Hello and welcome to a special edition of Inchoate Ascendant. Today I have a special guest blogger: Neil Colquhoun. Neil is a Scottish writer of hybrid horror/thriller/sci-fi tales and creator of the "Frank" series. "Frank – Vol.01: Boiling Point" is available in podcast format on Neil's website. Please check out the links at the bottom, after Neil's post, including an MP3 promo. I'll let you have at it after these brief words. Thank you, Neil, for graciously sending this great bit of ascendance.
Evolution and Creation by Neil Colquhoun
A single cell is formed and can evolve into something else entirely different; multiplying, dividing, living and dying. The end product takes up space in the world and can sometimes be held in awe and wonder but, at other times, has to be destroyed and rebuilt.
Writing is an art, and like all things that are created, it needs to be altered and mistakes rectified until the creator is satisfied that he has produced something worthwhile.
I always have written. There have been long periods of inactivity for various reasons and there have been similar times where I have been amazed at my productivity. And I am going through a phase at the moment where I need to organise the thoughts and ideas into some coherent form, creating a product that people will look upon as worthwhile.
I feel that it's not enough for the story to be written. It needs to be out there, infecting people, making them want more, their desire consuming them.
And my desires consumed me. Bitten by the podcasting bug after listening to the usual round of 'veterans' like Scott Sigler (the Master), J.C. Hutchins, Seth Harwood and Mur Lafferty, I started exploring the idea of pushing my fiction down that route. I asked a few others, Paul E Cooley and Jake Bible, for advice about microphones etc and they duly provided the information.
So armed with my Blue microphones and Garageband already on my Mac, I jumped in and recorded my novella, "FRANK - Vol.01: Boiling Point" then released it in weekly instalments.
Exposure is the key, and while creating the files can be time-consuming, once the product is available for others to listen to, it then becomes a worthwhile venture.
What is worth creating is worth sharing, for isolation and anonymity is not natural; the natural instinct for man is to be noticed, appreciated and considered to be part of the human race.
So I create and I share. And people listen and read.
I want them to read my material so I build little worlds in which they can immerse themselves. I gave them chances to be part of that world by becoming members of the Infected Legion.
There's been mistakes, there's been failures, but I'm a one man band and I just keep pushing. I try things out, in particular with the voices - some fitted, some didn't work - but it can be nice to have a little colour to your creation, rather than it being bland and uninteresting. Plus, being Scottish adds another flavour to the mix!
My current project is FRANK and I feel that his stories have to be told. People will want to know about the bounty hunter and why he is chasing down the minions from hell. They will also want to know about the unorthodox hit-men paired together and wonder why the Devil is making a move on Earth.
It started as a single idea about a name, then grew from there. As all things evolve, some areas were more suited than others, as is the order and way of everything.
It's natural selection process that is what keeps things moving forward. To stay single-celled means that advancement is not possible.
Everything comes from one idea, one spark, one thought, one word, one scene, one gesture, one mind: it's what happens after that is more important.
Thanks a lot for allowing me to share some thoughts with you and the audience.
It is very much appreciated.
And I love the Maiden tag at the bottom - a band I have seen several times. Up the Irons!
Stay Alive
Neil
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I've made a note of some of the writers you mentioned and will check them out. Good luck with FRANK and everything else. :)
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