This is what now contains Sebastian Worboys' ashes. After winning his battle against cancer, the young writer from the Wirral died in his sleep at home, exactly a year ago next week, leaving behind a quantity of unpublished short stories. He invited me to co-write THE PLACE with him when he worked at a horror internet magazine and allowed me to take the credit when it was published on-line, even though most of the idea was his. It is in the November 2009 issue of Estronomicon, screamingdreams.com
See page 20 of the sketchbook at the link below for The Place
I'll remember S.W fondly. I can picture him at his breakfast bar in his kitchen, sat on a stool in one of his all-season t-shirts, writing away (he wore a t-shirt come rain, sun or snow). He would continue to write whenever he had visitors or guests, which I couldn't believe. He had a tiny compaq laptop with a broken screen (he stood on it) hooked up to an ancient bulky monitor, and he would blue-tack his handwritten A4 pages to either side when he was copying up, as he always scrawled a first draft in fountain pen first. Yeah, I found it very impressive how he could talk to me, watch the news, and tap the keys at the same time. He wasn't a touch typist, but he was very fast.
I could go on all night about Sebastian, but it would be better instead if one of his left-behind stories were posted, so I'll see about that. One thing I will say is that whenever I get a car, I call it Sebastian. I have always done that, even before I met him. Strange.
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More tragic news I'm afraid. DARREN HODGKINS from Creative Possibilities has committed suicide. He hung himself last Tuesday on the 23rd of March. It was his funeral today. He took part in our ceramics session on Monday the 22nd. That was the last time I seen him. We have lost a lad with talent who had a lot going for him. He was a photographer. The week before, he had his portfolio out, and I was thinking about asking him for a butchers, but I didn't. Wish I had now, because he was very good with the old ceramics. Such a waste. He's left behind a totem pole he was working on which we hope to complete for him. It's a top-notch bit of clay work, as good as anything I've seen from myself or the group. Although he'd been vacant in recent weeks, he seemed bubbly for a change when I last spoke to him. It's horrible, having someone you know go like that. I wish his family the best.
Because of the nature of Creative Possibilities, there are often vulnerable contributors taking part. This is usually a positive and what makes the work so dynamic, but last week we seen the very worst of the downside.
R.I.P Darren.
What have you done, lad?
What have you done?
Fair play to you.
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