HYBRID MACKENZIE AND THE PEOPLE ON THE HILL... AN Update

Well... Holy shit it's been a while.

Sorry about that.
Life catches you up sometimes and just about kicks your ass.
Before you know it, a few weeks turns into a few months - a house move, three job changes and a near nervous break.

But don't worry... S'all good.

In my conspicuous absence i have been busy, pottering away in fits and starts on HYBRID MACKENZIE, the story that will eventually become my second novel, despite the fact that other ideas are popping up all over and the muse has suddenly returned with a ticklish fury... Trying to tempt me into different avenues.
I persist, because i honestly think i have a HELL of a story here percolating into reality - and - recently, I stumbled into a conversation with a very dear friend that has changed things primal and to the very core of my story.

ENTER, from stage left, Jon David Llewellyn Hughes.

Jon is one of my very best friends and confidantes. There is a character in HYBRID that is based on him. He gave me one of the titles in 10 SHORT OF 31, and has inspired me creatively in so many ways throughout our friendship it is kind of embarrassing.
He is an encyclopedic fountain of knowledge when it comes to medieval text and folklore. He could teach Norse mythology his obsession with the prose edda is so great. He is a hell of a father, and a hell of a friend... and.... Motherfucker can write as well.

So, when we got into a conversation as we often do via Facebook, with him asking me to read something he had recently been working on, an astoundingly lyrically and poetic weird fiction piece, it became apparent that - as a valued and high ranking member of my so-called BRAINTRUST, he was perfectly suited to help me in a way with Hybrid that would not only push my storytelling, but challenge me as well as fundamentally bolster and support the narrative of the story.

So, i asked him a question...

ME: Hey... I have an idea.
JON: Shoot.
ME: Write the mythology of the land i am basing my story in... I give you the characters, the history from day one of when my story starts, and you reverse engineer and create my country, and its tribal inhabitants mythology and history.
JON: are you serious?
ME: yeah, of course.
JON: FUCK YES.

(for full disclosure, this conversation is paraphrased within an inch of its life, me and an Jon talking in ANY situation is more akin to an episode of Bottom where Rik has really upset Eddie...

I'm Rik.)

So... Jon will be stepping in to create a thousand generations of backstory for a country that is as much  character in the novel as the characters themselves...
His unique vision, his intense knowledge of folk tales, lore and myths, and his wicked sense of humour will be a huge part of the new novel - and i will be building upon his foundation, as much as he will be tunneling under my first 25,000 words...
I hope this is going to be a collaboration that makes this book i am creating something really special indeed.

We are also hoping to record some live vlogs as we meet up and discuss our process, and also, some readings as well of sample parts of the story...
It's looking increasingly unlikely i will hit the September deadline i set myself (i mean, its dead, not gonna happen...) So instead, i may be launching a second Short Story collection instead via Amazon... As well as a possible novella i had been working on previously.
Keep posted for updates.

It's an interesting and inspiring time... More new short stories are on the periphery, (a fair few of them, i have been noting and scribbling passages like a man possessed...) and further updates on HYBRID as i get them...
For now... Thank you again for continued support, and for the amazing people who have helped me to SELL OUT of all my personal copies of ONE MAN AND HIS DOGMA... i cannot tell you how elated i am that there are that many people with copies...
its still on sale on Amazon, so click the link and buy more copies. yeah?? :)

You are all heroes!

Speak soon, in the meantime, take care and stay happy.
Big Love.

Andi.
xxx
13.07.2017 - 20:27pm