“Yeah, so, I’m writing a novel!” I announced to my colleagues at work. (Yes, I have a day job, like superheroes, serial killers and everyone with a Patreon.) “And I’m going to get it done by the end of August!”
“OH HELLO” said the Hubris Fairy. “Where’s my baseball bat—err, I mean, ‘magic wand’?”
And so I am writing a novel. One thing that’s already clear is that it is hard to work full time as a writer when you’ve got 100 other things to do. If I were to stray into class politics, I’d even say that wealth enables artistic expression far more than any other consideration.
Some are willing to live in a shed and slowly die as they artistically express themselves furiously, and up the pine and creosote walls. I’ve always been somewhat inclined towards not being totally fecking miserable while doing something I like.
Writers are not normal people. They are certainly not happy ones. One can’t help but feel that they only write because they have nowhere else to go. And even when they succeed, that dysfunction lingers, often with ruinous results.
Anyway, 1,400 words down, 88,600 to go! W00t!
In Other Writing News:
My short story, “The Secret of the Sorceress” is getting published on Tuesday (23/07/2024), in “Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars”, care of Wordfire Press.
“In The Magical Kingdom of the Blind, The One-Eyed Mouse Is King”
One news story which stood out to me this week was a report on BBC News, about striking workers at Disneyland, California. Two things are clear. Firstly, the utterly corrupt and sleazy rentier economy is making life impossible for everyone except the wealthy. I do wonder why the bubble hasn’t popped yet, and the fact that landlords and politicians are often one and the same is probably the answer, particularly in the UK.
The other thing that stands out, however, is that the strikers still BELIEVE. By that, I mean, they still have a great personal attachment to Disney as an institution and a part of their childhoods and, for that matter, adulthoods. For them, Disney is not just the company shortchanging them (much as the British Royal Family likes to shortchange its staff) but The Magic Kingdom, Uncle Walt’s gift to us all, an essential part of everyone’s childhood and the rest of their lives too.
Are they deluded? I think not. The problem Disney faces, and for that matter Mattel faces with Barbie,* is that its IP is not just a series of copyrights, but something imbued with deeper meaning by its audiences. It’s not just a product, but folklore, history and an intrinsic part of people’s lives. I wasn’t the only kid who grew up in the orbit of Disney. It’s not just a brand. It’s never been just a brand. No wonder ‘the mouse’ has worked so hard to drag out copyright for Steamboat Willy. It knows that as far as the public, and its staff, are concerned, Mickey and chums are already not just public property, but a part of every family.
Which brings us back to the strikers. They’re not only fighting for their living, but also their birthright. And Disney should never have made it so personal.
(* A similar process is taking place with Warhammer 40,000 canon. It’s enough to get Roboute Guilliman smoking!)
How could one miss such a big head?
I’d make a joke about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump here, but Jack Black would throw me under a bus.
What I have been reading this week:
The Search Engine Map - there’s not quite as much competition as you may think!
Where are all the bats? – alarm as numbers fall in England - in non-surprising news, insect population collapse has implications for us all. (In a similar vein…)
Trump's GOP is no country for MAGA women - foxes, henhouses, etc.
AI revolution will be boon for natural gas, say fossil fuel bosses - the latest Silicon Valley get-rich-quick scheme continues to lay waste to all around it.
How bodies of frozen climbers were finally recovered from Everest 'death zone' - the very human cost of Danger Tourism.
Audio, Video, etc.
A brief history of tech coverage c. 1994 - may contain Leslie Nielsen and Cybergrot.
B.W.N by corto.alto - NIIIIIIIIIIICE.
Mithras Crowned by Hymns of the Hierophant - Black Metal goodness from, err, South Africa.
S/T by Sarajah - albatross sold seperately.
The best documentary on washing machines ever - love on a hot wash.
Final Thoughts
As I was writing this week’s newsletter, news came of Joe Biden finally standing down. I hope this has saved his legacy, and marks a turning point against Donald Trump. Time is out to get us all, of course, though it’s worth remembering that PJ O’Rourke described Biden as one of a handful of Democratic Presidential contenders who were actually qualified to be President—back in 2008.
(It wasn't a turning point, as it turned out. It was a damage limitation exercise.)