Decoding Static

Living Room Stories Review - Scott Pack

2012-02-27T09:30:00.000Z

Scott Pack (Me and My Big Mouth) has written an handwritten review of Living Room Stories. I rather like this part, '... and also happen to be very good.' The handwritten review is part of his Handwritten Project, an idea I like.

Read the review over at Me and My Big Mouth.

Me and My Short Stories Review Living Room Stories

2012-02-20T10:00:00.000Z

Scott Pack over at his Me and My Short Stories site has reviewed Living Room Stories with a rating of 4 stars.

'Light is my favourite. A glimpse of a marriage with a tremendously romantic and moving final line.'

Read Scott's review at Me and My Short Stories: Light.

Look out for Scott's handwritten review later this week.

Cheers Scott.

The Empty City Cover

2012-01-31T14:00:00.000Z

As part of my interview exchange with Berit, she asked me to pick out one of my photos/images that I would have used as the cover for The Empty City. I am honoured by this request. Though it was very tough as the original cover is ideal for Berit's story. I also have few very photos of cities, preferring landscapes. So I thought about the idea of silence and have chosen two covers. My first cover reflects a space where one may connect with silence and begin that journey of being unpicked by it. My second cover represents a city at night.

The original cover by Michele Pandini and Wandeclayt M., design: Tom Brierley:

I like this cover a lot, the crisp clinical futuristic buildings and sharp colours and reflections appear serene on the outside, whilst hiding the internal noise. The font is also ideal, with the disconnected Es. I would buy The Empty City on the strength of this cover alone.

My first cover:

I have removed the city and replaced it with a space for reflecting, a place to unpick that internal noise. The steps represents this courageous journey.

My Second Cover:

At night the business district of cities often remain lit despite being empty, they can appear beautiful, but are also an ugly waste of energy; it is the perspective we create that influences how we connect with that space, allowing or blocking the surrounding silence.

It has been enjoyable to engage with a fellow writer's work and offer my perspective.

I highly recommend the The Empty City to you, it fascinates me. You can read the beginning chapters at The Empty City, where you can also buy a copy.

Interview Exchange with Berit Ellingsen

2012-01-30T17:50:00.000Z

Berit Ellingsen and I have interviewed each other about writing and our recent book releases. My interview with Berit is at Berit Ellingsen Interview, where she discusses her influences, why she self published The Empty City and her current writing projects.

'I hope that it will inspire the readers to listen to the silence in themselves, or that it is simply an enjoyable story. Reading is so subjective and the same story will look very different from reader to reader. I hope the readers will find something of value in the story, but what that consists of, is entirely up to the reader.'

Whilst Berit interviews me at her website, Berit Ellingsen, where I discuss Living Room Stories and my personal journey.

'Who am I? At times I feel I have a secure sense of self, centred on creativity, be it writing, art or photography, both to understand and express myself. At others it is as if a carpet has been pulled from under me by my self critic, fierce and unrelenting; it is in the unknown battles with my self critic I find myself falling. However due to these battles I believe I am moving to a state of curiosity and away fear in my way of being, which I am expressing via my writing.'

The final part to this interview exchange, where I respond to Berit's request for an image I would have used as the cover to The Empty City is at The Empty City Cover.

Berit Ellingsen Interview

2012-01-30T10:00:00.000Z

Welcome Berit Ellingsen to Decoding Static. I met Berit via twitter, where we began our friendship by discussing similarities in our writing regarding the sense of self and now support each other's writing. Berit's The Empty City has been on my wanted list since reading the chapters she posted on line, I enjoy the sense of space she creates. My interview with Berit discusses her influences, why she self published The Empty City and her current writing projects.

You describe yourself as a Norwegian writer, what do you mean by this description?
The majority of my fellow writers and readers come from the US, the UK or Canada. Since I grew up outside of the English speaking world, my background might be a little different in terms of upbringing, education, cultural references and literary traditions. For example has the Norwegian and Scandinavian landscape and nature influenced my writing a lot.

Does your job as a science journalist influence your writing?
Science in general, and biology, genetics and space science, which is what I mostly write about, has definitely influenced my fiction writing. Some stories are inspired by science or set in the world of scientists, it’s science in fiction. Other stories are science-fiction or take place in the future.

Do any particular experiences, philosophies, theories, writers influence your writing?
Any writer or writing one spends time with will influence one’s writing, I think. Through literary journals, the writer community Fictionaut and social media, I’ve come into contact with many writers whose writing has been very learning and inspiring.

When it comes to philosophy, the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi, as well as Bob Adamson, Douglas Harding, Harsh K. Luthar, Jerry Katz, and Scott Kiloby, amongst others, have influenced me a lot.

You describe your novel The Empty City as a story about silence, care to say more?
Many philosophies and contemplative traditions speak of a silence and an emptiness (or fullness) that relaxes the everyday worries and challenges that all of us encounter. Most of what is written about this silence is non-fiction or poetry. I wondered if it was possible to write a story about it, and that experiment became The Empty City.

Using words to describe silence may seem like a contradiction, but in reading or writing, the silence between the words are as important as the words themselves, or their perceived meaning.

What (if any) impression do you hope The Empty City will leave on the reader?
I hope that it will inspire the readers to listen to the silence in themselves, or that it is simply an enjoyable story. Reading is so subjective and the same story will look very different from reader to reader. I hope the readers will find something of value in the story, but what that consists of, is entirely up to the reader.

What led you to self publish The Empty City? How have you found self publishing?
When I finished The Empty City I only knew about one publisher that published similar books, but they had only released non-fiction and a few poetry volumes.

I also wanted The Empty City to be a charity project for World Wildlife Fund. As a former biologist, climate change and the reduction of biodiversity is a personal hobby horse. Thus, I wanted half of the sales for The Empty City to go to working for biodiversity. I didn’t believe any publisher would allow that, especially not in the current economic climate. But I have seen two recent novels that also were charity projects, so I might have been wrong about that.

I didn’t find self-publishing faster or easier than I imagine working with a publisher is. The work went through many rounds with a professional editor and me. I also hired a talented graphic designer, Tom Brierley, to make the cover and the website. The freedom to choose designer and cover design was the most fun in the process.

Editing, formatting and the rest of the publishing process took a lot of time and effort and I learned a lot about publishing by doing it. One has to do the marketing oneself and that is the part of self-publishing I like the least. Connecting with readers and other writers is the fun part of it.

The last two stories of yours I have read both occur within a museum. Are museums important to you? Is there a reason why they appear in your writing?
It’s interesting that the two museum stories were published at the same time, because they were written years apart. But I do enjoy museums and that’s where I usually go when I visit a new city, before or after the shopping round.

As a scientist it’s easy to imagine all the hard work that goes into finding the artifacts in even just a small exhibition, and how demanding it is to preserve it correctly. I also enjoy watching the craftsmanship from other ages and cultures, not to mention their stories. Museums are fascinating places.

How was your NaNoWriMo experience? Will there be a novel as a result of it?
I had written a long draft the month before. I signed up for NaNo to add more to that draft, but when NaNo started, work got so busy I had to take a break from writing and failed NaNo. However, I still have the draft from October which I can develop.

You appear in prolific form regarding your writing lately (i.e. the recent number of publications), what is behind this?
I started sending out stories to literary journals I knew about or I knew friends submitted to. Then I read more journals and was fascinated by how different they were and the variation in forms and style and how well the writers used language and narrative. It was a new world of writing that seemed more innovative and faster moving than published books, so I kept writing and submitting.

I also had several stories, some from years back, that I polished up and submitted. In the beginning it’s difficult because you don’t know where to submit or what rejections really mean. But it’s a process of becoming familiar with the field.

In Norway there are no MFA programs in creative writing, writers take MFAs in literature, languages, journalism or advertising. They submit their work directly to the publisher, no agents needed. Thus, seeing the US system of MFA programs, university publications and literary journals was both surprising and educating.

What are your future writing plans?
I’m currently seeking publisher for a collection of short stories and I’m writing more of them. Inspired by your work, I think that if I self-publish more, I would want it to be hand bound or hand written in some form.

Anything else you like to say?
Thank you very much for the interview exchange and for the interest in The Empty City!
There’s more info about The Empty City and several chapters online at The Empty City. I blog at Berit Ellingsen.

Thank you too Berit for your time and answers. I wish you well with The Empty City and your short story collection. I recommend you check Berit's writing out, she has a number of short stories currently available in some very interesting online writing journals.

Living Room Stories Second Edition

2012-01-19T16:36:00.000Z

I am pleased to announce that the Second Handmade edition of Living Room Stories is now available to buy, after the first edition sold out in 36 days! In early October 2011 inspired by Ólafur Arnalds' Living Room Songs I wrote a story a day for seven days. The resulting seven short stories are about love, memories, hurt and hope. I have reordered the stories into a linear retelling for the physical release. Copies are available for £5.00 (includes postage to anywhere in the world (via paypal)). The second edition will be limited to 50 copies. There will not be a third edition, this is it! The cover is a new transparent print (above). The cover art is a print of the art I produced for Tricia, who won the Mensis Liber giveaway. Each of the stories are printed on individual double sided cards with accompanying art or photography, housed in a seven inch record sleeve. Each copy is signed.

'Living Room Stories is a highly original project. And you sense this before reading a single word. ... Related to this is Harrod’s extraordinary ability to attach a lyrical and poetic quality to his descriptions. ... it is an artistic interpretation, a beautiful tribute to a fellow artist’s work, and represents an innovative means of finding inspiration. It would be no exaggeration to say that I have not taken pleasure out of a reading ‘experience’ quite like this before. ... Harrod’s work should be regarded as a new form that calls on influences from literature, poetry and music. This project is a stunning marriage of the three, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.' Read Rory's review at Sabotage.

If you are interested in reviewing or interviewing please get in touch via email: decodingstatic@gmail.com or @decodingstatic on twitter.

Living Room Stories Sabotage Review

2012-01-19T15:43:00.000Z

Rory O'Sullivan over at Sabotage has reviewed Living Room Stories and I am very happy with the review, a very pleasant surprise when I came across it last night.

'Living Room Stories is a highly original project. And you sense this before reading a single word. ... Related to this is Harrod’s extraordinary ability to attach a lyrical and poetic quality to his descriptions. ... it is an artistic interpretation, a beautiful tribute to a fellow artist’s work, and represents an innovative means of finding inspiration.'

'What a collection this is. It would be no exaggeration to say that I have not taken pleasure out of a reading ‘experience’ quite like this before. ... Harrod’s work should be regarded as a new form that calls on influences from literature, poetry and music. This project is a stunning marriage of the three, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.'

Read Rory's review at Sabotage.

Thank you Rory.

#amwriting blog post

2011-12-28T12:04:00.001Z

Today over at #amwriting I talk about layers to meaning and taking risks with how we publish our writing.

'I encourage other writers to be curious with how they present their words and am very interested in seeing what happens when the boundaries are pushed.'

Read An Individual Approach to Writing. As is traditional with my writing it is in between the lines that I ask of the reader and other writers to push those boundaries.

National Short Story Day

2011-12-22T10:13:00.000Z

Today is the shortest day of the year, it is also National Short Story Day. To celebrate this I am sharing with you my short story, twilight. Like many of my stories, twilight appears wrapped in sadness, but there is an under current of love; the love of a broken heart that corrodes all other love. There is also strength and a glimmer of hope; we never truly give up. It feels rather apt it is set in the Arctic twilight as today is the winter solstice; the darkness will recede in time and the light will grow.

twilight

This is years of neglect. This is years of decay. Writing faster, this place is sad. He re-reads the words, allowing each to resonate inside.
‘Escape is no answer,’ he mutters, throwing his pad on the fire.
The paper is greedily consumed and the burst of heat subsides. He stares out across the Arctic twilight; the blue infused light is at its peak. The mountains tower like etchings belonging to legends of old.
The red roses fell like scattered goodbyes. He gripped tightly to his. He refused to say goodbye. His daughter gripped his leg tightly; he felt her tears seep through his trousers.
‘A coward. I was a coward. I am a coward,’ he curses.
‘This place is sad,’ he repeats.
He scratches at his beard, his sole accomplishment and that’s just neglect. She’ll be eight now. She was going to be here eighteen months ago.
The exhaust fumes hung in the air, waiting. He pictured the gases filling her lungs, poisoning her. He thought, she needs somewhere pure. He ran first. Sold up. Her Grandparents were keen to look after her, wanting a connection, needing a replacement.
He pins her drawings up. She sends one every week. He doesn’t look at them. Always her, Mummy and him, Daddy.

‘This place is sad,’ he repeats quietly to the blue light.
He remembers their chatter, their laughter, their coughs, the rustling of wrappers, of papers. He remembers their different voices, hearing their conversations. Sat on the edge, he would turn up his mp3 blocking out their joy.
He stretches out his hand. He wants to connect. To feel another’s touch. What did I expect? Her memories to avoid the cold of the ice? The cold of my heart?
The fire is dying. He walks inside, tripping against a crate of empty bottles. He reaches for the fridge door, a beer, an automatic reaction. A fine tuned technique for forgetting. He flicks the cap off, it clatters to the floor. He takes a sip, the taste, acidic. A surge hits him, he begins to cry and drops the bottle. He walks out. He picks up a stick and places it in the fire, it flickers alight, he tips it up, the flame grows. He walks back in and holds it close. Her thick yellow crayon. That same blond hair. He walks out again. He walks. His feet crunch the fresh snow.

To read more short stories visit National Short Story Day.

eleven/11

2011-12-21T16:19:00.001Z

2011 saw my first release, Living Room Stories, which surprised me by selling out; nicer than that were the comments I received. Thank you. The funny thing about Living Room Stories is that it felt such a natural set of stories to tell; the idea struck me and with little thought I went with it. I then had a desire to finish a project and so released the handmade edition. An organic process; Living Room Stories is me and perhaps much of what I have been chasing.

In 2012 I plan to release tearing at thoughts, a collection of my writing, art and photography from the past nine years, it will include work not previously shown including All Hands are Made of Sin:

'...I stare at my hands, folding them together, my face crumbles. I hear him say ‘Let it out’, but I gulp down the solid lump. I sip more water. I look at my 6 fingers. I hear the jeweller’s laughter. She heard the smash of the glass as I slammed her face onto and through the counter.
‘I didn’t want to be alone.’ The words slip out.'

I'd also like to point you to an interview I did with Dan over on eight cuts as my answers are my reflections on where I am now:

'Urban landscapes can be empty, but a scratch here and a scrape there and they begin to open up, as I connect with that space I sense and feel a beauty, a uniqueness, another option. It is the edge of cities that interest me, forgotten areas, often left to nature to reclaim. It is in this reclamation there is growth.'

I have at long last reclaimed myself and I am hopeful it is sustainable.

Book of the Year 2011

2011-12-20T12:55:00.000Z

My 2011 book of the year is:

'Trapdoor is infused with sadness and I wouldn’t have it any other way, it is this sadness, and the emotional attachment it brought out of me, that has so much to tell us about being alive. To feel alive we have to trust ourselves and our perspectives, not the voices of others.'

Trapdoor lived with me long after I closed the cover for the last time; it doesn't so much as haunt me but acts as a constant reminder of the power of love. I asked Vix for her reaction:

'I'm delighted and humbled by Andy's selection of my novel Trapdoor as his book of the year pick. Given that the story was such an intense, personal journey, it means the world to know that it's not only reaching but resonating with its audience. Being gifted with this response both enheartens and encourages me to continue to craft such works, even as I've rewritten the first four pages of my next novel over a dozen times in frustration! I want to thank Andy, and all the readers who've shared Raven and Pegasus's story, for all their support'

To read more about Trapdoor and to buy visit Trapdoor at Lost Violet Press. You can also read my review and interview.

d i s t o r t i o n

2011-12-16T04:30:00.000Z

Green leaves & White berries.
i Watch.
We Embrace.
We Kiss.
tears Drip.

I didn't get much further.

A black screen and applause. SILENCE.

Northern Lights in grey;

squealing guitars explode.

an echo fades

A lone figure.

NOISE, BLACK.

noise. black.

I could be describing my shattered mind. I could be.

'The imploding anger. I lose the present.'

consider.

For Books Sake Favourite Books of 2011

2011-12-15T15:32:00.000Z

For Books Sake (who I came across via, yes you have guessed it, Dan at eight cuts) asked for favourite books of 2011. Pop over to For Books Sake Favourite Books of 2011 see a picture of me and our wonky festive tree to see my favourite book published in 2011 and what a book it is. One thing I realised is that I have only read 3 books published this year, the other 30 range from the 1920's to now.

Clue: ‘Yet there were a cheerful, happy people despite their incessant killing, and certainly not afflicted by the boredom which weighs so heavily today on our own young urban civilization.’

Next week I'll tell you about my favourite favourite book of 2011.

Living Room Stories Competition Winner

2011-12-14T11:30:00.000Z

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Living Room Stories art is Georgina.

Congratulations! I hope Georgina will enjoy the art and find somewhere nice to hang it. Commiserations to the other entrants, better luck next time! Thank you all for entering.

eight cuts Analogue Christmas Presents

2011-12-13T11:30:00.000Z

eight cuts have released digital and analogue christmas presents lists and I am very happy to be on the analogue list with Living Room Stories.

On twitter Dan had this to say 'Living Room Stories by @decodingstatic is the best handmade in a long while'.

Check out the other fabulous ebooks, chapbooks and hand made items on the Digital and Analogue lists.

Living Room Stories Sold Out!

2011-12-12T18:49:00.000Z

I am amazed to announce that Living Room Stories has sold out in only 36 days!

I will release a second handmade edition in Mid January, limited to 50 copies.

Thank you to everyone who brought one of the 25 copies, I hope you all enjoy the stories, art and photography.

Cheers to everyone who supported the project and the many twitter and facebook mentions.

Please leave a comment below or contact me @decodingstatic on twitter if you would like to know when the second edition becomes available.

Living Room Stories Guest Post

2011-12-05T11:00:00.000Z

Nik Perring, author of the fab Not So Pefect invited me over to the Nik Perring Show to chat about Living Room Stories.

'I’m thrilled to welcome long time friend of the blog, writer, blogger, and all round top bloke, Andy Harrod, to the blog today, to talk about a really, really cool project. Definitely my kind of thing.'

'I offer a lot of myself in these seven short stories; bows across violin and cello strings or soft piano provided a way into my memories and emotions, at the heart of both of these is love. Without love I fear we are nothing. It is the love the couple share that makes yesterday’s call a fond remembrance rather than the despair of loss.'

Read my guest post at Sunday = Songs + Stories.

Thank you Nik.

Living Room Stories Interview

2011-12-04T16:45:00.001Z

Anne Stormont over at Write Enough has interviewed me about Living Room Stories, my writing in general including my stop, start novel, Deception and my love of music.

'It is only in the last few years that I have felt comfortable attaching the label of writer to my sense of self. Expression of feelings and thoughts is important to my sense of self and this is what drives my writing. I write because if I don’t, my head resounds with noise; I disconnect from the world. To write frees me.'

Read the interview at Write Enough.

Thank you Anne.

Living Room Stories eight cuts Interview

2011-11-30T10:58:00.001Z

Dan Holloway over at eight cuts interviews me about Living Room Stories and my writing. Dan’s questions were a joy to answer, even so they deal with those uncomfortable edges. On that edge I talk about music, urban decay, layers, relationships and the here and now.

'As I revealed each layer, there wasn’t an answer, but a clue, a hint. Perhaps there is no answer, no end point. But that it is the journey, the here and now where we reside, which is important, but that importance is so often clouded and masked. We have to delve through layers to reach meaning, to experience a life that is authentic.'

Dan also wrote a wonderful introduction to the interview. Maybe it is time to start to really believe in my writing.

'Living Room Stories, inspired by Ólafur Arnalds’ Living Room Songs, is one of the most perfect things of 2011.'

'I think what’s special is the sense of fragility he conveys. His characters, and his images, are all on the cusp of fading form view altogether. They are sous squeezed almost dry, yet in his stripped back grey prose the colours and hopes of what has leeched away return to haunt us long after we finish reading.'

Read the interview at eight cuts.

Thank you Dan.

Deception 6/9

2011-11-30T10:30:00.000Z

Living Room Stories Competition

2011-11-28T09:00:00.000Z

As promised I am holding a competition to win the art that provides the transparent cover to my Living Room Stories collection. I will sign the art and write a personal message to the winner. The art will be mounted and framed. The art is 7 x 7 inchs, framed probably 9 inchs square.

To enter: Leave a comment below and your email address or twitter name (I'll only use these to contact you with the result).

Deadline: Midnight (GMT) Friday 9th December.

Picking a winner: Each entry will be assigned a number and a number will be selected at random by my wife, Rachel.

If you would then like to share a link to the competition that would be great!

Copies of Living Room Stories are available to buy at Living Room Stories, handmade edition.

love is everything

2011-11-25T11:00:00.000Z

Living Room Stories - Review

2011-11-24T15:18:00.001Z

Anne Stormont over at Write Enough has posted a review of Living Room Stories. It left me speechless.

'Andy is a writer with a unique and original voice, an often unconventional presentation and, sometimes, painful honesty. ... I have never read anything like this. As an artefact it’s unique, as a concept it’s original. As a piece of storytelling, it’s brevity belies its emotional depth and intelligence. This is a life story – beautifully told. It’s heart-wrenching, absorbing, wonderful.'

I've hoped, but never thought I would hear such words about my writing and stories. Read the rest of Anne's review at Write Enough.

Thank you Anne. I am very much looking forward to the interview.

Johanna Harness - #amwriting Interview

2011-11-22T19:00:00.000Z

Welcome Johanna Harness to Decoding Static. Johanna started the #amwriting hastag on twitter, which has brought together many writers and created a very friendly and supportive community. Johanna explains what led her to begin #amwriting and how it has helped her writing.

What lead you to start the #amwriting hastag?
I was so drawn to all these writers and the idea of not writing alone really appealed to me. I started out doing little informal shout-outs, asking who was writing at the same time I was, but I ended up having individual conversations with a dozen people. I wanted a gathering place where the conversation included everyone. Even more importantly, I wanted a community where I could drop in briefly and then go back to writing. I wanted a water cooler for people engaged in writing, not just a place for people to go when they wanted to talk about writing. #amwriting has always been about the work.

Did you have any hopes and expectations for #amwriting when you began?
Mostly I hoped to get writers talking to each other. I didn't have any expectations.

Did you expect the #amwriting community to grow as big as it has?
I had no idea! In those early months, people would only show up for a few hours during the day. I kept doing morning roll calls and posting the FAQ and word kept spreading. It still amazes me.

How does it make you feel to see something you started have the impact that #amwriting does have on bringing writers together?
I spent a lot of years teaching writing, so a group like this really makes my heart sing. It's profoundly satisfying.

What do you think attracts writers to it?
The community is inclusive. It doesn't matter how much experience anyone has or what they're writing. We only care about the process. If you're writing, you're welcome. That's a big draw.

What is your favourite(s) aspect of the #amwriting hastag?
I love the mix of people. My friends hang out there, but I also get a chance to meet new people. The atmosphere is always supportive.

Has #amwriting helped your writing?
Absolutely. Lately I've been doing writing sprints with writers and they're helping me stay focused from hour to hour. Long revisions can take the wind out of me. I feel like I'm never going to get done. Other writers know what I'm going through and their encouragement keeps me on track.

Could you tell us a little bit more about your own writing?
I write young adult novels and stories, both fantasy and contemporary. My first novel, Claire Morgane Almost Saves The World, is about a teen botanist living in the newly-outlawed territories of the American West. To head off an impending famine, she has to go looking for a crazy conspiracy theorist--who most likely lives in the dimension next door. It's a great deal of fun.

What inspires your writing?
That's a difficult question. A get a glimpse of something in my mind--an exchanged glance in a rearview mirror--or a favourite character walking in a ruined house--or something sparkling at the bottom of a pool. It's the kind of image that makes me catch my breath and ask, "What's all that about?" I go searching for the story.

Why have you chosen a younger audience to write for?
When I first started writing, I created much older versions of my characters, but I kept finding myself drawn to things that happened earlier in their lives. Finally I let the characters have their way and reframed the story as a YA novel. It was the right thing to do. The characters sparked to life and my writing voice changed overnight. For me, it was all about the characters and accepting the story that wanted to be told.

Anything else you like to add?
Thanks so much for this opportunity, Andy! I appreciate it so much.

Thank Johanna for answering my questions. I can relate to that glimpse of a scene, character or idea that begins a story. Many of my stories have started that way. The writing sprints also sound very interesting and may give them a go to help with focus. Find out more at #amwriting.

this is all

2011-11-21T12:49:00.001Z

Something beautiful.