Thursday, July 14, 2011

(This post needs a title...)

Hello hello, hello! Still here, still kicking about, avoiding the blank page and all that.

A favourite truism of mine (heard as a sample on Ride's "Going Blank Again") goes, "even a stuffed clock tells the right time twice a day." So in that spirit I am blogging again after an extended hiatus.

First, I have an interview for your perusal over at fellow author, Greg Mitchell's page.
A caution for those of a less religious bent that one of the answers gets pretty religious, so bare with me.

Well, I have some questions to answer, I will have a crack at one:

The glorious Justine H. asks: "... How exactly did you come up with the idea for leers? Are leers able to fall in love?And where on the Half-Continent did you come up with such an epicly amazing character as Sebastipole (and his amazingly epic name?!)?!?!"

Well, I think it came first with seeing something that made me think it would be "cool" to put a large box right on someone's face but then have it that instead of impeding their senses it heightened them.

Leers are just people who have soaked their eyes in chemicals to see things not normally possible and are trained in the use of a sthenicon and olphactologue, so as to falling in love, I suppose that is as variable for them as it is for any other soul. I can add, however, that being in relationship with a falseman might be awkward at best or downright frustrating/terrifying as they could always tell if you were speaking the truth or not, so fob-off answers like "Nothing," to the question "What's the matter?" would not work so well.

Sebastipole is actually a misspelling of the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol, made known to me through reading on the Crimean War. I have since figured however that as far as the Half-Continent goes, his name actually comes from the fact that his mother is Baste from Sebastian and his father a Pollard from Pollux (a bit odd to name your child thus, but Sebastipole's upbringing was a cold thing and it is the Half-Continent after all...)

Both Ken and Amanda were asking after the availability of my books in the necessary e-formats, and whether I am all down with it.

Firstly, I believe each publisher in each region (North America, UK, Australia/NZ, each of the European nations etc...) is figuring out how best to provide those formats and what the royalty rates ought to be. So it is happening, but the publishing industry is in a massive bit of flux at the moment as it transforms into the digital.

Am I down with it? Bring it on I say! I am, however, getting rather ticked with "torrent-ing" and otherwise illegal digital thieving of such formats. Sure, I could look at it as free advertising, but consider that if I can't make a living from these tales then I am not going to be able to write any more of them. Grrrr....

And here is a *SMILEY FACE* just to end on a happier note.

(Mr Bryddia, I shall get to questins soon(ish))

8 comments:

Alyosha said...

I echo your interviewer's opening comment about Rossamund being kind, patient, friendly, etc... and so darn likable. Even if, as you answer a bit later, the Half Continent is the main character of the story, it's still a wonderful thing to have a hero or heroine who is admirable. I've a much easier time getting into a story where the lead is either someone I would want to be, or someone I would want to be friends with. It can be tough, in this age when it seems politically correct to smother a hero with warts, contradictions, and even darker flaws, to find books that I can disappear into. So hurrah for Rossamund! You do, of course, give your "main character" plenty of warts, and contradictions, and dark corners - and I enjoy that immensely, so long as I'm exploring in the company of a bright soul. I look forward to the next story (to be purchased in street-legal hardcopy, of course; I had an e-reader for about half a year and never came to like it as well as reading with book in hand).
To close, I'm also going to cut and paste a question that I asked awhile ago but which was not answered. If you don't answer this time, I'll take it that you simply don't want to answer this particular question. If so, that's fine. I'll dream up some other in the future. Were the columbines of Columbris in league with blithely monsters all along (Threnody formerly being too young to have been initiated into that secret) or did Lady Dolours evangelize her sisters just prior to the sack of Winstermill?

portals said...

Ride are a fantastic, fantastic band.

On the topic of books becoming digital, the thing that draws me to that most is the fact that you can change font size. I think I will miss covers of books and slightly yellowed pages, though.

The issue of piracy and torrenting is interesting. I don't know about books, because its relatively new for books to be digital, but i would say i am pro-piracy where music is concerened, but anti- film piracy.

I am quite passionate about the issue of music. I don't think that music should be free, just that the major labels should be brought down as swiftly as possible. I know jobs will be lost and everything, but i think from a utilitarian point of view the ends justify the means.

ABShaeffer said...

Thanks for sharing the interview! It was a good reminder for me as a writer to step back and let what's inside come out rather than try to jam in what "should" be in there.

monday said...

A very fine interview indeed...your answer to the 'faith' question was wonderful. :)

e-books, e-books...I don't know. I just don't. Illegal downloading makes everything such a conundrum...
I guess so long as your words are available for purchase, I shall continue to collect them in whatever format, though of course there will never be anything quite like walking into a bookstore and picking up a book and opening it and having all those brand-new letters jump out at you.

Glad you're still updating, frequent or not :)

Molly Merula said...

Your art is so lovely and inspirational. :D May I inquire as to the materials you use in the creation of pictures such as the blue-coated Rossamund at the top of this blog?

Olleymae said...

Hi Mr. Cornish,

I first listened to the first MBT book on cd a year ago to get through some thrilling data entry at work. I was instantly smitten with your ingenuity and the freshness of your story and characters. And I read a LOT of MG & YA fantasy.

I could never find any more books by you on tape, but I never forgot about it. Every time I went to the library, I hoped maybe I would find something by you.

Anyways, I finally found Lamplighter, tore through it in a weekend and now I've just finished up Factotum. I so thoroughly enjoyed them all. Thank you so much. I have read so many thickly bound adventures that kind of fizzle out or get lost after the first couple books. Your world and characters seem brighter and more intriguing than ever. I can't wait to read more from you. I've never felt so inspired that I had to write to tell the author before...

So besides wanting to tell you how immensely happy you made me as a reader, I also wanted to share that you've encouraged me as a writer/artist and also as a Christian. Thank you for your brave and honest response about your faith. I really admire you and wish you well in all of your writing and artistry.

Anonymous said...

Now I know what it means by leers..LoL..What a brilliant idea.

Regards:
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