Okay, technically this came out last year but I completely forgot to post here so you get the Out Now post a few months late. Monstro is a short story set in the world of my Serial Killer Z series. If you’ve read the fourth book, Shadows, then you’ll recognize the name. Set in Hollywood at the beginning of the zombie outbreak, this story fills in Monstro’s (and Otto’s) backround. If you haven’t read the Serial Killer Z books, then Monstro is a good standalone introduction to the world. Monstro is available now, along with a bunch of other very cool zombie stories, in the Run from the Dead from Angry Eagle Publishing. Until next time. Stay safe. [Out Now – Monstro by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 20th February 2022]
New Year, New Writing
I got off to such a good start last year. I was writing every day, not the 1000 words I was aiming for but still pretty close. I hit the 249th day of a writing streak. I was even posting monthly updates here. And then I stopped. I didn’t hit a wall exactly, but I needed to ease off, get some distance and refill my creative well. I wrote just over 1000 words from September to December and that was it. My total word count for the year was 198,945 which is so frustratingly close to a nice round 200,000 that I wish I’d paid more attention and thrown together a few words over the Christmas break. That was the original plan. I’ve had three weeks off from my day job and I was going to use that time to ramp up my writing again. Instead I played Alan Wake Remastered and watched a lot of TV and movies. Which was exactly what I needed. I guess there were probably times during the break where I considered giving up writing, but I’ve tried that before and it doesn’t stick. I always end up coming up with an irresistible idea that … Read More
NaNoWriMoLax 2021
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has rolled around again. If you’re not familiar with NaNoWriMo, the goal is to write a 50,000 word novel in one month and thousands of people around the world take part in the challenge. I almost attempted it this year. I have my (probable) next book outlined and ready to go but my schedule is jam packed and I’ve been taking a bit of a break from writing. Adding the pressure of NaNoWriMo would have been bad for my mental health. But lots of people are attempting NaNoWriMo. If you’re one of these people then you’ve hit the halfway mark. Maybe you’re excited because your novel is hurtling along and you’re on track to finish your first draft by the end of the month (that’s a lot of your/you’re). Alternatively, you’re not. Maybe every day is a struggle and the pile of words remaining looks like an insurmountable hill to climb. If that’s you, it’s okay to abandon NaNoWriMo. You’re not a lesser writer because you haven’t managed to crank out a completely arbitrary 1,667 words a day during a pandemic. Take a break, refill your creative well then jump back onto the writing horse when … Read More
Do(ugh)nut Friday
I had a movie ready for this week then didn’t get it set up in time. Instead, here’s a picture of today’s do(ugh)nuts from Mello in Vancouver. Until next time. Stay safe. [Do(ugh)nut Friday by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 10th September 2021]
“I’ve got it bad for David Duchovny”
You can find the new recording of the reboot Bree Sharp’s David Duchovny here –https://breesharp.bandcamp.com/track/david-duchovny-the-reboot [“I’ve got it bad for David Duchovny” by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 8th September 2021]
August (and July) Writing Update
I definitely didn’t miss my July writing update, oh no. Definitely not. Look over there – a new David Duchovny album. Okay, you got me. I forgot to update at the end of July. And July was a pretty good month, writing wise. I hit 19,808 words and continued my writing streak. Most of that time was spent revising my new novella. August got off to a good start. I finished the novella and found a name – The Angular Bones Beneath. I also wrote a new short story set in my Serial Killer Z world – Monstro. If you’ve read the fourth book in that series, Shadows, you may remember a couple of characters called Otto and Monstro. This new story reveals how they met and will be appearing in an upcoming anthology. And then I plunged into a writing slump. I did manage to continue my writing streak and hit 11,914 words for the month but two-thirds of that time was just me poking listlessly at the outlines for my next two books. It was progress and I feel like the stories are getting better and better – the loose ends are less loose and the plot holes … Read More
Film Friday – The Gunfighter
Eric Kissack’s and Kevin Tenglin’s The Gunfighter is tagged on YouTube as the “Best Short Film Ever” and that may well be right. There are some sexual references in this so for mature audiences only. WINNER Audience Award for Best Short Film – LA Film FestWINNER Audience Award for Best Short Film – Napa Valley Film FestivalWINNER Audience Award for Best Narrative Short – Sidewalk Film FestivalWINNER Jury Award for Best Short Film – Macon Film FestivalWINNER Jury Award for Best Short Film – Hill Country Film FestivalWINNER Jury Award for Best Comedy – LA ShortsWINNER Jury Award and Audience Award for Best Short Film – Hell’s Half MileWINNER Jury Award for Excellence in Short Filmmaking – South Dakota Film FestivalBest of the Fest Selection – Palm Springs Short FestAudience Favorite – DC ShortsHonorable Mention for Best Short Films – Woods Hole Film FestivalOfficial Selection – Cleveland International Film FestOfficial Selection – Seattle International Film FestOfficial Selection – Traverse City Film FestivalFeatured on Short of the Week – shortoftheweek.com/2014/06/23/the-gunfighter/ Go to facebook.com/thegunfighter for news about screenings in your area! Directed by Eric Kissack (erickissack.com)Written by Kevin Tenglin (kevintenglin.com/)Produced by Sarah PlattShot by Jon Aguirresarobe (jonaguirresarobe.com/)Edited by Libby CueninCostumes by Kate MallorArt Direction by … Read More
200 Days of Writing
I have a probably unhealthy obsession with tracking my writing habits. I’ve got 12 years of data about how much I write and for the last eight years or so I’ve been pretty aggressive about writing every day and tracking how many words I write including whether that’s new words, revising, or rewriting. I’ve also done a few writing streaks. My longest was over 5 years but I was starting to get burned out so ended up taking a bit of a break after that. I started a new streak at the end of last year, though, and on Wednesday I hit day 200. Word count for those 200 days was a very respectable 184,840 words. A fair chunk of that was revision but I did wrap up the first book in my new series and a prequel novella. Timing for those books is still up in the air but at least one should be out later this year. Writing streaks aren’t a good fit for everyone but they’ve certainly helped me keep up momentum. I’ve done streaks for exercise as well but not as aggressively. Run streaks are gaining popularity but there’s a physical cost to running every day … Read More
June Writing Update
Oooh ooh, we’re halfway there! Oooh oooh <cough> <cough> Ahem. Okay, that’s enough of that. We’re halfway through 2021 and it’s hot. Not as hot as a couple of days ago when Vancouver reached 40C (about a billion F) but still pretty toasty. I’ve never been so grateful for the air conditioning in my apartment as I was this week. It’s been heartbreaking to read about the loss of life and I’ve been getting worried emails from family in the UK where Canada’s lethal heatwave has been making the headlines. I wish I could believe it’s a once in a lifetime event but I can’t. That air-conditioning has meant that I’ve been able to keep on writing and with it being too hot to run, I’ve largely been inside, poking away at the my latest manuscripts. June’s total wordcount was 25,107. That’s slightly up on May’s total but still short of the 30,000 I was aiming for. I also got my second Covid shot and the associated side-effects, though, so I’m taking it as a win. That brings my total for the year to 166,100. It’s a respectable number and I’m well on the way to making this my most … Read More
Film Friday – Leading Lady Parts – BBC
This comedy short, written and directed by Jessica Swale, takes a sneak peek backstage as the cream of British acting talent step forward to audition for that dream role. They are primed to take on the role of a lifetime, that complex woman, the strong woman, a woman for today. A lady part who is more than just… lady parts. The eclectic, award-winning cast includes Gemma Arterton, Gemma Chan, Emilia Clarke, Lena Headey, Tom Hiddleston, Felicity Jones, Katie Leung, Stacy Martin, Wunmi Mosaku, Florence Pugh, Catherine Tate and Anthony Welsh. The hear her campaign aims to give free reign and the opportunity for normally unheard women from across the UK to tell their stories and give their opinions on all matters ‘women’. It aims to elevate these honest and uncensored opinions to make them un-ignorable. To discover more visit bbc.co.uk/hearher: https://bbc.in/2s8nXJJ [Film Friday -Leading Lady Parts – BBC by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 25th June 2021]