http://matlarkin.com Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:23:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2875 matlarkin.com » One false move and the space-time continuum gets it - the unrequited novelist Wed, 07 Mar 2007 10:46:30 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2875 [...] No, really, I have. In fact, the writing is progressing with a most stunning alacrity (I’ve moved on to Conan Doyle). The contents of the whiteboard, which the attentive reader will remember was filled on Monday with everything required to move my characters, themes and plot into position for the big, spectacular finale. [...] […] No, really, I have. In fact, the writing is progressing with a most stunning alacrity (I’ve moved on to Conan Doyle). The contents of the whiteboard, which the attentive reader will remember was filled on Monday with everything required to move my characters, themes and plot into position for the big, spectacular finale. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2751 matlarkin.com » Love in the Time of Dust Bunnies - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:57:58 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2751 [...] Here Be Dust Bunnies. [...] […] Here Be Dust Bunnies. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2750 matlarkin.com » Leaving (for) Las Vegas - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:40:17 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2750 [...] Apologies for my recent silence, but I can now reveal that the second draft of The Last Monk is complete. It involved a major reconstruction and rewrite of the first five chapters, including at least eight drafts of Chapter Two, but it’s done and it’s good. [...] […] Apologies for my recent silence, but I can now reveal that the second draft of The Last Monk is complete. It involved a major reconstruction and rewrite of the first five chapters, including at least eight drafts of Chapter Two, but it’s done and it’s good. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2744 matlarkin.com » Tempting hats, kinky chairs and reverse-somersaulting climaxes - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 05:18:43 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2744 [...] I’ve spent much of the last three weeks informing the reader (also the spouse, the neighbour and the teen-aged sales assistant at J.B. HiFi) of my revelation that before I could type a single word of the grand climax of The Last Monk, time would be required to percolate, to mull, and generally to walk around parks scowling at ducks in the vain hope that someone would ask me what I was looking so thoughtful about. [...] […] I’ve spent much of the last three weeks informing the reader (also the spouse, the neighbour and the teen-aged sales assistant at J.B. HiFi) of my revelation that before I could type a single word of the grand climax of The Last Monk, time would be required to percolate, to mull, and generally to walk around parks scowling at ducks in the vain hope that someone would ask me what I was looking so thoughtful about. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2741 matlarkin.com » Trench-coats. Trench coats. Trenchcoats? - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:53:50 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2741 [...] The Last Monk section of the site is now open, with a synopsis, information about the characters and the first extract from the book. I had promised to put up a bit of the chapter I’m currently working on, but that chapter is full of spoilers, so instead I’ve cut together a bit of fun from the broadcast of my reality TV show, the Rat Race. [...] […] The Last Monk section of the site is now open, with a synopsis, information about the characters and the first extract from the book. I had promised to put up a bit of the chapter I’m currently working on, but that chapter is full of spoilers, so instead I’ve cut together a bit of fun from the broadcast of my reality TV show, the Rat Race. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2740 matlarkin.com » 158 words - nobody panic - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:53:00 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2740 [...] The Last Monk currently runs to 29 chapters and one prologue in 284 pages. The first 20 chapters, 238 pages, are basically finished and I’m avoiding touching those at all until I’m completely finished. Chapter 21 marks the beginning of the last act (the synopsis will be online soon, and it’ll be worth coming back for), and almost everything from there on was written in a creatively frenzied fortnight last December. In the last act, all the big questions are answered, mysteries revealed and, critically, plotlines woven together in a tapestry so cunning and unexpected that the reader immediately goes back to page one to see how the hell it was done. [...] […] The Last Monk currently runs to 29 chapters and one prologue in 284 pages. The first 20 chapters, 238 pages, are basically finished and I’m avoiding touching those at all until I’m completely finished. Chapter 21 marks the beginning of the last act (the synopsis will be online soon, and it’ll be worth coming back for), and almost everything from there on was written in a creatively frenzied fortnight last December. In the last act, all the big questions are answered, mysteries revealed and, critically, plotlines woven together in a tapestry so cunning and unexpected that the reader immediately goes back to page one to see how the hell it was done. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-2739 matlarkin.com » Day Zero - the unrequited novelist Mon, 05 Mar 2007 04:50:57 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-2739 [...] Over the next few days, I’ll be filling the Last Monk section of this website with information about the book, its characters and story, and also periodically uploading short extracts from the book itself. I’ll also be posting as frequently as possible, so if you’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to write a novel, allow me to dive into the deep end ahead of you. [...] […] Over the next few days, I’ll be filling the Last Monk section of this website with information about the book, its characters and story, and also periodically uploading short extracts from the book itself. I’ll also be posting as frequently as possible, so if you’ve always wanted to know what it’s like to write a novel, allow me to dive into the deep end ahead of you. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-403 matlarkin.com » The Scaffoldist - the unrequited novelist Mon, 09 Oct 2006 07:55:04 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-403 [...] “Cool your jets, we’ll get there. So, it’s fair to say things started winding down for you when you finished Here Be Dust Bunnies, yes?” [...] […] “Cool your jets, we’ll get there. So, it’s fair to say things started winding down for you when you finished Here Be Dust Bunnies, yes?” […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-354 matlarkin.com » Living in the future - the unrequited novelist Thu, 13 Jul 2006 05:14:13 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-354 [...] Readers of the previous post will know that I recently received a piece of tantalising news, namely a very positive report of my novel Here Be Dust Bunnies from Penguin Publishing in London. It is now in the hands of the man who will decide if Penguin wishes to publish my book or not, which decision he will make some time in the next few weeks. [...] […] Readers of the previous post will know that I recently received a piece of tantalising news, namely a very positive report of my novel Here Be Dust Bunnies from Penguin Publishing in London. It is now in the hands of the man who will decide if Penguin wishes to publish my book or not, which decision he will make some time in the next few weeks. […]

]]> http://matlarkin.com/tlm/comment-page-1/#comment-351 matlarkin.com » The semi-requited novelist - the unrequited novelist Thu, 13 Jul 2006 03:13:44 +0000 http://www.matlarkin.com/?page_id=3#comment-351 [...] I began this blog a year ago to try to describe what it is like to throw caution and a regular pay check to the wind and essay a career as a novelist, and I now feel that have somewhat strayed from my brief, in life as well as in print. Since I finished writing Here Be Dust Bunnies at the beginning of this year, things have changed in ways which I will shortly describe in detail in these pages, but which for now can be summed up in the following job descriptions: sport journalist, poker tournament director and, ominously, university administration flunky again. [...] […] I began this blog a year ago to try to describe what it is like to throw caution and a regular pay check to the wind and essay a career as a novelist, and I now feel that have somewhat strayed from my brief, in life as well as in print. Since I finished writing Here Be Dust Bunnies at the beginning of this year, things have changed in ways which I will shortly describe in detail in these pages, but which for now can be summed up in the following job descriptions: sport journalist, poker tournament director and, ominously, university administration flunky again. […]

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