Tales from a Bruised Mind

A good friend of mine brought it up to me just the other day:”Well, Zak, what’s next?”

No, they weren’t talking about my next car, or what was for dessert. Rather, they really wanted to know what I was writing next.

A Ballad from a Bruised Brain was a book I really had the calling to write – I had to share the horrors of my brain to ultimately do my bit and help others. That very orange book is me reaching out, me opening my heart, and me being just as bloody real as can be. It’s a raw tale.

Ever since I started writing back in school, I was never very good at making things up with words. If an research essay or assignment came up, though, I’d sing with joy.

I loved looking into the small details and finding the answers to real world issues. World War 2, racism in the United States, the Vietnam War, Westernised popular culture: all real stuff.

So in a really roundabout way, when people ask me what’s next to write, the truth is that I really wanted to write another true story, but ultimately, I went the complete opposite way, and dived straight into a scary realm for me: fiction land.

Here’s a breakdown of what’s in the works on Zak’s laptop, as we speak. I’ll do my best not to spoil anything…

Paradise, where are you?

What is it about? PWAY tells the story and journey of a young writer from Perth who is thrust into an inheritance from a man he has never met. PWAY revolves around themes of wealth, of love, of trust and also plenty of greed.

The inspiration behind it: I remember wondering randomly one day what it would be like to have all the money in the world and how I’d use it. Part of the inspiration has come from a man by the name of William Randolph Hearst, one of the most influential American media tycoons of the early 1900s. He famously built a huge castle, officially called the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, on the California coast. Right on the Pacific Ocean. The construction was an obviously expensive exercise, but the whole idea of building your own castle/empire was one of the big reasons why I began writing. The book is also influenced with some of my personal experiences, but not many.

What state is the book in? Is it close to being done? The first draft of the PWAY is completed. With the launch of my first book, this one fell a little to the wayside, but I am to have the book put into a hardcopy/softcopy very, very soon!

What the synopsis of the book is: You’ll have to wait and see, but the book is a true rollercoaster ride!

Why I want to self-publish it: This story is one of the first times I have come across a really good idea that I don’t think anyone has ever done before. When these moments happen, I jump straight at the opportunity. I think I’ve realised that the best fiction stories are ones that are ultimately grounded in some form of reality.

Untitled future project

What is it? It’s very, very early days, but a new idea came into my head and I thought it would definitely be book material. The basic story revolves around the hottest new band coming into its early days of fame and success. Two albums are in the bag and they are riding the subsequent success. But a trip to a remote island to record a new album could be the end of the band. Tempers flare, writer’s block sets in and a multitude of other problems arise. Will they make it out the other side?

The inspiration behind it: One of the most famous record producers of all time, George Martin, who recorded The Beatles for many of their albums, decided to open a remote recording studio on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean. He called the studio AIR Montserrat and recorded many, many influential artists there, including The Police, Elton John, Earth, Wind & Fire, Paul McCartney and more. I watched a documentary about the whole thing, and I loved the idea of it. I loved the idea of being so remote and creating music. But then I also thought, “What if something went wrong, like someone went nuts?”. This spurred me to start a plot line for the book, and I went from there.

What the synopsis of the book is: I am still working this out actually, so bare with me while I create some cool ideas!

Why I want to self-publish it: It’s another idea that is really founded in a real story. It’ll be very different to the George Martin story about AIR Montserrat, but I truly believe in having good fiction within a world that is already real.

So now I guess the time is come when I need to keep on writing. I’ve invested in a fancy new keyboard to give my old Macbook Pro’s keys a rest – they’ve been through enough as it is.

I’ll keep you updated as I progress further with what I think will be two great books!

Big love,

Zak