Putting a spoke in

I’ve returned alive from a Welsh hills cycle ride. My Dawes Super Galaxy regales me with an annoying rattle, but only going downhill. Sound location can be deceptive but it seems that the front mudguard would prefer to go its own way, and not mine. I’ve tightened up all the nuts and bolts, bent stays so the guard shouldn’t tough the tyres but the rattle nags at me. Luckily, it only happens while freewheeling downhill. In Wales most slopes are up rather than down. Also luckily, at around 20 mph the rushing air in my eyes mask the rattling. If I can’t hear it, it can’t be there. Right?

Besides the exercise, exhiliration and  views, I cycle to have solo time to reflect on my writing.  A month ago I had the brainwave  of this psychological horror scenario.  An amnesiac realizes he is a little girl’s imaginary friend. An ezine publisher of horror likes and wants it. So I finished the draft a couple of days ago in time for this month’s critiques at Cafe Doom. Damn, one of the guys there tells me my story isn’t original. Well, a good idea like that was sure to have been done before even if I hadn’t encountered it. Apparently the film Drop Dead Fred features Rik Mayall as the friend. I’m not too bothered because he  imbues the part with his great whacky humour while mine is more tense and spooky with different twists.

During my bike ride I addressed the problem highlighted by that critiquer that the friend and the girl sound too alike. Also he didn’t know that Nate is the real name of X-Man. He’d confused it with X-Men. So might other readers so that has to change.

I found an email  from an organiser of FantasyCon. The event is in Nottingham, September 18-20. I’ve been asked to be a panelist on the theme e-books and wizardry in the future of publishing. It should be interesting, especially when I am asked questions from the floor. I’ll have to tell them that I can’t hear very well. However, it doesn’t matter. Ask what you like. I’ll merely answer the questions I think you should have asked!

Apparently my Hot Air thriller is now published by Wuacademia. I’m not giving links until I’ve seen a copy myself. The launch party fizzled into a festival earlier in the summer. I thought the release might have been an excuse for another trip to Groningen. Oh well, maybe when it is made into a film – hah.

Tags: Cafe Doom, Cycling in Wales, Dawes Super Galaxy, Groningen, Hot Air, Wuacademia