Progress (updated: November 6th, 2025)
Beta Reader Draft Editing: The novel has been edited to 106,877 words…a few more chapters & one more go-through, and it will be ready by the end of November.
I won’t post any readings or drawings until the Beta Reader Draft is done.
Keep an eye on the page for upcoming details!
Epigraph
“They could not understand him. It seemed to them a kind of blasphemy to refuse such a ‘good’ job when you got the chance of it. He kept reiterating that he didn’t want THAT KIND of job. Then what DID he want? They all demanded. He wanted to ‘write’, he told them sullenly. But how could he possibly make a living by ‘writing’? They demanded again. And of course, he couldn’t answer. At the back of his mind was the idea that he could somehow live by writing poetry, but that was too absurd even to be mentioned.”
George Orwell, from “Keep the Aspidistra Flying”.
Synopsis
1982-1986. The journey of Thomas Roberts from the ages of 19 to 23, in Hamilton and Toronto.
Tentative Title: “Listen To Your Dreams, Cried The Muse to the Poet Mired in Drunken Despair“
Thomas Roberts wants to be a writer, but it’s not as easy as he had hoped.
He’s failed university twice, has a job he hates, sex avoids him, he cuts himself, drinks too much and says inopportune things at inopportune times; but he’ll never stop listening to his Dream Mentors or the wisdom of the Muse. There are times he’s ready to give up, but they guide him through the rough times and remind him of the power of possibilities.
Will that be enough to overcome a depression he’s struggled with since he was a child?
Audio Samples & Transcripts
From: 10 – NAS, Poetry, Debauchery, Mainly Debauchery & NAS (21-22). 3rd Draft.
PDF of “Dream Scene: Dancing on the Reactor Core with Radioactive Wizards”. A dream (nightmare?) scene, where a Wizard reveals the horror of Thomas returning to the Reactor full-time.
From: 6 – NAS, Poetry Group, Mericourt (20). 3rd Draft.
PDF of “Opium, Beer & Reality Hits Like a MF’er”. Our hero goes to the bar with his dream girl, but opium, beer and reality play havoc with his aspirations.
From: 3 – Train Ride III – The Long Walk Home (19). 3rd Draft
PDF of “Schopenhauer’s Pharmacy”. Our hero is trying to find his way back home after a long night riding on the outside of a train. He hasn’t slept, his throat is an arid desert, and he doesn’t know where he is.
From: 1 – Train Ride I – Prelude & Century Club (19). 3rd Draft.
PDF of “You Ever Hear of the Fucking Century Club?” The opening chapter. Note: After recording this, a section didn’t feel right and has been cut.
Words & Drawings
Resources
Writing Groups: Writing is a solitary struggle, but having a community to support you on your journey is invaluable. I was part of a poetry group in the early 1980’s called WUGS (World Underground Society), started a writing group at the Wyoming Library, and currently attend the Writers’ Group at the Burford Library. All of them were/are great! Brant Writes: Brant Public Library.
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott. I took her “shitty first draft” comment to heart, and it helped me greatly! Just write! Excellent book. Amazon, Goodreads.
Several Short Sentences About Writing by Verlyn Klinkenborg. Excellent, out-of-the-box thinking and ideas. Highly recommended! Amazon, Goodreads.
Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer by Roy Peter Clark. Every writer will find something useful to help them. Great resource! Amazon, Goodreads, Author Home Page.
Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer. An enjoyable and entertaining grammar book…who’d have thought? Amazon, Goodreads, Author Home Page.
Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese. Creativity is fun! Amazon, Goodreads.