23 Comments
Nov 14, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

I'm thinking of becoming a junkie just so I can hang out with Rob.

Those snippets gave me a right chuckle. Nice one DF.

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Nov 15, 2023·edited Nov 17, 2023Author

Nice one, Emma. It was a bit of an experiment, telling stories with just dialogue. And frustrating too because there's loads of other really good stuff that surrounds these vignettes; for instance, your new best mate Rob (RIP) had a home-done tattoo on his arm of a syringe with 'STILL WINING' (sic) underneath. Kind of weird watching him in his NHS wheelchair negotiate through the many empty methadone bottles and a zillion pizza boxes that comprised his carpet. Thanks for the comment, always much appreciated.

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These were really good. This should expand, great format, great idea, tight, even though I didn't get some of the British jargon, I laughed. At the horror. You can make me laugh at horror, and that is the only reason human beings made it this far. Keep up the good work

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Thank you, Mark. Really appreciated. My usual writing, and especially my - so far seven years in the writing - manuscript, it's an overload of prose, or as a writer friend said (and I quote): "...that's why your text is hypertrophying, prolapsing under the weight of its excessive verbiage." Little did he know that was the plan, but the point remains. So, stripping stories down to just dialogue is the opposite of what I usually do, and I learned something from it, which is a bonus. And yes, you make a good point, one that is necessary with my work, you can't tell such tales without laughter, because, not only is that (as you said) how we get through life, it's how those people got through theirs, so it seems like some kind of justice. Best wishes.

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Nov 22, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Ha ha, Pakka is great isn't he, just calls it as it is. Yes I caught the last ten mins as poor old Barkley came on for another root chakra pounding. Was up in the studio planning dissident music world dominination. I'll be watching it all later today. I'll definitely pop on soon.

Cheers Chris.

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Yes, it's always good when these things happen organically. It started with him being first in all call-in shows, then when I barely had the energy to speak for the first time ever 9I think) I let on whoever wanted to come on at the same time, and it worked. SO I asked him if he was up for being a co-host and here we are. Try and contrie something like that and it lacks authenticity. He sat there for the entire show and probably said about 20 words, lol. Root Chakra, nonsense!

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Nov 20, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Excellent, loved this. I've been racking my brain trying to remember something to share in a similar vein. Boom boom!

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Cheers, Al. Much appreciated. Loads more have come back to me since I dragged these from notebooks. I've been recording them on my voice memo phone thingy. But I'll get a normal short in between for variety. Thanks for the kind words and leaving a comment. if you do remember any, drop them in. There's probably hundreds floating around in your head, knowing the company you've kept over the years. Also, I played Forty Two's new tune on a stream the other day, and it went down a treat! Good work.

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Nov 21, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Nice one Chris, really appreciate it. I caught up on that stream & left a comment. Had to take the GF out to dinner but would have been on the call in if I'd been on the live one for sure. The back & forth with young Barks was epic!

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No worries Al, ha, "I had to take the GF out to dinner" compared to her version, "Me and my boyfriend had a romantic dinner last night". We had another call-in last night. Good fun. It started as a necessity, as I'm just whacked. Black Friday week is a killer if you're in Ecommerce and you're the marketer. But I think I'll keep that format for a while now. Pakka is the perfect co-host. 'Do you ever consider doing a painting or anything creative, Pakka?" "Nope". Ideal. Anyway, look after yourself and catch-up soon.

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Nov 17, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Lol. My son and I were walking through town (in Scotland btw) and I swear we saw 2 junkies in a row get knocked down by cars, they just stood up brushed themselves down and carried on, I swear some of them are invincible.

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Ha! There's a story in my 7 years in the writing, manuscript - a true story - of a 'friend' I was out scoring with who decided to get hit by a car so he could get a morphine shot from the ambulance, or the first responder. I was just sitting on the pavement watching him dangling his leg out into the road, hoping a car would hit it, and then suddenly just went for it and walked in front of a car. It hit him at what seemed like high speed and span him in the air about three full cycles before he came crashing down on the tarmac. Then, as in your story, he got up, dusted himself down, looked quite frustrated that he'd suffered no damage, and just walked off. I never saw him again. Thank you for giving this a read and for leaving a comment; it's much appreciated.

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Nov 16, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

These are great. Being able to tell a story with two characters and two lines of dialogue is a skill. Most of the books I read I find the dialogue the weakest element, especially books about working class, under-class, "gutter snipes" etc., they just don't seem to be able to get it right. I am so looking forward to your novel. Keep them coming.

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Ms Davis. A lot of the dialogue I read in novels seems supplemental to the story, almost like a short-cut way of introducing or developing characters. Each to their own and that, but I'd rather not have it unless it's as strong as the prose. Why do writers think they can get away with it being weak just because it's dialogue? I've heard people justify it by saying that some people are dull, and OK, sure, but why write a book about boring people? I guess it could go full-circle, and they were so boring it became extraordinary, but I'm yet to find that one. Best wishes. I appreciate your time and attention.

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Nov 16, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Amusing and interesting concept, with another layer underneath the humour. My favourite: Dinner party dialogue.

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Cheers Mr Loser. It can be infuriating how much a person appears to be in reality when, in truth, they're barely alive and certainly don't have the chops to do something as demanding as have a superficial conversation. And of course, the whole situation is exacerbated because you're starting to withdraw and the man with the good/bad stuff is going to take hours to arrive - if at all - so you can't even kill a bit of time with a chat, or you can, but, well, you've just read some, so..... Anyway, thanks for giving them a go and leaving a comment - really appreciated.

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Heard many snippets like this funny as fuck but tinged with sadness also, heyho tho play shitty games win shitty prizes plus hep C loss of family and generally any grip on reality, good stuff Danger keep it coming hope you and ya woman are well.

Love this :- “No. It’s hardly going to be a surprise. You’re an exceptionally unattractive, I’d go as far as to say repulsive, man.”

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Thank you, Rob. I'm not going to repeat what I said in the previous two replies, but just dialogue needs to hit the nail on the head as you're having to give so much info without making the dialogue unrealistic. They're all true, but I've had to change the way things were said to convey such info. And yes, those junkie birds are ruthless, almost totally uninterested in sex - desireless beings really - and the men just hold on to a rope of sexual sand because the alternative is too much to take, even though they don't really want to go through with it, were it ever to actually be procured, bought, offered, etc.

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Nov 15, 2023Liked by Chris Dangerfield

Long time, nice to have a substack to read.

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Hey Liz, I hope you're well. The wait will be worth it because soon there's going to be about 600 pages of this muck to read. But it's nice to know you were waiting (that's how I'm taking it). Thanks for leaving a comment.

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Do you think of death. No. Neither do I. Deep.

Hearts beating in tandem

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Ha, nice one, Niamh. I've waited in more than my fair share of piss-ridden stairwells for hours on end, my rattling withdrawals getting exponentially worse, with nothing but this kind of intellectual jousting to make the whole thing far, far, worse/better. Thank you for reading and leaving a comment.

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Thanks Chris you are welcome and good riddance to that

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