First, A Word From Your Host

It's been a long time since I weblogged something on these intertubes. The thing is, there've been many things in the last 2 months that I've wanted to talk about on here, but the twin devils of work and after-work idleness got in my way.

Now I'm in San Diego promoting our book, and I therefore have something half-decent to blog about, and all these other happenings need to be neatly summed up in a few sentences. Like so:

- We passed the 52nd week of Elephant Words (link to Elephant Words in the sidebar over there; I'd fetch it for you, but the touchpad on this EeePC is a bitch to use). That means I've written a short (sometimes incredibly short) story every week for the past year. I never knew I could do that. My co-conspirators at EW are some of the nicest people and finest writers a guy could hope to know. I plan to continue with it.

- Speaking of anniversaries, I'm at San Diego Comic Con again, and do you know what that means? Well, considering I started this blog in order to document last year's con, I'm pretty sure that means this blog is one year old. Huzzah!

- Our book is out. Well, no, that's a lie. Our comic CAGES is being properly printed in September. But I am currently in possession of several incomplete proof copies, and they're really real books. They've got glossy covers and nice binding, and they have our names on the front. It feels warm and fuzzy.

- Holy expletive there are a lot of good shows on TV right now. Battlestar Galactica, Big Love, Dexter, Mad Men and Flight of the Conchords have joined forces to overwhelm me with awesomeness. Are we living in a Golden Age of television? When did this Renaissance happen?

- Dr Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog was bloody fantastic, wasn't it? I can't wait for the panel at San Diego. (It's funny; I've enjoyed watching the stunned/appalled reaction from certain corners of the internet in re: Act 3. It's a Joss show, people -- that means guaranteed pain. At this point, I'd be surprised if he didn't rip our hearts out and show them to us.)

- D&D 4th Edition is amazing. Yeah, yeah, it's culturally lame, and playing it sorta makes me feel like I'm back in high school. But I think it might be one of the best RPGs ever written, or at least the best since Exalted. And at this point, I can't afford to be choosy about culture -- I'll take any book, game or show that makes me feel that sense of wonder and awe again.

Right. Next up San Diego Comic Con International!

Gainfully Employed

Well, almost. Next Thursday I'll be attending 'orientation' for an actual, physical day job, one which requires leaving the house for, oh, about 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Shocking, I know, but there comes a time in every young writer's life when he must pull up his britches, spit on his hands, etc., etc.

But, bonus: The job is kinda-sorta within my sphere of writing interest, so it's possible for good things to come out of it somewhere down the line. If I can make the right contacts... But now I'm getting ahead of myself.

Hey, how about some free fiction? I've been happy with my recent Elephant Words output, despite the fact (because of it?) that I've been traveling to some pretty dark places with my last few pieces. There's been straight-up reality-based horror, a bit of supernatural horror, a dash of the weird-and-creepy, and even a touch of metaphysical mystery.

But the piece I'm most fond of is this one, a direct sequel to a story I wrote last year while living in Viet Nam. It's no accident that these two are my only interrelated Elephant Words stories -- there's definitely more where they came from. I don't think I've figured out these particular ideas yet. They're still there in my mind, growing larger, moving towards each other and coalescing, like colonies in a petri dish, into something larger and more advanced. Something that would very much like to be written.

But... I still have to finish the first novel, don't I?

Lastly: Is it just me, or is The Onion getting better? First they come out with that hilarious robot overlord sketch. Then we get this fantastic article (granted, the headline's funnier than the actual text, but still). And then, just when they've got you in the comedy mood, ready and waiting for the next belly-laugh, they stab you in the goddamn heart with a genuinely powerful piece of writing.

Boing Boinged!

I got Boing Boinged.

It's not the first time, but even so, it never gets any less cool.

So if you're one of those people who accidentally clicked my name instead of the article link... Accidental Hello! I'm a writer. This is my blog.

Wait, don't go! We can totally discuss things.

So how about that plant-human hybrid article? I actually stumbled across it last night while researching material for my latest Elephant Words piece, which is based on a photo of a mushroom seller.

Interestingly, the comments section there on BB has turned into a pretty heated discussion about genetic engineering in crops, due to the segment of article that Herr Frauenfelder selected for quoteage. I say 'interestingly' because that wasn't the bit that interested me at all. I was more intrigued by the caterpillar-mushroom hybrid stuff later in the article, as you'd have guessed if you read my story.

Anyway, welcome to you random clickers. Stay awhile, why don'tcha?

Elephant Words Story for January 9th

Here's the image for this week:


My piece is called 'We Have Burned Our Interchangeable Limbs In The Fires Of Revolution'.

No, really. Read it here.

Also! Nick, our illustrious webmaster and ringleader, has recently added a ratings feature to all the Elephant Words stories. So if you liked a story but were too lazy to write something about it in the forum, well, today's your lucky day.

Looking Forward

2007 was a 'transitional year'. And that's about the nicest thing I can say for it.

I got a lot of promising projects started, almost all of which have yet to come to fruition. I also started a lot of things that fell over and died horribly. Certainly, 2007 holds the undisputed record for Most Formal Rejections, Most Broken Promises, and Most Exciting Projects That Disappeared Down A Black Hole Without Any Word Of Explanation.

It was a year of hoping, trying and waiting, and there's still a lot of waiting left before I find out whether all of it was worth it.

On the other hand, I went to San Diego Comic Con, I got offered real work doing something I love, I wrote more short fiction than ever before, and I completed NaNoWriMo. I also made a few good friends in both the film and comics spheres -- a bunch of altogether excellent people who I know I can count on. You know who you are.

2008 is definitely not going to be a transitional year. No more hanging around waiting for something to happen. Quite the opposite, in fact. As most of you probably already know, I'm moving to Vancouver in a month's time.

Why Vancouver?

Well, I have friends who are also going, and the (vaguely-defined) plan is to rent a big old house together.

It's a big city, and the prospect of living in a big city is starting to sound pretty good after five years in the least cultural place on Earth.

It's within flying distance of the USA, without actually being in the USA. And there's huge opportunities there for freelance writers, or so I'd like to imagine.

But mostly, when I get right down to it, it feels like the right thing to do.

Here's to 2008.

Election Day Is Tomorrow

But I've voted already.

Yes, they had a voting booth set up at the Australian embassy here in Saigon. Meanwhile, out there on the streets, anyone who so much as loiters in front of an official government building is liable to get carted away by the green-clad police.

They actually do vote here. The people get a say in who's elected to Parliament -- they just all happen to belong to the same Party. Here's where a better (less tired) writer than myself would draw an amusing parallel with the current situation in Australia, what with our two conservative parties, Rudd's apparent spinelessness, etc.

But nevermind that. The whining can wait until after Howard loses. I just wish I could be home by the TV to watch his stammering, hang-dog resignation speech, but hey, that's why god made YouTube.

I should hit 40K on NaNoWriMo (70K on the book proper) tomorrow, and it's all downhill from there, baby. It's been a lot of fun, and scary at times, but I think I'm going to be proud of this thing in the end.

Finally, I am currently obsessed with androids. There, I said it. As if writing about them in my novel every day wasn't enough, they're now making guest appearances in my Elephant Words pieces. Such as this week's (Why breaking up with an android is hard to do) and the one from two weeks ago (In the future, Saigon will be full of androids, apparently). Last week's piece did not feature androids, but if I'd kept going with that concept, it very well might have.

Short Update

I'm in Saigon, and it feels like home.

Do not believe the travel agents and the Lonely Planets. They will tell you Saigon is a big, dirty city, whereas Hanoi is a gorgeous wonderland full of great food and charming French colonial atmosphere.

These are filthy, filthy lies. You could not pay me to go back to Hanoi. Everything here is cheaper, brighter, faster, livelier, and tastier. Not even the Vietnamese want to live in Hanoi -- according to our friends, they all want to move south.

(Also, no I will not refer to Saigon as 'Ho Chi Minh City'. Nobody but bureaucrats, police and foreign guidebooks use the HCMC name. And if I understand the man at all, I'd say Uncle Ho would have been ashamed to find out what they named this place. It was Saigon before the Viets came here, and it'll be Saigon after the communists leave.)

Anyhoo, my latest Elephant Words piece is up, and lo and behold, unlike my last few it does not suck. It's ostensibly inspired by this here image, but it's really based on a friend of ours who has since moved back to the Mekong.

Also. I have a new NaNoWriMo wordcount widget. Check it out there on the right.

On Pimpage

Apparently all I do now on this blog is pimp products. How far we've fallen in only 3 months...

I guess I tend to shy away from blogging about things which annoy me, but maybe that's the wrong tack. Perhaps I should write a few hate-filled screeds to balance out all the love? Let me know, faithful Readers.

Or, I suppose, I could actually write about work. On my workblog. Bizarre, I know.

Anyway, there are some good, juicy work-related posts coming your way in the near future. Details on Cages' special preview at the Birmingham Comic Con, for instance. And maybe, if you're really lucky, a sneak peek at the brand-new Cages trade paperback cover.

Finally, here's my latest, greatest entry for Elephant Words, and here's the image that inspired it. It's a homage to The Masque of the Red Death, my favourite Poe story.

I Made You These Links

Here are some wonderful links, courtesy of the magical information tubes:

• Cool yet terrifying: Robot face mimics your own face.
  
• Creepy yet thought-provoking: Cory Doctorow imagines Google as the Evil Empire.
  
• Crude yet hilarious: Anonymous hero eviscerates bad webcomics.
  

Excelsior!

It's Quiet... Too Quiet

I've been slack with the blogging recently. Too many projects in the works, with more sprouting out of the ground every day, like mutant mushrooms. Or... something.

Here's some things you may or may not find interesting:

• I broke down and decided to submit a bunch of my Elephant Words stories to various short fiction markets (the whole process of which was made much easier by the magnificent and venerable Duotrope). Now we play the waiting game...
• The Brisbane Writers Festival is on soon. Really soon, in fact. Graphic novels seem to be getting the spotlight treatment, with guest appearances by Eddie Campbell, Bryan Talbot and Shaun Tan. I'll have to try to get up there for one day at least.
• The aforementioned Bryan Talbot is the genius behind probably the best graphic novel of the year, which you should read if you like Lewis Carrol, books, comics, or being really, really entertained.
• I enjoyed this Wired article on the best tools and technology for writers. Their suggestion of an unlimited public transport pass is an especially good one, and one that I might make use of after next year's planned geographic relocation.

Until next time, gentle readers.

Finalist

This is cool: Jason Rodriguez, editor of the acclaimed Elk's Run, and the even more acclaimed Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, has been running a competition over on his blog.

The rules were simple: Write a short story based on a cute but enigmatic old postcard. The best entry wins a copy of Postcards signed by a whole legion of talented people.

Well, I entered, and it looks like I'm into the top three.

The winner is now decided by public vote. Now, I already have a copy of Postcards (It's pretty great, and you should check it out). I do not, however, have a super-cool signed-and-sketched-in copy.

So if you've got some spare time, you could always read my piece and those of the other two finalists (both worthy in their own right), and then vote for the one you like best.

CROM!

I read this today, and it made me deliriously happy.

I want to print this out and stick it on my wall. I want to memorize it and recite it at fancy dinners or other inappropriate social settings.

I empathise with this piece because, in my darkest hours, when I don't know what to do or where to turn, I'll often ask myself the question: What would Conan do?

Prattle

I'm currently resisting the urge to turn this place into a political blog -- because, fuck it, there are a lot of things to get angry about right now, most of them beginning with 'APEC' and ending with 'Liberal Party death throes'.

But, no. This is a workblog. Stay on target...

So I now have Facebook, and you can find me on there if you're so inclined. So far I haven't spent more than 10-15 minutes at a stretch on there, because the interface is clearly a freakish black hole of time waste-age.

My first Elephant Words image has gone up, and already the fictional responses are more inventive than I'd expected.

I found this page today: New York Surveillance Camera Players. Now, that? That's provocative art. Their site is a goldmine of weird mind-expandiness. Check out the FAQ, for instance.

Surprise!

UPDATED: Last two pages added.

My friend and collaborator, the uber-talented David Montoro, just sent me a little surprise -- an illustrated comics version of my first short story at Elephant Words. I thought I'd share it with you all, because it's too good to keep to myself.

Here's the original story.

And here is the super-awesome comics version...














Artists are magic. There's no other way to describe it.

(Fun Fact: The original title of this post was 'Surprendre', and then David helpfully wrote to tell me that this is actually the verb form, and that the noun form of 'surprise', in French, is actually 'surprise'. The more you know...)

Returned

The flight was long and painful, but I'm home.

Time to get to work.

Expect lots more blogging in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here's my latest Elephant Words piece, inspired by this image. I wrote it just after getting off the plane and just before my brain slipped into REM sleep-state. If anyone figures out what it means, please tell me.

In other news, Warren Ellis is shutting down The Engine. This is disappointing and sad. Still, that's the beauty of the internet: It never stops changing and adapting. Geeks will find a way.

Elephantine

A quiet day of emails, reading and general catching-up.

I've recently joined Elephant Words, a community short fiction burst culture site. What the hell is that, you quite rightly ask? Well, it's a site where myself and five other writers provide daily updates of freeform short fiction, based on a weekly posting of a selected image.

Still not making sense? Go have a look for yourself. The other contributors are all damn fine writers, and there's bound to be something you like in there.

My pieces, from newest to oldest, are:

Eyes On The Prize, inspired by this image.
Mind Like Water, inspired by this image.
Untitled (Elephant), inspired by this image.

I guess 1 out of 3 ain't bad.

Untitled is by far the best of the bunch. I hate the second one most of all; it was written extremely quickly in a coffee shop, and there's a ham-handed reference to Cordwainer Smith, and I even fuck up the tense at the end. So if you want to see what my worst writing looks like, today's your lucky day.

Tomorrow I go on a guided tour of LA. I'm not so sure this is a good thing.

A Chance To Begin Again

Hi. My name’s Xander Bennett, and this is my work blog.

You may know me from such failed blog experiments as Chained To The Keyboard, a screenwriting advice blog which ceased operation over a year ago. I pulled the plug on that one, mostly because I felt hypocritical dispensing ‘professional’ writing advice when I myself was toiling in obscurity.

Flashforward to one year later, and I’m now a writing superstar. Alright, not really. But I do have a lot of irons in the fire, and I need me a blog for work purposes. Ergo: here we are.

What have I been up to for a year? I’m glad you asked!

I have an original graphic novel coming out early next year, published by Insomnia Publications and illustrated by the wildly-talented Melanie Cook.

A short film I wrote is being produced in September. The as-yet-untitled project will be shot on location in sunny Outback Queensland. A feature film will follow.

I’m developing 3 different comic book series with the phenomenal French artist David Montoro.

Along with 6 other writers, I’m contributing weekly short fiction to the burst culture site Elephant Words.

…Plus a couple of role-playing game projects, a quirky little festival film, and a few more things that I’m not yet contractually allowed to talk about

Welcome to my mind. We hope you enjoy your stay.