Marc’s Comments (group member since Oct 12, 2010)

Marc’s comments from the Q&A with Steve Morris group.

Books are expensive in the U.S. as well. My experience is that it seems to stem from the what the publishers are charging to produce a book. When all is said and done, from the sale of a book of $17.00 (about 11 GBP I believe) I walk away with about $3.00 (2 GBP). Then again, the publishing industry in the U.S. is abysmal.

I agree with you Steve about buying online. I'm willing to pay the extra couple of dollars to make sure that the money goes to a local book shop.

I don't think we read those books, though. I think that we just dumped them in the Boston Harbor with all of the Tea. Just kidding.

Although at times I do get distracted by reading "realise" instead of "realize", I do enjoy reading works that use a different system of grammar and spelling. It lends itself to etymology and helps me better understand how I am completely obliterating the English language.

There are certainly possibilities there. Although, interactivity seems to be one of the driving forces behind the popularity of these devices. It seems that it may be necessary for novels and short stories to evolve in such a was as to accommodate this interactivity. It may not be enough to simply be text on a screen. Or, maybe incorporating music or visual imagery into these novels and short stories would help encourage new audiences. Have you considered incorporating audio or visual imagery, such as audio books or youtube videos with pictures, into your work?

That one I got! Although, admittedly I did chuckle a bit. There also seem to be different rules on grammar. Do you try and calculate these differences into your writing?

You mentioned phones and gadgets. Do you think that these gadgets, like the iphone, kindle, or ipad, might help encourage people to read more short stories or even novels?

Do the tales in Jumble Tales intermingle or are they separate stories?

Yeah, I missed out on that pun. It reminds me of how Americans missed out on the Ford Prefect joke from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I find it difficult to find good short story writers these days, which is why I enjoy your work. Do you feel that the short story is a dying art, or do you think there is a possibility of a resurgence?