Damien Kane

DVD Review: Feast 2

2009-11-07T18:22:00.003+10:00

The original movie "Feast" was a let down because it never came close to hitting the horror sweet spot with me, and let's face it, most horrors don't. When I started to watch Feast 2, I thought it was worse, but there's a twist.

Somehow, the monsters escaped from the original movie and found themselves in a small, isolated town with an abundant food source. Then came the biker queens, the dwarves, the women who have no idea where the trigger on a gun is. This movie is so bad, it is funny and I found myself glued to the screen - but never in a good way.

The script is terrible. The actors worse, the prospects for survival abysmal, but do you know what? Sometimes, a bad movie comes along - and you don't know why - but you find yourself liking it because it is so bad.

I don't know what my horror contemporaries think of this movie and whether we are on the same page, but entertainment at times, is a matter of personal opinion. Some will hate this movie and others will enjoy it because it is entertainment. Sometimes, bad is good, and Feast 2 falls into this category.

Ubuntu - An Overview of a Linux System

2009-11-06T13:13:00.003+10:00

If you don't know what Linux is, have never heard of Ubuntu, and have used Windows for most of your life, you're missing out on an operating system revolution.

Linux has a similar feel to Microsoft Windows in the way it has a similar menu structure, but it doesn't have the problems Windows has. For example, there are millions of viruses for Windows. We all need antiviruses, antispyware, firewalls, and a second online antivirus scanner 'just in case'. We have to constantly upgrade and update products and pay for the newest version unless using a free product. Linux, however, is a much better system because it has no viruses. You don't need an antivirus or antispyware. You don't even need a firewall. And you certainly don't need Windows to run it.

I stumbled across Linux a year or so ago when I was looking for freeware software similar to Microsoft Office Outlook. The best by far was Evolution and Kontact, but I soon learned these were used in Linux. After a quick learning curve, I realised the benefits of the Linux operating system and downloaded one of its more popular flavours called Ubuntu.

Microsoft releases an operating system every year, ie, Windows 95, Windows XP, Windows 7. They are few and far between and they don't change unless there's a Microsoft update available. Linux is different. Ubuntu, for example, has two new releases a year which incorporates new software, faster boot times, more stability. They are pumped out with amazing regularity. In the last five years, there have been 3 Windows releases, but 10 Ubuntu releases.

Ubuntu has its own flavours, too, from Kubuntu which is a glossier, eye-candyish and visually more appealing to the Windows user to Edubuntu which is geared towards education. These flavours are called distributions, or 'distros' for short, and there are hundreds of them, all being updated, all being worked on to make it bigger, better, and more compatible. You don't wait five years for the next operating system.

I used to have Ubuntu on my netbook, an old and trusty Acer Aspire One, but recently I came aware of yet more distros specifically geared towards the netbook revolution. If you have a netbook and want to try a Linux operating system, there are many options.

Personally, I use Ubuntu Netbook Remix. It is a visually awarding distro so one doesn't have to navigate tiny menus, such is the netbook itself. It has the full functionality of the Ubuntu desktop, but with greater feel and accessibility.

Go to www.google.com and search images for "Ubuntu Netbook Remix" and have a look for yourself. I won't disarm you by placing my favourite pictures here. I want you to do it.

Another good thing about Ubuntu is that it is shipped with a catalogue of software. You choose the one you want, click 'install' and not only does it install, but it puts an item in the relevant menu, ie, if you installed the Opera web browser, it would automatically put it in 'Internet'. No need to stuff about doing it yourself. And removal is exactly the same as installing.

I will be doing a series of articles on Linux Ubuntu and the Netbook Remix. I am no expert but I want to contribute to raising awareness not only about the diversity and simplicity of Linux, but also its community and innovation, including technology - free of course, to run many Microsoft Windows programs, including Microsoft Word.

Deliverance the Series

2009-10-29T13:11:00.002+10:00

This morning, I successfully completed my second draft of "A Place Beyond" yeeha! So, now it can sit there festering a while, allowing the muse to work on it without my attention. And four seconds later, I launched myself into the first rewrite of one of my favourite stories I used to call, "Chronicles", or, "The Chronicles of Corvette Linneker" which will, I believe, be at least a trilogy. It is a clunky title, so I now call the series "Deliverance", and the first book in the series, "The Messiah".

Originally, it was going to be one novel. I had a number of good ideas and at the 60,000 mark, not one of my ideas had been incorporated, and I marched through to the end, knowing I had enough ideas for a sequel. Upon reading it back, it rekindled all the ideas I had at the time of writing it which was years ago. I am excited about the story and the characters, and perhaps some of it is because the main character, Corvette Linneker, is a little like me.

With The Badman off in the big wide world, it gives me a little time to play with my other novels. So, my plan is to do a rewrite of Deliverance: The Messiah, then write the second in the series called, "Diablo" and while that is festering, it's a final re-write for Mr Hat. I really need to write full time before my head explodes with all the stories and everything I want to say.

For now, I must comply with the world and go to work early and return late. I write only for an hour these days due to ongoing illness, which isn't much, but it is beyond my control and as such, frustrates the hell out of me. I love writing and will not be happy until I can do it at least 12 hours a day.

Windows 7: Still under Construction

2009-10-24T20:56:00.003+10:00

After working all day with Windows 7 I re-wrote the post I made yesterday because many of the problems are now fixed and I can see the big picture.

Originally, I felt Windows 7 was nothing less than Vista with a face lift and an extra half gig of free memory which is nothing when you have three or four gig of RAM, although I would've liked Windows 7 to come with some of the options shipped with Vista and XP, namely, the classic start menu, the quick launch toolbar, ad the dvr-ms format for Media Center which is the one true reason I like Windows 7.

Windows 7 has no performance improvements, and the .wtv Media Center extension is annoying. There is an option by default to convert it to drms, then I use dvrms toolbox to convert it to mpeg for editing, but it's an additional step in the process I could do without, especially if I've recorded a number of programs and have to convert each individual file rather than a batch convert with the toolbox. I dare say other tools will come out to convert wtv to mpeg in the future, and let's hope there's some free ones.

Software is the main issue. My preferred firewall Emu OnlineArmor and my Rising antivirus are not compatible. I have only Nero 7 burner, and it keeps crashing. I want simplicity in an operating system. I would like to right click on a directory in Explorer to search for a file, I want media center to save in MPEG format, the classic start menu, quick launch toolbar, less system resources required, quick boot and shut down time (at least this last one was improved).

It would be good if Microsoft could spend more time on new architecture to make antiviruses extinct, so with the release of each new operating system, viruses won't work. I suppose there's a lot of money in antivirus products, but I think the consumer deserves it.

Verdict:
- Perhaps the last Windows system I will buy.
- Improved Media Center, but a bad idea to switch file formats.
- Looks nice but lacks functionality we are accustomed to.
- Uses less RAM, but no noticeable performance improvements.
- Windows 7: Vista with tweaks.

Ubuntu is the best

2009-10-22T14:36:00.002+10:00

There's just one week to go until the new release of Ubuntu 9.10: Karmic Koala. Each release keeps getting better, but I must admit that I do tend to stray with each new release, trying other Linux systems to see if any are better. But I keep coming back to Ubuntu, and am looking forward to downloading the new one.

I use an Acer Aspire One which works flawlessly with Ubuntu and Wine (an emulator which runs some Windows software like Microsoft Office) is okay, but slow. Recently, however, I downloaded a trial version of Crossover Linux which has better integration than Wine (and it seems, is quicker). It even runs Outlook 2007 which surprised me.

So, with the new release of Ubuntu, I am thinking of buying Crossover. Anybody have any experience with this software? If so, let me know! I am hoping that by buying it, I will no longer have to have Windows on my machine. I have all my personal files on SDCards which I simply take out and use on other machines, all Windows, and although the compatibility with my complex Word files is excellent with OpenOffice, I find Word 2007 difficult to replace. I own a licence, so it's not a problem installing it. The Outlook file is easy to have and plug into other machines.

If you haven't tried Linux, you will be surprised. The new user will find installation difficult, but people are willing to help. Give it a go http://www.ubuntu.com

No 'Was' Here

2009-10-21T13:45:00.000+10:00

My first draft is a splattering of idea; something primal and badly structured regurgitated from the id. This creative vomit resembles a novel, but it needs a careful eye to go through and correct. I am talking, of course, about the muse at work on that first draft.

One of my main problems arising from the first draft is the lack of showing a story. Now, we've all heard, "Show! Don't tell!" It appears to be a cardinal sin; the number one rule of writing. It is a rule of thumb, but not the number one rule, at least, not mine.

The word 'was' appears in my first draft a few thousand times. It is the way my muse works. When he uses the word 'was', it is a sign he is telling me the story instead of showing it. It is a stone to be examined to make sure it isn't a jewel. At the time of writing this, I am reading a published novel which uses millions of 'was'. The prose is as ugly as a princess after an acid bath.

In my second draft, I re-write the story as it is mean to be, then I seek and destroy the word 'was', usually replacing the entire sentence. Here's one I read on the train today: "He opened the door and it was cold". Isn't that a terrible sentence? It doesn't even tell me what is cold: the door, or what lies beyond the door.

In the context of my paragraph, I rewrote it to say, "He opened the door. A wind cold enough to freeze a boiling kettle stabbed through his clothes." There's much more one can say, but it is better than saying, "It was cold". How cold must it be for a person to think it is cold enough to freeze a boiling kettle?

What about, "He was ugly and looked thirty years older than he was." No, no. What about, "He had a face like cracked concrete." More direct. No 'was', picture painted in an instant. In the book I am reading, it describes a simple bridge as, "The bridge was old". It would be so much better for the mind's eye to pick up on this 'was' and describe the bridge. How on earth does the character know it is an old bridge? "The bridge's support beams were as rickety as a pensioner's bones. The remaining slats were weather faded and broken and a brown intestinal rope snaked to the other side of the river."

Sure, we all see and describe things differently, but this essay is not about prose. It is about removing the word 'was' and replacing it with something better; weeding the garden, so to speak. The word 'was' is such a common word, easily over-used, and there is a place for it, usually in dialogue, and even that should be examined carefully.

Why not go through a story you have written and see how many 'was' there are. I find it easy to do a Find Replace in Microsoft Word, replacing the word 'was' with 'zzzzz'. Word will tell you how many replacements (remember to 'undo' the operation and it won't tell you about words containing the word was, ie,wash). If you have more than expected, go through your manuscript and look for the tell-tale 'was' word, replacing it with better material. It is called prose for a reason.

An update, dvd reviews, software, novels, and other stuff

2009-10-14T13:29:00.001+10:00

There’s been a few large and small changes in my life of late. The in-laws from Sydney came up for a week which was good: we went fishing and got drunk most days. I had my usual bout of motion sickness the day after. Applied for a few jobs closer to home during a week’s recreational leave. We had a swimming pool installed with a new landscaped area, new fences around the property, and are currently undergoing extensions. I had never felt so healthy – then I started working again and from day one, started to get sick again.

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a horrible illness. There are no definitive tests or cures. You can’t see it, so when you tell somebody you have it, they think it’s just that you are tired all the time. As sick as it makes me each day, my only medicine is literally, to ignore it. At least I’m not in bed 20 hours a day like I used to be.

My writing is still going well. I’m almost finished with my second draft of Animal/A Place Beyond. Haven’t decided on a title yet. I started submitting my novel The Badman for publication and I intend to finalise other novels with a view to finding a home with a publisher and a good agent. All good stuff.

I also heard on the grapevine that the new Microsoft Windows (Windows 7) will be released in under 10 days, and that students get a discount – good for me, because my college membership is still valid. I’ll post more details on that when I get it (I bought Office Ultimate 2007 for a fraction of the price).

I have stopped my ‘book reviews’ for a while because, well, I couldn’t be bothered – but I have started up the DVD reviews for no other reason than to imply that the recent spate of horror movies are getting worse, and the lower budget horror/thrillers are getting better. It will be good competition and good for the industry if this trend continues. Recent movies that suck include Splinter, Quarantine, Underworld Rise of the Lycans and Friday 13th. I am dreading the next Saw movie.

So, wish me luck with my job applications and submissions, and thanks for reading!

DVD Review: Subject Two (2006)

2009-10-12T13:15:00.002+10:00

Adam (Christian Oliver), a medical student with problems (or a problem medical student) takes a job at an isolated facility for medical research. He finds himself at the home of one Dr Franklin Vicks (Dean Stapleton). The doctor murders Adam when Adam consents to take the job.

Adam is resurrected with the aid of nanobots, only to be murdered and re-resurrected multiple times. Dr Vicks records Adam's progress and improves his research with the results. The tagline for the movie is, "Death has its side effects", and it is apt that the movie predominantly focuses on such side effects.

I had never heard of this low budget movie before I saw it at the video shop. The DVD gives a clear indication that it is a Frankenstein story, but I think it is aligned more with Herbert West (Re-animator). The movie itself is a mixture of Michael Crichton, HP Lovecraft, and the movie "Flatliners". It also has a nice little twist at the end. There are some relationships with the Frankenstein story, for example, the name Dr Franklin Vicks, but I think such references are no more than incidental.

Dean Stapleton is a very good actor and has a good on-screen presence and I hope to see him in more horror/thriller movies in the future. I am surprised his resume is as thin as it is (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0822949/). His character and the script were also good and included some good lines such as, "I'm sorry for shooting you. It wasn't very scientific".

Overall, and despite the fact that the concept is not new, it was a good movie and well worth seeing. The characters were interesting and portrayed good dynamics, although it was difficult to understand why a person would suddenly be so committed to following through the research if they are constantly murdered. I liked the fact that Kate seemed to be a means of escape but turned out to be a red herring. I can't say this about many movies, but the character's absence actually strengthened the story.

DVD Review: Splinter (2008)

2009-10-08T10:26:00.003+10:00

Hailed as one of the best horror films in 2008, Splinter failed to deliver on the hype and keeps the horror genre at best, on a mediocre field.

When a husband and wife are taken hostage by an escaped convict, they end up locked inside a petrol station with a voracious parasite outside wanting to get at them. They are unaware that the parasite is already with them, transforming the convict into one of its kind.

Horror ... isolation ... creature outside trying to get in: I fail to see how this differs from the many hundreds of horror movies following what is turning into a trope. I have always said that a bad idea can be told well, but this isn't one of them. I had been looking forward to watching this movie and am not impressed at all by it.

It boasts six awards at Screamfest, including Best Directing and Best Special Effects ... what does this say about the competition? What on earth is happening to horror movies these days? The stories are bland, characters are weak and don't grow on you, the creatures are stereotypical or unimaginative, and the camerawork ... yeuch! I will not be watching Splinter again.

I watch horror movies by the dozen and the last couple of years have been disappointing. I recall only one horror movie I have liked over the last few years: The Mist (Stephen King, although I'm not fond of his literature). I especially don't like the camerawork in Splinter - I see no point in 'flickering' the picture to imitate panic (although it can't be as bad as the movie Gabriel!)

It is no wonder horror is not as popular as it should be. Come on! Better movies please!

Amused at the Muse

2009-10-05T13:27:00.002+10:00

It is no secret that I strongly relate to the muse at work. I find it a
wonderful organism despite its reluctance to let me in on certain
secrets, you know, like THE STORY.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have sat down to write,
having no clue as to what is going to happen, turn the laptop on, and
watch as my fingers dance over those twenty six letters to construct THE
STORY. Sometimes I have plot ideas - and duly note them. Rarely are they
used.

The best moments in my writing life is when something so sudden and
unexpected happens which rocks, or a phrase that stands out, or a
metaphor which is as memorable as a chocolate girlfriend. Or best of
all, those Holy Mother ideas which slap you in the face with a fish. I
have nothing to do with these things. It is all the muse.

My muse is hard to please and is as hard headed as my wife. When I wrote
long-hand, it had to be a certain pen, a certain grain of paper, a
certain clipboard - much like George Stark in Stephen King's The Dark
Half, and probably like millions of other writers around the world.

I love the way THE STORY is constructed. It simply plays out in front of
me as I write. I only write for a few hours a day, but when I stop, I am
always thinking, "What's going to happen next! I can't wait til
tomorrow!"

I have illustrated in another article the splattering of ideas and THE
STORY in its first draft. There are mistakes. The muse is not perfect,
but for me, that first draft is why I love to write. It is the reason I
have innumerable first-draft novels in the cupboard. The muse vomits up
THE STORY and leaves me to it. The muse has given me rules to use when
writing but for the most part, it wallows in darkness and never comes
out to play unless I have a keyboard in front of me.

For these things, the muse is a wonderful and amusing creature.

A Childhood Memory on Writing

2009-09-28T10:32:00.002+10:00

Over twenty years ago, I saw a competition in a local newspaper to write
a short story. It had to have the line, "And all that could be heard was
the sound of gently lapping water". There was a prize, although I can't
remember what it was.

These years were pre-teens and I had been hammering at typewriters for
years, finding much amusements in stringing letters together to make
words which in turn made stories (yes, the secret of writing).

I wrote the typical man/werewolf story, and when he was not a werewolf,
he knew what he had done and tried to dilute his guilt, but with every
murder, his guilt increased until he could no longer live with himself.
So, he went up a mountain and jumped into the rocks below on a shallow
tide.

The character was a very likeable fellow. Even today, over twenty years
later, I think about how that man was feeling at the time, how twisted
he must have become knowing he had killed, yet was powerless to stop
himself. In hindsight, it was a Jekyll and Hyde story.

I have no recollection on whether I submitted the story. Many more
followed until my teenage years. All of those stories are sadly lost but
I don't care. I had fun, nerdy as some made me out to be.

Twi-light a match and burn it

2009-09-22T13:33:00.002+10:00

I remain unamused about more trashy vampire books being published and made into movies. If you have read Stoker's "Dracula", Matheson's "I am Legend" and Mick Farren's "Darklost", there are notably few other good vampire stories. Graham Masterton is a general exemption because he's a God.

Twilight is bad. The movie worse. I don't understand the attraction other than teen lust. I see posters everywhere. Edward looks like he has chronic fatigue syndrome or a severe hangover. I couldn't even get through the movie, preferring to attempt to sever my arm with my grandmother's false teeth.

And there's a series? At least Harry Potter was fun to read. Twilight is nothing more than attempted suicide. I'm only alive because I threw it down with horror, trembling at the thought of it taking life and running at me screaming, "Finish what you started!"

Am I alone with my opinion? Do I care ... not really. We all have tastes. Obviously, many have very bad tastes. I for one, will have nightmares about Twilight for all the wrong reasons.

The Badman being submitted, and other general stuff

2009-09-22T10:43:00.002+10:00

I am a terrible blogger. My excuse is I have time to write the article say, on the train, but no time to upload it. So: I'm switching to e-mail blogging and will edit tags at a later date.

Anyhow. I believe I am up to the time in my life where I've written those millions of words, the apprenticeship is over, and my mind needs to switch to the future. It has been a long time coming ...

So, within the next two weeks, a synopsis and cover letter for my first novel "The Badman" will be shipped to my preferred publisher. I am under no illusions about the publishing world. If it's rejected, I move on. Rejections are more common than acceptances. I don't intend to beat John Creasey's four hundred or so rejections before a first novel is accepted, but it isn't as though I will give up after so many. John didn't, and he wrote more than 500 novels! I don't think I will be that productive, but I expect neither did he when starting out. I know I have the potential to be. I don't know how I can write a full length novel in three weeks while working full time, three kids, playing online games, reading a lot, family commitments and outings, chronic fatigue syndrome (at least college is at an end), and this is all before my other hobbies. I think keep busy makes me busier.

I like dreaming up tag lines for my novels which I am hoping will appear after the deadication (not a typo). The Badman tag appears at the top of my blog, "There is no such thing as life or death; just here and there". For "Aminal", it is "Sometimes, dead isn't dead enough". So if you're wondering why these things are plastered on my site, it's because I simply can't get the quotes out of my head.

I am not frightened of the submission/rejection process. I am wary of time, of getting it right, and a feeling of - no, not excitement, but accomplishment, even though it hasn't been published - for simply knowing I succeeded in finalising a novel. I have always struggled with re-writes, but now, it's more natural and I am finding that I enjoy it. The time issue is covered. I usually work on three or four novels at any given time: The Badman is finalised, The Evil needs an additional re-write, Mr Hat needs somebody to review it, I am doing a first re-write of "A Place Beyond" which I have renamed "Aminal" - a play on a word from one of the hillbilly characters in the story who for the life of him, can't say "Animal" properly but thinks he does, much to his brother's frustration.

So, two weeks to get that damn synopsis right. It's still being re-written. They are difficult to perfect. I have now drafted out my two short sentences for a second novel in my "Chronicles" series which fits the first novel perfectly, and that first novel will be looked at after my "Aminal" re-write, then I move on to the second "Chronicles" book.

I am a terrible blogger. I don't update it much. My web site is the same. I'm too focused on other stuff.

I am amazed at the inner workings of the unconscious and having the muse at work. I have read so many books on writing, so many skills and 'rules', hundreds of tips and articles, yet it is rare that a publication would say that the first rule on writing, is to WRITE. Only by writing can one find that secret inner voice, that engine, the ability to construct, that inner confidence and passion, the ability to unconsciously create, know where paragraphs should end, when to elevate the odds, develop characters. One cannot expect to learn how to swim by reading a book, how to breathe effectively, how to synchronise limbs and breathing. How can one expect to write novels without … you know … writing!

I have no idea why writing is so addictive.

September already?!

2009-09-05T09:05:00.002+10:00

After having two weeks off writing, having time out to read and catch up on other stuff, I finally came back to it a few days ago ... and am almost finished my next novel which is great. Nothing much to report ... didn't get the jobs I recently applied for, swimming pool almost finished, house extensions well under way, and I'm thinking about writing a trilogy.

2009-08-15T23:28:00.003+10:00

Well, half way through another month: Augu ...

I love writing. If anybody ever wants to get to know me, ask about my writing, and push the subject. I'm completely open when I am on a roll ... I'd be terrible as a spy.

So: I took a week off writing to relax, drink beer, and generally to stuff around. My muse likes to take time off when it is most awkward to do so. I think my new novel is around 30,000 words long .. and he wants time off NOW!!! So, no writing. It's always full steam ahead, or drop dead and I am looking forward to next week when my novel "A Place Beyond" goes full steam ahead (please, Ancient! I'm looking forward to what will happen next!)

What else has happened? Well, I got my certificate for my Diploma in Professional Writing. My good wife wants to spend the best part of a hundred grand doing up the house, we had floorboards installed although I prefer carpet!, uh ... don't tell her I said that, oh: I'm hoping my main laptop, an HP/Compaq R3000 will be fixed soon so I don't have to use a tiny Acer Aspire One at home (please Mr IT guy, fixit! I can't convince the wife to get me a new one!), uh ...

My second son Myles had a birthday recently and we went to Alma Park Zoo which was nice. I am still fighting this chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and it's damn difficult at times, even walking around a zoo. It's still tough getting up some days. No, it's not depression. It's just a lack of energy and it's frikkin tough, tough, tough. If you don't have CFS, you will have no idea just how tough things get.

As my CFS symptoms lessen, my activity accelerates. Let's just hope the CFS disappears very soon. I hate being sick. I want to be happy in myself. Simple as that ... I'm still waiting to see if I got an upgraded job at a new government agency (probably best to not state the name here, but it's a different government Department and higher level ... fingers xxxed). I'm going on a diet from Monday ... no beer, no junk food, no fatty stuff for a month to see how I go. I want to get my body tone back, be happy within myself, and refine my diet so that the CFS can be removed completely.

Onwards to September! My writing is the most important part of my future. I believe there is no option other than to succeed so, ... I'll see you at the top!

A Place Beyond: the first week

2009-08-05T13:49:00.003+10:00

Well, it has been a week since starting my new novel, "A Place Beyond", and I'm almost at the 30,000 mark. It's a wonderful thing to see the muse at work.

There are two types of novels I never wanted to write: vampire and werewolf. Aah, the old tropes. I thought this new novel was going to be about human trafficking with aliens but oh how wrong I was.

It's loosely based on the werewolf legend. There are two startling characters in this novel called Red (full name Redmond) and Gein (full name Geinerman). This is where it gets exciting. The names seemed familiar. Yesterday, I looked up a number of combinations and it immediately struck me when I saw the name of the infamous serial killer "Ed Gein" (Red Gein). All us horror heads know that name. Very influential in modern psycho movies. If you've never heard of him, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein

Who knows how this muse of ours works. I was nodding off on the train yesterday. I don't know if I had a microsleep or not, but when I came too, I was still typing, and what I wrote made complete sense. Freaky.

Recent Release: The Invisible World, a novella by Damien Kane

2009-07-29T10:47:00.005+10:00

"The Invisible World" is a dark fiction/romance novella (around 30,000 words) written by yours truly, and now part of the Celestial Powers digest alongside Jane Carver and Ellen Margret, available as a download or in book form. Best source is probably via Lulu (click here for more info).

The story follows the quest of a feisty woman named Eresh to close the portal to the invisible world. She has to conquer her own personal demons in order to face the real ones encountered on her journey. With the assistance of Azrael and a hag found wandering a path leading to Castle Winterlock, they have to defeat the sentinel and close the portal. Pursued by a demon, Eresh has to first unlock the mystery to Azrael's past to save them from a fate worse than death.

The compilation may be categorised as "Romance", but it is particularly geared towards dark fiction market. If you chance to read it, let me know what you think.

A Place Beyond

2009-07-29T10:47:00.004+10:00

I have always been amazed by the role of the muse in my writing. It is no secret that I wrote my first novel in nine days. The muse has always been there, regurgitating its stuff on the page, whether by handwriting or typing. Writing is an amazing experience.

I started my new novel, "A Place Beyond", yesterday. I am currently 12,000 words into it. Like most novels, I have an idea about where it is going - usually a couple of sentences. As usual, it goes in a completely different direction. I could never write anything as good as my muse. I don't know if people understand how deeply profound an experience writing fiction is. The muse unlocks all those inner secrets of the mind, things I believe I am not capable of writing. I constantly ask my muse, even when I am not writing, to produce exceptional work; writing that transcends even my own goals. Every day, I improve.

I am up to the point in my writing where I can knock out a first draft in 2-4 weeks, with a minimum of 2,000 words an hour. I no longer think about the story, or even what I am writing. I never stop the writing process. My fingers are constantly hitting the keyboard and at it is a rare moment (and I mean moment) when I stop to think about what it is I am writing. It is usually because I have forgotten a character trait, or need to refer to my character sheet, ie, did so-and-so have the scar on the left or right cheek? I love doing the first draft. It is a magical experience.

So, a new journey for "A Place Beyond" commences. I am already enjoying the experience. I have always wanted a signature for writing: tension on every page. It is the most difficult thing to do, but "A Place Beyond" is certainly capturing this. Can you tell I'm excited about the whole process?!

More importantly, my first drafts are no longer haggard pieces of work with half-baked ideas. When writing, the muse is refining itself. The first draft of Mr Hat for example, came out more like a second draft. It was already refined and much more exact. I am looking forward to "A Place Beyond", especially what will happen next. I am its first reader, after all.

July update

2009-07-27T10:36:00.003+10:00

I can't believe it's been more than three weeks since my last post. How time flies. I am trying to remember everything that has happened, and it's been a busy month.

So, I received back my last assignment to obtain my Diploma on Novel Writing and Publishing, certificate will probably come within the next few weeks. Mr Hat has been printed for a friend to read and comment, The Evil is with said friend who is finalising their critique, and I'm going to start another novel called 'A Place Beyond' which has been festering in my head for a while. Once again, I'm after that all important page-turner, which is much more difficult than it sounds. Tension or suspense on every page. It is difficult to maintain over 400-500 pages.

I have an interview this Thursday. Wish me luck. Would be great to write full time though.

One day.

Mr Hat: A First Impression

2009-07-06T13:27:00.001+10:00

A number of my last few posts have related to a horror story I wrote called 'Mr Hat' which took me about three weeks to write. When I do a first re-write, it is usually straight after the first draft, but because I've been finalising The Badman, I had to break routine.

Well, The Badman is now final and I'm doing a synopsis for it. Mr Hat is back on the metal slab for inspection and even by my high standards, it is very good. When I reached page 20, I looked away from my laptop realising I hadn't changed a word because I was so engrossed in what was happening. Such a wonderful sign that I'm on the right path.

Facebook: Pirates of the Caribbean

2009-06-29T13:10:00.005+10:00

Arrrr! I been on Facebook's application 'Pirates of the Caribbean' an' said app's a bit addictive, mateys!

The application allows you to go plundering for gold, loot, and experience as well as fight other crews for similar bounties. It is a very good game, although I have found it difficult to tear myself away. The game allows you to have a 'crew', consisting of Facebook friends. You equip them with pirate ships, guns, bombs, to defeat other crews and a "boss" at the end of each level. Granted, this sounds very simple, and it is - but it grabs you and won't let you walk away from the computer.

There are other things one can do, such as keep an eye on your pirate pet (I have a snake), manage a small island and collect resources to create buildings (a very simple Age of Empires scenario). To completely grasp this game, you should just jump in and play!

So, head on over to http://www.facebook.com/damienkane and add me as a friend. In my profile, you will see a link to the "Pirates of the Caribbean" application. You may also want to try an application called Vampire Wars and Mafia.

Happy gaming!!! ARRRRRR!

The Best of Free Software for Microsoft Windows, June 2009

2009-06-20T10:16:00.003+10:00

Everybody who has a copy of Microsoft Windows has some form of software they have purchased or downloaded, from an office suite to internet security. Over the years, I have tried to keep away from buying software because many companies charge a ridiculous price for something which only needs to be built once, then marketed. They are a bunch of zeros and ones strung together, for people to use. Why is software so expensive?

Years ago, this question made me hunt around to replace my current software for those which are free and/or open source. It is a labour of love I have maintained for almost three years now. Today, I have finalised my choices of what I consider the best free softwares for mid-2009, and I hope that you like them.

Skip on over to http://www.damienkane.com/Software.htm and have a read. If you know of any products which are better, let me know, but remember that the way that we use software, the things we wish to use it for, may differ so my opinion and yours may not be the same. You will find a couple of surprising choices because they offer a huge amount of scope in the future. Most are tried and tested.

Despite our differences, I hope you find something you like. I think with all the enterprising things these developers are doing, giving it to the public for free, will perhaps reduce the costs of commercial software. The competition is getting hot. I wonder if companies such as Symantec and Microsoft are waking up to the fact that WE DON'T WANT TO USE YOUR PRODUCTS BECAUSE THEY'RE TOO DAMN EXPENSIVE AND JUST NOT AS GOOD AS THEY SHOULD BE!

Free Software Update

2009-06-14T15:08:00.001+10:00

You may (or may not) have noticed that I removed the Software page from my website http://www.damienkane.com. I am currently updating it with more great, absolutely free, software, that anybody can use.

The principle behind it is that I don't think we should be spending a huge amount on software. For example, Microsoft Office 2007 is hundreds of dollars, whereas OpenOffice is $0.00, has excellent functionality, and is seriously better than MS Office. Why pay hundreds of dollars for something that is free?

The Software page is important to me, so that I can share my experiences with other people about the best of the free software range, and it is a huge range. I have tried hundreds of different programs so that I can put the best on the page. I update it infrequently, perhaps once or twice a year, and there have been some major developments out there which I want to add.

So, please check back in a week or so, as I am almost at the end of this huge task. Stop paying for software RIGHT NOW and wait for my report.

Lots happening

2009-06-04T13:10:00.003+10:00

The last four weeks have been strange, from writing a full novel to almost selling the house, to getting my chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME) back for a while which, if you have ever suffered from it, is very scary. Two interviews for jobs: one I didn't get, and the other I'm hanging out of a tree for because I'm due to be told at any damn hour. Then the NSW Blues lose just to top off a tough week - and it is only Thursday. It's a Solomon Grundy kind of week, so I'm hoping Saturday is a good day!

The writing is going well, despite having to put my laptop away for most of the week to concentrate on conserving energy to go to work. A dark fiction/romance novella called "The Invisible World" is currently with a very nice line editor who has given me some great tips on how to improve my writing. With Mr Hat done, The Evil being read by an audience, it's back to the final-final revision of The Badman which, God willing, will be received well (which may be difficult because it is in the very unpopular second person voice, but second person really suits this story and yes, I have a sequel called The Janus Mirror already brewing away). I'm also looking forward to continuing with a novel I started a few months ago called A Place Beyond which, whenever I think about doing it, something else pops up.

So many projects to tie up and finalise. First drafts aren't generally a problem. Getting them through the revision process: bottlenecked. 8o/ have to work on it!

Mr Hat

2009-05-20T13:14:00.003+10:00

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote an article about writing after a few beers, and what I regurgitated, was actually quite good when I read it back the day after (original article here).

Well, I am pleased to say that it took just three weeks to write my latest horror novel "Mr Hat" which is a touch under 80,000 words. Unlike some writers, my second drafts tend to be longer than the first because I convert the story "telling" into the story "showing". Regardless, three weeks isn't too bad an effort to write a novel while working full time, having interviews, finishing a diploma, full family life, almost buying a house, although I reckon I can halve the time it takes to write a novel. My problem has always been finalising the damn thing. I get too picky. My first two or three novels had to be scrapped because I over-analysed them what did I learn? Very little.

So, to the re-read to straighten out and start showing the story, then back to my new novel, "A Place Beyond". This writing game is so much fun!