English Dreaming, English Rain 2005-2007
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Existence on the Net is transitory. Pages disappear; whole sites get taken down for legal reasons or knocked off by low level cyber-attacks. There is no promise English Dreaming, English Rain will be here the next time you look
Post recent problems where English Dreaming, English Rain was cybered, I have been dwelling on its mortality. Created at the lowest point of my life, it been the base load of my creative existence for more than two years.
As Dave Sims once pointed out, every author has write a certain number of pages to flush the crap out of their system and find their own style. I think English Dreaming, English Rain has not only helped me to do that, it has evolved my writing to a level where I can at least produce the odd killer sentence. I cannot be Self or Sinclair, Moore or MacLeod, but I hope that being me, the words occasionally work. If for no other reason than that, I am inordinately fond of it.
Given I would miss it terribly if it were to vanish into binary oblivion, I am going to do something incredibly vain and publish my favourite extracts from it as a book. This will hopefully preserve some of my better output for a little longer than the Net can. At least unlike some of my other books, the smallest of print runs for English Dreaming, English Rain 2005-2007 will at least mean I do not have to spend a fortune on tree planting in Borneo and Scotland to make it carbon neutral.
Existence on the Net is transitory. Pages disappear; whole sites get taken down for legal reasons or knocked off by low level cyber-attacks. There is no promise English Dreaming, English Rain will be here the next time you look
Post recent problems where English Dreaming, English Rain was cybered, I have been dwelling on its mortality. Created at the lowest point of my life, it been the base load of my creative existence for more than two years.
As Dave Sims once pointed out, every author has write a certain number of pages to flush the crap out of their system and find their own style. I think English Dreaming, English Rain has not only helped me to do that, it has evolved my writing to a level where I can at least produce the odd killer sentence. I cannot be Self or Sinclair, Moore or MacLeod, but I hope that being me, the words occasionally work. If for no other reason than that, I am inordinately fond of it.
Given I would miss it terribly if it were to vanish into binary oblivion, I am going to do something incredibly vain and publish my favourite extracts from it as a book. This will hopefully preserve some of my better output for a little longer than the Net can. At least unlike some of my other books, the smallest of print runs for English Dreaming, English Rain 2005-2007 will at least mean I do not have to spend a fortune on tree planting in Borneo and Scotland to make it carbon neutral.
Labels: Alan Moore, Dave Sims, English Dreaming, English Rain, Iain Sinclair, Ken MacLeod, Will Self
posted by David at 10:14 PM
11 Comments:
I can't tell you how this warmed my little, self-centered heart.
If it's strictly a vanity project, you might try LuLu for publishing it.
Great idea on the book, i've thought of doing that myself for awhile now. However, i can't imagine much of a market for it. Me, maybe.
But it doesn't mean you have to give up blog. I used to know a woman who kept a brilliant blog and, one day, she decided to abandon it in favor of serious writing. This attitude reeked of hubris. Who's to say you can't do both?
HTLM Fairy – Thank you. If I do it as a proper book with an ISBN and all, there will be a copy with your name on it, making the print run
RF – I have no intention of giving up the blog. In fact, I hope in a couple of years, if the words are any cop, you put out English Dreaming 2007-2009. I might shift 38,000 copies of my conspiracy books, be published on four continents in more languages than I can remember off-hand, but I see my blog as being an equally important part of my writing.
I see your blog as being an important part of your writing but it's very selfish for me. :) I like the interaction with the author and very much enjoy your writing. Here's hoping English Dreaming English Rain will be around for a long time.
I think its a tremendous idea - you craft your words with melodious beauty - it would be a shame not to share it with more people. Its a record of pain, joy, humour, etheral beauty, love, pain, frustration and flecks of the dark night of the soul. Do yourself and us the justice of indulging it to paper.
Hey gringo we no want your English trees ;)
This had ominous undertones of a blog stoppage thank goodness the tone change toward the end!
We still no want your trees though ;)
Zirelda – I love the interaction and instant reader response of the blog. It beats getting bundles of green crayon letters forwarded on from the publisher months after a book has been released.
Judith – I think a dead tree version of English Dreaming, English Rain would probably only sell a dozen copies. However, as you correctly spot, one of my main reasons for wanting to externalise it from the Net is largely because it is a record of how my pain and days crossing the abyss give way to the love and joys of my life canalside.
David... Put me down for a copy. I'll gladly pay the shipping costs. All I ask that it be signed. A Billie Piper lipstick smudge would be a lovely addition, too - if only to torment a certain Mr. Twist.
I would like to put my name down for a copy too. As I always tell you David, I LOVE the way you portray London; you make it seem like a humane city, and I would miss reading that if you took English Dreaming, English Rain down.
A brilliant idea. I'm with you all the way. What a great way to show the versatility of your writing(s) to the world. Heh, even our small "corner".
The day I visited recently and you were gone was a shocker, I hope that never happens again!! :-)
Haha, my verification word? othnkgwd.
othnkgwd you're still here.
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