Tatto For You

Given today is October 31st, I thought a bit of costume action would be appropriate. Ben, 10, the son of a friend of a friend of mine (the faithful and rather clever Sue-Ellen who gets me out of fixes with Latin and Greek) wanted to dress as Rossamünd for his school’s book parade this week. ... And so he did. I think his costume looks rather splendid; I especially like the battered old backpack and the untied shoe lace. These images makes me realise just how small and vulnerable Rossamünd was when he first left the foundlingery . I must say, I really dig all these Half-Continent costumes folks make. Thank you Ben... and his mum too, I reckon! *[Images used with permission]

I'm Allliiivvveee..! Over at Bookface [ TM] (where I am I think spending far too much time... maybe) Jane Hart Mason was good enough to ask me: Howdy... I hope you don't mind if I ask you a quick question, and I promise not be hurt if you don't have time to answer, or if it is your rule not to or whatnot. I am working on a little story of my own (not really to publish, just for my kid), and although I know what happens next and so on, I just can't seem to get it done. It may just be writer's block, but I am wondering if you have any tips or method as to what you do when this (if this?) happens to you. I have heard some writers set aside time to work on their stories, and even if they can't get anything written, they force themselves to sit there and think about it at least. Have you ever had any success with this? Mayhap you are one of those who is able to just pour it all out without pause, and if so please disregard this query. (I wish! DMC ) ... to which ...

In an as usually belated response to a continuing question about the inhabitants of the Half-Continent and beyond I have put this map up again but now with all new NUMBERS! [TM] by which I intend to answer said query. So here ' tis : 1/ Southeastern tip of Nenin , in the continent known as the Occident = Oriental derived cultures; 2/ Western coast of Heil , called Tung and home to a peoples derived from Mongol/ central asian cultures; 3/ Heilgoland proper, an empire based somewhat on Russian/ central European cultures; 4/ I cannot remember what this area is called specifically but it is home to a wide group of wild folk; 5/ The somewhat mythic lands of Fiele , little is known of here but that perhaps its is a land of sedorners and many monsters; 6/ The (Greater) Derelands , original home of the Skylds (for those who recall the history of Ingebiarge ), origin of greater derehunds (most excellent tykehouds ) and home of the Hagenards and various other peoples based on Nor...

These are by a fellow MBT-er, Ryan Kjolberg , or Kjolbergart as he is known here. He is currently "studying to become a concept artist and wants to ultimately become a movie director" and has taken some time out to do us the honour of working up some bogles of his own. As I said to him in reply, they are "absolutely spot on, the combination of fur and fleshy, snaggle-tooth jaws, the intensity of the eyes; it reminds me of just how damn scary a place the Half-Continent could be to live in and how people's fear and prejudice against monsters is in some way well-founded and fair." Thank you so much for these Ryan. I hope you all like 'em too... (These images are of course (c) copyright Ryan Kjolberg, and are used by his pernission) Anyone else got things to share? Also, please consider 'signing' the online petition saying No Parallel Importation of Books into Australia , if you have not already - for those who want to know more about this issue here i...

No Parallel Importation of Books into Australia Yes, I am still banging on about this, and I need to... For those who agree with me that the removal of Parrallel Imporation structures is a bad idea, please, 'sign' the petition linked above - and for those who want to know more about this issue here is a starting point. As for MBT 3, I am currently drawing the last few chapter illustrations, which can be a joy at times and truly hair-tearingly frustrating at others. I have discovered that I am not as good as drawing hands as I used to be - too much writing and not enough sketching over the last 18 months has certainly made the old drawing muscles rusty. Looking forward to the continuing adventures of Hesuimu and Somedood versus Borky the Coednedded Stanislaudian Giant Ant - my werazi cans are lined up and ready. (If this makes no sense to you than please read comments from last post - if you dare - they had me giggling... though I am wierd like that...)

You'd better believe it! The impossible has become the possible. Explicarium and character illos to go... (plus further correcting of a 3rd draft - here's hoping that will not be too great a task)

Apparent Technology Luddite warning! (though, in such a medium as a blog this is a nice irony) One of the problems with digital is it is very hard to archive long term, which will bemuse future historians I think. We've had computers in the mainstream for how long now? Maybe 30 years tops; and how many operating systems have we gone through? My the original files of my old stories written on my parents Amstrad 664 [TM] are gone, baby! The only version of them extant, printed copies. One day - and maybe the youngest of us here will be alive when it happens, but I am thinking a couple hundred years time - they may well come to the conclusion that paper is the most advanced step for (especially long term) storage of information. I certainly think the complete digitisation of the world is not as necessary as the digitisers would have us think... but that is just me. No one ever seems to think it necessary to really ask "Just because I can, does it mean I should..?" Having s...