Earlier this year I interviewed Kneel Downe about his Twitter story @VirulentBlurb. Well now Virulent Blurb has morphed into book form with the first book Fractures. So today, on the release of the book, I thought it would be cool to revisit Kneel and talk about how he got Virulent Blurb to this point and what is in store for Virulent Blurb in the future. So without any further delay here is Kneel Downe talking about his first book release and his creation Virulent Blurb.
You've had quite a bit going on since we last talked to you. Tell us a bit about how The Virulent Blurb book came about?
Hello again!
Can I just take the time to thank you for your support of the VirulentBlurb website, twitter feed and ALL things Blurbian…it is greatly appreciated…
Yes…things have been quite hectic since last we spoke. In the intervening time I’ve probably travelled more than I have in years.
Many meetings with the Media guys have taken place and after quite a large amount of soul searching we have finally made a choice as to just who we are going to entrust with the Blurb franchise…at a later date we can hopefully discuss this further but for now all I can really say is that the project is go and we are now in the middle of the ‘finance’ stage.
There was an offer on the table that involved a rather exciting amount of money but the flipside was loss of creative control…henceforth we took the longer route. The Blurb is too precious to me right now to hand it over to anyone I don’t really trust..
The book VIRULENTBLURB:FRACTURES came about mainly due to requests and the feeling that right now would probably be a good time to gather everything together and release it as an introduction to the Blurb Universe…
I’m hoping that people will enjoy…
What will the book consist of and will there be more books?
FRACTURES is basically all the tweets from the first ‘chapter’ of the Blurb, together with the history, CASCADE and the first three mini scripts. Taken as a whole they form a cohesive story of just what is going on in this phase of the Blurb Universe. There are also new linking pieces and a few brand new tales at the end, that tease you about this universe’s past and future…haha, I shall say no more!
Originally I had planned to include a stand alone piece entitled WOLVES ON THE BEACH but as I worked on it I realised it was growing far too large and that I would be giving too much away about the stories and the character’s future…Rest assured it will form the spine of a later book. (Although I would just like to say Egypt, Vikings, Dinosaurs and Mars)
What other plans do you have for Virulent Blurb?
This is just the first of hopefully many VirulentBlurb books. I’m currently three quarters of the way through the next one, which will be called RABBIT’S RUN: THE JOURNAL OF KURT LOBO. You can find the first chapter on the website. It’s a much more focused and traditional style of book. It kicks off just before the events of the twitter tale and ends just after the events in the scripts…in essence it will retell the story from Kurt’s viewpoint and will bring this part of the story to an end.
The only thing I had in mind when I began the Blurb was a final secret…a last reveal…rest assured you will find this in Kurt’s book but let’s just say this will set the story off in even wilder directions.
After that we will be going back in time to the creation of the Blurb Universe…just how did this world come about? If you follow the feed you will see the backbone of this story taking place right now…truth be told we go even further back…right back to the dawn of time and the birth of a twisted, cruel warlock. A Lord of Lies and Mirrors.
This Book will be called VirulentBlurb: REFLECTIONS and will hopefully be out by summer 2013.
Tells us about the Characters that have been spawned by Virulent Blurb like Kurt Lobo?
Ah…dear old Kurt. I love that character. I’m also aware that a large number of readers are also very fond of him. It’s odd then that Kurt Lobo only came about as a character to build the initial script around. I was going to run with a Private Eye tale and use Kurt’s already introduced brother Lyca.
However it didn’t feel right. I couldn’t hang it together and so, in the space of one long Dog walk the character of Kurt Lobo was born. Name, description, motives, character etc…
As soon as I started to write him down I fell in love with him completely. I had to stop writing the script to scribble down what became The Journal of Kurt Lobo. The voice was so strong. The Fecker just would not shut up.
I like using different styles…the tweets are immediate sudden explosions of visual words…I NEVER go back and change them, that’s just not how they work. I feel that doing so would somehow break them….
But Kurt? You may laugh but I generally need to have had a few drinks, smoked a few smokes and gone and found one of my many Trilbys before I can conjure him up or, to be more precise, let him out.
I love writing him but I find it quite exhausting. He has a certain way of taking over and colouring the ‘real’. As many of your readers will know, I’m not averse to the odd Twitter rant or cynical outpouring…don’t blame me blame Kurt. Chances are I will just have been writing him.
Another favourite is yet another originally ‘throw away’ character. DARK DELIVERANCE.
I had the idea of playing around with Super Heroes in the Blurb reality…what would they be like? I thought this would be just a humorous one off and deliberately created caricatures of famous icons. It’s quite obvious who DD is but after a while I realised that beyond this ‘smart joke’ lay a very tortured and deep person. I would get excited about visiting him again…I wanted to know just where he was going…I do now know. (Spoilers)
And recently the character from TranceMissionz has stepped up to the plate and demanded more air time. Our little Tiger soldier has quite an adventure before him.
Characters eh? Can’t live with them can’t live without them…
How would you describe the Blurb Universe? I get the impression the universe is a cross between Blade Runner and Sin City with a darker feel to it?
I’m perfectly happy with that comparison. To be honest, there is no fixed influence on the Blurb but rather a myriad of fractures and images taken from everything I’ve ever seen, heard or admired. I get the Sin City thing totally, especially when I’m writing Kurt and truth be told that part of the tale looks increasingly like it the more I visit his character. But there are loads more.
For instance, the Blurb I’m writing right now, before the ‘FALL’ looks and feels very much like Transmetropolitan to me. I can see the kind of city/reality that Warren Ellis conjured so well. There’s a kind of ugly beauty to the world in this time frame.
The Blurb you all currently know also has it’s roots in Burton’s vision of Gotham, all steaming grates and impossible buildings. If you ever get the chance then check out a film called DARK CITY, I do believe a large amount of Blurb seeped into my mind from there.
But, whenever I really need to bring that world into focus, I find myself remembering the scene early on in the MATRIX…the shot of that old building, drenched in and dripping relentless rain…odd, I know but it always gets me bang in the zone.
Where would you like to take Virulent Blurb? You have the book coming out what else is planned?
Earlier this year I had an extended period of being ‘under the weather’. I couldn’t really focus on serious work so I took the opportunity to sketch out an entire history and timeframe for the Blurb Universe. This involved many sheets of paper, many lines, circles and not a small amount of bad language. By the end of it I realised just how big and just how many stories there are in this creature.
I have a long list of Titles, with histories attached, so all being well we should see a new Blurb book at regular intervals.
As well as this there is also the continued attempt to get the Visual side of the Blurb up on it’s feet. As I said earlier it’s all down to raising finance right now but we have a good feeling about things. A further round of meetings this year should be able to shed more light on this.
I’m very, very interested in getting the Blurb into a graphic novel format and conversations continue with a number of artists who’s work I greatly admire.
And, if I’m not spreading myself too thin, I’m more and more intrigued by Audio Plays and the possibilities therein.
I have a sneaky feeling that something will happen with this. Hopefully quite soon.
How does music influence your writing? What types of Music have influenced the Blurb universe?
I long ago lost the need or desire to watch television. Sure, I love certain shows and I adore film but I like to be able to choose just how and when I watch them. Music however…
I simply could not exist without music. I find it informs and ignites nearly everything I do.
Originally an old tired Punk I own and enjoy so many types of music I’m not actually sure what I am anymore.
The vast bulk of the Blurb Scripts were written on a diet of beer and, of all things, Jethro Tull!! I know, I don’t understand it either. It just worked. It unlocked whatever needed unlocking.
The main story, however was inspired by everything from MCR and Hawkwind to the KLF and mid period Toyah. The VEIL in particular looks like Toyah sounds. All green vines, creepers, ruined temples and crashed spacecraft.
At the moment the older version of the city is being fuelled by Green Day, The King Blues and Alkaline Trio…again I’m not really sure why but it just seems to fit. Anger, energy and a sense of resentment?
One thing I do know, is NEVER choose a piece you expect will paint an image for you…you’re just trying to shoehorn an idea into somewhere it may not want to go…
Stick on some music and wait to see just where it wants to take you. You will often be pleasantly surprised.
Speaking of music there is plans for a Virulent Blurb Musical. How did that come about and could it be like The Who’s Quadrophenia or Pink Floyd’s The Wall style of Rock Opera?
The term MUSICAL is a little bit grand, really. What was planned was an album length ‘concept piece’ set within the world and focussing on various characters and scenes…
It was slated for a June release but other things came to the fore and it was unfortunately pushed into the background.
However…most of the tracks were written and demoed and a very loose thread was sketched between the tracks.
The story takes another twist now, as last month I was contacted by a new, young band who were very interested in taking the idea and demos and running with it themselves. In style they remind me very much of Danger Days MCR, which to me is a good thing.
So…I have said yes and as far as I know they are currently playing around with the material.
I have stipulated that I would like each track to echo the influences that drove me to write the Blurb, so it should be a varied and ‘interesting work.’
It also seems as if I will get to do my best Alice Cooper impersonation on the Track Dead Box….so, allow me to apologize in advance.
You’re also involved with Trance Missionz along with Ren Zelen and Steve Taylor – Bryant (who runs Opinionated Geek) could you tells us about that and your involvement?
Yes…
Look, I want to make something very clear here.
I adore seeing new, untried writers being inspired by people like Jeff Noon, or my own stumbling efforts. In fact, the best part of the Blurb experience has been my ability to promote, retweet and generally shout about such things.
There is a wealth of talent out there and it would be a shame if they just sat in the shadows and never ever had the confidence to step forward.
For example…have you seen the recent Tim and Death tweets by Ben Cooper? Superb.
Wrong Triangle is also finding his feet and producing very interesting work.
How many of you know that my editor Mandy Gibson has her own twitter poetry feed? WellOverThought? Go look…find some wonderful free work.
And as for my now fearless agent Steve Taylor-Bryant…I’ve watched him go from an unsure writer to one of twitters most prolific and assured bloggers.
So…to answer your question. TranceMissionz was an experiment to gather some new voices along with some writers I already adored.
Check out Ren Zelen’s work, available to buy via ebook and most of you already know of my love for the work of James Knight, especially the wonderful Bird King series.
Very loosely connected to the Blurb Universe it is an ongoing story of a certain number of characters, lost in a world they do not know.
It started very well, but a number of us were waylaid by real life, work and in certain cases, ill health.
However it still lives and will continue to grow…trust me on this. I think we’re all to fond of it for it to just fade away…
In fact, I’ve been thinking that it may be time to recruit some new characters…watch your inbox people…a bald old man may send you a message.
Do you already have the end planned for Virulent Blurb? Do you know how the story will eventually end or if it will end?
I know how each phase of the story ends but as yet there is no definite end in sight. It seems, much like real life, as I approach an end then another opportunity, another question arises. Wheels within wheels and all that. I do know that some characters will come and go and that new players will take the stage. To be perfectly honest I can’t see a conclusive end right now. I’m not sure I would want one. As long as my head keeps leaking ideas and worlds and as long as people are interested then I can see this Universe going on for quite some time.
Besides The Blurb what other projects do you have on your pallet? Any other writing ventures or projects that you want to partake?
Most of what I want to say or do can very easily fit into this crazy, twisted Universe, so right now I have no real desire or need to look elsewhere.
I HAVE been contacted about a number of things by people I really am not allowed to mention, though. Let’s just say if anything comes of these tentative discussions then it would be a dream come true.
To be honest, I DO miss music so somewhere down the line I may play around with some songs.
The only other thing on the horizon is an ongoing project called TWENTY THREE MINUTES OF FOREVER…an attempt to create a tweet for every second in this time frame…I’m suspecting this may take quite a while. You can catch their appearance on my personal twitter feed. And spare a thought for Steve, my agent who has the arduous task of collecting and ordering them all.
Here is the most important question. Where can people order the Virulent Blurb book?
As of now all I can tell you is that it will be available via www.lulu.com and that the ISBN is978-1-291-09443-5
Rest assured, as soon as the page and link are live I will forward you the details.
Once again, many, many thanks………..and pleasant dreaming to you all…..
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