Capetonification

If you haven't picked up from this blog that I am working at being a writer, let me just spell it out for you: I write things. I like to write about a lot of different things. Mostly I like to write about people killing other people.
If that sounds fucked up, leave now, because there are a lot more fucked up things about me that may be revealed in these pages.
My first published piece of work has been self published.
And when I say self published, I pushed it out in the form of a Graphic Novel/Short Story available as part of this blog. Just click on the MOW link above, and it will take you to Man of War, a story about a super hero character I gave man-birth to about 20 years ago. Back then, he was merely a scribble, and he turned into the badest ass "good" guy the planet would ever see.
It's violent, and morally twisted. I suppose that's because the hero (And Myself) are in that way inclined.
I'm proud of it.
It's actually the first short story I ever finished. Dont be mistaken, I have been writing on and off for the last 12 years. 20 if you count my original Shadow Warrior work.
Most of my actual writing time has been spent on an heroic fantasy "novel" that I have been working on for the last twelve years. I am actually thinking of cutting my existing work into two halves as I just don't have the will power to finish. It's pretty fucking cool though. And I swear to have it done one day.
I have other bits of material that I started and never finished. Quite a few stories actually. This is a prominent theme even in my young life, even as a comic book creator. No staying power.
So that's why I'm so chuffed at MOW.
It rocked. And I don't care if I'm the only one who thinks so.
But lets move on.
The man in my subject seems to have been the inspiration for our fallen Californication hero: none other than Hank Moody.
I found this out when reading about Californication on wikipedia.
That site is awesome. I always learn a lot of neat stuff from it.
Anywhooo, I started researching Charles Bukowski, as he was some sort of underground writer. And anyone who provided the inspiration for Hank Moody must be an interesting guy right? Right. Turns out the guy is quite a champ. He lived an interesting life, and it was all chronicalled during the course of his published novels, none of which I have read. I plan to though. Found them on Kalahri.net and already added them to my wishlist.
During my research I came across these pearls of wisdom from Charles to all aspiring writers. It's cool and reads like one of his poems:

====Start Paste===

so you want to be a writer?

if it doesn’t come bursting out of you
in spite of everything,
don’t do it.
unless it comes unasked out of your
heart and your mind and your mouth
and your gut,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit for hours
staring at your computer screen
or hunched over your
typewriter
searching for words,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it for money or
fame,
don’t do it.
if you’re doing it because you want
women in your bed,
don’t do it.
if you have to sit there and
rewrite it again and again,
don’t do it.
if it’s hard work just thinking about doing it,
don’t do it.
if you’re trying to write like somebody
else,
forget about it.

if you have to wait for it to roar out of
you,
then wait patiently.
if it never does roar out of you,
do something else.

if you first have to read it to your wife
or your girlfriend or your boyfriend
or your parents or to anybody at all,
you’re not ready.

don’t be like so many writers,
don’t be like so many thousands of
people who call themselves writers,
don’t be dull and boring and
pretentious, don’t be consumed with self-
love.
the libraries of the world have
yawned themselves to
sleep
over your kind.
don’t add to that.
don’t do it.
unless it comes out of
your soul like a rocket,
unless being still would
drive you to madness or
suicide or murder,
don’t do it.
unless the sun inside you is
burning your gut,
don’t do it.

when it is truly time,
and if you have been chosen,
it will do it by
itself and it will keep on doing it
until you die or it dies in you.

there is no other way.

and there never was.

===End Paste====

Fuck man. Really cool. I aim to find out more about this guy. He's got me interested.

Here are some pics of the guy. Really hilarious stuff:

http://www.last.fm/music/Charles+Bukowski/+images

Here's also another one of his poems:

=====Start Paste====

there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day

and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace

those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love

beware the preachers
beware the knowers
beware those who are always reading books
beware those who either detest poverty
or are proud of it
beware those quick to praise
for they need praise in return
beware those who are quick to censor
they are afraid of what they do not know
beware those who seek constant crowds for
they are nothing alone
beware the average man the average woman
beware their love, their love is average
seeks average

but there is genius in their hatred
there is enough genius in their hatred to kill you
to kill anybody
not wanting solitude
not understanding solitude
they will attempt to destroy anything
that differs from their own
not being able to create art
they will not understand art
they will consider their failure as creators
only as a failure of the world
not being able to love fully
they will believe your love incomplete
and then they will hate you
and their hatred will be perfect

like a shining diamond
like a knife
like a mountain
like a tiger
like hemlock

their finest art

======End Paste====

That's all for now folks. And if you are bored, read MOW.