Ryan Willox's Blog
July 18, 2016
Indie Author Tactics Interview
Hello all.
The Tumblr blog Indie Author Tactics very kindly posted an interview with some insights and opinions on writing and horror from me.
Full interview here:
The Tumblr blog Indie Author Tactics very kindly posted an interview with some insights and opinions on writing and horror from me.
Full interview here:
April 30, 2015
Independence Day Part 2
Allright, so I'm going to keep to one post about the General Election - take the chance this time; don't vote to continue being slaves and peasants. It's not about Scottish independence, but independence alone. If you've got any doubts about that then consider this; we still operate in the �#‎UK� under a system of Lords and Commons; know what another word for Commons is? Scum. Let's not keep being followers aye? Take the chance to change for the better.
September 17, 2014
Independence Day
For my fellow Scots, here are my thoughts on the decision you have to make:
In a matter of hours we are presented with an opportunity only a precious few in the world are ever afforded. The right of self-determination; the ability to claim independence with a stroke of a pen over the swipe of a sword or the twitch of a trigger is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that simply cannot be passed up. When you cut through the pledges, the propaganda and the promises, the question has always been the same; should Scotland be an independent country? How can any Scot, with knowledge of our history, our continuing contribution to the world and our limitless potential answer the question any way other than yes? To say ‘no� flies in the face of everything it is to be Scottish, it would be the antithesis of the very essence of Scottishness. But okay;I get it. There are practical concerns, the majority of which are financial, and not least of those is the currency question. I’ve heard all of those and weighed those credible concerns but ultimately come to the conclusion that these are all Scottish problems that can be addressed satisfactorily only by the people of Scotland. Regardless of whoever’s face is on the green paper, countries will continue to do business with Scotland. Whichever way you carve it, no country should ever be beholden to its neighbor and as intertwined as our combined histories are, that’s still all England has ever been to Scotland; no more no less than our neighbor. You can take it further, consider us brothers; but as much as anyone might love their brother that doesn’t mean you have to live with them in perpetuity. The right to make the decisions for the people of Scotland should fall solely to the people of Scotland. There may well be a compelling case for the Union but I have yet to hear it from the ‘no� campaign. The reason for this is at the very heart of why it is essential that Scotland votes yes, and speaks to the nature of Scotland’s relationship to the Union as their establishment sees it. Better Together’s campaign has been known internally as ‘project fear�. Not project hope, not project strength nor project unity but ‘project fear�. Likewise the condescending tone of the banner under which the ‘no� campaign stands; better together. Not leading, not stronger and certainly not fairer. But ‘better�. ‘It’s better if you just stay with us, better if you just keep quiet, better if you don’t ask to many questions and don’t think too much about what you might be able to achieve.� To be frightened into falling into line is the opposite of what it means to be Scottish, especially considering how much is at stake. Why would you chose to stand with the people of Westminster, to stay with them, when they have done nothing but lie to you for decades, often while looking you right in the eye and dipping their hand in your pocket. The past and present of Scotland has been rife with pioneers, leaders, explorers and innovators. With that inherent disposition of the people of our country, it would be an affront to their memory and legacies not to take the future of our country confidently in our own hands. Make no mistake, Scotland has the ability to work as an independent country and any independent assessment of the finances will show you that. At heart here is an opportunity to show the rest of the free world what can be achieved diplomatically, with thought, word and reason, to once again lead the way for other nations to follow. And what do you want to tell your children years from now? That you had the chance to stand, to embrace genuine freedom, to grasp the opportunity of independence and that you grabbed it with both hands? Or that you were scared you might have to pay a few extra pounds in taxes, shell out a few extra pennies for the messages, frightened of facing the world on your own terms and went running to hide behind the apron strings? Who are we going to be? And how will this generation of Scots be remembered? As footnotes to history? Or molders of it? But then; why do I care? I don’t live there anymore. True. But my family does and I want dearly for the youngest of them to grow in a fair society that can make decisions in the best interests of its people, that can look after the weakest among them. A society bent on creating viable opportunities for its young people so they need not look overseas, say for example to the United States, for the chance merely to make a living. Yet, with all these things considered, if you still feel compelled that you must vote no, then at least promise this; that you do it not out of uncertainty, not out of greed and certainly not out of fear. But do it because in you version of the future your decision will be to the benefit of each and every person living in Scotland. I feel the only way to do that is to grab the bull by the horns, grab destiny by the scruff of the neck and take matters into our own hands. It is the only way. It is the Scottish way. I have one last thought to share, and it is not mine. It is Scotland’s and has been for centuries and is one worth considering when you stare into your future in the shape of a ballot paper: “not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom � for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself. �
In a matter of hours we are presented with an opportunity only a precious few in the world are ever afforded. The right of self-determination; the ability to claim independence with a stroke of a pen over the swipe of a sword or the twitch of a trigger is a once-in-a-lifetime chance that simply cannot be passed up. When you cut through the pledges, the propaganda and the promises, the question has always been the same; should Scotland be an independent country? How can any Scot, with knowledge of our history, our continuing contribution to the world and our limitless potential answer the question any way other than yes? To say ‘no� flies in the face of everything it is to be Scottish, it would be the antithesis of the very essence of Scottishness. But okay;I get it. There are practical concerns, the majority of which are financial, and not least of those is the currency question. I’ve heard all of those and weighed those credible concerns but ultimately come to the conclusion that these are all Scottish problems that can be addressed satisfactorily only by the people of Scotland. Regardless of whoever’s face is on the green paper, countries will continue to do business with Scotland. Whichever way you carve it, no country should ever be beholden to its neighbor and as intertwined as our combined histories are, that’s still all England has ever been to Scotland; no more no less than our neighbor. You can take it further, consider us brothers; but as much as anyone might love their brother that doesn’t mean you have to live with them in perpetuity. The right to make the decisions for the people of Scotland should fall solely to the people of Scotland. There may well be a compelling case for the Union but I have yet to hear it from the ‘no� campaign. The reason for this is at the very heart of why it is essential that Scotland votes yes, and speaks to the nature of Scotland’s relationship to the Union as their establishment sees it. Better Together’s campaign has been known internally as ‘project fear�. Not project hope, not project strength nor project unity but ‘project fear�. Likewise the condescending tone of the banner under which the ‘no� campaign stands; better together. Not leading, not stronger and certainly not fairer. But ‘better�. ‘It’s better if you just stay with us, better if you just keep quiet, better if you don’t ask to many questions and don’t think too much about what you might be able to achieve.� To be frightened into falling into line is the opposite of what it means to be Scottish, especially considering how much is at stake. Why would you chose to stand with the people of Westminster, to stay with them, when they have done nothing but lie to you for decades, often while looking you right in the eye and dipping their hand in your pocket. The past and present of Scotland has been rife with pioneers, leaders, explorers and innovators. With that inherent disposition of the people of our country, it would be an affront to their memory and legacies not to take the future of our country confidently in our own hands. Make no mistake, Scotland has the ability to work as an independent country and any independent assessment of the finances will show you that. At heart here is an opportunity to show the rest of the free world what can be achieved diplomatically, with thought, word and reason, to once again lead the way for other nations to follow. And what do you want to tell your children years from now? That you had the chance to stand, to embrace genuine freedom, to grasp the opportunity of independence and that you grabbed it with both hands? Or that you were scared you might have to pay a few extra pounds in taxes, shell out a few extra pennies for the messages, frightened of facing the world on your own terms and went running to hide behind the apron strings? Who are we going to be? And how will this generation of Scots be remembered? As footnotes to history? Or molders of it? But then; why do I care? I don’t live there anymore. True. But my family does and I want dearly for the youngest of them to grow in a fair society that can make decisions in the best interests of its people, that can look after the weakest among them. A society bent on creating viable opportunities for its young people so they need not look overseas, say for example to the United States, for the chance merely to make a living. Yet, with all these things considered, if you still feel compelled that you must vote no, then at least promise this; that you do it not out of uncertainty, not out of greed and certainly not out of fear. But do it because in you version of the future your decision will be to the benefit of each and every person living in Scotland. I feel the only way to do that is to grab the bull by the horns, grab destiny by the scruff of the neck and take matters into our own hands. It is the only way. It is the Scottish way. I have one last thought to share, and it is not mine. It is Scotland’s and has been for centuries and is one worth considering when you stare into your future in the shape of a ballot paper: “not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom � for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself. �
October 30, 2013
Happy Halloween
With Halloween upon us and having watched, re-watched and reread what seems like all the horror fiction ever created again I found myself considering the question; why horror?
When I tell people I write horror there is often a defensiveness about the admission, kind of like I should be apologizing for having done something wrong.
On the face of it that seems fair enough. There's a plentiful amount of murder, mayhem and worse involved in the whole process and often it's not exactly a cheery endavour.
The question hit me again recently and, sometimes my rationale can escape even me but on reflection I got it. Out of nowhere, I got it. And I thought I would commit it to print lest I forget again, lest anyone ever need an answer to the question.
I recalled an old documentary about the Hammer Horror Film studio, movies I grew up watching, and the fundamental question was put to the peerless Christopher Lee.
In mostly diplomatic terms, the interviewer essentially asked; 'why with all your intelligence, your class, your learning and your talent, why do you keep making this crap?'
To which Lee replied thoughtfully; 'because Good always triumphed over evil. Very important that.'
So there you have it. Why Horror? Because Good always triumphs over evil.
You're never so safe nor secure as when reading a horror novel or watching a horror movie. Because Good will triumph. It might not always feel like it, and it might not always be clean or pretty, but I feel like we, and certainly I, continually revisit this bastard genre because somewhere, deep in the unconscious, we are comforted by the notion that right is right and Good will prevail. That the bad guy will get what’s coming to him in an inferno of righteousness we can’t guarantee in reality regardless of the heinousness of his actions.
Good. Over Evil. It’s something I’ve tried to carry into my writing. I think it’s important, at least to me.
Well, if you’ve taken the time to read this far, I suppose I should hand out a little Halloween treat, linked below. Does Good triumph over evil? Sort of, in a fashion, if you read closely�.
When I tell people I write horror there is often a defensiveness about the admission, kind of like I should be apologizing for having done something wrong.
On the face of it that seems fair enough. There's a plentiful amount of murder, mayhem and worse involved in the whole process and often it's not exactly a cheery endavour.
The question hit me again recently and, sometimes my rationale can escape even me but on reflection I got it. Out of nowhere, I got it. And I thought I would commit it to print lest I forget again, lest anyone ever need an answer to the question.
I recalled an old documentary about the Hammer Horror Film studio, movies I grew up watching, and the fundamental question was put to the peerless Christopher Lee.
In mostly diplomatic terms, the interviewer essentially asked; 'why with all your intelligence, your class, your learning and your talent, why do you keep making this crap?'
To which Lee replied thoughtfully; 'because Good always triumphed over evil. Very important that.'
So there you have it. Why Horror? Because Good always triumphs over evil.
You're never so safe nor secure as when reading a horror novel or watching a horror movie. Because Good will triumph. It might not always feel like it, and it might not always be clean or pretty, but I feel like we, and certainly I, continually revisit this bastard genre because somewhere, deep in the unconscious, we are comforted by the notion that right is right and Good will prevail. That the bad guy will get what’s coming to him in an inferno of righteousness we can’t guarantee in reality regardless of the heinousness of his actions.
Good. Over Evil. It’s something I’ve tried to carry into my writing. I think it’s important, at least to me.
Well, if you’ve taken the time to read this far, I suppose I should hand out a little Halloween treat, linked below. Does Good triumph over evil? Sort of, in a fashion, if you read closely�.
December 9, 2011
Something for Nothing...
So, as an introduction, the above link is to a story I wrote for the Halloween special edition of a very cool horror magazine called 'Blood Moon Rising' a couple of years ago.
Enjoy...
