I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Podcast

by
Scott D. Parker

The always excellent Classic Tales Podcast is featuring three Sherlock Holmes tales in November. I subscribe to the podcast and was happily surprised to spend a couple hours this week again in the company of Holmes and Watson. B. J. Harrison does the pair with good narration and I can always 'see' what he's reading.

It's been awhile since Harrison did Holmes, but if you need an aural Holmes fix on a more regular basis, I cannot recommend the "I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere" highly enough. With the tagline "In a world where it's always 1895," this monthly podcast is devoted exclusively to news and other tidbits about Holmes, Watson, the world in which they lived, and the people around the world who follow their exploits.

The website is chock full of information about the great detective. I dare say, in my online activities, it is the primary source for all things Holmsian. From this website, you can get to just about anything you want, including the Baker Street Journal, one their sponsors.

But it is the podcast itself that is so much fun. In fact, I find it essential listening. The two hosts are about as charming as you can find online. Scott Monty and Burt Wolder are steeped in the lore of the Canon and all the other paraphernalia surrounding Holmes and Watson, so much so that they often make funny, yet dry, jokes that insiders will laugh at and newbies will learn. There is a gentle quality to their voices that can soothe during a harsh rush hour but stimulate the brain as well. Their interviews cover the spectrum as well. There's a dropdown menu on the front page where you can see all the folks they've interviewed and go straight there. I always am pleased when I refresh my list of podcasts and see another one of their podcasts downloading. I load it on the iPod that very day and enjoy the listen.

On this Saturday in November, find whatever device you use to listen to audio material and download the latest episode, "Thankful for Sherlock Holmes," and enjoy it. Then you can realize you have 57 more. There's your early Christmas present. And you're welcome.


What are some great podcast you listen to?

Podcasting? There's Probably A Cream For That.

By Jay Stringer

If you checked in late yesterday you'll have seen we posted a new podcast. Well, sort of. We posted a bit of me talking.

We enjoyed doing the DSD podcast. It was fun, occasionally booze soaked, and more than a little ranty. Most of the DSD crew made some form of appearance, though there are a couple we still need to rope in, and we also had some great guests. Reed Farrel Coleman made Russel and I blush a couple of times, Tony Black talked to us from the bottom of a bucket, Chuck Wendig used some creative language, and we discussed crime comics for about six hours with two of my favourite podcasters. Oh, and Hilary Davidson came on and classed the joint up a bit.

Plus, let's not forget discussing Doctor Who, my obsession with getting a Watchmen reference into every show, and Dave's brilliant theme tune.

We had the idea of splitting the show into seasons. It seems to me a lot of podcasts out there either come out every single week and end up fading in and out of your ears, or have an erratic schedule that makes them easy to stop listening to. So we decided we'd do blocks, we had season 1, where we fudged the audio a bit, broke microphones, learned how to edit, and talked about pants. We had season 2, where we started inviting people into the play house and getting all chat show on your ass. Then we ended season two with the big Doctor Who special that made Dave jump up and down with joy.

And then...well.....there was.......

There was thing thing, see? The dog ate it. We ran out of gas. We had a flat tire. We didn't have enough money for cab fare. Our tux didn't come back from the cleaners. And old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole our car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. It wasn't our fault, we swear to god.

(Just ask Babs, she'll tell ya)

We kept meaning to. John Hornor Jacobs released an awesome book, and we planned to talk to him. Joelle released, I think, another twelve, and we meant to bring her back in. I wanted to do a big RAIDERS 3oth anniversary special. But it's tough getting the band back together when we're all writers and living in different time zones. We're like the Beatles, only, you know, good.

And as I look around, there are a tonne of good podcasts out there. There's shows like The Deceptionists for writing chat. There's Fuzzy Typewriter that covers films, TV, books and comics. There's WTF, which covers....most of everything else. Around Comics returned from hiatus, because my time was full enough already. And our buddy Seth Harwood is king of the pile at crime podcasting.

So, tell us, what would you like to hear from season 3? Are you up for another 8-12 episodes of DSD? Do you want interviews? And if so, who? Or practical advice? Or some kind of group therapy session? Do you want to join in? Or fill in? Do we want guest hosts?

Chuck Wendig and I briefly kicked around a few ideas last year that would have lead to the two of us co-hosting a podcast dedicating to writing and the profanity of language. But he's taking over the world, and I'm basically lazy. But I wonder if there's something in that, do we do a spin-off show? Say, DSD PRESENTS; THE HACKS. A monthly(ish) show where we get a round table of three or four writers to just sit and shoot the shit about craft, and about whatever books they've got coming out, and how they wrote them, and who was on the grassy knoll?

I don't know, it's over to you, dear reader. What would you like to hear?

Seth Harwood visits Jay Stringer: YOUNG JUNIUS

Seth Harwood and Jay Stringer chat it up. Check out the book: YOUNG JUNIUS

AS ALWAYS:

You can get the FREE podcast by

1. Right-clicking on the title up there at the top (or, if you have one of those Apple computers, whatever you people do)

2. Visiting the iTunes music store (where you can subscribe)

or

3. Visiting the Feedburner page

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4. Click here

Frank Bill day at DSD

By Steve Weddle

Today you get pixels and a podcast.

I talked to Frank Bill about his new book, DONNYBROOK. You can find the podcast at the DSD Podcast page.

Here's what folks are saying about the book:

"Donnybrook is some serious hillbilly-noir that had my ears ringing by the end. Open the first page... and duck." --Craig Clevenger, author of The Contortionist's Handbook and Dermaphoria

“Dark, grim, and achingly beautiful. Frank Bill is one of the most original and compelling voices in this new generation of crime writers, and Donnybrook is nothing short of stunning.” -- John Rector, author of The Cold Kiss and The Grove

"Donnybrook is a bellow of rage from the American heartland, and Bill is the new bard of the disaffected rural underclass." -- Roger Smith, acclaimed author of Wake Up Dead

"With Donnybrook, Frank Bill has crafted one of the most fearless debut novels I've read in years. Bill has taken the rural noir traditions established by such masters as Larry Brown and Daniel Woodrell and has completely shattered them and reshaped those traditions into the methamphetamine fueled nightmare that is Donnybrook."--Keith Rawson, editor/publisher, Crimefactory Magazine

“Donnybrook is the culmination of Frank Bill's craft and style. The story gleams with ruined characters who reflect our drug-adulterated times, and dialogue that captures a singularly American desperation." -- Elaine Ash, editor Beat to a Pulp

Over at the DSD Podcast you'll find some of my conversation with Frank Bill about the book, his progress as a writer, meth cooking, and dead squirrels.

The Shameless Promotion Blog

By Jay Stringer

So I’ve been talking up on the twitters about two secret projects that I’ve been working away on. So secret that I’ve been talking about them on the twitters, right?

Well the second one is still cooking. You’ll be hearing about it soon, and I’m damned excited. It involves two great writers and has me tagging along.

But the first secret is out of the bag as of yesterday, and I hope y’all will take a look.

I’m a fan of podcasts. I was an early adopter; in my mid twenties I found myself living in an empty flat alone, with just a laptop and an Internet connection. Podcasts became a way to stay in touch with all the things I couldn’t afford to do; films, music, comic books and crime fiction.

They’ve taken off over the last few years, and now it seems like everyone has a podcast. Hell, we’ve got one. Check out the link to the right, It’s pretty good.

Anyway, focus, Stringer, focus.

One of my favourite podcasts these days is Matinee Idles. It’s a simple but effective formula; four guys get together and talk about films. Sometimes sober, sometimes not. Sometimes they agree, sometimes they don’t.

Check them out through itunes. The best episode so far, in my opinion at least, is the BLADE RUNNER ep. They spend two hours getting into every nook and cranny of that film, and you’ll come out of it finding some aspect you’d never considered before.

But check out all the other episodes too. Aside from film, you’ll hear about the fashion choices of Luke Cage, the genius of Keanu Reeves and the forgotten classic that is The Fall Guy.

But the guys were not content with having a really cool podcast. Nooooo. They decided to take over the Internet too. Starting this week the Matinee Idles website is up and providing, “an internet hub for multiple perspectives and opinions on film. Not a site dedicated to entertainment news or celebrity antics, but a site dedicated to actual movie discussion.”

Not enough for ya? Here’s more, “This website is about community and simply talking about one thing we all love: movies. I mean, we hope people check it out, but at the base of this project is the sole idea that we have created something that can hopefully bring a few film-fanatics together.”

There will be regular written content; reviews, articles and news. This is just the beginning, so join in and help it grow.

They were crazy enou….ummm….I mean clever enough to ask me to join in. There’s nothing more powerful than a bad idea whose time has come, and to prove that my feature will be a weekly review of a bad film. Each week I’ll be wheeling something out –from the latest blockbusters to old forgotten gems- and telling you what doesn’t make them tick.

And not just that. If you listen really carefully to an upcoming podcast, you might just hear me. I guested with the guys on an episode all about IRON MAN 2.

So that’s the first secret project out of the bag. In true comic book style I’m forging a cross over right here, Do Some Damage and Matinee Idles, twice as much cool content and two podcasts to subscribe to.

But while we're at it, what podcasts do you guys listen to? Who do you want to plug?

Flash, Holmes, Podcast

By Steve Weddle

Jay Stringer and I just hung up -- or 'clicked off' (What do we say anymore? And why do we still say 'dial' a phone number when we just press buttons in the post-rotary days?) -- from the Skypes for our second DSD podcast.

The iTunes shoppe page for the podcast is here. You can download individual episodes or subscribe to the whole run. The second show will be up mid-week after Jay works his evil magic to make me sound like an over-caffeinated lemur.

Future episodes will include publishing news of the week, interviews, reviews, and audio stories.

In this second episode, John McFetridge reads his short story "Santa in a Red Dress."

Jay and I discuss blogs worth reading, the Sherlock Holmes movie (along with a review from Scott D. Parker), and flash fiction. I have a few thoughts about flash fiction and I'd like to know what you think.

1. Flash Fiction owes its popularity to the fact that most people can't follow a single thought for more than thirty seconds. Or eight seconds. Like in that movie where the dude is a rodeo rider and rapper. Or maybe that was EIGHT MILES. Something. Eight something. Eight Days a Week. Beatles. Rock Band. Hey, the Wii is open. Time for a quick bike ride around Wii island.

2. Flash Fiction works much better on the Innerwebs than it does in print. As Jay and I were discussing on the podcast, when his grandpa and I were growing up, we read ink-on-paper magazines. You might have heard about a shepherd boy who threw a rock and cracked open jars full of old copies of LIFE and US WEEKLY. Now flash fiction challenges such as this one and this one and this one allow readers and writers to get glimpses of talent they didn't know existed. When we relied on print mags for our fiction, the flash fiction might have gotten lost between stories, if you could find it at all. A 400-page collection of 200 flash pieces? Not likely.

3. Flash Fiction is much easier to find now. I remember some collections of flash fiction that I used when I taught literature. You could give it to the college students and start a good discussion on character and setting and so forth. Very helpful, since you could read the piece in class and not have to rely on college students actually having done the work. We only had a few choices back when I was teaching. The monks took a long time to illustrate the scrolls scrolls we used. Now, using the community I mentioned above in Idiotic Point The First, finding flash fiction is easier.

4. OK. Let's think about this one for a second. You put a story up on the Innerwebs, chances are you aren't going to get paid $10,000 for it. I remember reading something Garrison Keillor wrote about a story he'd done in The New Yorker, a story had gotten him $10,000 or so. Most online magazines now are run by folks who love what they do and love the stories they work with. They're not doing this for the money, because, well, there ain't none. And the print mags? Did another one die today? I didn't check. So we rely on the online magazines to provide us with great fiction. The writers don't get paid. The editors don't get paid. So, from a writer's point of view, if you're trying to get noticed and share some of your work, does it make sense to spend your time writing a 7,000-word story for one magazine or writing 10 stories of 700 words for various sites? Personally, it depends on what the story is. I've got longer stuff out there because that what it takes to tell the story. I've got shorter stuff out there because I wanted to have fun with something and maybe try out something new. A new character. A wacky idea. Take a chance, you know? But do you think writers are spending more time writing flash because they don't want to spend their "free time" -- time off from paid jobs, doing something for which they don't get paid -- writing for free? Dunno. Maybe some folks work like this.

5. Flash Fiction is great for writers because you can focus on a particular scene or character in something under 1,000 words. You get that done, maybe it's a chapter in a novel. Maybe it's a character study for a novella. Flash Fiction helps writers test out a new voice or fresh idea, as I mentioned a second ago (I remind you because the TV news tells me you have a short attention span. Remember? I already mentioned that.) and, wait, where was I? Oh, yeah. So you take this little, tight piece you've worked on and build it into something more, something bigger. Like you've made an appetizer and want to work it into a larger meal. Or you've painted your study and now want to carry that color scheme throughout the rest of the house.

So what do you think about Flash Fiction? What purpose does it serve? Do you think writers waste their time on these smaller pieces? Or do you think this helps readers and writers?

Do Some Damage At Christmas, podcast show notes.

Hey folks!

Just a quick break from the secret santa schedule before Scott's goes up.

This is our first podcast. Well, sort of. It's the first you'll get to hear but, true to it being recorded by two writers, it's not the first attempt at recording one. You'll still hear it's a bit rough around the edges, but we're proud of it. If you've not listened yet, click on the link to the right.

Here's the books we talked about this week;

-Parker: The Hunter. Darwyn Cooke's adaptation of the Richard Stark classic.

-Gun Monkeys. Victor Gischler

-Big City, Bad Blood. Sean Chercover

-Caught Stealing. Charlie Huston

-The Lost Sister. Russel D McLean

-Let It Ride. John McFetridge

-When One Man Dies. Dave White

-Grinder. Mike Knowles

-Yellow Medicine. Anthony Neil Smith

-The Devil's Staircase. Helen Fitzgerald.

-Gutted. Tony Black.

-The Last Place. Laura Lipman.

-Judas Kiss. J.T.Ellison.

-Beast Of Burden. Ray Banks.

-Slammer. Allan Guthrie.

We'll be back at work at future podcasts soon, playing around with the formula, smoothing out the gremlins, bringing in the other guys. If there's anything you want to hear, let us know.

We hope you all had a great christmas, and look forward to writing for you in the new year!