Kamakura interviewed by The Dude!

Sunday 11th April. The Awesome Dude Weekend Show No 25

I was as nervous as a very nervous thing, Mick was Mick, and The Dude put us both at our ease. It was the first interview we've done and though I'm only too aware I should have been more ... umm, something. All in all we're ecstatic!

If you want to know what on earth I'm waffling on about then read the entry below, or go to Awesome Dude Radio and listen to the 25th weekend show. Go on, you know you want to!

Cheers!

So ... it's been a while. My bad - or rather good - as the band I'm in, Kamakura, has recorded an album.

We started work in November 2008. Just before Christmas we had a hard drive failure and the old adadage of 'Backup-backup and backup' had, unfortunately, been forgotten. We could have sent it away to be forensically saved, but as that would have cost more than an arm and a leg we decided to start again - which was probably a good decision. Anyway, it is finished! 'Dealing With Liquids' has twelve tracks, has been mastered by Pink Floyds brilliant mastering engineer, and is pressed. The official release date is 1st June, but if you want, you can buy a copy now and, if you like, I'll get the band to sign it for you! Kamakura - Dealing With Liquids.

If you don't buy it :( you can still take a listen to one of the tracks!

As my muse has been rather caught up with music I haven't finished any writing - at least to my satisfaction. That is presently being remedied and I should have a new short story up soon.

Ave, and a very belated Happy New Year!

I'm a total arse!

I just discovered that the flash file that was supposed to be playing the music on the music page, wasn't. I've no idea how long it wasn't - and as nobody's moaned about it it doesn't really matter. Anyway, it's fixed. Now I have to do the same with the spoken poetry.

I was about to upload chapter 14 of Seraph, but then had a change of heart. It's not right, and it needs tweaking. Sorry.

I've just written a new poem called 'Us'. It's in the poetry section of the forum.

Ave.

6th March 2009

'Sancho Shima NaNoWriMo', my second short this year, is up HERE. It's an odd one, and more a stream of conciousness than a linear tale. Still, for all its oddity it's got a beginning, a middle, and an end. I hope you enjoy it. :)

------

Next

I've got few short stories on the go, and another chapter of Seraph is written, and will be posted soon. Check back for more news.

25th February 2009

'The First Day', my first story this year, is up HERE. Actually, I wrote it last year, but how time flies! I hope you enjoy it. :)

------

HELP!

AwesomeDude.com, the site that first encouraged me - and hosts me, still needs help. If any of you who read this can manage to send a donation, then it would be a very wonderful thing. To donate, please go to the front page and click on the cat that's up at the top left hand corner. Any amount will help. Thank you very much.

14th February - Happy Valentine!!!

I wrote a 'poem' ... it seemed the thing to do.

There are those I admire who live who far away
Across Oceans and lands vast and stark
Whose wit and friendship oft make my day
And pull me from moods deep and dark

So on Saint Valentine's day I'd like them to know
Their friendship and love matters muchly
To this English prole who would like to bestow
A Lordship at least ... or a Duchy!

------

Writing: a further 'decision'

A month and a half ago I decided not to write anything until I'd finished one of the 'novels' I'd started. I was determined ... absolutely determined! So determined in fact, that I haven't written a thing since (except the poem above). So I've changed my mind (I'm allowed, it's mine after all).

Sometime, in the not too distant future, I'll finish another short. I hope.

------

HELP!

AwesomeDude.com, the site that first encouraged me - and hosts me, needs help. If any of you who read this can manage to send a donation, then it would be a very wonderful thing. To donate, please go to the front page and click on the cat that's up at the top left hand corner. Any amount will help. Thank you very much.

25th December

Happy Holidays!

20th December

Writing: a Decision.

I've been thinking about writing a lot over the last few days and have come to a rather large decision. The train of thought started as I was reading Grasshopper's 'Just One Starfish', continued as I read Cole Parker's 'When He Was Five', and I'm still pondering as I'm in the middle of Jesse Hajicek's brilliant 'The God Eaters'.

I write short stories. I like writing short stories because as far as novels go they are pretty much instant gratification: a wank as opposed to a night of real love, if you will. And why? Because I'm bloody lazy. And perhaps ... perhaps I don't have the mind for anything longer. I don't know. But I soon will.

So ... my decision is not to write any more of anything (blogging and commenting on the boards aside) until I finish one of the novels I've started.

Wish me luck!

17th December

The fourth of my NaNo short stories is up!

'Ravelled Lives'
Valerie is enamoured of Reginald's Roger, whilst Guillermo and Kyle have secrets. On the day of Valerie's Christmas shopping expedition there's distinct 'trouble at mill'.

Finally, have a great - and safe - Happy Christmas, y'all. Camy.

11th December

I'm reaping the benefits of November, and so another of my NaNo short stories is up! That's three in the last eleven days, which is, even though I'm saying it myself, pretty good going. Minister is not nice and fluffy like 'Fish' or 'There be Dragons.' It's a dark drama, and in comparison not nice at all. Still, I hope you like it. Four more to go.

Here, for your delectation and delight, is my favourite comment (for Fish) to date: 'Very nice. You've said so much, without saying anything at all. I love it.'

'Minister'
During research for a script he is writing Neil meets Matt, a teenager living on the streets. Strangers at first, they discover they have more in common than they could possibly have imagined. They share a dark secret and together, plan revenge.

Let me know what you think.

5th December

Two new short stories have been published on my site. 'Fish' and 'There be Dragons.' Another five will be up over the next few weeks. All seven are the result of last months NaNoWriMo. I know I've been rabbiting on about NaNoWriMo a lot, and other than when the next short stories go up, I promise I won't mention it again. However, if you write, or want to try your hand at writing, then do - do - do have a go next November (www.nanowrimo.org). It's positively the best legal fun there is to be had ... unless you drive formula one, or rally. Hmm. ;)

'Fish'
A weird present and a keyboard player who's a pain, all add up to make Neil's introduction to Mike quite an interesting time.

'There be Dragons'
Sebastian is secretly in love with his best friend Richard, though he's hung up about his sexuality and knows Richard likes girls. Now he's convinced that his mother knows he's gay, and he's unsure how to get Equella out of his cave.

1st December

I thought I was so clever! I wrote an outline and everything. 'Yay me!' I thought, until I realised, around the middle of the month, that I was trundling up my own bottom at a faster and faster rate. So I stopped writing 'Worth' and decided that I'd finish NaNo by writing some short stories. At the time I made this decision I'd worked out that nine shorts of around 3,500 words each would see me home. It ended up with six and a half shorts with word counts all over the shop.

So, all in all I'm not unhappy. In fact, if truth be told, I'm ecstatic!

'Worth' is about Elves (they get everywhere), and will, hopefully, be finished in mid January or February. The short stories run the gamut from 'Sansho Shima NaNo' which is a personal stream of conciousness, through 'Minister' which is dark and about revenge, to 'Fish' which is light and nice.

'Fish' will be published soon. Followed shortly thereafter by another one.

3rd November

Yep, I'm 'doing' NaNoWriMo for the third time. This year it's a novel called 'Worth' which I'm more than excited about. My mistake in 2006 and 2007 was to stop writing on the 30th. This time I'm only going to stop when the first draft is finished. Probably around the middle of December.

26th October
'Coffee', a new short has just been posted. It's short and posted ... what more could you want?

Byeeeee!

25th October
According to statistics 'Dearly Beloved' has had 500 pageviews, 479 of them unique. Average time spent on the page was 6 minutes and 24 seconds ... 12 people commented. Ah well, I guess it's lucky I'm not an hysterical crimson lipped axe wielding feedback whore! Hmm, there's a thought. After all, I need a new outfit! ;)

My NaNo outline is going reasonably well, though I think it's going to be 50% planned and 50% pantsed, with which I'm not entirely unhappy. Of course I'd have liked it to be perfectly outlined: with pictures of the main characters and all that jazz. Still, what will be will be.

If you're taking part in the 2008 NaNo please add me to your list of writing buddies and I'll reciprocate.

Ave for now.

5th October
Right! Dearly Beloved, a new story is up here. I hope you like it, and I sincerely hope that you comment on it - either via email, the feedback form or in the forums. Preferably all three, as I've decided to become an attention tart. ;)

Now I've cracked the nut that is 'writer's block' I have several more offerings on the go. Also, I'm going to get to grip with my third NaNoWriMo next month: so all the support you can offer would be more than gratefully received. After all, writing is such a lonely pastime. (quivering lower lip).

Ta ta for now!

1st September
Hmm, the last entry was obviously a hex. I was waffling on about the 'fantastic weather', so what does the weather do? Yeah, August sucked ... or rather it didn't. ;)

Writing: I've got a few short stories on the go, and I'm still working on 'Harvest Time'.

15th July
Fantastic weather! Earlier today I was bemoaning the fact I wasn't writing a lot, so I uploaded a story called 'Perspective.' It's the same situation written from three points of view. Some of you might have read it in its original form in the Awesome Dude Flash Fiction Forum, though it's been changed a bit since then.

Over the last month I've had an average of 34 people visit the site everyday! Chuffed I am to be part of the Awesome Dude family of sites.

16th June
I've finally managed to get shot of my house, and have moved - lock stock and four smoking Cats - to a nice two bedroom place in the same area.

Writing? Nope, not a word. Though I know exactly what I'm writing next! Seraph 14 is having a slight re-write, but should be up soon: as well as another short or two.

I am involved in a Round Robin over at the hub. The Spikers is an exciting project, and Chapter four has just been released. Check it out!

In other news: I'm thinking of going to 'Burning Man' this year! Mind you, I have been meaning to go for the last five years, though this year feels like 'the one!' ;)

16th May
Hmm. So. Real life is giving me grief. I'm moving at the end of the month: and what with trying to find somewhere to live (other than a cardboard box), packing, disposing of rubbish (it's amazing the crap I've accumulated), and all the other minutiae involved ... I'm writing at a crawl.

The good news is that I have another couple of shorts part written, and those, along with Seraph 14 and some poems, will be up in June.

Thanks to those who read, and especial thanks (and Emu hugs) to those who comment!

24th April
Chapter 13 of Seraph will be posted on Saturday 26th. Chapter 14 is in edit, and I'm in the middle of writing 15.

15th April
Yeah, right. No flights of fancy. Sure!

I've just finished a short story called 'Myers' which I'm pretty chuffed with. Read it HERE! Chapter 14 of Seraph is finished, too.

I've found a wonderful piece of software called yWriter. If you write, get it. It's brilliant!

2nd April
Finally! Chapter 13 of Seraph is finished, and with my editor. I've decided, provided muse is happy, that I'm going to continue writing Seraph until it's done, and not get side tracked on any 'flights of fancy'.

*sighs* I say that in all good faith, but who knows what'll happen. Anyway, fingers crossed. Then it's on to 'Albert's Day!

14th March
Typical! I forgot some stuff when I updated yesterday. So today I added some new poems to my poetry page. 'No Matter', which I wrote a couple of weeks ago, and 'Him', which I wrote today, after a comment by Bart in my Blog.

Yesterday, after another comment in my blog, this time by Kapitano, I wrote a 500 word flash in an hour. I'm uber happy with it, considering it's not edited. Check it out HERE, and let me know what you think!

13th March
'Bath Time', my new short story, is finished and posted. It's dedicated to Cole Parker, though it's been so long he's probably forgotten. To read it click HERE.
Oh, and don't forget to comment!

The Hub's first flash fiction anthology, entitled 'Heartfelt', is now on-line HERE. The stories are all 200 words or less, and there are 40 of them by 17 authors. Go and read, get fired up, and then try your hand at writing one of your own, in the AwesomeDude Flash Fiction Forum. It's fun, I promise!

3rd March
Site Stats, where would we be without them? I was about to put Seraph to one side and pick something else to work on, when I saw the stats, which show people are reading it. And not just one chapter either. Lucky I have stats, really, 'cause I'd never have known otherwise. BIG PLUG FOR FEEDBACK.

*sighs* 'Bath Time' is being edited, and the final chapter of Seraph is being a SOB. Muse is not happy.

Erm. That's about it, then.

Oh! if you write Flash Fiction, then join the Awesome Dude forums and post your tales in the new 'Flash Fiction' forum. It's like the Poetry forum, in that you post, and then get feedback. Remember: FEEDBACK HELPS AUTHORS AUTH, and is nice and wuzzly, too!

While you're at it - whatever 'it' is. Why not check out The Hub. It's a great new writing site and a community, too.

That's definitely it! ;) Laters, Camy.

17th February
I've just put up my first story in an age. 'Fellow Travellers' started as a 'drawn from life' effort called 'Gin.' But as real life isn't storyland it ended with ... well it ended. No nice fluffy bits. Then with version two it got progressively darker until, with version four, it was pointed out that: 'maybe it's too dark'. So this is the finished version with the street cruising pervert removed. Much better, I think.

I'm finishing a short called 'Bathtime' and working on the final chapter of 'Seraph.'

Finally, having just finished the site, I'm pulling it to bits again to get it fully compliant and validated. There won't be any visible changes ... I hope.

Happy Valentine!
I was going to write a new story for valentines, but best laid plans of Mice and Emus, etc. So go and read 'The Card.' Why? Because it's a nice, gentle, Valentines day story with a sweet ending. Yes, I know it's probably 'off' for me to recommend one of my own stories, but I really like it, and so might you!

The Card.

Camy's Gaff - The New Site!
Since the Dude gifted me with this site I've been slaving over a hot editor ... no, wait: that doesn't sound right at all. Slaving over a hot monitor is better ... hmm ... unless you've been to boarding school in which case it's even worse. Oh, nevermind. I'll begin again. Since the Dude gifted me with this site I've been working on a new look. I like it, and I hope you do too.

Muse comes home!
It's awful when your muse takes a hike. Since NaNoWriMo finished at the end of November, I've written nothing, or perhaps I should say: nothing worthy. I do know one person who says he can write without his muse - but it's obvious he must have a pact with the devil. ;) Anyway, this is to say 'he who swans around' seems to be back.

Seraph
Finally, after a long (I'd say hiatus, but it reminds me of my Aunt who had two - Hernias, that is) gap, I'm getting to grips with chapter 13. Originally 13 was supposed to be the end, but now I'm not so sure. There are too many loose ends to tie up.

Short stories
Whilst 'he who swans around' was away I went through my WIP folder - that's 'work in progress' to those who are acronymically disinclined. I counted the stories I'm 'in the middle of' and they totalled 18. Now, that's not to say I'll ever finish them all; or even half of them. But there are some in there I'm excited about. Two or three of them are set in the same world as 'Nyquist' and 'Feredir', as infact is my NaNoWriMo novel: 'Harvest Time'.

Music, poetry and stuff
I've written a few songs recently, and my other half and I are in the midst of re-wiring the studio. All the demos we've recorded in the past are going to be sifted through. Then we're each going to record and master ten or twelve tracks that we've written, and put them out on CD and for download. I also hope to be working with a certain fluffy someone in the not too distant future writing a musical. Hopefully. Fingers, paws and beaks crossed.

Getting in touch
If you want to get in touch to say hello, or to tell me how spiffing one of the stories is (one can but hope): then use the contact form at the bottom of each story.
Or email me at: camy[at]camysgaff.com

More music stuff
I've just finished writing and recording Codey's 'Broken Heart'. It's in the music section. There are four tracks there at the moment - I can't find the rest of my lyrics - but more is on the way.

The Turkey City Lexicon
I've come across The Turkey City Lexicon several times in my travels. As it's very useful, and not copyrighted, I've brought it onboard. Click HERE