Graham Murray

Biography

Why do I write? I’ve thought about this over the years myself and have decided that it is because I became addicted to it at a young age. Not much time goes by without me feeling the need to write *something*.
Not necessarily about any particular topic - I just love watching the words form on the page and the world I am creating taking shape. It’s a thrilling sensation.

The only difference between a bad story and a best seller is the arrangement of the words on the page.
Art is no different.
What makes “La Giaconda” so famous? The way the paint was spread around is all. Writing is the same. All authors strive to reach that magical place where what they write appeals to the majority of readers, and this is why we try to learn as much as we can and always try to improve our work.

It is also why constructive criticism in writing is so important. Inane comments are invariably from non-writers and can often just be put down to ignorance of the art.

Although I write across a broad range of genres, I get a high from fabricating flash fiction, which is by far the most difficult form to pull off successfully. Creating a cohesive story that grabs the reader’s imagination and leaves them wanting more in 1500 words or less is no mean feat.
I write about all aspects of life in general, but always try to incorporate devious clues in my stories to keep the reader engaged. I tend to write stories that evoke an emotional response. Sadly, these often go unnoticed as the reader skims over the words and misses the crux of the story. I know this from the comments I sometimes receive that tell me that the reader completely misinterpreted either the hidden message, or the entire story. It happens. You can’t win them all.
My work appeals to a broad range of readers, from young adults to hard-core aficionados. Opinions vary, but I’ve been doing this as a living for many, many years now and overall, I cannot complain about the awards and accolades over time.
Writing has been, and continues to be, a wonderful trip for me. There can never be enough stories to satisfy everyone.

Remember, all writing is plagiarism in one form or another. All the stories that can be told, have been told. There are now only variations on a theme.

Where to find Graham Murray online

Books

This member has not published any books.

Smashwords book reviews by Graham Murray

  • BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 2 on Aug. 02, 2011
    (no rating)
    A contributor gives a 5-star review? Naughty. Very naughty . . .
  • Why I Believe in God on Aug. 09, 2011

    Fortunately, this is merely your blinkered opinion. Equally fortunate is that we do have solid, irrefutable explanations for everything that seems to have you completely baffled; from a simple sunrise to the Big Bang. Perhaps if you did some research and alternative reading then you too would understand them. Your claiming that: “Anyone who says they don’t adhere to any faith at all is either a very lazy, or very shallow thinker” is both insulting and typically arrogant of those with blind religious ‘faith’. I for one do not adhere to any ‘faith’ as I know the demonstrable facts behind everything you mention here. Do not assume that just because you don’t understand the simplest of things that others follow in your footsteps. You are in a vast minority. You state (sic): “People who believe that the Universe started with a big bang cannot possibly escape the fact that there would have needed to be something there in the first place to explode and something to cause the explosion. It couldn't have all started with nothing. Besides, explosions never produce anything but devastation. At least there is one thing we can all agree on - the world couldn't have created itself.” Good grief! This is possibly the most naïve statement I have read in many years and clearly comes from someone living in a shell. You may believe this; millions do not. This simple concept has been explained and proved many, many times and is the currently accepted belief by the overwhelming majority. Whilst you are entitled to your opinion and blind faith, this does not give you the right to undermine others’ beliefs and opinions and try to sell them yours. The missionaries tried that one and look what they did. Even worse is that they’re still at it. Your ‘faith’ is your business; but few of us want it rammed down our throats. Neither do we wish to be insulted and minimized because we have taken the time to raise ourselves above blind faith and ignorance. In any event, ‘faith’ does not necessarily pertain to religion; the two are quite different, fortunately. I have ‘faith’ that my home will not be blown away by a tornado in the night because I read the weather report before I went to bed. You, on the other hand, think that ‘God’ simply decided not to blow your house away during the night. Your god must really hate the Japanese, huh? Sending them that tsunami. Or wait, was that merely the result of tectonic plates shifting and causing the seabed to suddenly rise up? Who put the seabed there? Do you ‘believe’ in mountains? How do you think they got there? And because I can’t ‘prove’ God exists, I likewise can’t prove that mountains exist, either. This is your logic, not mine. Besides, does not the entire point of ‘faith’ lie in not having to prove anything? Why do Christians always come across as doubtful of their own ideals, constantly reiterating what they believe? It’s as if they feel the need to reassure themselves. You stated that you “can’t see nature”. My advice? Get to an eye doctor as soon as possible. But don’t worry, we smart scientists have figured out how biological eyes work and can help you to see properly. Never, ever forget the fact that your ‘belief system’ is responsible for most of the torture, murder, rape, mayhem and destruction on this planet since time began and Man first slithered out of the oceans (not the trees as we humans have nothing to do with apes or monkeys; we derive from fish). My ‘belief system’ has merely striven to pull us from the dark ages and has given us everything YOU now need and cherish: your home, your food, your job, your computer, your car; your health and the freedom to walk down the street in relative safety. And the ability to write what you have. There are simple, logical explanations for everything you have mentioned. To use your own dogma; seek and ye shall find. Instead of basing your belief on a few pages of fiction written by a handful of aged old men a thousand years ago about something that happened forty years before they wrote it, I suggest you read some of the works by the likes of contemporaries such as Richard Dawkins, who will reveal your true world to you, not the fantasy in which you currently reside, all based on the scribblings of a few old men. Whilst your ‘Guiding Light’ is a work of fiction dreamed up and modified by the Romans (Constantine) in order to sell a concept (Christianity), Dawkins et al write the facts as we know and understand them and, as true scientists, they update them on a regular basis as new evidence comes to light. Most of these men also have ‘faith’ but are not blinded by it. The Golden Rule of any adopted dogma is to ensure that it is updated regularly as we seek newer, better explanations. When last was yours updated? And by whom? Were they there? Can they offer any evidence? Of course not. It’s all supposition and guesswork, i.e. fiction. Ignorance is a choice. Intelligence is a reward.
  • Out After Dark on Dec. 28, 2011
    (no rating)
    A good little story. Well written if you like purple prose. However, it is let down severely by lack of proper punctuation, which I found very distracting. A good proof-reader would help you immensely. The correct usage of the humble comma and the semi-colon is paramount in good writing. Otherwise, better than many stories I have read here. Look forward to more.
  • HAPPY VJJ! on Dec. 29, 2011
    (no rating)
    Having looked at all your books, Phil, I noticed a peculiar trend, so I have a simple question for you? Who is the REAL Danielle Kuffler, who joined SW a few days after you and who always gives anything you upload a 5-star ‘review’ the very next day after you upload them. She must be a super speed-reader! Amazing! We all need a ‘fan’ like this. What’s your secret?
  • Lifecell - Anti Aging Science Has Just Evolved on Feb. 12, 2012

    As a qualified biologist with two medical degrees, I can attest from personal laboratory tests on a wide variety of such products (on some of the most expensive products in the world and from the biggest manufacturers) that NONE of them has been proven to reverse the aging process in any way whatsoever. The reason is simple; once human skin begins to lose its tone, i.e. the elastin in the skin begins to degenerate; there is nothing that can be done to reverse it. Whether we are to have wrinkles as we age is written in our genetic code and cannot be changed. Besides, it is mostly hereditary and is known as ‘senescence’ – a natural part of human aging. No ‘wonder cure’ has ever existed nor will one ever exist. The only ingredient of this ‘wonder cure’ that will alter any person’s appearance is the inclusion of silicon dioxide. And all this is doing is filling in cracks and giving the illusion that wrinkles are being reduced, which of course they are. The same material is used to fill in cracks in plaster walls and to make paint and bricks. Most of these so-called ‘wonder’ or ‘miracle’ cures DO contain an amazing substance that will temporarily make wrinkles vanish. This substance is called WATER. As long as the skin is able to absorb water, it gives the illusion that wrinkles have vanished. In fact, all that is happening is that the water is being absorbed, causing the skin to swell and thereby giving the illusion that wrinkles are disappearing – much like botox does, except that botox also paralyzes your facial muscles, which is why people who use it end up looking like expressionless reptiles. Once any of these miracle products are washed from the skin )if possible), the wrinkles appear once again almost immediately. Save yourself some money; use a regular hypo-allergenic moisturizer and get the same effect. Try ‘Suave Vitamin E’ cream and moisturizer from Walmart for about 89 cents. It is perfectly safe. The ‘wonder cure’ here claims to contain the following ingredients. 1. Ascorbyl Palmitate A quote from the Mayo Clinic Department of Dermatology in referring to the use of ASCORBYL PALMITATE in cosmetic products. These prominent Mayo Clinic doctors and scientists noted "its widespread use in numerous over-the-counter topical skin care products and sunscreens. These products contain concentrations of Ascorbic Acid-6-Palmitate as high as 15% (360 mM), thus "exceeding the dose range used in our experiments by a factor of 1000." Wow! 2. Claims that DEANOL is helpful in Alzheimer's disease, age-related cognitive deficits and in aging itself are without foundation.From UC Berkeley Wellness Clinic: “DMAE (DimEthylAminoethaNOL): Once sold as a prescription drug (Deanol) for the treatment of learning difficulties, it was taken OFF the market because of insufficient evidence that it worked. Yet it is still allowed in ‘supplements’, despite the fact that it is known to raise blood pressure and cause insomnia.” Sounds wonderful! 3. Acetyl hexapeptide 3 (Argireline ) So far, the evidence to support the benefits of Argireline is skimpy at best. In a clinical study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science, acetyl hexapeptide-3 at a 10% concentration has been shown to reduce the depth of wrinkles up to 30% after 30 days of use. There are no other credible clinical studies to be found and the benefits and adverse effects of long-term use, if any, are unknown. There is one more concern worth mentioning:- Botox injections target specific muscles, whereas Argireline (if it indeed works) is likely to relax most of your face. While Argireline may reduce wrinkles, it may also, in theory, increase facial sag because the neurotransmitters whose release Argireline inhibits, help maintain facial firmness. Notably, a popular firming skin care ingredient DMAE (Deanol) firms by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters and increasing facial tension, i.e. by producing roughly the opposite effect to Argireline. Whether Argireline may indeed contribute to facial sag has not been studied. Until more is known, people prone to facial sag should approach Argireline with caution and monitor their facial firmness while on it. **Note: this products contains two ingredients that are fighting against each other 4. Uniquinone. This is simply another name for Coenzyme Q10, used in CHF (Congestive Heart failure). From Drugs.com:- “Ubiquinone has not been approved by the FDA to treat any disease, and it should not be substituted for prescription medications. Ubiquinone has not been evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity. All potential risks and/or advantages of this product may not be known. Additionally, there are no regulated manufacturing standards in place for these compounds. Some marketed herbal supplements have been found to be contaminated with TOXIC METALS or other drugs. Herbal/health supplements should only be purchased from a reliable source to minimize the risk of contamination. The Linus Pauling Institute has a wonderful paper about Coenzyme Q10, free for the public to read. * * * So, does any of this sound like something you would want to smear on your face? The choice is yours. Do your own research into such products, but for goodness’ sake, don’t blindly follow a commercial such as this that claims “Results 100% guaranteed” when you may end up with serious facial or other, irreversible disorders. One need only look where this product has been ‘featured’, i.e. the ‘Globe’ and the ‘Star’. Seriously? The same people who spot aliens every now and then? If it’s so good, why has it not been featured in any medical or healthcare journals? I would personally love to see the human clinical trials conducted on this product to see where they determined that “Results 100% guaranteed.” Which results? If your face peels off, that is a “Result 100% Guaranteed,” right? Don’t be another sucker. The most natural thing in a human being’s life is the aging process. We learn to grow old gracefully.