The Inner Geek

Once more unto the breach, my friends....

2010-11-08T06:14:00.001-08:00

Hello lovely people!

I come to you once more, cap in hand, throwing myself on your good will and mercy. You see, I need your help.

Many of you may remember that a friend and I entered a filmmaking competition last year for which the prize was a trip to Hollywood. We asked for your help in voting us to the final and you replied with the magnificence that you so obviously possess.

Alas fortune did not favour us. Blame it on politics, the crisis in the middle-east, videogame violence, pirates in the South China sea, the anatomical impossibility of women in anime, or ponies. We just don't know what forces held back our proud ingress to the later stages. But we do know this....we're not giving up.

So with a hearty battle-cry and impassioned speech like that in Braveheart (sadly lack of space prevents us from delivering an inspiring speech here, so please act as if you're suitably whipped into a frenzy) we have once again entered the competition, and with your help we can storm the bastille of chance and lay siege to the most mighty prize of a £20,000 budget for our film and then the opportunity to be present at a council of war in Hollywood where we can overthrow the ageing despots and crown ourselves the new kings of the world!!!

This is a prize worth winning but to be in with a chance we need an army the likes of which this world has never seen. Our weapons will not be those of primitive brutishness, instead we go to theatre of war armed with your votes, electronically counted and verified by the competition website. Oh yes!

Unfortunately they haven't made it easy!! So, brave warriors, here's what we need you to do;

Click on the link below which will take you to the site for the competition - Enter the Pitch.

www.enterthepitch.com

You will need to register but you can tick a box to request no contact from them. (Note: if you were kind enough to vote last year you can use the same log in - if you can't remember your password they will send another).

Once you've registered or logged in you will need to watch a minimum of six (I know, six! Fighting a legion of Orcs would be a more fitting test of your ardour, but this is the challenge laid before us) of the pitches and then vote for three. But fear not, each pitch is a MAXIMUM of 2 mins long.

Our pitch is number 174 - The Circle in Which I Stand and has the strange name of my man-at-arms Dez Gray next to it.

Once more the link is - http://www.enterthepitch.com/

If you prefer you don't have to watch 6 in one go, you can keep returning to the site when you have time to watch the pitches.

I know it sounds like a lot of effort but with your help this could open up an exciting opportunity. World domination, with power shared between our brotherly/sisterly souls.

The keepers of the gates have made the public vote count for 80% of the final total, meaning that your help is of earth shattering proportions! The hour grows dark, the land quiet with fear and desperation, but you noble few have the power in your fingers to return us to a new renaissance. Let no one tarry in his bed or be slow to heed this most desperate call, instead let us march out to the fields of combat and do mighty damage to our enemies!

The internet need you. Please vote with all your vigour, a new dawn awaits...

Martyn

*** For those of a sensitive disposition I should warn you that this is a Christian competition but don't let that put you off, I didn't. ;-) ***

If you don't want repeat messages from me let me know you've voted (or you're not going to) and I won't continue to pester you!

One final time, here's the all important link!

www.enterthepitch.com

Help take a starving screenwriter to Hollywood!!!

2009-12-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

I come to you today pleading most shamelessly for your help.

Myself and my old mate Dez Grey have entered a competition to win the chance to make a short film costing £20,000 and then be flown to Hollywood to show it to industry people.

We've made a video pitch of our idea called 'A Ragged Ear', which can now be seen at the competition's website www.enterthepitch.com

The way the competition works is that voters need to register on the site (free), then watch four of the pitches (3 mins each), which allows them to then vote.

It's a bit of a faff, but I'd be very grateful if you'd be willing to help us raise the profile of our idea so that we might have a chance to make the film and head out to the States.

If you've any questions then please message me and I'll do my best to answer them.

Oh yes, if you wonder why all the pitches are banging on about parables and verses from the bible, this is because the competition is for Christian filmmakers - no, wait, don't go! It's not so bad.... our one is actually really cool, possibly disturbing, and is relevant to (hopefully) everyone.

So please, please, please head to www.enterthepitch.com and vote for 'A Ragged Ear'...... I'll be your best friend. I promise!

The Story Begins...

2009-10-28T12:35:00.001-07:00

As if I don't have enough fluff and shiny things to keep me happily occupied for most of my waking hours, I've decided that in November I shall write a novel.

Yep, a whole novel.

50,000 words at least.

Yes.

What's that I hear you cry? I've lost the plot? Well, nearly.

You see in November there's a little something called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month - to give it it's full title) which encourages people from all walks of life to sit down and actually have a go at writing. There's no prizes, trophies, or publishing deals handed out at the end - just a simple title for those who haul them selves over the literary finishing line of 50,000 words. That title is 'Winner'.

I've dreamt about writing a novel for years, even started a few, but never got very far. So doing it in a month should be completely out of the question, but to be honest I feel excited, genuinely creative, and can't wait to get going.

Maybe it's the competitive spirit in me, or the knowledge that others will slaving away by my virtual side, but NaNoWriMo has already (before it's even begun) filled me with a real sense of 'Yes I Can' - Obama would be proud.

Whether the 30 days of November will be a creative maelstrom, or a storm in a teacup that quickly blows itself out remains to be seen. But at this moment I feel on the cusp of a genuine achievement. As Morgan Freeman's character 'Red' in The Shawshank Redemption says at the end of the film 'I hope I can make it across the border...' me too.

Print is dead.... cheap.

2009-09-03T06:07:00.000-07:00

It's no use, for months now I've fought the rising desire in my loins for an e-book reader, but with the impending release of the Amazon Kindle in the UK (about bloody time too) and a sudden increase in alternative readers, it seems my resistance has finally become futile.

The thing is... I love books. I mean LOVE books. Our walls at home are resplendent with the volumes of Ballard, Adams, Dick, Wyndham, Asimov, Tolkien, and many other wonderful people who built worlds out of words. The thought of reducing them to pdfs with only small icons to prove their existence doesn't sit well with me at all. But due to an RSI injury attained years ago I now have trouble holding books open for any extended time, and the opportunity offered by the lightweight e-readers is too much to pass up.

So I devised a plan to align both of my worlds. I'd buy the e-book, then if I really liked it I'd buy a copy of the print version to proudly display on my shelves... that was until I investigated the prices of e-books. Bloody hell!

On average so far they seem to cost about £2 less than the RRP of the print edition. Which would be fine if the print editions weren't nearly always reduced or made part of 3 for 2 or Buy One Get One Free offers. So in actuality you'd end up paying more for an electronic copy of a book which has cost next to nothing to print, package and deliver, and which you can't lend to a friend, or read without an expensive machine.

I can't understand the attitude of publishers here at all. Surely with ebooks still being a very small part of the book market (although set to expand rapidly if the portents are to be believed) the idea would be to offer a reduced price to get you into them - especially when the cheapest e-book reader (the new Sony Pocket Reader) still costs about £160. Amazon's delayed entry into the European market has given Sony, BeBook, Cooler, and the few other machines available a massive head-start during which time they could have built a loyal band of customers thanks to competitive pricing and compatibility across the board. Instead they all seem to have gone after a fat slice of pie, which may well end up giving them indigestion. Sony didn't even bother to make their machine Mac compatible in it's first few incarnations.

So now I wait on Amazon to see if they will seize the moment and show the others how it's done. My only other hope is that Oxfam open a second hand e-book store...

It's a long way to the top...

2009-04-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

As a freelance journalist I sometimes get the chance to meet interesting people. One such instance was a week or so ago when I met up with Andy Lewis, a musician currently playing in the Paul Weller band. He was a very nice chap and interviewing him was doddle. Afterwards he kindly talked to Mr Weller who allowed me to stay and watch their rehearsals for a new world tour.

I remember thinking on my way to the studio that morning, while listening to Weller's last album '22 Dreams', that at 51 years old he'd probably not be able to perform songs like 'Eton Rifles' 'Town Called Malice' and all the other high energy Jam songs with anything like the fury of his youth. Instead maybe the concert would be a more mature, laid back affair. As I settled onto the top of a large flightcase to watch the rehearsal the band struck up and to my great surprise this aging star leap straight into his stage show with full commitment and vigor, outshining all the younger fellas around him.

What was even more surprising was that this was the first song of the first rehearsal. No warming up, or feeling his way into the morning, instead BANG! you're off! For the rest of the set that I saw before they broke for lunch Weller was driving the band on, throwing himself into every word and chord, determined to wring the most from each song. What he must be like onstage with adrenalin pumping and a crowd cheering him on would be something to behold.

Then it struck me. He's a professional. Sure he's been playing for years and has earned his place in the hall of fame, but this is what he does. Therefore he does it to the best of his abilities. Maybe that's the difference between the likes of him, a legend, and some of these new bands coming along who play scrappy sets, sing out of tune, and then head off to party some more. They're in it for the ride. But when you see someone like Weller in action you realise he's in it because it matters.

Playing with purpose

2009-03-09T05:28:00.000-07:00

My wife comes from an outdoorsy family who like nothing more than to go for strolls in the countryside. When they cheerfully invite me along my initial thought is always the same 'Well, where are you walking to?' You see I've never gotten the whole walking for the sake of it thing, it's just a means of getting somewhere rather than an activity in its own right.

Now I realise this might make me sound a bit of a curmudgeon, but I'm really greatly appreciative of nature. Sitting by the sea, hearing the gentle lapping of waves is a pleasure I partake of far too infrequently for my liking. I'm also fascinated by animals and even served as a volunteer keeper at London Zoo for a spell, enjoying the experience immensely. So if the natural world isn't the problem what is?

As a journalist most of my working month revolves around finishing articles before deadlines. I've found this to be an excellent way to motivate myself and haven't missed one in nearly 4 years of professional writing (mainly because as a freelancer you lose your job if you do!). But a disturbing pattern has started to emerge. On months when I haven't yet been allocated work, and therefore no deadlines, I find myself strangely unproductive. It's not that I have nothing to do, quite the opposite, but just a lack of drive to actually get it done.

I started to look at my life in general and noticed that most of my leisure activities involved some kind of goal that could be achieved. Books could be finished, guitar parts mastered, video games had levels to complete, even twittering and podcasting had statistics that let me know how many people listened or replied. Has my life really become a case of word-counts, time scales, and achievable targets?

I took my daughter to a toddlers playtime at our church last week and as I sat and watched Holly play I saw a game emerge between her and a friend of hers called Louis. He would go and sit on a step, she would go sit next to him, then he would move to another step and she would follow, both laughing as they did it. They repeated the game for about 10 minutes, obviously enjoying it very much indeed. I laughed at how cute but pointless the whole thing was, but since then it's stuck in my mind. The point of them playing was just to have fun, not to actually get anywhere, score any points, or arrive at a deeper understanding of the nature of humanity. It made them laugh and that made it worthwhile. It struck me that maybe somewhere along the way I'd simply forgotten how to play.

In amongst the busyness of working, looking after a family, and pursuing personal ambitions such as music, writing and podcasting, I seem to have stopped having fun. Now I'm not moaning, my life is wonderful and I thank God for it on a regular basis, but I think it might be time to adjust some of my attitudes and reinstate some lost old values. I can't remember the last time I danced with passion, or simply sat down to listen to a piece of music just for the sake of enjoyment. It seems obvious all of a sudden that I've packed my life with so many things to achieve, that I've never got time to do anything. So I've decided to change that today. Fun is back on the menu, and for no other reason than the simple fact that it's fun. The clue's in the name.

I'm off out for a walk now, don't know where. Do you want to come along?

High Street Blues

2009-03-03T06:17:00.000-08:00

It seems you can't open a newspaper these days without hysterical headlines about the impending financial apocalypse. Jobs are being lost daily, businesses in dire straits, with the retail industry in particular facing the brunt of it. You'd think then that high street shops would be working extremely hard to ensure they don't lose customers to the harlot temptress that is the internet, using the time honoured skills of customer service, expert knowledge, and the occasional cup of tea. Sadly, at least in my recent experience, this is not the case.

Last week I journeyed up to London's West End in search of a cheap and cheerful acoustic guitar. Denmark street is famous for its wall-to-wall musical instrument shops so it seemed the logical place to go. In the first shop I found what I was looking for. A budget brand guitar for £119 that played well and sounded half decent. After testing it out for 5-10 minutes I was convinced that this would do splendidly, but there was one problem. The man who ran the shop had been quite moody with me, and gave the distinct impression that I was a bit of an inconvenience. I could understand this if there had been a horde of customers waiting to try £1000+ instruments which they eagerly wanted to buy, but this was a Tuesday afternoon and in the entire time I'd been in the shop no-one else had come in. I was torn, the guitar was what I wanted, but I didn't want to give this guy my money. In the end I decided to go with my heart and left him and his guitar to their own solitary devices.

I went next door and what did I see? The same model of guitar but going for £30 more. I quickly asked the shopkeeper if he price-matched, he said he did, overjoyed I told him how much it was going for next door and he kindly offered me a price that was £10 more than that! Now, I don't know about you but to me that's not quite price-matching. More, price-nearing. Already annoyed at the first guy I thought sod it, walked out and went home, only to find the same guitar online for less than the both of them.

The problem for me is this. I went to these shops specifically because I know that they're struggling. I wanted to support them, do my bit to make sure they continue to trade because in the end it's just really nice to go and try a product before you buy it. Something the internet can't offer you. Instead of the welcoming environment all I got was an attitude that pushed me away. If the first fella had been friendly, hell even polite, I would have flashed the plastic and been away with a shiny new guitar. If the second guy hadn't so openly tried to penny-pinch me I'd have happily bought from him. So the real question this poses is - 'If I'm trying to buy from them and they treat me like this how are the more casual buyers going to react?' What possible motive can there be to buy from people who can't even be bothered to try and act professional, and whose goods are more expensive than a rival who will deliver them to your house?

Napoleon once called Britain a 'nation of shopkeepers', the way it's going I think we're more likely to become a nation of postmen, delivering happiness in boxes marked Amazon. Maybe we have been conquered after all....

And the award goes to...

2008-03-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

While researching an article on Sci-Fi awards recently I discovered some rather unusual facts. It seems that large awards like the HUGO, NEBULA, ARTHUR C CLARKE, or even LOCUS, have little or no effect at all on the sale of books in the UK.

Publishers said that due to the Sci-Fi/Fantasy market's niche appeal, most of the buyers were already aware of which books were good or not and had already read them before the awards were handed out. The only real gain from a publishing point of view was that award winning books were easier to sell into other countries, making the potential worldwide audience for the author larger.

They did say that from an author's point of view winning an award acted as a great compliment and encouragement, which in itself could be a better prize than a few more sales. But the whole thing got me wondering.

When Oprah Winfrey chooses a book for her 'Book Club' you can pretty much chalk up an additional 1 or 2 million extra sales. Over here in the UK daytime chatshow hosts 'Richard and Judy' have copied the idea and also now have the power to turn a novel into a bestseller. Is it just the nature of having a popular TV show promoting a book, or are their audiences more easily lead when it comes to choosing reading material?

If, apparently, no-one in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy world has the power to 'make' an author via recommendation, is that because we (as SFF fans) are more informed and aware of the marketplace? Or are we locked into certain sub-genres with little interest to read outside of the authors we already know?

I know in the last year I've decided to catch up on classic Sci-Fi from the 50/60/70s which has opened me up to books that I've previously thought 'old fashioned'. The result has been a revelation, and I'm enjoying reading again for the first time in a few years. It makes me think that maybe I've been too rigid in what I've looked for in the past. Even the podiobooks I've been listening to recently are mainly sci-fi/tech based, with fantasy not appealing that much even though I've loved ones that I've read.

Am I getting old and predictable? Oprah once said that a friend of hers bought her a Pulitzer prize winning book for her birthday each year - no matter what it was, and Oprah found them to be consistently excellent. Maybe I should start picking up the Hugo and Nebula winners - regardless of what they are, and move outside of my self-imposed confines.

Comfort zones can also be intellectual prisons - albeit with comfy surroundings and fine Tea on offer.

Life on a page....

2008-03-10T08:28:00.000-07:00

As is quite often the case, I received a link this week from one of our 'Tribe' on Twitter. On opening it I found a deadly website that will no doubt now eat up most of the time I should be writing or working on new songs for the upcoming album.

The site in question was www.bitstrips.com and allows you to make up comic strips quickly and easily. I've already knocked up a couple, as have other members of the tribe, and spend rather too much time now thinking up others.

Still, it's not like I had much to do anyway right?

Here's a sample of the kind of thing we're doing. If you like it why not come along, we all need a good laugh.

A right royal mashup!

2008-02-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

One of the joys of being a freelance journalist is getting to explore subjects that might never have crossed my path unless I'd had to report on them. The latest of these experiences happened recently when one of my editors asked me to investigate 'mashup' websites.

Now, I'd heard the term used about a type of mixing that urban DJs used, but websites?

It turns out that mashups were simply sites that combined features of other sites to form a hybrid. They mainly seem to involve Google Maps, but a bit of searching revealed some very useful and unusual ideas. One of my favourites was Flickrvision, which has since become a place to go when I need to relax and think. Here's a brief description.

Flickrvision - http://flickrvision.com

This fascinating site mixes Google maps with Flickr to form a real-time guide to the photos people are posting from all around the world. You can't do anything other than watch, so it performs like a screen-saver really, but the unusual mix of photos and locations makes it absolutely mesmerizing.

Where else would you see a Greek family eating lunch, followed by a Colombian salsa class, and a woman taking an axe to a teddy bear?

The world is a strange and interesting place....let's watch.

The Small, Quiet Voice in the Dark.

2008-02-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago I developed a series of debilitating headaches that were diagnosed as 'Chronic Daily Headaches' - a condition similar to migraine. They came on a daily basis, hence the name, and required me to retire to a darkened room and wait for them to leave, which could take several hours. During this time reading was impossible, as was work, and playing with my two young children (thank God for my wife Naomi who shouldered this heavy burden with amazing patience and grace).

To fill up the hours spent in the darkness, as I was rarely able to sleep, I turned to podcast novels. The idea of being able to 'read' made me feel less desolate about the hours that were being wasted. Soon after making my way through Scott Sigler's 'Ancestor' I moved hungrily onto the '7th Son' trilogy by JC Hutchins and found that the spoken word, as opposed to music, eased my headaches and helped me to focus on characters and plots rather than the pain.

With a mixture of drugs, osteopathy, pilates, gym work, and prayer, the headaches are more under control now. although sadly still a problem, but the addiction to podcasts has only increased. I'd like thank those voices that helped carry me through the darkest part of the illness and the ones that continue to pick up the pieces now when the headaches rear. To Scott, Hutch, Mur, Tee, PG, Nathan, Seth, and all the others I will no doubt listen too in the future, a big thank you.

Also to Evo and the guys at www.podiobooks.com, not to mention Steve Eley over at Escapepod, the service you provide is of immense value to people like me. Gathering all these fantastic authors together in one place and then distributing their work for free has opened up the podosphere to me and blessed me immensely.

To see people like Scott and Hutch sign book deals at the end of the year was really special, and I firmly believe only the beginning. So please, will you raise your glasses and be upstanding for the magic that is podiobooks! Hip hip Horray!