Author Archives: Damien Walter

Is there any such thing as Geek Culture?

There is no end, it seems, to the impotent outrage of geek dudes who feel hard done by because scifi films no longer exclusively feature geeky white dude protagonists. Here’s the latest dumb s*&t from those guys: Any dork hating on Ready Player One stems from jealousy since Ernest Cline seems to be living theContinue reading “Is there any such thing as Geek Culture?”

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

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?”

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.”