The Ark: An Interview

Hail readers!

You may be keen to know that I have not been idle in writing the Ark; I have now all but completed my preliminary planning, and will be providing you with a prologue soon. All such posts will be preceded with ‘The Ark’ in the title; for clarity is a virtue I value.

‘But Alex!’ you observe; ‘have you not done so to this very post? Do you have anything in store for us?’

I do indeed. In a manner quite unintentional, one of my latest tools in the process of planning—interviewing characters—has produced an interview that merits interest beyond a mere tool. The interview in question is concerned with Conall Danann—a main character, a lover, and the narrator for the sample quotes seen in the Upcoming page—and also involves the Guardian; a character whom I shall keep under wraps for the time being.

You will, without doubt, be curious to know more of this mysterious Guardian. And, alas, the Guardian will remain mysterious; for his tale is a different one, and not the one I shall be telling today.

In any case: here is the link to the PDF. It has been formatted in a manner consistent with a fiction book, though the Ark itself will likely employ a non-copyright font. (I am keen on such things.) And now, if you’ll excuse me, I must continue my work on the Ark.

Read on Google Drive

PS: also, the essay on socialism will be under writing soon. I have no plans to disappoint...

Alex, Where Art Thou?

Greetings, impatient readers! You may have wondered, as of late, where yours truly has been. After all: he has not deigned to write, nor to detail his varied and eclectic musings.

Well, wonder no more; for I am in Austria, and have been kept exhausted by a 5 am wake-up yesterday morning—hence my less than prompt blogging. That said, the old is saying is true: there’s no rest for the wicked, and neither will my books write themselves. Speaking of which…

The Ark, And New Arrivals

You may have observed that the Magical Realm has received a new visitor: a page entitled ‘Upcoming’. This, as you can guess, contains information about upcoming books. Concerning the Ark, I have endeavoured to write the current blurb (emphasis on the word current) along with as much information as is available at this early stage. Even so, the page contains enough valuable information to make a visit recommendable.

‘But Alex!’ you cry; ‘when do you start writing it? And don’t you have anything down yet?’ In response to the former: I will commence planning approximately… now. As for when I’ll have a sample chapter, well—I must first plan the novel, then write the book proper. My reasons for this I shan’t detail in this post—for they merit substantial explanation and will therefore be the subject of my next post—but what I will say is that I’ll keep you firmly updated with detailed status reports.

In any case: I have further news in store for you…

Linz

I have currently decided to station myself in the town of Linz, Austria. My reasons are thus: firstly, I require a change of scenery. England, though picturesque, can easily become tedious; and, furthermore, I would do well with escaping the source of my long and demanding exams.

Additionally, this presents an ample opportunity to busy myself with writing—for which distraction-free Linz ought be ideal.

As for such trivial matters as photographs and personal memorabilia: I shall be taking photos of the Danube (the hotel has excellent view) along with those of my hiking trips in the mountains, and cruises along Old Blue. Nevertheless, my priorities do not lie with simple tourism.

On Political Economy

Like much of continental Europe, Linz’s economic system is one that may best be described as ‘social democracy’; a fitting place, indeed, to write my next essay—entitled, simply, Socialism.

Linz has even flirted with communism (for which the multistorey concrete monoliths bear silent witness to)—an economic and quasi-political system which shall also be addressed.

Going on from my collaboration post on Education with Oli Woolley—a work that has proven popular, even to the point of earning praise from readers in my school—I may also be able to collaborate with Oli once more. He is a rather keen socialist, and may make good a rebuttal to my often questioning analysis.

Conclusions

Firstly, do keep an eye out on the Upcoming page. As I plan and write the Ark, the aforementioned will serve as the first stop for my updates and musings.

And do keep an eye out on my blog—for there will be photos of Linz, posts concerning the writing process (and the machinations of the publishing industry), along with—of course—our essay on Socialism.

Until then, keep following. I shan’t be disappointing you.

PS: also, do take a look at the Reviews page; for two such reviews are to be released soon.

The Long Summer

‘Alex!’ you cry; ‘we wait; you do not come; we despair—the sun burns.’ And you’d be right—about the latter proposition, at least. England, land of rolling hills and cool summers, has become rather warm as of late. I would claim the inclement sun the cause of these vicissitudes; but my lackadaisical blogging efforts owe more to something else.

You see, I have spent a fair few hours writing an essay. It is entitled On Greece and the Eurozone; and as you can guess, it concerns the Greek crisis. I have submitted it to the Royal Economic Society but a few hours past. I shall not go into detail, however; for fate (or indeed the Society’s tedious regulations) compel me to keep it unpublished until the winners are revealed.

That will occur towards the end of this month. Wish me luck, as they say; and do keep an eye out. The topic is proving remarkably contentious and complex.

And though the rules forbid me detailing the essay, I can at least say this: the cause of the Greek crisis does not owe its origin to debt, or at least not as greatly as many think; and yet, equally, there is more to this particular puzzle than the depredations of austerity.

In any case: I have a news. Firstly—summer.

The Sun, it Doth Burn Bright; But Denmark Forsakes its Warm Caress

As you may be able to ascertain from the title, I shall be spending time in… Denmark, over the summer. I leave in a few weeks; I shall stay for twelve days and eleven nights. Denmark, I’m hoping, shall prove pleasantly cool. I may even take a dip in the sea; though that, of course, will require the perusal of a good wetsuit.

But before I leave the for the Danelore, I shall spend a few days in Linz (that’s in Austria, dear). There, I shall hike, enjoy the hotel spa, and of course: I shall write.

First on the pecking order is the Ark. I have spoken of it, but then I shall turn promises into words; and, in the meanwhile, I’ll be updating you on the Upcoming page. That has yet to be created, but as I say: patience is the virtue of every good writer.

I shall also look into finishing the Fallen Saga—a project that has proven intriguing, though difficult. My next poem will likely contain the themes of summer (in contrast to Jörmunísskast)—for reasons I need not elucidate—but, unlike the Summer Days, this particular work will be imbued with all the darkness befitting of the Fallen Saga.

Until then, keep following. Not only shall I be writing the Ark, but I may even find the opportunity to do a collaboration post. The topic? Socialism. Yes; it’s that time of the year…