The stages of editing.

I thought it would be simplest to show you the very beginning of Lamplighter. I will make some comment on each version but will let them speak for themselves - my hope is that when you click on an image it will show it at a better, more readable size.

Please, ask any questions you like.

As you can see my initial beginning was markedly different from what we now have in the book. My first thought was to start the very next day from where Foundling left off. I am glad that I did not. The where to begin a story is one of the big challenges in writing. Apart from this, other problems clear to me (now, at least) are a/ that Grindrod is unrealistically harsh & b/ the excessive use of capitals for his voice.

Next is the proper beginning to the story; it is bloated and clumsy - but that is the nature of my first drafts for you... The comments on it are made by the fair hand of my publisher, Dyan Blacklock.

The change from first to second draft is hard work but seeing the better, tighter story emerge from all the pain is a genuine joy. The scribble in green is my own hand as I continue to improve the text - all those little details and tweaks that feel make the tale a whole lot better.

This final stage is what are called pages. It is the properly typeset book printed out on ordinary A4 paper for me to go over for any final and usually small corrections. I, however, made some significant changes - as you can see by the highlighted text, which, if memory serves, was shifted and cut. If you get out your copies you shall see what I mean. This is not normal at this stage, of course, but most was agreed to by my editor (the purple penciled Celia Jellet), for it indeed made the whole work again that much better. (I paid for the re-typesetting, btw - 'tis only fair...)

There you have it! Just like that. This book writing thing is easy!

Also Gareth of Falcata Times asked me to point you all to their review of Lamplighter, which fits well with this post, the final end for this whole process: people reading it and even reviewing it. Thank you, Gareth!

For breakfast today I had porridge with sultanas and a cup of Irish Breakfast tea.

Break time

We're taking a small break from booking new clients for Uncle Allan.
Old ones too for that matter.

So, if you want to book an appointment, please contact us (conspiracyinctattoo@gmail.com) after July 1st.

Thanks!!

A poll for you...

Just put up another poll for your pondering (just scroll down a bit)... more substantial posting coming soon.

How to book for the 2009 London Convention

On the 25th, 26th and 27th of September 2009 we, Allan and Amalie, will be attending the 5th London Tattoo Convention.

Last year at the London Convention, Allan had some rules for how to book an appointment for the show.
These rules were made so we could make sure that Allan would get to do fun pieces that wouldn't break his back and put him in a bad mood.
And also to make sure that the pieces he'd start at the show would get finished there too.

And it worked out really well last year.
People came up with some great ideas, Allan had a good convention and got to do some awesome tattoos on some great people.
And that's why we'll be doing the same at this years convention!

So these are the rules for this years London Convention, please read them before writing us:

1) You can write us between the 10th of July and the 1st of August with your request.
After the 1st Allan will go through the mails and pick out those he'd like to do at the show.
You can write to a@uncleallan.com or conspiracyinctattoo@gmail.com.
We won't reply to any mails until after the 1st of August, when Allan has had a chance to look through the mails.

2) Allan won't be doing necks, ribs, stomachs, hands or insides of upper arm.
These are all places that suck to do on a convention.
If you wanted one of those spots, sorry.
There are usually no good chairs or beds at conventions and that makes these spots hard to do, for both Allan and the client, so he won't do them.

3) Try to think of something really fun to do.
Allan will pick the craziest idea, and the ones he thinks will be the most fun to do.
So think about something that hasn't been done 10000 times already.

He always loves to do animals, strange things and objects, traditional/old school portraits, and of course roses, but try to surprise him and come up with something truly original.
There is nothing wrong with hourglasses and owls, but they have been done a gizzilion times and he'll most likely do them a gizzilion more times at the studio, so try to think of something new.

4) It has to be something that can be finished in max. 4 hours.

5) Only write if you are really sure that you can make it!
We don't want to waste time emailing and scheduling people who'll cancel at the last minute, so if you aren't sure that you can afford it or make it there, then don't bother writing.
There are other people who are sure, so don't waste their chance of getting tattooed.

6) Include this information in your mail:
-Basic idea of what you want
-Where on the body
-What size
-Anything else you think Allan will need to know in order to make your tattoo

Remember that it is between the 10th of July and the 1st of August that you can write.
Do NOT email us before the 10th.
Your mail will probably be forgotten, so if you aren't sure about what date it is then just wait a day.
I won't decide right away any way and it's not about who writes first.

Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing your ideas!

Even the good old spots, like a lower arm, can be awkward to do at conventions!

Ps. Allan won't be doing a guestspot anywhere in the UK before or after the convention.

Still here! Still here!

Just in case you thought I had shuffled off somewhere, I am still about, honest, being very preoccupied about editing (actually a major rewrite - you should see all the green pen scribbled over each page, the inserted pages with even more green scribblings) and slack about blogging.

I heard once that you need to post at least once a week to be considered a real blog, so I don't know where that leaves us...

Just thought I would acknowledge that "clede" (a corruption of Mr Hranac's 'cledu' verificon word) meaning a country dance, and most likely "verger" (coined by Alyosha's daughter) meaning a builder of fortifications, might well have a place in the Half-Continent. 'Tis a bit perplexing about how such things work though; can I even have them to use? They are other people's stuff after all. I could sit here and just plunder you all and never have to come up with my own stuff - though where is the fun in that...! endless invention is entirely the point. It is just that some words are just right for the idea. Then again, there have been several times I have had to let some entirely perfect 'word' go because it is someone else's property, which just pushes me try again, to dig deeper, to slide sideways and get inventive. What I do not want is to be is a thief.

Back to the rewrite... (oh, and I will put up some old variants of bits of Lamplighter soon, to show what editing does for me -and you too, as the end users... did you know that you are 'end users'? Sounds a bit cold...)

Hope you all are well.

E.P. NEWS >>>> MAY-HEM !!

From the office of blood , sweat and tears !!

Ladies and gentlemen , welcome to May ! A surprisingly very hot month for us , people of the rainy island kingdom !!

Behold ... If ever you were interested in dropping by to see me on one of these fine May days ( Double espresso / Black Black thanks ) ... Here's my schedule of attendance at the Nansensgade 52 office !!


Thursday the 7th of May (from 4 till pretty late)
Friday the 8th of May (from 2 till late)
-------
Thursday the 14th of May (from 2 till late)
Friday the 15thof May (from 2 till late)
-------
Thursday the 21st of May (from 2 till late)
Friday the 22nd of May (from 2 till late)
Saturday the 23rd of May (from 2 till late)
-------
Thursday the 28th of May (from 2 till late)



Still booking every continuing session on every second 25th / 2 months ahead ( Next time : On the 25th of May for July and August ) !! And still taking project submissions for new pieces at any time ( For a spot on the waiting list ( Approx. 9 to 12 months now !))

Stay safe out there and stay away from people who sneeze in the bus !!

First week back

Phew, it's been rough coming back from Japan this time.
We miss Tokyo so much, and i'm having some serious onigiri withdrawals already.
Rough i tell ya.

But the weather has been great, the warmest April in years (or is it ever?) and that always helps, right?
In fact it's been so great, that the local drunks seem to think summer is here already, and so it's that time of year where they come into the shop, and rant about some tattoo they're never gonna get.
Note to all summer-drunk people of Copenhagen: We will not tattoo you!

Even after you sober up, and maybe still want to get tattooed, we're all booked up for the summer (and beyond).
So book a time well in advance and maybe next summer you can look all fancy with your shirt off!

To all the sober clients and friends, you can now enjoy a cup of coffee outside in the sunshine.
Yes, we've taken out the summer furniture again, so come by and try it out for yourself.

Me and Allan having a bagel break in the sun

Allan is back to working monday to friday and Nicks May attendance will be posted here soon (right Nick?).
No tattoo pictures today, but go check Allans blog for some of that good made-in-Japan stuff!