space between Bristol and Bath.

Sure, the job might stress me out; I might miss the abruptly slashing of creative time from all-hours of every day for month after month, down to a couple hours every evening and my weekends...but, bloody hell, I've done what I needed to do. All current creative projects are secondary to what I've now completed. I have to reign in any impatience and frustration about progress and simply accept the fact they will now take longer.

This weekend was a good one. Friday morning I did my regular routine for the last time (Coffee #1 in the morning, then into town, stroll through harbourside to Watershed). Saturday I spent a couple hours fighting back the jungle in the garden. Then I went up into the sky bunker and finished the full notes for Dog Eat Dog, with some new plot developments I'm very pleased about. It is literally ready for me to start writing. I also finished off writing out comprehensive notes for "Red Desire ¦ Cold Murder", which is a novel idea, but will also be made available as a published scenario for Yellow Dawn. I'm still ploughing through the editing of Yellow Dawn...my god the thing is huge, and packed with great stuff: every time I read a little bit more of it I come away with a stomach fluttering excitement, like anticipation of Christmas as a child, from the idea of finally launching it. I've also got to start picking up the threads of the major campaign I was writing for Yellow Dawn this time last year (Shadows of the Quantinex); it is a major piece of work but I want to ensure it is ready to launch not too long after Yellow Dawn rulebook. I also need to make sure I have a handful of small scenarios to release with the rulebook, so people can get on with playing the game straight away. I also need to have Dog Eat Dog (which is a Yellow Dawn novel) ready to launch in a similar time-period. Current schedule looks like:

() Finish editorial of Yellow Dawn rulebook and be ready to launch: 1st March 2008
() At this point push to finalise Shadows of the Quantinex
() Complete writing Dog Eat Dog: 1st of May 2008

I've also got a simmering awareness of the novel I started and stopped (back in September 2005) in order to focus on creating the first edition of Yellow Dawn. I want to resume writing that around Autumn 2008.

So, quite a lot to get on with.

Djr

Changes

¦ dialling in from the sky bunker ¦

14:48 GMT, Thursday 4th October, 2007. Sitting at my desk, squinting against the glare of sunlight streaming in through the canopy, but it's not warm enough to avoid having Life Support switched on.

I'm in a great place: Life went through some sudden twists and turns the past couple weeks. After a couple of unsuccessful weeks looking for work at the start of August I grabbed the option of a "low pay - long hours" role that had come my way through an associate who "needed a body to fill a gap in a client's team".

Mid-September I started the week long training course, and took two exams which I passed. However, at the end of that week, I recieved a phone call from two recruitment agents offering the kind of corporate/creative roles I was looking for.

I was in a dilemna, I was supposed to be starting the low-grade job on Monday, three days away...but I couldn't ignore these great opportunities. I talked it through with my associate and he was happy to "hold onto" the role until I knew what was happening. Phew. Monday came round, and I spoke to the 2nd agent, called ALEX. He had a dream-role for me, in a company I'd been hearing about for a while now... I said "Put me forward for the role".

Alex rang me the day after the interview. "COngratulations, you've got the job."

Wow. What a feeling. Nice Guy Tony was there in the Sky Bunker at the time, having a half-day of Yellow Dawn. I was whooping with joy, and then shaking like crazy with adrenaline. What a fantastic end to a huge chunk of creative-freedom / financial risk that began in July 2005 and ends in October 2007.

That was yesterday.

I was up at 4 A.M. again today, no alarm, just PING, my eyes flutter open and I surge awake. I lay in bed for a few moments contemplating this bright state of consciousness, a luxurious heat radiating from the sleeping form of Jo beside me... but I've got things I want to do and these are certainly my favourite hours of any day. Years ago, back in 1998, when I was halfway into writing Dante's Fool, I started a routine based around going to bed at 9pm and setting my alarm for 4 A.M. so that I could get in a good dose of writing before heading to work. I have great memories of that period, so I'm pleased to find myself waking up naturally and able to repeat the experience.

Padding downstairs in the dark, I made a mug of tea and then headed up here, into the SKy Bunker, switching on a couple of occaisional lamps, soft light in two corners, and my lava lamp on the desk. Black sky above me. Switch on Life Support, grab my seat and bring the laptop to life. Gentle hum of life-support. Random tunes playing quietly on the laptop running through stereo. And that adorable ambient stillness that is unique between 4 and 6 in the morning.

I've got an abrupt mini-project to complete, in between writing Dog Eat Dog and editorial of Yellow Dawn; it's a scenario idea / novel idea called Red Desire, Cold Murder. It's a working title so might change, but I'm pretty pleased...the whole concept came together in a couple days scribbled notes, and I should get the thing written up as a Yellow Dawn scenario by the weekend. Fingers crossed.

Winter is rolling in. I'm looking forward to pushing my creative projects onto the back-burner of weekends and evenings; and I'm really looking forward to getting my teeth into a new job: new challenges, new people, and a pay packet at the end of the month.

Djr

Buzzin'

¦ dialling in from the Watershed Cafe ¦

13:52 GMT, Sunday afternoon, 23rd September. Sitting at a square table in the cavernous space of the Watershed, near window overlooking harbourside, grey skies but a bright light...pale and misty. I'm on my 3rd mug of coffee... buzzing and relishing the weekend so far. Yesterday was an awesome day. Grabbed a delicious lie-in with Jo, then up and about around 8.30, mug of tea sitting downstairs watching News 24, then a short drive to Coffee #1... sat there for a couple hours writing up notes on Dog Eat Dog, before I knew it the notes became narrative and I was there, bang, in the story, part of it, breathing it, so I looked up after an hour had swept by, blinking, to find myself sitting in the cafe again. Love it when that happens.

Swung over to Hagens at noon and ended up spending the entire day with him. Can't recall the last time I did that, totally indulgent, relaxing and fun, a whole day with a good friend doing...stuff. We played Wii. We drank coffee and chewded the fat. We ran through a play test of Yellow Dawn systems. We grabbed a curry at the fab place near Simon's pad... then drove on to the Showcase and watched SHOOT 'EM UP. A totally bizarre film but very enjoyable, dark humour and delightful in the fact it didn't take itself seriously...very comic book action and plot. I dropped Hagen off, came home around midnight, and instead of flopping down in front of the TV with a glass of wine... I padded through the house with the lights off, savouring the silence, the moonlight streaming through the windows creating black silhouettes on the floor and walls... I brewed a mug of Camomile Tea and sat in a chair upstairs, gazing out across the city at the hills of Dundry, just visible in the moonlight, shrouded in mist with specks of sodium-orange burning through here and there. The camomile hit me like a sedative and I shuffled into bed and had a fantastic deep sleep.

Had an E-mail from Kenn-Ole, the artist behind the illustrations in Cloudy Head, and the front cover of Yellow Dawn: he sent me a copy of an article published in a Norweigan paper about him, about Cloudy Head, and about me, my writing, about Cyberpunk and the print-on-demand publishing revolution. All very exciting.

Take a look here:
http://www.davidjrodger.com/cloudyhead-helgelandarbeiderblad-publicity2007-09-23.jpg

 

Meanwhile, sales of my books are steadily increasing: big thanks to everyone who bought a copy this month.

I've also published MURDER AT SHARKY POINT, a murder mystery game. It comes in a spiral bound paperback, allowing you to photocopy the pages, or simply tear them out to play.

Take a look here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/1178668

 

Next week will be interesting. I've pushed PAUSE on the temporary job I was about to slot into... had a call from an agent on Friday regarding my CV, a prospective job role that is PERFECT for me... so fingers and toes crossed because it's all the best bits of my last job with a lot more focus on my creative skills.

Over & Out

Djr

Adjusting

¦ dialling in from sky bunker ¦

19:56 GMT, Tuesday, 18th September. Just come upstairs after eating a yummy meal I made, of thin-cut loin steaks with asparagus, in a cream and pepper sauce, with corn on the cob served with melted butter. I have an hour before my self-imposed computer curfew kicks in. A little rule I made for myself a few years ago... no working on the computer past 9 O'clock, although I think I might have to nudge that back by an hour when I start working my shifts.

So today was my second day of training. Pretty good; the company is very professional and there are aspects to the job I never guessed... so I'm learning something new. I also completed the first examination this afternoon, which goes toward my application for a license (from the governing body). I cut loose around 4 PM, so I was able to drive into town for a coffee. Interesting how having your day "occupied" by a job makes you appreciate and treasure your free hours...I've had 22 months of every day being my own... but in a strange way I quite enjoy the change in perspective. I might not be saying that a few months down the line when I'm sick of it and craving for my freedom back, but right now, it's all positive.

Last night I headed over to Simon P's for a mini-session of D&D. Very enjoyable. I spent tonight preparing the next scenario for Yellow Dawn; tomorrow night it's a Dead City run in Yellow Dawn with Nice Guy Tony: I'm really enjoying the increasing pace of the roleplaying schedule.

Today was the first really cold day since summer. Quite beautiful with golden sunshine.

Djr

 

Conclusion of the 22 Months of Creative Freedom

¦ dialling in from Sky Bunker ¦

08:30 GMT, Wednesday 12th September... after a couple weeks of lovely sunshine, the sky is low and thick with grey cloud. I quite like it; atmospheric. I went to see "Run Fat Boy Run " last night with Jo. Funny, although nowhere near as good as the usual Simon Pegg & Nick Frost double-act "Shaun of the Dead" or "Hot Fuzz", very much a 'feel good' flick. Jo and I had arrived by seperate cars; leaving the cinema she started walking quickly ahead of me, I increased my pace and walked alongside and then pushed ahead, she quickened her pace and then both of us were running and laughing to our cars: it was a race.

She won. Of course she won. She drives a modern car. I'm driving swampy.

So I'm enjoying my last few days of absolute freedom. I'm starting work next Monday. Not the kind of job I'd normally go after but somebody I know needs a body to fill a space and I need to start pulling in money, and I believe in the school of thought that says it's easier to find work when you're in work. Mind, it's going to be long hours for not-so-great pay.

The past three months I've been living on my credit card, a tax-rebate and royalties from God Seed. Can't believe it's been that long since I finished writing Yellow Dawn. Mind you, I had 6 weeks chillout in Newcastle, then a week in the South of France, another week in Newcastle and a week occupied by friends from far flung places around my birthday. I can see how time has flown by.

I really appreciate the fact I've been able to spend the past 22 months working on my creative projects. It feels like a lifetime, and it has been such a positive experience. Yes there have been dark times; uncertainty about the gamble I was taking with my life; my dad's prolonged illness and death; tough choices about heart and home. And sure, I've burned up all my savings, but I certainly made them last and got much from every penny, and it's been an interesting experience shifting from a lifestyle where for so many years money was never really a concern, where I was earning more than double what I needed to live on every month... to a lifestyle where I'm conscious of the value of everything I pay for. But my savings have produced three novels, a film script, an illustrated childrens story, and a game-system/fictional platform for writing new novels within...brought them into living paper and printing ink. They exist and people are buying them.

I've been getting regular updates from Floyd, my publicist in New York. He's really fighting my corner for me over there. What a hero. Everything is still within the quantum level of potentiality, but the opportunity exists to make great things happen.

New things are on the horizon. A seam of golden sunshine opening up ahead of me. When you strip away all the bullshit of modern-living, you can wake up in the morning, take your first conscious breath and smile into the new dawn. It's great to be alive and life is very much, what you make it.

Djr

The foreign contingent

¦ dialling in from Castle of Tranquility ¦ Woke up late today after a late night... the house was filled with people last night, wonderful, made a roast dinner and hosted a Murder Mystery (Murder at Sharky Point) both of which were a great success. Everyone left around midnight, leaving Jo, Kelvin and myself with several bottles of wine, to chill out in the front room - watching YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN for a while, laughing, smiling at the fresh memories of the night and feeling very happy about life. So shuffled downstairs this morning, Kelvin making us his famous "poached egg and chopped tomato breakfast"... brewed coffee... and I wrote down ammendments to the Murder Mystery that I feel would improve it. Dkr

Gathering...

¦ dialling in from the Sky Bunker ¦

10:58 GMT - Monday 3rd September 2007 - this is the first chance I've had to sit up here, and be alone, for days. I got back from a very pleasant week in Newcastle, last Tuesday night. Wednesday I went to meet Zaniah who is back from Australia for a short while - spent the day with her. Thursday I went to pick up my little sister, who was over from London for my birthday... spent all day Friday with her in town... Saturday we were joined by Ramona who's flown over from New York, and Kelvin who is over from Spain. Final coffee and hang-out with my sister, before she headed back to London and the rest of us (Zaniah, Sonja, Kelvin, Ramona, Jo and I) piled into cars and drove to Oxfordshire... where we spent the weekend in a rambling country cottage with thatched roof and rooms leading off rooms, and hidden corridors...and so much good food: the place belonged to the parents of Hari, who is the mother of Indra...a young boy connected to Zaniah and Sonja... we had a long walk in some truly magical woods that were not enclosed by a city, but merged with wild open countryside... I devoured several bushes of wild blackberries during the walk, stopping every time I found a few more dangling in front of me.

So it's been a fantastic few days but I'm feeling a growing grumpiness about my lack of progress with my creative projects.

I'm also conscious I've not seen Simon, Tony, Hagen, Matthias or Dan for ages... *waves at you if you're reading this*

Djr

Another week in Newcastle

¦ dialling in from Kitsch'n Cafe - Jesus Mound ¦

20th August : 09:47hrs : sitting on long black leatherette bench seat, back perfectly straight, poised over small square red formica table and my new laptop. Large plate glass window to my left - a view of Acorn Road, strangely deserted at the moment. Big blue sky and white fluffy clouds, some beautiful sunshine but the temperature is COLD. The cafe door is wedged open so I'm sitting with my jacket on as a defence from the icy breeze.

My previous laptop died a couple weeks ago - in the South of France, and thankfully it has been a surprisingly unstressful experience. Found this one through Dell online, amazing price, and although I had to wait 10 days for it to arrive... I was graced by the support of friends willing to let me camp-out on thier PC and internet. I've always been pretty religous about backing-up my data... particularly my writing, so I've managed to migrate to the new laptop without losing any work (nothing I'm aware of yet).

Drove up to Newcastle yesterday afternoon with Jo - 4 and a half hours. Not a bad journey. Walked in and found the house looking amazing... mum had set the dinner table for the three of us and had prepared a fantastic meal.

Bounced out of bed this morning; Jo left around 7AM to drive down to Darlington for work. I watched News 24 then walked up to Acorn Road and Kitsch'n cafe. Big hello's with Sam. Later Derek walked in... and Mike... and Ian. Lots of friendly familiar faces.

[ skip ]

25th August: Saturday: 12:51 : sitting at the wide expanse of oak table in the breakfast area. It's been a lovely few days. Long mornings spent in Kitsch'n, editing my proof copy of Yellow Dawn, writing up character profiles for the stars of Dog Eat Dog... afternoon's spent back at the house... Jo getting back from work around 6.30... red wine, great food, Norweigan card games.

Jo departed Friday morning - I'll see her back in Bristol on Tuesday night. Have had a couple of nights out with Mike K: he needs to get out of Newcastle, I can see the thick chords of cabin fever wrapping around his throat every month he stays here.

Meanwhile I'm looking forward to getting back to Bristol. Looking forward to time in the house (Cosey Castle), getting back onto a career track (a proper job), being with my friends, writing the next novel and seeing Yellow Dawn reaching a point where its ready for release. Strange how time slows down when I'm here in Newcastle - certainly in Jesus Mound... I've been here a week and it feels like a month.

Have had more phone calls from New York, progress reports dialled in by my Super Hero - Mr Floyd - he's got a copy of God Seed into the hands of a lit agent over there *fingers crossed the agent likes it as much as everyone else* ... he's working on some guerilla marketing tricks.

Finally, Zed is back. Back from Oz. In Bristol right now. Can't wait to see her. Almost two years since she left. What changes will we both see in each other?

DJr

16th August 16:11 GMT

¦ dialling in from the Watershed Cafe, Bristol ¦

 

Got my new laptop. A nice shiny Dell. Cheap and cheerful but I like it.

It was interesting being without a computer for a week, it didn't really miss it, but then I had things I was able to work on with pen/paper... all my Dog Eat Dog notes, and editing Yellow Dawn...the hardcopy of the first proof.

Dog Eat Dog now has the major plot points mapped out; the characters have some basic existence and I know how everything hangs together. Thanks to Simon P, Dom M, and Tony J for having the patience to listen to me talk through the plot.

Yellow Dawn - I'm so glad I delayed the launch. Gives me unlimited time to edit the text and make things right.

God Seed:  back in July 22nd, I was riding the coach to Bristol airport and I got a call from Floyd in New York, his words were "You don't know how much in awe I am of your talents, David; your book God Seed totally overwhelmed me. I knew you were good but I never dreamed you would be this good."

I was totally stoked. What a fantastic compliment. Floyd has promised to do everything he can to promote God Seed and my writing in the States.

And he's been true to his word. He's got a copy of God Seed into the hands of William Gibson; whether WG will read it or not, or even like it, I have no idea, but I truly appreciate the effort made by Floyd, and the pretty girl he talked into getting the book into WG's hands.

Meanwhile, The Crack magazine, in Newcastle, have included a peice on God Seed in the August edition.

The past few days have been busy busy with job hunting. No interviews appearing yet. I hope something comes up soon. I need money.

Over & Out

Djr

 

Update after 40 days and 40 nights in cyber wilderness

¦ dialling in from HIAB-X Lab 1 ¦

8th August, 2007
Seems like an absolute AGE since I last posted here. I was in Newcastle for a month, came back for two days, and then bounced back to Newcastle for another week (able to hang out with Adz who was over from San Fran), then back to Bristol, long enough to catch some sleep before setting off at midnight and driving to Stanstead to catch a 6AM flight to Montpellier with Jo and her twin sis, Sarah... hire car.... 15 minute drive to Perols, and by 9.30AM I'm sitting in 36c with a cup of strong black coffee in my hands.

The South of France trip lasted for a blissful week. Daily trips to vast sandy beaches, sitting in the sun, reading, writing notes on Dog Eat Dog, and swimming in the Med. This was my final blast of total freedom before reality sucked me back... all thanks to Sharky dumping a couple hundred quid in my bank account to pay for it, saying "you deserve a good holiday"

So thanks and much love to Sharky.

There was one day of rain during the France experience... which was perfect, as it meant the sun-junkies, Jo and Sarah, were forced off the beach, and allowed me to grab a ride to my favourite location in the area; a medieval crusader fort called "Aigues Mortes", which is going to feature in Dog Eat Dog, and probably a number other Yellow Dawn spin-offs.

However, several grim things have happened. 1) my laptop died. 2) bust my glasses. Ultimate bad-timing. Money situation is not good, and I'm now back in the UK, trying to find work without access to my files, a PC, or internet.

Luckily found a spare pair of glasses from the original "get two specs for the price of one" deal back in 2004. So at least I can see, and don't have to fork out a couple hundred for a new pair right away.

Thankfully Vega$ rang me today, and said "come over...I'm busy building but you're free to use the computers and internet..." this has been a total lifesaver...

Also getting great support on the God Seed front from Floyd in New York, who now seems to be on a mission to get me as much exposure as possible. I've had the publisher send him 3 copies of God Seed.... lets see what he can do with them. *fingers and toes crossed*

Yellow Dawn has gone in exception, which isn't a bad thing. Hagen's done me a new countdown timer, not that I can actually upload it to my website because I don't have the right tools, until I get a new laptop ARrrrrgggh...... but at least I've got a couple proofs in hardcopy to get on with editorial and system-testing.

Dog Eat Dog is now a paper-based project again. Which is kind of nice in a strange way, but very time consuming.

I'm in a really challenging period of life again. Not surprising, really, when you think I've had absolute freedom since April 2006...

Anybody want to offer me movie options on God Seed? £500K would make me very happy right now....

...actually, just £400 quid for a new laptop would be very much appreciated too! *smiles*

Over & Out

Djr

South of France

¦ dialling in from a lounge in the South of France ¦

20:25 in a place called "Les Lac des Reves" outside Perols, near Palavas and Montpellier. Golden sunlight slopes through mosquito nets, everything is moving in the strong yet warm breeze blowing across the lake. I'm sitting cross-legged on the floor, my back against the base of a sofa, laptop on a tiny coffee table... there's a my Konica Minolta Z5 camera, a half-drunk glass of Leffe, and a copy of Andy McNab's "Recoil". On the small but excellent ghetto-blaster to my right, I'm playing MITHODEA by Vangellis. Jo and her sister, Sarah, have gone out for a night in Palavas. I've done it several times before... and I'm in the mood for a night alone with my imagination...working on the plot lines of Dog Eat Dog.

It's been a good day. Woke up around 10.30 after a night of crazy dreams (yet more). A mug of tea outside in 36c to wake up, then paper scissor stone with the sisters to see who had to trudge down to the local shop for bread. I lost. It's only a ten minute walk there and back. Another mug of tea whilst Jo sliced the french stick into 3 and stuffed it with ham, port salut and tomato. I added freshly chopped garlic to mine. Wrapped up in kitchen foil to be enjoyed later. Sarah drove the hire car - a TWINGO - to a local beach around 12 pm. We stayed there until 5.30...during which time I read Andy McNab, made notes for Dog Eat Dog -whilst clutching every sheet of paper against the strong hot wind - and went for swims in the sea.

Getting back here, we lounged outside on the patio... drunk coffee and listened to CD's... I showered, washing away sun lotion and gritty sand, leaving me with that delicious fresh skin feeling, and then made dinner around 7pm, Fajitas, washed down with Leffe.

20:37 the glass of Leffe is empty. I'm halfway through a litre bottle of the stuff. Time for a refill. I was planning on writing up notes for Dog Eat Dog tonight but a day of sunshine followed by evening beers has left me with a brain like cotton wool. I might just lie down and listen to Vangellis, drink my beer and chill with a smile on my face.

Next week, back to Bristol.

Djr

Strange things in the night - next door...

¦ dialling in from Jesus Mound ¦

14:43 GMT  I forgot to mention the main event that occured last night, after I got back...partially soaked from the torrential rain. I poured a glass of wine and threw myself down onto the comfortable sofa bed, in Dad's room, which has been my home for the last 2 weeks. Flicked on the TV and  found The Burbs was on. One of my favourite flicks to watch on repeat. I was chuckling away at Tom Hanks looking down from his bedroom window, watching his neighbours, the Klopeks, out in the pouring rain with lanterns, hacking away at their garden with shovels, as if digging up a grave...

... the commercial break comes on and I shuffle through to the kitchen for a refill of wine. Outside the rain is still hammering down. Something catches my eye. A flickering light, coming from near the bottom of next door's garden (Les' side). I squinted through my own reflection in the window but couldn't see a thing. I turned off the kitchen lights and could now clearly see the flickering glow of...a lantern, and what looked like a figure out there in the rain. Eh? What?

I hurried upstairs to mum's room, cracked open the window and took a better look. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Almost an exact duplicate of the scene on the television a few minutes earlier... one man, dressed in a heavy coat slick and glistening with rain, standing near an electric lantern, weilding a shovel and digging up the earth.  I looked closer. There was Les, the neighbour, digging something up out of the earth...he'd reached a point where he'd cleared away the top layer of soil and was now carefully scraping away the deeper soil so as not to damage whatever was down there. The features of his face were creased with concentration, there was an urgency and desperation in his expression.

I couldn't believe this.

I hurried downstairs, pulled on my boots and a raincoat and headed out into the back garden... Les didn't hear me approach because of the rain, so when I muttered BOO right behind him the guy shrieked like a girl and nearly expired from a heart attack on the spot. The shovel that had been in his hand ended up about two metres away as his whole body convulsed in shock. I was in a humerous mood but also slightly wary I was about to discover the nice-bloke-who-lives-next-door was digging up some forgotten child...or worse?

Les explained what was going on and I nearly fell over laughing.

Les pointed at the soft form, wrapped in plastic he was digging up... I went over and took a closer look. At that moment, a door in the back of Les' house opened up and a large stocky man started striding towards us. What the fek? Who was this?

As the large men stepped into the lantern light I saw his face was scrunched up with some painful emotion.

Oh my God...

I stepped away respectfully as the man dropped down onto his knees next to the hole, and started gently clearing away the last of the rain-sodden earth with his finger... his shoulders shuddering with quiet sobs.

You see, dear reader, Les, my very nice neighbour, had agreed to look after this man's most treasured pet a few days earlier... a big, floppy eared rabbit. Unfortunately for Les, the rabbit had caught some kind of virus and died. Les felt terrible, especially with it dying on his watch. When the man had returned from his trip and found out Les had done the decent thing, and buried it, the man demanded to have the body of his bunny back. Apparently the man knows a taxidermist.

I spoke with Les today. The rabbit, it seems, is about to become immortalised... stuffed... to sit forever on the guy's desk.

Life is surely stranger than fiction sometimes, I swear.

Djr

Love that rain

¦ dialling in from Jesus Mound ¦

09:39 GMT, sitting at the wide expanse of oak table, French doors to my left are open, letting in a cool breeze damp with recent rain and the smell of the dense mass of trees beyond the garden. I'll be down there in a while... a regular walk through the woods, following tracks that ascend and descend the steep sides of the ravine.

Random selection on laptop is playing soundtrack to Bourne Identity. I'm sitting in T-shirt, underpants, wearing Starsky and  big fluffy Norweigan slippers... two days stubble... hair sticking up in some pillow-based explosion, but only on one side, the othe side of my head the hair is flat and lank. I'm feeling slightly hung-over.

Today is Friday 6th; I was supposed to be back in Bristol last Tuesday, 3rd... but Freddy (lodger) is away for 2 weeks now; mum is still away in the Arctic... so several thoughts came out of this situation...also if I did leave, I was going to be back here in Newcastle in 2 weeks anyway... spoke with Jo and she suggested I stayed up here. I agree. She then suggested I came to the South of France with her and her sister after Newcastle... Christ... I need to actually stop and find a job. But I agreed. A holiday together would be a good thing for both of us...

Went out last night with some of the Be-Safe's and associated crowd: Helen, the celloist, Alex, his ex, Sophie, and his current, Sammy. What a fantastic bunch of people. I feel like I've stumbled onto a gold mine... creative characters with deep souls, sharp intellect, broad interests and openess. Just lovely.

Yesterday was an important day. Sitting in Kitsch'n cafe with Mike, I composed my letter to Chaosium, seeking advice on possible copyright infringement with Yellow Dawn including references to the Cthulhu Mythos. It was a strange experience, because Chaosium have been a huge part of my life, ever since I was 14... So fingers crossed for a positive response.

I spent some time sending E-mails to anybody I know, advising them of the fact I've scored some good publicity. It has already led to a rise in sales of God Seed. The only way I'm going to be able to succeed as a writer, is if this publicity can lead to more publicity...if I can start a snowball effect.  I really need this now, because my writing-fund is empty. I am officially broke. A state of existence that has suddenly brought me a lovely gesture of generosity... I was speaking with somebody yesterday about my finances and they gave me £200... I am stunned and humbly grateful

In their words, "I've seen how much effort you've put into this David [...] holidays should be enjoyed, so now you can enjoy it."

*THANK YOU*

12:33 GMT, just got back from a divine walk down the Dene in the rain. The smell of the trees is like a fine wine on my tongue, and the dense texture of water vapour from the falls, slightly dank yet invigorating when you breathe it in deep into your lungs. There was almost nobody down there. Just two solitary souls like me, dressed in a plastic hooded poncho and drifting through the woods and downpour with a serene smile on their lips.

Plan for the day: get a bloody shower, head up to Kitsch'n, drink coffee, work on new novel (Dog Eat Dog), then back here for more creativity: my man flu is gone, my brain is fully back online... no rest for the wicked.

Djr

Monday - been here a while now...

¦ dialling in from Jesus Mound ¦

14:39 GMT, sitting at the wide expanse of oak table, French doors to my left are open, letting in a cool breeze damp with recent rain and the smell of the dense mass of trees beyond the garden. A bird is singing an interesting song; it's calls repeated and echoed deeper in the woods. I'm alone in the house, relaxed and very happy.

Seems like a long time since I wrote anything for the blog. I flew up here from Bristol in the middle of June, with Jo - she had work going on in the North East. I continued to crash. Spent days in bed, watching shite, drinking mugs of tea and munching fruit... anything requiring me to think made me feel dizzy and ill. Jo left at the end of the week and I decided to stay on, and I'm still here now, two weeks later.

Yellow Dawn has hit a bit of snag; potential copyright issues with Chaosium owning the rights to many things Cthulhu... I could just take out the section on the Mythos, as it is not essential to the game, but I'd prefer to be able to keep it in...so I need to write to Chaosium and see what's what.

To be honest though... I just need more time to get my energy back.

Falmouth University have set up an online Writing Centre; the lead guy asked me to write an article about God Seed, and he seems keen to use it, and plug God Seed, which is great news. I'm also pleased because the Writing Centre is a great resource for writers and I'm enjoying being part of something so positive and constructive.

I had a random encounter with a band on Thursday night; I'd gone to a pub with Freddy. I said I'd like to hear their music, they said "come to our gig tomorrow night". I offered to do some publicity shots for them and they agreed. So I got to see them play and I liked it so much I bought their CD.  Check them out at www.myspace.com/thebesafes  Fred left early because he had to catch a 6 A.M. flight to Milan the next day, meaning he'd had to be up at 4 A.M, I was halfway out the place with him, when I thought, what am I doing, this is Newcastle... I can walk home if I can't get a lift, the city is so small and compact. So I stayed; ended up in a party back at the band's house. Finally got home at 10 A.M. Great night.

Some of you who've read the short story FLINCH (published Alternate Species), or who bought a limited first edition of Iron Man Project, might recall a character called Raymond Fox. He's based on a guy I met in New York back in 1998, and partied with in New York and London for the next 36 months. Then he vanished and that was the last I heard of him. Got an E-mail from him 3 days ago, "Remember me? Here's my mobile. And I've just moved to Bristol."   I was floored.  We spoke briefly on the phone; going to hook-up when I get back to Bristol.

Gordon Brown took over as PM recently. The news is dominated by two stories at the moment: massive floods in the Midlands, and three car bombs (failed attacks) in London and Glasgow. Gordon Brown appears on screen to assure the nature... he comes across with a frightening sense of control: is he a good guy or bad guy? How far will the anti-terror laws be extended now? How many more civil liberties will be removed in the name of "security". Nostradamos and George Orwell seem to be strange bedfellows at the moment.

Djr