Quote of The Week: I've been too fucking busy, and vice versa.
- Dorothy Parker
Wow, it's been so long since I updated, I'm pretty fucking sure that no one reads this any more. But here goes anyway.
Chicken Fox has started another novel! That's right, in between intense schoolwork, updating my website (www.thepageoflegend.tk) and deep philosophical thoughts you wouldn't understand, I'll be finding time to actually sit down and write something. In fact, it's already started: I have roughly 7,000 words down at the moment, which makes up the first two chapters and the prologue (gotta have a prologue).
In truth, I'm a little cautious about using the word "novel". Probably doesn't help that I was once called "a gay novel-writing faggot" when I spoke of my literary ambitions in public, but also as a teenager, it makes me sound like some pseudo-intellectual who's attempts to realise his aspirations are coming too soon. Which of course I am, but at the same time, this thing is primarily for my own enjoyment. If any of you want to read my efforts, that's fine. But I'm not deluding myself into thinking I'm writing the great British book here, or even anything that will get published.
The story? Well, it's a weird one. The original premise started as Metal Gear Solid set in a school, but as it's developed in my mind there is now a definite theme running through, and it has somewhat betrayed the initial concept. I don't want to give too much away, and in truth I can't anyway; Stephen King once said that writing a novel shouldn't involve a pre-emptive plot and is more like discovering a fossil than anything, so solid details aren't really at hand.
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Regardless of what my "Currently Reading" would lead you to believe, I have just this week finished my reread of Raymond Chandler's first two novels. Between them and Stephen King's new Cell (which I thankfully haven't finished), I have to say I'm enjoying something of a renaissance period in my reading.
Chandler practically defined the hardboiled detective with The Big Sleep, but that's beside the point: his novels are a fuckload of fun and extremely witty. There may be one or two plot holes, but you have such a good time with them that you won't even notice.
Cell, on the other hand, is actually a twist on the Romero school of zombie cinema disguised as a King novel. Anyone who's seen Night of The Living Dead, Dawn of The Dead etc. will feel right at home by the second chapter, and anyone who loves King's minimilist but very effective style will be reveling in the book long before then. It gets my recommendation if you feel as if you need a good scare.
'Til next time, whenever the bollocks that will be. | 
