Damien Walter

5 things that can go HORRIBLY wrong adapting The Culture

I don’t consider myself a true fan of many things, but I am an unapologetic Iain (M) Banks fanboy. Which is an easy thing to be. Banks is a brilliant, brilliant writer. A storyteller in the class of Neil Gaiman, with the muscular prose abilities of J G Ballard, and the conceptual imagination of anContinue reading “5 things that can go HORRIBLY wrong adapting The Culture”

The shattered realities of William Gibson

Subscribe FREE on YouTube to get every episode https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTLDbr7fXm6Rh17OFIAEeDg To get the most from the episode, read Count Zero by William Gibson http://amzn.to/2Dbr8o9 Read the essay and get my annotations here https://www.patreon.com/posts/i-have-toffee-16453880 Ambient background music by UUriter track Homeland Cassette http://amzn.to/2FPCvnC Join my full course in the Rhetoric of Story (use code STORYFREE) https://www.udemy.com/the-rhetoric-of-story/learn/v4/?couponCode=STORYTEN

Why did the Last Jedi fail?

My profound disappointment in The Last Jedi. CONTAINS SPOILERS.

The 6-step story pitch

So there you are, face to face with the most important agent in your industry. Instead of turning to jelly, use this 6 step pitch process. Join the Rhetoric of Story with course code STORYTEN. https://goo.gl/YDLxoH Shot on the best camera for vloggers. http://amzn.to/2AQ2UPX Audio by Rode. http://amzn.to/2AgfBSR Thanks to Sarah’s House for being aContinue reading “The 6-step story pitch”

After Patreon: we need a Bill of Rights for creators

We live in amazing times for human creativity. There are more opportunities, for more people, of more backgrounds, to create than ever before. I think when we look back on the early 21st century, we’ll recognise it as the turning point into a creator culture, in which we value people for their creative talents, overContinue reading “After Patreon: we need a Bill of Rights for creators”

Stop using guns as a symbol of personal empowerment

We don’t like guns because we like guns. But we DO like guns. Gun manufacturers don’t make $billions every year selling guns to farmers or even armies. The AR-15, America’s bestselling gun, is a sexy-as-hell consumer item. Like a lethal steel iPhone but significantly less useful. I appreciate the vocal efforts of Hollywood A-listers campaigningContinue reading “Stop using guns as a symbol of personal empowerment”

What does a nomad writer pack for 4 years on the road?

Hello! My name is Damien Walter, and I am the nomad writer. I’ve been travelling since November 2013, across Thailand, India, Malaysia and Indonesia. I’m a slow traveller, staying at least two months wherever I go. My main base of operations is Chiang Mai, the “digital nomad” capital of the world. Read Slouching Toward Nimmanhaemin:Continue reading “What does a nomad writer pack for 4 years on the road?”

Beyond the Rhetoric of Story

Since I began work on The Rhetoric of Story, a little over a year ago, the success of the course has far exceeded my expectations. Since launching on Udemy, the course has been in the top 12 of writing for 4 straight months! To date over 1600 students have taken the course, and they’ve hadContinue reading “Beyond the Rhetoric of Story”

A sad truth. Readers will always steal from writers.

This is a little story about volition. Specifically, the choices writers make about how we share and “monetize” our work. It’s a sad little tale, but please read to the end for the moral. “there’s an extra irony here, that these were writers, who no doubt stomp around the internet chanting Pay The Writer wheneverContinue reading “A sad truth. Readers will always steal from writers.”

Odd Gods

Gods are an irresistible subject to writers. They were, after all, the first characters, in the first stories. “In the beginning was the word” is both true, and a clever way for ancient scribes to improve their job security. God is, when all’s said and done, whoever is writing. I found myself writing these storiesContinue reading “Odd Gods”

Creativity Is A Wild Mind

“Creativity is a wild mind & a disciplined eye.” ~ Dorothy Parker Read more Dorothy Parker. Learn the Rhetoric of Story, course code STORYTEN.

One very useful thing to know about depression

Through the month of September 2017 I fought a small scale conflict, against an army of negative thoughts and emotions that had claimed the territory of my mind. I recognised this mental state well. It was what we commonly call depression. To win this fight, I needed strategies. I went back and reviewed the bestContinue reading “One very useful thing to know about depression”