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monochrome
Today is one of the days where I’m just not feeling it. I’m getting work done, but it has a going-through-the-motions kind of vibe. Still, work is work, and knocking chores off the ‘to do’ list is always a simple way to alleviate the gloom a little. I thought I’d look at some of the black and white photos I’ve taken. Any picture can be transformed into black and white these days, but I still don’t do it very often. Usually a particular picture seems like it would be more evocative in monochrome, so I try it out and see if it fits. This photo was the result of a…
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Saturday in Galway
I’m usually in Galway city on a Saturday morning, where I visit the main Galway Market by St. Nicholas’ Church, and pick up food and veg. On my way down Shop Street this weekend I spotted this cheerful chap with an impressive beard, and his troop of dancing flowers which he keep in good spirits with his lively fiddle playing (and the pedal that jigged them about). It’s one of the things I love about Galway city, there is always someone new turning up to entertain the passersby. When the days are dour and wet it’s especially welcome, and we get a lot of inclement weather (but not currently). I…
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laundry with my ancestors
It was another glorious day yesterday, although the cold air keeps the temperatures down. I’ve been using the run of good weather to empty the laundry baskets in the house. I can see the bottom of them all now. Yesterday I washed sheets – bulky items that take up plenty of space in the hamper. I feel a strange sense of satisfaction drying clothes outside. I love the smell of the clean wash, and the snap they make when the wind whips at them. I can see them flapping in the breeze from my office window, and its simplicity gladdens my heart. What I love most is that it’s such…
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dangling
One of the aspects of being a writer that you have to come to terms with eventually is waiting. You send off a story to a magazine, and then you wait to find out if they will take it. You send in your edits and then you wait to hear if they are acceptable. You pitch a project, and then you wait to hear if they liked it. You enter a competition, or apply for a grant, and then you wait to find out if you’ll get it. And there is a definite correlation between long much you want something and how long you’ll have to wait to hear if…
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bad news during sunshine seems unreal
We’ve had a long, lingering winter in Ireland this year. Spring has stalled out. The trees remain bare, and the only blooms that have flourished have been the gorse flowers and the winter heather. At least for the last couple of days the weather has been upbeat and cheerful, despite the deep chill that turns icy at night. I heard the news of Iain Banks’ grim health prognosis on a picture-perfect day: sunshine pouring from an immaculate azure sky. It doesn’t seem real. This is the weather for a peace accord or the birth of a child. What a stark contrast: Spring lazily stirring, and the sad news arrives of…
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Journey Planet 15
The latest edition of the fanzine, Journey Planet, is online (issue 15). It’s edited by Hugo-Award-Winners Christopher J Garcia and James Bacon per usual, but half the issue is guest-edited by writer Lynda E. Rucker, and is termed ‘The Write Stuff’. That section is devoted to conversations with writers about the ins and outs of their profession, and includes people like Mike Carey, Lauren Beukes, Gail Carriger, Robin Hobb, and Seanan McGuire answering questions about some of their high and low points. I have a short piece in it called ‘From Fan to Con-runner to Writer – different experiences of conventions.’ Lynda asked me to write specifically on this subject,…
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ArcadeCon – Special Guest
The problem with any announcement on the 1st of April is everyone asks if it’s an April Fool’s joke. In this case it’s assuredly not – I’ve been asked to be one of the Special Guests at ArcadeCon 2013, which is taking place from 5 – 7 July in the Ballsbridge Hotel, Dublin. ArcadeCon celebrates the love of fantasy/horror/science fiction and geeky obsessions across all media. Other Special Guests announced so far include: Virginia Hey (Farscape), Darrin O Toole (DOT Comics), The Irish Pubcast, Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood), Lucas Wilson (Twinfools in FightingDreamersPro), Nova VandorWolf (FightingDreamersPro), Professor Elemental (Entertainer), Riot Games, and Chipzel (Chip-musician). I’ve known about this since late last…
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Easter memories
Two years ago I was in Stockholm with friends for Easter – it was unseasonably warm, with blue skies and a hot sun, so I had a wonderful introduction to that cosmopolitan city. I loved these giant Easter eggs in a window. Happy Easter/Passover to those of you who celebrate it!
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alone moments
I often travel or eat on my own. I don’t say this to elicit sympathy, it’s a side-effect of attending events away from home, which I often have to do. It’s also something I’ve always done throughout my life, when I was single or in a relationship. I’ve never minded going to the cinema on my own, for instance. This was something my sister would never do. For her it was a social event to be shared, so she never went to the cinema solo. I got into the habit as a teenager because there were always movies I wanted to see, and not always someone to accompany me. I…
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Ennis Comic Mart
The Ennis Comic Mart is happening this Sunday, 24 March, from 10am – 6pm, in the Temple Gate Hotel. It’s free to enter. The following is going on: Award-winning writer Mike Lynch and Nestor co-creator Martin Greene will be representing Abandoned Comics and signing books. Coimici Gael Editor-in-Chief Aidan Courtney will be doing sketches and selling copies of Rí-Rá. Rí-Rá artist Agata Romańska will have a presence, showcasing her portfolio of manga-influenced art. Artist Brendan McCarthy (Judge Dredd, 2000AD, and Spider-Man: Fever) will be doing a signing and sketching session from 2pm – 3pm. Plus, there will be loads of comics and paraphernalia for sale. It looks like a great…
