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Zane Stumpo

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first registered 28.09.10

last online 16 hours ago

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about me

Guilty secret time. I'm a TV and film writer, producer and director. There. That feels better. I've spent most of my career bidding for work rather than doing it, so my achievements are modest. (Apart from the BAFTA.) But I thought if I admitted working in the meeja you'd think I was a smartarse, so I was coy.

Now it's all out, and I have to admit I have so much I want to achieve and am fighting to get done. My first novel was a high-concept thriller which found me an agent, but no publishing deal. When I was writing the thriller, I found it hard to keep it serious. That’s why I decided to write a book in which I could be as daft as I liked. I’ve had fun with the story, the characters and the POV, with an increasingly deranged narrator playing fast and loose with the accepted conventions of the novel. The story may be ludicrous, but it’s based on my fascination with the even dafter implications of quantum physics. And I love a proper plot. Anyone reading the whole thing will discover that the book is also an exploration of our fears of failing to reach our potential. Spot a personal theme there? There’s also a trade off between being decent and being successful – not many people achieve both. I've often managed to be both unsuccessful and indecent, which is an achievement of sorts.

So idiocy – but hopefully thoughtful idiocy.

There will be explanations of some of the problems facing Graham Paint at the end of the book, but I can’t include them here since they have non-Authonomy-friendly diagrams.

I've now made an audio recording of Chapter 1.

It's at - http://soundcloud.com/zane-stumpo/schr-dingerss-caterpillar

I’ve also finished an animated trailer for the book.

It's at - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwWLPEpBSis

And yes, that's me and my voice, and my drawings, and my creative and comic genius. Which is why it's quite short.

I've just started a blog at:

http://zane-stumpo.blogspot.co.uk but there's not a lot of wisdom there yet. There is a pic and links to the other stuff, though.

All feedback on the book gratefully received, cos I want to see if anyone else finds it funny, and I promise to work on it till it succeeds. Enjoy!

P.S. I have an outline for the sequel to Schrödinger's Caterpillar and may well start writing this over Christmas/ sorry, soon.

P.P.S. I'm now directing two stage plays for a new professional theatre company in the Scottish Borders call Treading The Borders - the first time I've ever tried that. And I'm doing the computer graphics for a feature film. Slowly I'm ticking off the list of things I must do before I die. I still have to sail the Atlantic and buy an open top sports car. (EDIT: I've now bought it. It's a red open topped MGB.) But at least only two of the items on the list involve sex. And only one of them involves the car as well.

I can be contacted at: zane@northlight.tv

favourite books

Douglas Adams is God, combining the dafter implications of science with a wonderful comic imagination. Robert Rankin has a stream-of-consciousness looniness on the page which makes me laugh.

'The Meaning of Liff' - Douglas Adams and John Lloyd
'Delete This At Your Peril' - Neil Forsyth
'The Wasp Factory' - Iain Banks
'The Last Oil Shock' - David Strahan
'Adventures In The Screen Trade' - William Goldman
'Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner' - James Hogg

my websites

http://zane-stumpo.blogspot.co.uk     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwWLPEpBSis

HarperCollins is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Self-publish with CreateSpace

my books

Schrödinger's Caterpillar

Zane Stumpo

Help! My book’s been hijacked by a deranged narrator! He’s turned an exploration of parallel universes into a total farce. Now I look completely ridiculous.


Graham Paint is a downsizing consultant, and sick of it. One morning he misses his bus when he stops to put a strange caterpillar in a matchbox. As the bus passes he’s shocked to spot himself inside. Like Schrödinger’s Cat in the famous quantum thought experiment, the caterpillar's spawned parallel possibilities.  This comic novel explores Graham’s search for a better life among the various overlapping alternatives.

Another clone, Grim Dupeint, is a loathsome international arms dealer. Graham infiltrates Grim’s corporation, then embezzles cash for charity. When a furious Grim realises, Graham must act fast. And right now he's acting like fish food.

Graham launches upon a new lifestyle (and sex life) as he dons the designer suits of power. But sinister figures soon see through Graham’s clothing.

Now Graham’s under attack from the corporation, the police, his ex-wife’s private detective, and an infuriatingly pompous water-colourist who Graham might have been if he’d gone to art college rather than business school. To survive (and steal the artist’s wonderful girlfriend) Graham needs to find hidden resources. 

By definition Dopplegraham’s equally resourceful. 

Bugger...

Schrödinger's Caterpillar - a stupid book for brainy people!

 

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leave me a message

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latest

Shain Knowles wrote 1 day ago

Hi Zane, Saw your trailer it was awesome. How do I get one? For my b....

R.Moore wrote 1 day ago

So you've only got a human head?

Knowone wrote 1 day ago

...appearing to be fulfilling biblical prophecy. I hope that helps....

Knowone wrote 1 day ago

Hi Zane I noticed you had un-friended me and wanted to apologise ....

R.Moore wrote 2 days ago

You're a witty chap Zane. Aren't you wasted in human form?

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my comments

latest

I wrote 2 days ago

"Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people" - Karl Marx. This feels like you've combined the religion, the people and the opium on the page. view book

I wrote 15 days ago

So far I've just tasted the first chapter, but I feel I know you and like you. I'd enjoy your company, and feel I could relax - no matter how badly behaved I was you'd probably outdo me. Then I'd compete. So the narrative hook is you as much as the story. Forgive me if it's all a careful construct f... view book

I wrote 44 days ago

Started with the first two chapters. Roger, Radian, Rhomboid, whoever - you have a unique voice and a heap of deluded insights to express with it. Which is good. There are many writers on this site who can punctuate more consistently, but couldn't come near you for style, originality and sheer reada... view book

I wrote 79 days ago

ComLit review - Mrs Maginess is Dead Well who swallowed a dictionary then? Lots of fun with words and language, which is right up my street. First reactions: TITLE: Excellent. A question immediately raised, and an indication of mock seriousness. SHORT PITCH: Not keen on this. The 'What co... view book

I wrote 93 days ago

ComLit review - French Roast and Lingerie by Jed Oliver A pleasure to dig into this book by one of the most generous and helpful characters on ComLit, and by definition, on authonomy. The style is gentle and whimsical, and much of the humour comes from Jed's wonderfully surreal sense of the absur... view book

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