Rob’s Comments (group member since Oct 09, 2015)

Rob’s comments from the CLOG - Comedy Literature Only Group group.

Shared the Spacehopper link on FB, incidentally.

Hi, Colin. I don't know why but I've evidently stopped getting CLOG notifications, so my apologies for the resounding silence. We've corresponded via email, I know, but I thought I should reply here and, with any luck, that might bump this up a bit so that the others see it and respond.
I finished NO LAUGHING MATTER ...: a short tale of death, and how to recover from it. yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll definitely look out for your latest.

Maurice wrote: "I have just finished a new one (I think) that I will post once I've decided it doesn't need any more changes.

Excellent. I look forward to that. If you want any pre-launch feedback, please let me know.

Interestingly, rekindling these conversations with you and the others has got me thinking. I'm dangerously close to feeling inspired again...

Alastair: just so you know, I have emailed you some comments / thoughts on your MS. I hope they're helpful.

Maurice wrote: "I got it. Thanks. What are you up to these days? Anything new in the works?"

Nothing creative, sadly. I'm not sure if it's just everyday 'time pressures' or a general lack of inspiration but it's not happening right now. I've been musing on something in the comic non-fiction area but that's only a half-formed idea. How about you? I haven't been keeping tabs on Wattpad.

Maurice wrote: "Hi Rob, If you can send me a copy that would be great. Do you still have my email?"

I think so; assuming it's still based on your translation business domain. I've just sent it over. If you haven't got it, please let me have an updated address.

Maurice wrote: "Hi all, I'm still around too (over on Wattpad, at least, and occasional lurking here). Sorry, I don't know any famous authors, unless Rob & Ray count..."

Hi Maurice. Great to hear from you. Welcome back. I'm sorry we're so short of chairs; I had to burn most of them for warmth.

Alistair will no doubt correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think Sub-Luminal is on sale yet; I think his publisher is just looking for some suitable comments and reviews up front. I'm doing a quick beta-read right now but I will offer a few words of my own before the end of the month (valiantly disregarding the fact that no one will actually know who I am).

Would you like a PDF copy to review?

I've emailed you both. I'm assuming that "email" is still a thing in the outside world?

Raymond wrote: "Tomb Raider Raymond makes his way down the cobwebbed corridor of the ancient necropolis of CLOG. Holding the torch before him, stepping wary for booby traps of ancient gags..."

Ah, Mr St Elmo. Welcome. We've been expecting you...

Alastair wrote: "I'll bump this in case anyone comes back in here (I've disturbed all the dust, sorry). I wish I was better at this online socialising lark..."

Hi, Alastair. Congratulations. I've already replied by email but, you're right - this place has gone deathly quiet and it's about time that we put it back into use. With any luck, a few CLOG / Authonomy types will pick up this thread and we can apply our collective talents to helping out.

I've got your latest draft and I should probably re-read it before sending in a review. To what sort of timescale is your publisher working?

James wrote: "I'm finally happy to release the text of this (final?) volume in the series beyond the confines of my Thinkpad. I've not completed the cover artwork yet, but ..."

Hi James. Please do email it over to me - Word, PDF etc. is fine - and I'll gladly give it a read through.

Raymond wrote: "But it's a good resource for comic writing and no one gets out no one gets out and there are many literate folk who have insights into quality writing help help help"

As moderator, I suspect that there might be a hidden subtext in this message but since it's nearly Christmas, I'll overlook it. And any newcomers: pay no heed to our eccentric friend - he's very entertaining really. We've insisted that he stay until Christmas dinner. He'll be the roast of our merry gathering.

Toast. I meant toast.

Then Mary it shall be. (I will confuse you with a film studio otherwise.)

Glad you have you (and Ian) on board. Let's hope you can motivate the rest of us to get things moving again in 2023. I know that Alastair is making good progress on his latest, and I have no doubt that several others are beavering away too.

So what I actually mean, I guess, is that I hope hope you and Ian will motivate me to get things moving again in 2023.

Welcome, M.T. / Ms McG (whichever you prefer.)

I sympathise. In fact, I think I'd be envious of a glacial / tectonic pace. It says something, I suspect, that the most worn key on my keyboard is the one for 'delete.' (I was going to write "the key saying 'delete'" but, in truth, it no longer says that. Alarmingly, what letters remain spell out a word that most closely resembles "die" but I choose to ignore that.)

That's a long way of saying that what pace I have maintained has actually been backward. So Merry Christmas, and consider yourself one of CLOG's speedier movers. Here's to your success in 2027.

Alastair wrote: "In case I forget, or don't get back on here again for a while, a very Merry Christmas everybody and a Happy New Year."

And to you, Alastair. (And to everyone else too, of course.)

Ian wrote: "Hello there. Sorry for barging in but I saw your light was on and thought I’d drop in on the off chance that I could use your loo."

Hi Ian.

Many apologies for the silence; I didn't get an email notification for some reason.

You must think us a very dour and unwelcoming bunch. We're not - we're very nice - though you might decide that one of our many Andys is an exception. (You see, that was his bedroom with the magazines and all the flies, not the loo. That's upstairs, next to door saying "Beware of the Leopard." Andy was less than wholly impressed with the gift you left him but I'm sure it will all blow over in time.)

For some well-considered advice on book-flogging, whips and all things S&M, you could do worse than to visit the INCA Project. It's run by our very own Rob Wingfield, ably assisted by Jim Court. They've worked immensely hard to collate all sorts of useful tips, including stuff about promotion, editing and formatting manuscripts etc. so it's well worth checking out. You never know; one or the other of them might also catch sight of this message and offer some wisdom of their own.

Igor sounds lovely, by the way. I really hope things work out for him.

I think Bill Bryson is an excellent example of a comedic travel writer who blends memoir, humour and social / political observation. He's a favourite of mine. There's also a comedian / presenter called Sue Perkins who achieves the same thing and, again, I like her work very much.

I see you have a travel site. Do you have plans to turn any of its content into a novel or perhaps a travel writing compendium?

Jemahl wrote: "I never liked Bambi, there, I said it, and Thumper is just a smug twat too..."

Bambi? The film or the eponymous fawn? Or both?

I disliked the former and, with the benefit of hindsight (if you'll pardon the pun), I've become ambivalent about the character. As for Thumper, I'm undecided, but don't get me started on Watership Down...

Why are we discussing this, incidentally?

Note to everyone: I've read the first few pages and it's looking good:Small Stories: A Perfectly Absurd Novel

Raymond wrote: "You get a knife and your own sharp wit. Good luck..."

Knife..? No one mentioned that. In that case, I'll take "the Utilitarian Knife V.1 for practical use only." It sounds useful.