Freedom From The Mundane - A Writer's Blog

Last post in Blogger

2007-02-07T21:04:00.000Z

As promised, the switch to Wordpress is now complete.

You should be automatically redirected to the new home of Freedom From The Mundane within 10 seconds. If not, please click on the following link and update any links you have to this blog from other sites or your Favourites menu.

Blogger was good in it's day, but my requirements now outweigh it's usefulness.

See you on the other side.

http://www.colingalbraith.co.uk/blog

Worse Before It Gets Better

2007-02-06T11:17:00.000Z

Could hardly sleep last night for constant coughing and a chest full of needles. At least that’s what it felt like. Can’t seem to stop sweating either and I’m just so tired from being unable to shake it. Even my eyes are hurting from the streaming strain. My nose is blocked solid.

I’m quite happy with the new look for my website. It’s very different from what I’ve done previously and I think I’ll need a couple of photos taken for the front page. It’s got an edge of the anarchic, contemporary design and a bit of nuttiness. I like that. It’s also easier to make updates to.

I’m definitely moving the blog over to Wordpress. Watch out for that in the next few days.

I spent my afternoon lying in bed feeling like shit. I wish I had a nurse to look after me. Blonde and busty would do nice. Then again one look at me lying here is such a state might put her off. She’d have to be NHS to put up with me.

I did manage to redraft three short stores ready to get them back out on the submission trail; Only a Bagel, Whisky Snatching, and What a Waste. I still fancy transforming the latter into a play but that’s a project for later.

I took a hot toddy to bed with me later on. Try to sweat this shit out of me. I'm sick of feeling sore and manky like this. I actually wish I was at work!

POOLSIDE POETRY
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Feeling Terrible

2007-02-05T12:36:00.000Z

Felt absolutely dreadful today such that I ended up spending the day in bed with a bottle of chesty cough medicine and paracetamol. I was off work because of it, but that was no bonus given how shitty I was feeling.

The day wasn’t wasted though, as in between bouts of heavy chesty coughing and nose clearing exercises, I put together my new website for promoting my fiction and poetry. I‘m fed up with the white on black and so this design, I hope, makes it more appealing and more versatile to work with.

I'll launch it in a couple of days once I've ironed out the remaining cracks.

I've also decided to ditch Blogger. I'm fed up with the loading and commenting problems, and the new version has no more benefits other than tags from what I can see. It's become too cumbersome to use and is affecting you lot too much so it's shifting. More when complete.

Feeling Rough

2007-02-04T12:15:00.000Z

Short post today because I feel really rough. Woke up with a sore head and a bit of a cold, and by the end of the day it had progressed to a pounding headache, hacking cough, a chest full of phlegm, a pounding head and a nose full of snot.

Lovely.

I watched the rugby (Ireland v Wales), then I made dinner; Marzetti, which went down well, but wasn’t one of my best. I was only estimating the ingredients and overloaded it with pasta. I then spent the evening in bed unable to keep my eyes open and unable to stop coughing.

Six Nations Rugby
Week 1 Results

Italy 3 - 39 France
England 42 - 20 Scotland
Wales 9 – 19 Ireland

Standings

Week 2 Fixtures

Sat 10th Feb
England v Italy (13:30)
Scotland v Wales (15:30)

Sun 11th Feb
Ireland v France (15:00)

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MARCH 2nd 2007

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Rugby Defeat Can't Stop the Party!

2007-02-03T13:04:00.000Z

Two main things to focus on today; my Mum's surprise birthday meal in Glasgow and the Six Nations Rugby match against England.

I was up at the crack getting ready and we headed off on the 2pm train. It was important to get to my sisters in time to watch the game before heading out to the surprise meal at the Piccolo Mondo in Glasgow.

It was a fantastic night. My Mum was suitably stunned by the whole thing, the restaurant was superb - food and service - and the whole thing was a laugh from start to finish. We had balloons, music, confetti, wine, champagne, laughter, and a 60th birthday cake with this on it (sorry Mum):

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY MUM!

Her birthday isn't actually until the 9th, but the last surprise for her was the news she is being whisked off to London next week for a very long weekend.

Six Nations Rugby
England 42 - 20 Scotland
Twickenham
Sat 3rd Feb, 2007

Being underdogs never helped. Scotland came away from Twickenham being well and truly thumped by a transformed English team, the sole difference, one Johnny Wilkinson. Before the match we knew if we gave away any penalties we would be made to suffer, for the man misses very few kicks. And as it turned out he kicked 5 successful penalties from 7 attempts, 2 conversions and a drop goal, taking his personal point total for the match to 27 of England's 42 total.

But it didn't all go their way at first. Scotland got off to a reasonable start, absorbing ten opening minutes of pressure, defending well, but painful to watch. If we could hold out, we thought, maybe weather the storm, then who knows.

Then England broke the deadlock from Wilkinson's boot, but by the end of the first quarter Scotland had taken the lead with a magnificent try by Simon Taylor, stunning the home crowd and sending the Scottish fans into unexpected cheer.

The TV showed Frank Hadden, the Scotland Coach, settle back into his seat in quiet confidence. What does he knew that we don't we asked. But England hadn't started playing. From then on there was only one team really in it.

England drew the first half to a close 17-10 up and although the more optimistic of us thought it could still be done, it had to be remembered that Scotland have only won down there twice in the last one hundred years (or something like that).

The second half began and I poured my third Guinness, fearing the worst. Despite a token try at the end of the match by Dewey, and an English try that should never have been allowed, we would still have been beaten.

We never tackled properly, handed them too many easy penalty points and left ourselves open at the line-outs. In short, we didn't do ourselves justice and made them look better than they are. The current Irish team are odds on to make mince-meat out of both Scotland and England when they meet, based on this performance.

Getting beat by England always hurts, but there is a long way to go as far as the championship goes.

In the earlier match played today, Italy were beaten at home by France 39 points to 3. Wales play Ireland tomorrow.

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Eve of the Six Nations

2007-02-02T10:09:00.000Z

I walked out of the house at 6:30am this morning, and was struck by an awesome sight; a pitch black sky with a clear full moon sitting just above the roof of the house opposite. Cheekah-cheekah!

I logged on to Blogger as normal this morning to post my latest entry, and was forced into moving to their new system. I’d been avoiding it as it involved creating a Google account and having all my blogs switched over.

I didn’t particularly want to go. I’ve heard about problems with the new version and I have enough of my own here with people being unable to comment etc. On looking at the new dashboard though, it does appear that you can do more. Uploading images looks better and there is a facility for tagging. Not sure what else I’ve still to investigate. It’s a smarter layout but that doesn’t necessarily mean all the problems are gone. We’ll see how it goes.

I’ve been on this guy’s mailing list for a wee while now, though until last night I never actually delved into his website to find out more about him. His name is Luke Wright, he is a performing poet, and he first came to my attention at the Fringe Festival last year. I read a review about him but was too late to get to one of his shows. He is now touring the country with a style of poetry I really enjoy and admire.

Have a read of some of his work. It’s superb stuff; funny, witty, provoking – and the guy is only 24! He wants to be Poet Laureate, and I tell you what, if he keeps going the way he is then he has my vote.

Then, I had a magnificent idea. What if I were to publish Fringe Fantastic, Poolside Poetry AND Brick by Brick in one anthology – HARDBACK! It could be another marketing tool to use in my portfolio and would easy enough to put together since I already have the manuscripts. Hmmm, a plan forms.

But the day wasn’t all cheery ideas and funny frolicks. I received a text message from an old friend whose Uncle died last night. Andy Meikle, a man I spent many hours with over a bottle of whisky talking, collapsed in the pub and was rushed to hospital. His family arrived ten minutes late. It's a bit of a shock and though I hadn't seen him for a few years, he was never far from my thoughts. I was thinking about him on Saturday in Lauders Pub in Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow, where on the odd occasion I would see him and we would listen to Lauders Big Band over a few whiskies.

Rest in peace old pal. You'll be sadly missed.

Rugby Union Preview
England v Scotland
Twickenham
Sat 3rd Feb, 2007

Underdogs. As we always are when we play the English, whether at home or away, Scotland are the smaller of the two nations, and therefore, the underdogs.

It’s the way we like it though. It suits our mentality and fuels our passion. Throughout history whenever Scotland has come up against any small or ‘lesser-talented’ nation at any sport (I’m thinking football; Iran and Costa Rica), we fail dismally. Put us up against the mighty nations, and often we rise to the occasion, usually to be remembered as glorious in defeat.

On the odd occasion, we do hump a big team and the nation goes into a frenzy. Suddenly we become world beaters and every nation on the planet is feared of our sporting prowess and lion-heart courage.

Tomorrow we play England, Rugby World Cup Champions and Six Nations Champions in 2003 – the last time they won anything. That doesn’t make them any less formidable - they are a good side – but after coming up to Edinburgh and being mauled by a rejuvenated Scottish team, there must be a small ounce or two of doubt in the back of their minds that while the Scots are on the ascendancy, they are on the descent.

The winners will receive the Calcutta Cup, a trophy Scotland and England have been playing for as part of the Six Nations, since 1872. It’s always tense, it’s always overflowing with passion, pride, and power, and it’s always compulsive viewing.

Whether you are a Rugby fan or not, get behind Scotland this weekend and stay there for the rest of the championship. We took some big scalps last year, and made huge progress doing so. So when the boys line up to sing the National Anthem tomorrow at Twickenham, sing it loud and sing it proud!

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Colin's Guide to the Scottish Weather

2007-02-01T07:33:00.000Z

So that’s it. January is over already. The recuperation month is done and dusted, the depression after Christmas lifting because we are now far enough away from the turn of the year, we have settled into an acceptance that the brand new year is suddenly not so brand new any more. The evenings are slowly getting lighter, teasing us into early thoughts that long summer evenings can’t be that far ahead.

But Scotland does this every year. It lulls us into a false sense of security and makes us think that pleasantness is only around the corner. Anyone who knows Scottish weather knows that despite the weather being mild and calm at the moment, our winter has yet to arrive.

Traditionally February, and sometimes into March, we get our worst snow, wind and rain. Granted it has been pretty bad over the last couple of weeks, but what do we expect? In a few days or weeks, or however long it takes, news programmes will be talking about the disaster of the unexpected snow that is causing terrible and dramatic conditions on our roads. We will be cursing the Gods because of the ice that has arrived and wonder why on earth does it happen to us?

This is Scotland, NOT Barbados. If it was we would not have to wear Pac-a-Macs in the middle of summer, and would not have to provide our elderly with sticky shoes to stop them blowing away in the wind. Surely this year we will be used to it and will know how to handle it? It’s only a bit of snow!
Here are some tips to help you get through the winter:

* If it snows heavily where you live, stay at home and watch Murder She Wrote. Please don’t leave your car stuck in the middle of a road because you just had to get work. It’s very annoying and nobody will miss you that much in the office anyway.

* Wear warm clothes, preferably not one of those bubble jackets that makes you look like a space cadet. Wear lots of layers to provide insulation. Do not wear a kilt. It’s not brave and it’s not smart.

* If you do wear a kilt, then DO NOT wear any underwear. You are in a kilt so it’s a waste of time bothering. Besides, only poofs and Englishmen attending their brother’s wedding to a Scottish girl wear anything under the kilt.

* Females: wear a hat that sticks to your head and covers your ears, not one that is likely to blow off if the man in front of you so much as sneezes. Males: don’t.

* Females: wear gloves. Males: just don’t.

* Do not bother with an umbrella if it is very windy. They are a waste of time and money when they flap around above your head inside-out. Accept the fact you might get a bit wet and get on with it. Have you any idea how stupid it looks to see people fighting with their feeble umbrellas? Not to mention the danger to other people’s eyeballs.

* If you are elderly, three bars on your heater is much better than two. You will pay through the nose for it, but at least you will be alive. You could always save money by turning off your freezer and storing your frozen peas on the window ledge.

* Tie a pillow to your bum using a piece of rope. This way when you slip on ice you will do no damage to either your tail-bone or your pride.

* Buy a good sledge, find a safe, steep hill, and off you go.

* And remember, there is no such thing as bad weather – just the wrong clothes!

I finalised all my February GDR’s today (you’ll find them at the end of this post), and I gave the Poolside Poetry manuscript a final check over before sending it to the publisher. I now await the first copy of the book with which I will give it one final proof check. When I did Fringe Fantastic there was a huge learning curve involved, which meant lots of corrections mainly to do with the layout and design.

This time I have it all sussed, so barring any stupid little spelling mistakes, this first copy should not need any changes to it before final publication on Friday 2nd March.

I also completed the Press Kit and uploaded it to the website, and I got an email from my contact at the Sunday Herald. She is going to contact to pictures desk to find out about copies of my pictures from the recent photo shoot.

February’s GDR Plan

Fiction
* Finish redrafting of short stories and get them submitted to new markets.
* Begin detailed post-research for Slick based on notes taken.
* Begin redrafting Slick.
* Complete synopsis and format of children's book.
* Begin writing new children's book.
* Begin researching next Lennox novel (long term).
* Draft synopsis for next novel (to start writing March 07).
* Keep on top of submissions list.

Poetry
* Give Poolside Poetry final polish for Mar 2 release.
* Write some new poetry with the PSH Free-For-All in mind.
* Go to a Slam event.

Freelance/Non-Fiction
* Complete writing of feature interview with Anita Govan.
* Promote independent freelance website.
* Begin querying relevant markets to the ones I singled-out last month.
* Write SDR articles, 6th - IP, 13th, 20th, 27th.
* Plan and write SDR column for April edition.
* Update Press Kit with FF quotes.
* Promote Press Kit onto website.

Marketing and Promotion
* Finalise Press Release for Poolside Poetry by 7th March.
* Issue Press Release for Poolside Poetry on 23rd Feb (1 week prior to launch).
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic.
* Begin revamp main website.
* Keep website up to date.
* Thank you notes and image request to Sunday Herald - done. Waiting.
* Contact Fringe Head Office.
* List businesses that could be possible stockists for FF.
* Contact businesses that could be possible stockists for FF.

Reading and Research
* Finish reading Flesh and Blood by John Harvey novel - IP
* Finish reading Watchman by Ian Rankin - IP

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR.

Non-Writing
* Guitar - move onto next phase of lessons in book.
* Start the physical design plan for rabbit run.

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January GDR Wrap-Up

2007-01-31T07:42:00.000Z

I just realised I think I may suffer from End-Of-The-Creative-Month Blues. Everything is wrapped up for another month, all my projects tidied in my head and shifted back into little boxes in my brain, and I feel a bit low because of it. Planning out a new monthly GDR brings me back into charged-up mode, but in between, I’m on a low.

So without wasting any time, here’s my January final GDR position.

Fiction
* Begin in-depth notes for researching/writing second draft of Slick - have begun taking notes but stayed away from this for the month. I felt this was needed to be able to approach with fresh eyes, but also to enable me to clear the plate somewhat with a lot of my other work.
* Work on synopsis and format of children's book - Still in progress, but took a back seat a bit.
* Work on ideas for new novel to begin writing in February - needs bags of research but won't be starting Feb. Keep till March/April. I want to finish Slick first and do more research. Got an idea for another novel that could begin earlier while doing other research.
* Keep on top of submissions list - done. Re-editing six targeted short stories for re-submission to new markets.
* Follow up on three outstanding Stella submissions and look at possible new markets – redrafted Stella and prepared a new query letter and synopsis. Submitted to several publishers.

Poetry
* Complete Poolside Poetry for possible Feb 07 release – done. Font, front and back cover designs decided on. Release date set for March 2nd. Pre-ordering available and websites updated.
* Write more poetry (new themes for the PSH Free-for-all) – no new poetry.
* Issue Press Release for River Monkeys in Pocketful of Fun anthology – Written. Targets specified and sent out.

Freelance/Non-Fiction
* Complete re-write on Scotland’s Treasure for January column after storms cancelled event – done.
* Contact Scottish poet for re-arranged interview – Successful interview on 22nd Jan.
* Begin design for independent freelance website – complete. Next step to promote and query.
* Tidy up all the Press Release handling on the websites (to pdf’s, press kit’s etc.) – PR’s done. Press Kit done. Needs loaded to website.
* Write SDR articles, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th January – all done. Feb 6th, 13th, 20th planned/written.
* Make list of all initial markets to focus on – done (Step-parenting, websites, internet and PC’s for beginners).

Non-Writing
* Buy some new plectrums – done
* Buy a guitar book – Got two. A basic one and an in-depth one, both with CD’s to accompany lessons.
* Buy new strings – done
* Start learning guitar – done. Learning chords A, D, E, G, C and tunes with them in.
* Start the design for rabbit run – taken measurements, decided on stand-alone cage.

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare press release for Poolside Poetry for when it goes live – ready to go, will enhance nearer the time.
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic – not done. MUST be done in Feb. so set up for the summer and August
* Approach hotel chain with view to stocking FF – chain possibly being sold. Might be a non-starter. Hold off on this.
* Keep website up to date – blog done. Main site revamp planned – ideas under selection. Pre-book facility in place prior to Sunday Herald article.
* Re-analyse promotion of FF and PP – in progress. Planning to contact the Fringe directly very shortly.

Reading and Research
* Finish reading Billy by Pamela Stephenson – complete
* Finish reading Flesh and Blood by John Harvey novel – IP
* Read Watchman by Ian Rankin – IP

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR – done. Winter issue published. Now planning April issue.

Things That Turned Up
* Sent copy of Fringe Fantastic to Jonathon Ross after hearing he wants to read more books on his 13th Jan show.
* Interview with the Sunday Herald and photograph shoot – published on Jan 28th.
* Emergency website fix for previous web customer.

Submissions Made
Novella – Stella now submitted to several publishers
Poem – Love is submitted to Circadian Poems. Accepted for Valentine’s Day issue, 14/2/07
Poem – Scotland Neglected submitted to Circadian Poems. Accepted for St.Patrick’s Day issue, 16/3/07
Story – A Bond of Faith to Glimmer Train

Successes
* Interview with Sunday Herald has generated some interest. The whole thing was an excellent experience.
* Interview I conducted with Anita Govan was equally as interesting but also helped me to polish my interview and networking skills.
* Breaking down monthly GDR's to a daily to-do list has helped organise, motivate and get through more work.
* 2 poems accepted.
* Blog overhauled.

Failures
* Heart of a Child rejected by Barcelona Review (assumed since never heard back)
* A bond of Faith rejected by Portable Muse (assumed since never heard back) – since rewritten
* Daffodils rejected by 3am (assumed since never heard back)
* Daffodils rejected by ThugLit (assumed since never heard back)
* Two articles rejected by Interactive Dad (assumed since never heard back)
* Had an email filter problem a few months ago which could account for these non-responses, so changed the settings. Have put some of the stories through the re-write process anyway.

Statistics
Fiction – 0
Non-Fiction – 21,300
Poetry – 0

Outstanding Submissions
Fiction
Pulp 1
Glimmer Train 1
Crimespree Magazine 1
Wildchild 1
Ephemera 1

Stella 4
Hunting Jack 4

Monthly Health Summary

How did I move outside my comfort zone this month?
Meeting with the Scottish poet, Anita Govan, was excellent. It got me talking to someone who is very persuasive and motivated by performing poetry. I committed myself to attending a performance though I was told to “get up there and do it.” This also helped me flex my interview skills once more and I did feel more comfortable allowing the conversation to flow versus listing loads of questions.

Getting contacted by the Sunday Herald and doing the photo shoot, both of which were very much outwith my comfort zone. I feel I am getting more comfortable doing it, having done interviews in the past and talking to high profile people. It pushed me into thinking about how I approach these things and put myself across confidently. I can use this experience when it comes to promoting myself directly.

Did I challenge myself?
I made the commitment to setup in freelance and try to get more work through this channel. I put the groundwork now in place so I can now start querying more confidently.

I’ve made myself start to think about my image in the wake of the Sunday Herald interview. Sounds a bit egotistical but rather this is a reverse decision in that I intend not to bother about it any longer.

Was it the right thing to do?
Freelance? Yes, if I want to progress, make money and experience more things.

Image? Of course. Why worry about it?

Did I favour the challenge over the easy approach?
Yes. It would be easier not to have done anything and cut off the freelance route altogether. I can make money through this channel so why not? A writer has to eat.

Committing myself to at least getting down to a performance poetry reading is a big step because I know it will lead to me performing. It’s all about confidence, and I won’t get more of this by sitting at home not promoting my work.

What did I do to minimise costs?
Putting PP for sale direct from the publishers instead of buying bulk this time.

What did I do to maximise output?
Dropped the cover price for Poolside Poetry.
Got the websites revamped and able to take pre-orders prior to the Sunday Herald interview being published.
I’ve been more vocal about being a writer, about my intentions, and about the work I have accomplished to date. I have nothing to be ashamed or bashful about.

What did I do to maximise visibility?
I’ve become more vocal and not been so modest. I have written three novels (one published in serial form), a novella, two e-books and two paperback books of poetry.

How did I think big?
Strategic planning for freelance work.
New marketing strategy for Poolside Poetry.
New marketing and promotional ideas for Fringe Fantastic.

POOLSIDE POETRY
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Bouncing High and Low

2007-01-30T10:25:00.000Z

It appears that hits to my website have increased 7-fold since the publication of the self-publishing article in the Sunday Herald on at the weekend.

Can only be good news, surely?

Several people have said that they think I look like Superman coming out of a phone box. Hmmm - it was very cold in Edinburgh that day - certainly too cold for lycra!

My weekly post at The Scruffy Dog Review Blog is up today. Today has something about JK Rowling if anyone fancy’s a read over their lunchtime chitty (message for non-Scots – a chitty is a sandwich).

I began reviewing my GDR for this month, and with a couple of days left I look to have gotten through a lot of much needed base-building. I’ve been feeling unsettled the last couple of days, thinking about where I am and want to be, and this monthly exercise proves a good way to bring me back down and level out my thinking.

It’s just as well I have other things to think about, because the day job is about as demeaning and demoralising as you could possibly imagine. I honestly cannot believe they are paying me to do this stuff. There’s a meeting tomorrow where I will be able to vent my disapproval at the slow progress, and lack of communication. And believe me I won’t shirk a tackle.

Talking about tackles, this weekend sees the start of the Six Nations Rugby season again. Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, France, and England will all be competing for the championship, as well as the Triple crown and this Saturday, the Calcutta Cup.

Last year Scotland beat England at Murrayfield and I had one of the best days ever in Edinburgh. When the final whistle went there was such jubilation and joy over beating the Auld Enemy for the first time in sixteen years (I think it was), that we had such a party!

It’s been a lot longer since we beat them at Twickenham, so this Saturday should be an awesome game. England aren’t the team they once were.

Spent the evening with the family. No writing or other work was done, though I did see another of those programmes about couples who pay off their mortgage in two years by building businesses and cutting costs. Most inspirational viewing.

Weekend in Glasgow

2007-01-29T15:09:00.000Z

Did everyone remember to buy a copy of the Sunday Herald for my appearance, yesterday? If you missed it, click here for the online version (no pictures).

The scope of the article was widenend so it contained more about the self-publishing industry, so I have fewer quotes, but I did get a large colour picture holding my book Fringe Fantastic. I’ll try and get a scan from somewhere.

My weekend in Glasgow was superb and badly needed. Steam was let off, responsibilities shirked, and anything serious forgotten. It was an old-school lads day out, for which I paid the price on Sunday with the Mother of all hangovers.

Friday night saw me and my bro’ doing a couple of pubs we have not visited in a long, long time. The Horseshoe Bar on Drury Lane, O’Henry’s just opposite and the Auctioneers just off George Square. It felt good to be back in them and reliving old memories.

The jaunt down memory lane continued the next morning out on the south side of the city. Shawlands (where I used to live) has changed in many ways, but in most others, not a bit. We realised we had become Jack and Victor, as we pointed out buildings and places that meant something to us in our twenties from the comfort of the front seat of the number 4 bus along Pollockshaws Road.

We paid tribute to a few of our old haunts in Shawlands (Finlays mainly), and even stopped outside my old flat, tears welling in our eyes (joking), before meeting the rest of the crew in the Griffin Bar at the top end of Sauchiehall Street (pr. Sucky-hall). For the rest of the day we ran amuck in a giant pub crawl. Lauders, I was delighted to discover, still has a big band that plays on Saturday afternoons.

Yesterday was a day of rest – just as God intended – so who was I to let him down?

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Toilet Trauma

2007-01-26T15:00:00.000Z

Congratulations to my mate Dave and his wife Isla, who have just added another wee baby to their ever-expanding clan. Wee Zoe, the third (and I think final) girl was born yesterday afternoon. A wee sister to Molly and Lilly, I'm sure Dave is going to relish living in a house with FOUR females. I just hope they don't all choose to get married in the same year!

I slept like a log last night. I got 10 hours and felt like I could have gone on for another 10. Felt much better though; I had more energy, open eyes and a brain that wasn't running on pulse battery power.

Lesson learnt.

A funny incident happened today at the day job. I went to the loo just after lunch and walked into one of the cubicles (there are only two). I sat down on the throne to take care of business and luckily, at the last minute, noticed there was no toilet paper.

I hoisted up the tweeds and went into the other cubicle, sat down and began my evacuation once more. Just then I heard one of the old guys in my office enter the room - I knew it was him by his coughing. He went into the cubicle I had just vacated, and proceeded to beging with his own business.

I sat stifling my laughter at the knowledge he was about to get to the point where he would be stuck with no loo paper and have no means of getting any.

Seconds passed. Minutes passed. "Oh, for fuck's sake!"

When my laughter subsided I agreed to pass some paper under the partition. It was then the horror of the situation hit me. There was no paper in my own cubicle either. Laughter changed to embarrassed tears as we both sat waiting for someone to come into the room, who would be able to pass us new rolls under the cubicle doors.

Needless to say, nothing was said about it this when we got back to the office.

I'm posting today's entry early because I'm going away for the weekend. My home city of Glasgow awaits my company for the second weekend in a row. It's my bro's birthday, and to ensure a full turnout from the entire Squadron, we are having the celebration in Glasgow instead of South Shields where he now lives and works.

I leave this afternoon and won't return until Sunday, so no posts.

Stay cool, and don't forget to buy a copy of the Sunday Herald this weekend for my exclusive interview (barring any last minute delays again)!!

POOLSIDE POETRY
is out on
MARCH 2nd 2007

Click on the image to
RESERVE YOUR COPY!

Only £5 plus p&p

Racism Spreads to Edinburgh Shocker

2007-01-25T13:40:00.000Z

Hot on the heels of the Big Brother racist "scandal", a real one has hit the headlines here in Scotland. Trevor Matthews, Chief Executive at Standard Life Plc, one of Europe's biggest insurance companies, had to issue a public apology for a racist remark he made at a company presentation on Monday.

Matthews, an Australian, was talking about the company's unpopular pension revamp proposals when he was asked why the proposal had been hidden at the back of the company prospectus, replied, and I quote; "That's the nigger in the woodpile."

Question: what's the difference between this and Jade Goody's comments?
Answer: Jade Goody, while being as thick as mince, never actually said anything racist. Trevor Matthews is a top UK Executive, is intelligent, and thought it would be acceptable to use the N-word in front of a room full of people.

Jade Goody called Shilpa Shetty, "Shilpa Poppadom", which is about as bad as the English referring to us Scots as Mr. Haggis, Jocks, Sweaty Socks, or The Scotch. What's so racist about that? We call the English Sassenachs, Southern Softies. Australians are called Or a bunch of colonial convicts, and so on, but it's all traditional banter. It's hardly racist.

Matthews has of course issued an apology, but how can anyone take this man at face value now? Not only are he and his boardroom buddies stealing from the company employees by raiding their pension scheme, but now he has tarnished what is left of their image by hinting at the levels of disrespect and disdain they hold the public, as well as their employees.

~ Serious bit ends. ~

I was in work for before 7am today after last night being up constantly. I felt not bad, as though I had been up all night but a shower and an extra-strong coffee refreshed me a lot. By 9am though, I was struggling to keep my eyes open. I had to splash water on my face and the heat in the office made me feel worse.

I went out at lunchtime and the cold air woke me up a bit, but by 1pm I was back struggling, the headache had arrived and all I wanted to do was sleep.

I got nothing done at night and began to really regret my decision to stay up all night. By the time I went to bed at 10pm I had been up constantly for 34 hours. Poor decision, I agree, but worth it if you think the book is now totally complete.

One final thing before I go...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BINNY BAG!!!

POOLSIDE POETRY
is out on
MARCH 2nd 2007

Click on the image to
RESERVE YOUR COPY!

Only £5 plus p&p

Flu and the Front Cover

2007-01-24T07:16:00.000Z

Never made it into work on Tuesday or Wednesday, a wretched cold putting paid to that. Gee, I was gutted (sic). I loaded up on Lemsips and paracetamol and tried to stay as warm as possible for most of the time. Got nothing done, which pissed me off, though I did a wee bit of reading. Could hardly concentrate or keep my eyes open however.

Thanks to all the anti-flu remedies I slept forever over the past two days. As a result, and because I was feeling a bit better, I ended up doing an all-nighter on Wednesday into Thursday; the first one I’ve done while working the next day for quite a long while.

I was so awake and wanted to finalise Poolside Poetry, I thought; why the hell not? It was quiet, calm, and condusive to full concentration for the initial half of the night.

The most important development was the final decision on the front cover and font:

By about 3am and with the background TV falling to BBC News 24, I started to tire. Some coffee and a wee stroll in the garden put paid to that, because with only two hours until I would normally get up, I knew if I went to sleep for two hours I would only suffer when I had to get up. So I stayed up, watched some telly, scribbled and read until the concentration started to flag.

I showered at 5am and left for the day job a wee while after. I’m into the next day now, so everything else can wait till the next post.

Quick Update

2007-01-22T23:33:00.000Z

Quick summary about today since I'm bowled under at the moment with other work.

I met with Anita Govan over a coffee and we had a fabulous chat about her work, her life and things she is working on right now. I taped the interview and took few notes, mainly because it felt more like two people talking than an actual interview.

She's a fascinating and inspirational person, which I hope the final article will show. Look out for the published article in the spring issue of The Scruffy Dog Review.

By the way, we're still looking for submissions of fiction and poetry. Check out the website for more information.

My blog template broke so I uploaded a new one - here it is if you haven't seen it already. It was only meant as a holding site, but I like it so much I think I'll keep it.

Several people have said they are having problems viewing the page and/or leaving comments. Please email me at colin@colingalbraith.co.uk if you have this problem so I can try and get it sorted.

Devon - not sure where the graphic image is from - all I know is the template was called Gray River. Cool though, eh? If it is Chicago then I like the connection with it being called the Windy City!

I had two poems accepted by Circadian Poems; one for Valentine's Day and the other for the St.Patrick's Day theme.

That's about it for today. I'm tired, feeling lethargic and I could really be doing with 20 hours kip. I can feel the traces of a cold coming on, and the last thing I want is to come down with it before the weekend.

New Template

2007-01-22T23:11:00.000Z

I've been farting around with some new templates. I decided to use this one as a stop-gap until I found a suitable one, but on viewing this uploaded - I kinds like it.

So here we are! The new look, Freedom from the Mundane blog!!

Thank you for your patience.

Normal programme viewing will return shortly.

Blog Update

2007-01-22T15:55:00.000Z

Looks like my blog is knackered.

Please bear with me while I a) try to fix it or b) put together a new template.

Apologies for the disruption.

Colin

Slight Change of Plan

2007-01-21T15:43:00.000Z

Well it was a relaxing weekend. Jonathan Ross' secretary hasn't got to my complimentary copy of Fringe Fantastic yet, but his show yesterday was a good laugh nevertheless. Paul Whitehouse was a guest and the good-natured insults were flying like custard pies in a Laurel and Hardy film. I listened to the show on the way through to Glasgow, chuckling away at the back of the bus like a lunatic let loose.

My sister and I spent most of the day drinking, listening to music, reminiscing and munching on crisps and pizza. It was thoroughly unhealthy, but it was good to relax and be with her.

At about half past eight my mobile phone rang. It was the journalist who interviewed me last Thursday night. When I heard her voice the colour drained from my face as she started to tell me about the change of plans.

I thought at first the article had been canned, but instead she was letting me know that it would now be published next weekend (28th) so that she could do more research on the actual publishing company. This involves a trip to Milton Keynes, which is why I shouldn't buy a copy in the morning, but it also meant the article increasing in size from 600 words to something larger.

I was a bit disappointed, only because I had got so built up for it, but if the article is to grow in size, then who am I to complain? All I had to do now was send a text to my 894 friends who were going to buy a copy the next day!

My folks picked me up and took me back through to Edinburgh so they could pay a wee visit at the same time. We stopped in a couple of the aquarium shops in Paisley Road West on the way, but never got anything.

Gail made a superb roast for dinner - I'm still stuffed from it!

My office has become a total disaster zone. I need to get it sorted so I can feel right in my head again. I feel so charged just now I'm trying to do ten things at once and while this is good for output, I'm beginning to worry about quality.

Herald Photo Shoot and a New Book

2007-01-19T22:01:00.000Z

Woke up with a belly full of nerves even though I knew it would be easy going, that I'd be fine, and that there would be nothing for me to worry about. My confidence wasn't in question and I wasn't worried, yet I was still nervous. Weird.

I think it was just natural energy and adrenalin I get when these things occur. I decided to try and use it to my benefit, to make it work for me today, in what is perhaps the most important piece of promotion I've bagged yet.

Thinking back to the interview last night, there are things I do wish I'd said. But I can't blame myself because between getting the email and making the call there was no more than 60 seconds to spare. I had no time to prepare, so with that taken into account I think I came across very well yesterday.

Today was all about getting a good selection of pictures. They gave me a couple of ideas of what they wanted over the phone, more really to do with location than anything else, but it made it clear to me what kind of thing they're looking for. I nkew I would be in the hands of a professional, so I had no worries on that score. I just needed to relax and enjoy.

The photographer, Steve, rang me in the morning to double-check the meeting details and I met him outside the World's End pub on the High Street. He made me feel immediately at ease, chatting about the book and what the paper wanted the pictures to include. We walked up towards the main section of the High Street after the North Bridge, and started off taking shots against the old blue Police phone box at Hunter Square.

Then we moved into some of the closes (alleys) for atmosphere pictures, up against some wall shots, and ones taken in the old red phone boxes with the buildings behind. There were long shots, close-ups, shots of me peering round the side and over the top of the book, shots of the book halving my face, at an angle or of me reading it. I was glad there was such emphasis put on the book itself, so hopefully the picture they finally choose for the article has the book cover clearly in shot.

I was told I didn't need to smile, which was fine by me because other than the fact I'm a grumpy bastard, it meant I didn't feel I was posing. Although the pics were posed, they felt more abstract or mid-motion, as though I was doing something else. In some I had to look directly at the lens, others at certain points on the horizon or to the side. Occasionally Steve would just tell me to freeze what I was doing and he would snap away, sometimes only pausing to change a setting on the camera.

It was all over in about 40 minutes. We swapped cards and Steve said the paper would more than likely be able to accommodate my request for copies of some of the proofs for my website and press kit. There wasn't any time for a pint since the paper was after the pictures as soon as possible.

Overall it was a great experience and I really enjoyed it. I discovered I'm not as self-conscious as I was during my first photo shoot (for Fringe Fantastic), and the fact that people are intrigued over what is going on doesn't bother me any more. Having it all done by such an experienced photographer as Steve obviously is, was undoubtedly a large part of that. He mentioned he does a lot of work with politicians, other authors etc. so it was great to be involved and see how it all works.

Now I wait until Sunday, and hopefully the article will make it all worthwhile.

Finally, I'm delighted to announce that my new book, Poolside Poetry, is scheduled for release on March 2nd, 2007! I've decided now is the time to set a date, particularly in view of events that took place today and last night. I updated the website to this effect.

Poolside Poetry peels away the different layers of Cyprus's personality to bring it to glorious life. Not only does the book celebrate the country's beauty in the form of poetry, but it describes the daily torment and struggle of what it is to be Scottish, pale, and holidaying under a 100 degree sun.

It's as funny as it is thoughtful.

Poolside Poetry is published by Smashing Press, and you can pre-book a copy by going to the website at:
http://poolsidepoetry.colingalbraith.co.uk

A Day Of Two Halves

2007-01-18T08:03:00.000Z

It was, as football commentators sometimes say, a day of two halves. The day began normally enough, skittering about the depths as I ploughed through the day job. But by late afternoon it had launched into levels of extreme energy and brain activity.

During lunch, I redrafted A Bond of Faith and got it ready to go back out. I was going to ditch it, but gave it one more read before I started. I remember it was my first attempt at a 1st person story and on reading it I remembered why I like it. It's simple, emotionally pulling, and has a nice twist. So I decided to keep it and worked through it once more before I go and try to find a new market for it.

The same process was worked on Amanda and Joe, although this wasn't anywhere near to getting ditched. I think it might make the basis for a good play but that's not something I have time for at the moment. It, too, is now ready to go back out on submission.

My great writing friend, Devon Ellington, has moved her very popular writing blog. Make sure you update your favourites and point your browser to the new location for Ink in my Coffee. It can now be found at: http://devonellington.wordpress.com . If you don't know what I'm talking about, click the link; it's a fascinating journal from a wonderful writer.

I got home in the freezing cold, high winds, sleet, and rain - it was actually snowing at times today, but it was so wet none of it landed here - and turned on my PC while the kettle boiled. One good thing about starting the day job so early is that I can leave early, too. Which means more time to write in the evening, as well as capturing all-important emails - as you are about to find out.

So there I was, watching the emails build up on the screen; Viagra - 10% off; Penis Enlargement - Make Your Wife Happy; Problems With Piles? Don't Live With a Sore Bum! And so it went on. Then one email flashed past my eyes that was actually worthy of opening.

Timed at around 1:30pm, it was from a journalist at the Sunday Herald, asking if I would give her a ring about my book, Fringe Fantastic.

Having been caught out once before by an email from a journalist who had gone on to find another source for an article by the time I had got home, I launched out of my seat and rang her number.

Before I knew it, I was talking about the book and the whole self-publishing versus traditional publishing route. It was very relaxed and casual, and despite only perhaps nine or ten questions, I felt as though I was talking for much longer. I think I got across what she was looking for anyway.

She said she thought Fringe Fantastic looked really good and asked if it would be okay for a photograph. Assuming she meant a screen grab from my website I agreed, but was then informed that someone from the photodesk would be in touch about a shoot either tomorrow or Saturday.

Half an hour later everything was set. The shoot for the article is tomorrow afternoon, I've to take a copy of my book along, and with time to think about it I started to get nervous. There had been no time for nerves before the actual interview; it all happened so quickly and naturally, but now I was getting my photo taken, I began to grow a little knot in my belly.

Not having shaved for two weeks (face or head), my overgrowing hair was first to go. I went through a period of "what do writers wear for newspaper photo shoots?" Welsh is always colourful and sporty looking, Rankin always black and grungy. Auster tends to wear high neck jumpers, as does King, and McCall-Smith and Rowling all wear very smart clothes.

Then I realised. Well, it was actually Gail who said it. "Just wear what you're comfortable in." Well she didn't quite say it like that; she was trying to watch the TV at the time and was wanting rid of my insane rantings. But she was, of course, entirely correct. And so the dilemma was sorted in my mind. I'll wear what I would normally wear - photoshoot or no photoshoot.

So that was the day. I practised some more of the guitar and did a couple of site updates, then hit the hay early. Couldn't get to sleep though. Too excited!

Who The Hell Is Shilpa Shetty?

2007-01-17T09:09:00.000Z

As most of you who watch the television, read the papers, listen to the radio or know someone who does, you won't have escaped the remarkable furore that has surround the Channel 4 programme, Celebrity Big Brother this week.

The whole world, it seems, is up in arms about 'racist slurs' made by housemates to Shilpa Shetty, an award winning Bollywood actress.

Burning effigy's in the streets of India, Governments embarrassed and embroiled, and over-driven media coverage is now the order of the day.

But what's it over?

Well, like with any other series of the programme, a dozen people are put into a house in the hope there will be one or both of two things: sex and/or fighting.

This time, we got fighting, and lots of it - as is pretty much the standard for a dozen people suddenly living together in a small environment. Don't forget also, these people are "celebrities" so there is even less room in the house when their over-inflated egos are taken into consideration.

The executives got what they wanted: back stabbing, slagging, fighting and arguing. Apparently it makes for good television.

So what's so different about this series?

One of the people involved in the arguing is Indian.
Apparently as soon as you shout at an Indian (or any other ethnic minority), you immediately become a racist. Well if you listen to the media you are, anyway.

This whole sad episode has been driven entirely by the media, who have jumped on the politically correct bandwagon and managed to stir up people's opinions on a matter that has no real justification.

So far as I can tell, nobody who goes into the Big Brother house is right in the head. They do it for their own ends, either to grab their 15 minutes of fame or in the celebrity edition, to try and resurrect flagging careers. These people weren't right to begin with even before they went in!

That said, nothing that has been reported, seems to be outwardly racist, in that if it was said to one white person to another, it would just be a normal insult. Said to an Indian, or any other ethnic minority, and it's out of line.

To the contestant in the Big Brother house
I have no sympathy. You are all a bunch of sad twats for wanting to be in there in the first place so you will get what you deserve when you come out.

To the British media
You are to blame for inciting racial tension where it existed only on the flimsiest of charges.

To the Indian media
You are also to blame for believing everything your British counterparts are writing and saying and stirring your own people up.

To the British public
Stop watching this crap and get minds of your own. It's some of the worst drivel ever to hit our TV screens. Go read a book for a change. READ MINE!!!

To the Indian public
Burning effigy's of Channel 4 executives is pathetic and proves nothing. Did any of them say anything to your Bollywood star? No. It was a stupid wee lassie who is trying to grab some fame by shacking up with a football star and going on BB. If you take what she says seriously and use it as an excuse to burn up your own streets, then you are even thicker than she is.

To the Channel 4 Executives
Lap it up people; it's what you always wanted.

To Everyone
It takes two to tango. Shilpa gave as good as she got, therefore by the media's standards some of the things she said to the others must also be racist. N’est pa?

Too much irresponsible journalism, media hype and the willingness of ethnic minorities to jump on any anti-western bandwagon that comes along makes for an unwanted hotpot of a situation. At the end of the day, some ego's argued in a house on live television and one of them was Indian. So fucking what? Could it just be that they don't like each other? Does that it make racism?

Consider this final thought: only a few people in this country new the name Shilpa Shetty a few weeks ago. Now she's a household name.

USE YOUR HEADS PEOPLE!!

Back to the writing.

I did a wee update to my website, updating the pages mentioning A Pocketful of Fun: A Collection of Poems for Children, which by the way, has another new outlet.

Here's the full list of outlets:

Waterstones, WH Smith , Blackwells, and Amazon.

A Pocketful of Fun: A Collection of Poems for Children
Forward Press
Price: £14.99
Paperback
ISBN: 1844184390

I was checking out the Forward Press website and realised that all the authors who were included in the anthology stand to share in £10,000 in prize money. First prize is £3000 and all work is considered for the Top 100 Poets of 2006 competition. Fingers crossed - I could do with a wee cash injection.

I finished the re-draft of Stella and prepared a few submission packages. It is now back out in the arena and I await some favourable responses.

Clearing the Decks

2007-01-16T20:21:00.000Z

I had to force myself out of bed. The alarm went off and I contemplated lying till 8am and taking it easy. But I knew the guilt would anger me so I prised myself out at 6:20am and was ready to rock by 6:50am. As soon as I was out the shower I was feeling better, over the worst at least, and as soon as that first taste of piping hot coffee hit the back of my throat, all was well in the universe once more.

The weather seems to be turning for the better. The constant wind and rain is slowly being replaced by calm clear skies and a chill. It's much nicer and preferable to what we have been getting - though I'm not one to complain about the weather, as you know.

Managed to get through a load of work again. Most of it is the remaining fiddly stuff so I can clear the decks for more juicy work, such as actual fiction and poetry writing!

* Reviewed the Press Kit documentation.
* Put out a call for quotes on an online forum for the Quotes document in the Press Kit.
* Reviewed the A Pocketful of Fun press release
* Listed all the targets for the A Pocketful of Fun press release to go out to.
* Reviewed the Poolside Poetry press release
* Published my weekly Scruffy Dog Review Blog column. This week a tribute to the artist/writer, Harry Horse.
* Ran through my submissions list, marking some stories for redraft, some for ditching and others which are still waiting and may need chased up.
* Redrafted the query letter for Stella.
* Redrafted the 5-page synopsis for Stella.

I went to bed early with a book, being totally and utterly shattered. Put the lights out about 11pm but could I get to sleep?

*sigh*

Working Down The List

2007-01-15T08:27:00.000Z

Yay! I managed an early start, albeit not quite managing to bounce out of bed like I was doing in November. I got up at 05:45 and was ready to write for 06:30. Nice.

On the way to the bus stop I noticed that all traces of the rain that has been flooding that country of late had been blown dry by the fierce wind. I much prefer rain to wind, it's more soothing. Rain is soft and calming, it sounds nice and provokes a calm feeling in me. Wind is violent, a bully that never gives up and it gets me angry when I can't walk straight for it battering into me.

The first thing I did was make a list of thing that I will do TODAY. I'm finding that more and more, working from my monthly GDR allows me to put things off, and so this way, I know what has to be done before nightfall. Well, since that is at about 4pm at the moment, let's change that till late evening.

And it worked too as I got through a shit load of work:

* I worked through all my outstanding email - been meaning to do this for a wee while.
* I wrote tomorrow's SDR blog article - It will need redrafting tomorrow before posting, but it's been constructed.
* I wrote the press release for A Pocketful of Fun - I'll give it a final draft tomorrow then list targets where it is to go out to.
* I wrote the press release for Poolside Poetry (for when it goes live). I'll give it a redraft tomorrow also, but it may need altered depending when I can get the book finally published.
* Put together a Press Kit for my Fiction site (author images, interview, FAQ's, quotes etc.) all in PDF. I figured this would be a nice neat way of improving my PR. I got the idea from Martha O'Connor, so thanks to her for that.
* I sent off a copy of Fringe Fantastic and a letter to Jonathan Ross. He wants to read more books? He could do worse!

I also happened upon some good news: A Pocketful of Fun is available in Waterstones! I never thought it would be retailing in such a large chain. You can see it at Waterstones Online.

One of my Financial GDR's is to reorganise the finances. This process is now underway and took a good hour or so to manage what I wanted this evening. Of all my GDR's this is probably the most immediately important. I must cut down on unnecessary outputs, and increase inputs - this is the first step to achieving this.

I was so tired by night time I could hardly keep my eyes open. I know it's just my body adjusting its schedule; it needs to get used to earlier starts and earlier to bed. I never managed it though. After doing my nightly practice on the guitar, I watched a bit of television - the second part of Waking the Dead. It got quite weird in places but I like Trevor Eve. The parallels with Spooks as a BBC drama are quite close though, and I wonder if that's wise of them to do that. Even the theme music is similar.

It was just good to get my head away from a PC screen and get a damn good cup of tea - with milk, for all my ARS pallies ;-)

Lazy Day

2007-01-14T07:51:00.000Z

Bit of a lazy day today. Slept till lunchtime though this was one of those occasions where I would rather not have. The house was kept quiet so I could kip - are the rest trying to tell me something?

After brunch I finished off the rabbit hutch, clipping their nails and giving them a quick groom, then I got the guitar out. Amazingly I remembered the A, E and D chords easily and was able to switch a bit quicker than yesterday. I started work on chords C and G, which is a good wee range. That's me finished working through the first book (I did say it was a small one), but these chords are enough to be going on for now.

I intend to do a little each day, even if just for 10 or 15 minutes. Hopefully I can build up enough calluses on my fingers and wrist memory that the repetitive strain will go away. It's a bit like typing for long periods in that you get small focussed strains.

I discovered also, that as well as the exercises in the book, the chords I am learning are also ample for playing some actual songs. For instance, the classic Madness hit, You're Wonderful, uses these chords in its entirety. I got the CD out and used the Madness track to practice against. It made it a bit easier and made me feel like I was actually getting somewhere.

For some reason when I checked my new freelance website it was displaying code in places and blanks in others. Not sure what I did so I had to rip it out and do a couple of pages again. I took some notes down for the new-look fiction site, but I'm not in so much of a hurry over that. I changed the non-fiction page to link straight to the freelance site. I will launch it shortly.

I tidied all the press releases on my website. The links were fine but as far as distribution goes it makes more sense to have them downloadable as PDF's rather than linking to an external website. I'm putting together a kind of Press Kit, which will contain FAQ's, info on my books, quotes etc.

A couple of my writing friends have moved their blogs from Blogger to Wordpress. I set up a dummy site to take a look and play around with. I've not had too much trouble with Blogger apart from the downtime, unreliability and annoyingly enforced changes to function, I quite like it. If Wordpress looks to do the same job but without so much interference, I might consider a move. Meantime, I'll watch closely how my pals get on with it. Their experience will be important.

And that's about it. I watched some telly at night and crossed my fingers for an early rise tomorrow morning. I have to get back in the habit as I fell I am losing time each day by missing my 5:15am alarm.

Rock 'n' Roll

2007-01-13T17:48:00.000Z

For the first time in almost a week, the torrential rain ceased and the gale force winds died down. The sky was clear and things seemed to be returning to normal weather-wise. This made the dropping of the wean at her dance school all the more easier, in fact we walked all the way there for a change instead of getting the bus.

I popped into WH Smith in Waverly Station to see if there had any copies of A Pocketful of Fun, but I couldn't see any. It was mostly novels, crossword and sudoko puzzle books they had stocked for all the commuters. Damn. I'm still waiting for my copy. I checked the contract and it could be another couple of weeks until it arrives on my doorstep. I'm dying to see what the cover is like!

Waterstones next where I cheekily looked into the kids section - just in case - but no. I did though, spend a voucher I had been given a few months ago on something directly related to my GDR's for this year. I bought two books on learning to play the guitar. I can't afford lessons so these books, coupled with the accompanying CD's and all the stuff I already have in my guitar case, should give me the grounding I need to get started.

With my new books in hand I went for my usual coffee and flicked through the pages. I also scribbled down some inspirational notes about promotion and articles I want to write. While doing so, I had my headphones on listening to the Jonathon Ross Saturday Show on BBC Radio 2. He was saying how he was fed up watching television all the time and wanted to start reading more books.

Well Johnny, expect a copy of Fringe Fantastic - because I'm sending you one first thing on Monday along with a letter begging for a mention on next week's show. You never know - funnier things have happened.

Back home I had lunch, tidied up, played a few elementary notes on the guitar, then cleaned the Guinea Pig hutch and gave her a bath. Then the weather turned, and within minutes it had gone from calm blue skies, to torrential rain and howling strong winds. Typical Scotland. The rabbits can wait till tomorrow.

I did some more work on my freelance website and it's looking good. I am going to begin by concentrating on two or three specific topics with which to focus my articles on. I will pitch these and then gradually move wider.

I did some work on Stella before getting the guitar out for the evening and started to work my way through the elementary book. It's quite good. Remembering the chords isn't that bad, it's getting to each one quick enough that is the tough bit, I'm taking it a stage at a time, so I'm working on chords A, D and E (major) at the moment. Then once I've got them instilled, I'll move onto the next chapter.

Finally, happy birthday Suggs!! Young at heart - the only way.

Entrepreneurialism

2007-01-12T16:26:00.000Z

I've signed up for this: Inkthinker Query Challenge, run by author, Kristen King. Here's the blurb (taken from Kristen's site):

12 months + 120 queries = Imminent publishing success.

The plan is for all of us to get out a minimum of 120 queries by the end of 2007. This breaks down to 2-3 queries a week, so don't panic. For the purposes of the challenge, a query is any written document, electronic or hard copy, that you submit to a publisher, editor, or agent to pitch an idea for a writing assignment. Fiction or non-fiction, book or article, it doesn't matter. If you want to query for unpaid assignments, that's fine -- it's up to you. As long as you're querying, I don't care.

I'm going to use this as a driver for my freelance business.

I spent most of my writing day putting together the website for my Freelance business. I used a template but as ever, my own ideas fell into it and it involved a bit of HTML jiggery-pokery. I want to get a new author picture for it and I need to get some other stuff organised to support the business, but as far as the site goes, it's 90% done. One more tick and one step closer to being prepared and organised to give this my best shot.

I'm going to change my author site. I have really fallen out with the white on black and I have some striong ideas for the new look. It will need some careful photography and some new HTML/CSS ideas so may take a little longer to put together.

Before I go, and still on the theme of entrepreneurialism, a pal of mine has been setting up his own wine merchant's business over the past wee while. The next stage of his growing business (aside the day job), sees the launch of the online leg of the company in the form of a spanking new website. I love the design and the colours. Check out Appellation Wines for some good deals from someone who is passionate about their wine. Not that he's a wino or anything - he just likes wine. Congratulations Ash - wish you all the best with it!

National Disgrace

2007-01-11T13:18:00.000Z

15 YEAR OLD FOUND SELLING SEX IN LEITH

(Headline from today's Evening News)

As the Dad of a nine-year old this sends shivers up my spine. Because not only does it raise questions about the debate of whether prostitution should be legalised and the part drugs and homelessness has to play in all this, but it also begs the question of whether these men are aware they are now child abusers as well as sex abusers.

In my opinion, legalising the industry can only help. It won't get rid of the problem but at least it might mean it can be controlled, and girls as young as this won't be put in any danger. She's lucky to be alive and probably doesn't even know it.

It's even more horrible to think that the place where this girl was found is about two minutes from my house. The "red light" district was moved a few years ago from the traditional Coburg Street, where police turned a blind eye to prostitution. The local residents forced city authorities to designate a new zone in Salamander Street - down the road from my house - but after complaints from local residents (we're still getting mail-shots through the door) it was shut down as a tolerance zone permanently.

The result? Girls wandering about the street from about 8pm onwards selling themselves, and prowlers hanging about in cars or whatever, picking them up to be used as sex objects or worse. Leith Links, which is just round the corner, is where they do a lot of their business. You can tell by the used condoms often seen lying around, and it wouldn't surprise me if that's where they did a lot of their drugs too in order to see them through the night.

When my kid becomes old enough to want to hang about with all her teen pals away from the home, do I want her to be in risk of catching something or pricking herself on a needle? Do I want cars stopping as she walks past the Links to see what business she is offering? This happens a lot to a female pal of mine who actually lives on Salamander Street and she is scared witless to go anywhere without her car when she's about there at night.

Moving them on isn't the answer. The problem will still exist. Legalise it and it can be controlled; the prostitutes will feel safe and the people who live here - me - will not worry so much about letting our daughters out. Because let's face it, the problem isn't going to away - it's been around for hundreds of years.

I worked on my websites tonight. I've decided to put together a freelance specific site, which I shall use to market my copywriting, article writing skills, etc. In doing this, I think I need to slim down and make my main site more accessible and easier to use. I like the design, I'm just beginning to go against the white writing on the black. I want it to be open and fresh and lively. I need to make my sites simpler in their design so that interested people can find out exactly what they need to know about me and my work.

This is all part of my drive for new freelance business as well as my drive to find an agent longer term. Once I was done for the evening Gail and I watched a programme, which was not entirely unrelated to all of this. It was called Pay Off Your Mortgage in Two Years, and followed up on a couple Dan and Lucy, who, with the help of an advisor, changed their life around in order to pay their mortgage off in two years, thus freeing them to live their dream life.

Starting off with £7k debt and a 30-year term mortgage for £105,000, they both moved well outside their comfort zones; Lucy taking great strides in Yoga training, Dan boosting his home-made wood burning furnace business, and huge cutbacks in their expenditure. The result was they managed it, and it was great to see.

I'm not saying for a minute that me and Gail could do the same thing (Dan and Lucy fed boiled nettle soup and tins of cat food to their two kids!), but the strongest message I took from the programme was the focus the advisor played on marketing the businesses. Repeatedly he said the following things:

* Move way outside your comfort zone
* If you feel uneasy, you are only being challenged
* If you are being challenged, you are doing the right thing
* Easy things get no results
* Minimise costs
* Maximise output
* Maximise visibility (press, leaflets etc.)
* Think big

Some of these things are kind of hinted at in my GDR for this year. I'm going to adjust my document to include all of them specifically in relation to building up a freelance writing business and with promoting my fiction and poetry.

Then we'll see what position we're in by the end of the year.

A New Musical Era

2007-01-10T13:22:00.000Z

As most of you know, or can probably guess, I am a lover of music. I listen to all kinds, except perhaps heavy thrash, rave and boy/girl bands. Other than that, I'm open to just about anything.

In particular I like rock, jazz, classical, easy listening and on the odd occasion, country. I would not be the man I am today, nor would I be able to survive, without reggae and ska. This is the music that gives me life. It is in my blood.

Over the years I have built up quite a vast amount of music in my collection. I have around 100 vinyl records, mixed between 7", 12" and LP, and mostly from the 80's and 90's. I also have around 300 cassette tapes, which contain all manner of things like copied albums, bootlegs, radio versions, and interviews.

When CD's became the main format my collection kept growing, and when I moved in with my now wife, we combined our collections to bring the total number in our house to around 300 CD's.

While I am able to listen to any CD I want, whenever I want, I am unable to listen to my vinyl and cassettes, an activity I used to partake of a Sunday afternoon. This is because when we moved home my stereo system (5-CD rotator, double cassette deck and turntable) were no longer required and relegated to the attic. Along with it went my boxes of vinyl and tape. A sad end to a glorious life.

The problem is I still want to listen to the music contained on those formats, but can't because of the manner of their retirement. The ideal solution would be to find a way of transferring all my vinyl and tape to CD, then I can keep the originals in safe storage, not annoy Gail with all my music lying around, and be able to listen to any of it whenever I want.

Today I found the answer to all my problems.

It's the USB Turntable!

Basically, this is a turntable that you attach to your PC through the USB port, thereby allowing you to convert easily to MP3 or CD format. In other words, you can transfer all your inaccessible music to digital format, preserving it forever and brining it once more into the category of "today's music".

It's not cheap though. At £120 it's dearer than your average turntable but it'll be worth it to transfer all my hidden tunes onto CD. I'm getting one. I can't afford not to.

I did a lot of work on Stella today, finishing up the new cover letter and tightening the synopsis. I'm still working through the manuscript and I seem to be removing more and more chunks of superfluous text. Can't be a bad thing I'm always being told.

The new novel idea is still percolating nicely. No notes taken as yet because it still needs a few doses of spice to make it into a worthwhile project.

I also have another novel vying for my attention but in a different way. An idea has come to fruition, another DI Lennox novel, but this one is really heavy in the historical stakes. It's the history that gave me the idea, and that hopefully I can build Lennox's first full case arouns since he was involved with Slick. It will need a vast amount of research, so I reckon this could be one for later in the year or even 12 months time. I won't rush it, and I shall research thoroughly, as per my GDR vow.

So I have a lot on at the moment; two novels bubbling away in my head, setting up the freelance side professionally, publishing Poolside Poetry, and of course the endless cycle of promotion/marketing.

Sometimes I just don't know where to start. Thank God for those GDR's. If I could only rid myself of the day job!

PS - Happy Birthday to my old pal Rod Stewart. 62 today ya old duffer! ;-)

Resurrection

2007-01-09T13:03:00.000Z

I published the first of this year's columns in The Scruffy Dog Review Blog today. Pop over and have a read. I'm going to use this resurrected column for Scottish Literary news and comment.

I did the school run this morning so I was on time for once. I've been struggling to get up early, mainly I think because I've been working on my GDR's and not had enough on my mind fictionally. I need a novel to work on, which is handy, because an idea has been brewing these past few days in my mind.

It's funny how this one has formed. It started with the location, then a plot idea formed, and then a character. It needs to be plotted more seriously, but I'm not ready for that yet. The idea has still to take full hold in my head first so it can mature and drum up passion in my heart. It's not ready to be outed.

I worked on the synopsis and wrote down more serious ideas for my kids book. I'm going to take this idea much further than the e-book of last year. Which reminds me, in the spring I am expecting Rick Lupert of the Poetry Super Highway to run another great poetry free-for-all - so I'm beginning to pen ideas for this already. I think I might go back to the same format of the first e-book, Brick by Brick, so I can include photography as well.

I also began work on a new round of submissions for Stella. I needed to prepare more query letters, a larger synopsis copy and I also began giving the manuscript a redraft. It's been over six months now since it was last looked at, so the fresh eyes and with the experience of Slick behind me, I'm bound to improve on it.

I've found an excellent album to listen to while I'm working. It's an album I got for Christmas (from Laura), which I've wanted for years but never got round to buying. I only wanted it for the one song, but the entire album (I already knew) is just fantastic. It is of course, White Ladder by David Gray, and the song which I never tire of listening to is, Sail Away.

Before I go, my good friend Brooks Carver has a new book published. Entitled, Give My Love To Ivey Rose, it is available now from Prairie Sky Press. Brooks is a fantastic writer, so please check out his other work available from the website.

2007 GDR Plan

2007-01-08T13:41:00.000Z

It's the first day back for most people, so we are supposedly "back to normal" in here. I feel dreadful about the entire thing. In my career with The Company, so far spanning over 8 years, there has been highs and lows. The general trend however, has seen morale and satisfaction slowly drop to where it is now - gutter level. I don't think I have ever felt so disillusioned, low in morale and depressed about working here.

Everything from the type of office we have to work in, the work we are being handed down, the state of the coffee machine, the location of the building, the management - everything - is ---- I can't seem to find a word suitable enough. Perhaps these words when put together will suffice: awful, abominable, alarming, appalling, atrocious, bad, deplorable, depressing, dire, disgusting, distressing, dreadful, fearful, frightful, ghastly, grody, gross, gruesome, grungy, harrowing, hideous, horrendous, horrible, horrific, horrifying, nasty, offensive, raunchy, repulsive, shocking, stinking, synthetic, tough, ugly, unpleasant, unsightly.

It is so bad, each day I wish I was sick so I would not have to go in. Each day I wonder if some miracle will occur and I arrive at the door to be told I am not an employee, that I discover it has all been a vivid nightmare, and that I never worked here at all. I can then turn around and go and write somewhere - the job I have really been doing for the last 8 years. Every day spent in here makes that dream feel further away and means I know I have to push that little bit harder to achieve it.

I completed off my 2007 GDR Plan (you can find the final version below), and I completed the re-work of my Scotland's Treasure article for The Scruffy Dog Review. It contains a feature on the New Year celebrations in Edinburgh, so due to the event cancellation I had to rework how I had written it. I also chased up the poet I was hoping to interview and I think we are holding back publication of the January issue to see if we can accommodate her.

Now that the plan is finalised and I have focussed my intentions for the year, I can feel the surge of energy rising within me. I have streamlined my goals in order that my dreams may come true, and my resolutions are realistically achievable. Everything in the plan is based on last years achievements, the last few years experience and what I want to achieve in the future. It has been set out specifically to challenge me, push me and to make tracking my progress easier.

And so, here we go -

My 2007 GDR Plans

LAST YEAR'S HIGHLIGHTS (2006)
What writing breakthrough this past year (2006) made me the happiest/proudest?
* First cheque payment for a non-fiction article: Robert Louis Stevenson - Always in Edinburgh, published by The Literary Traveler.
* Amount of networking and new contacts made at the Edinburgh Fringe and Book Festivals.
* Having a poem accepted for publication in a childrens print anthology publication.
* Completing NaNoWriMo in November.

What unexpected joys did you discover during the year?
* The 13 Travelling Journals project.
* The reaction from the Fringe street performers over Fringe Fantastic.
* Live performance poetry workshop at the Book Festival in August.
* Taking part in Devon's Writing Workshop exercises on The Scruffy Dog Review Blog.
* That I can write 70k of a novel in one month.
* Flexible fiction writing approach.

What are you unhappy with?
* Lack of Fringe Fantastic sales during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
* Reaction to Stella by the pop band Yello and their management.
* Lack of movement amongst Edinburgh writers to get together.
* Delays in getting Poolside Poetry into publication.
* Amount of fiction not written.
* Amount of non-impact in freelance market.

Looking back, would you have done anything differently?
* Put more effort into the Fringe Festival promotion work.
* Marketed myself more within my local community.
* Took a hard-line approach with my fiction in a bid to get more publication credits.
* Not put Hunting Jack out to tender.
* Worked on more fiction than I did.

What expectations did you find you needed to let go of?
* Selling isn't as easy as marketing. FF will take longer to sell.
* Pitching a novel is harder than I ever imagined.

Where am now I with my writing career overall?
* Further on in an overall sense, but frustrated now that I know what I can and should be doing.
* Ready to push further and take the next steps to focussing and concentrating on where I want to go.
* People are recognising me as a writer and I feel more absorbed into the world.

ALL ENCOMPASSING GDR'S FOR 2007
Goals
List your goals for the coming year.
1. To obtain representation from a literary agent.
2. To have a major piece of fiction published traditionally.
3. To increase my online and real-life marketing profile.
4. To sell out of Fringe Fantastic.
5. To publish Poolside Poetry and one other chapbook (possibly another kids).
6. To make more of an impact freelancing.

List three positive, active steps to take on each goal to get it going.
1. To obtain representation from a literary agent.
- a. Work hard completing and pitching Slick
- b. Work harder on synopsis and covering letters.
- c. Write three novels this year.
2. To have a major piece of fiction published traditionally.
- a. Focus largely on fiction and novel writing.
- b. Hone my short story writing craft.
- c. Improve the way I approach markets/editors.
3. To increase my online and real-life marketing profile.
- a. More press releases hard copied to newspapers, targeted mags and journalst contacts. - b. Be more involved with online promotion.
- c. Offer myself up for readings, signings etc. to independents.
4. To sell out of Fringe Fantastic.
- a. Market the book more aggressively.
- b. Find new outlets to stock the book.
- c. Offer myself up for personal promo.
5. To publish Poolside Poetry and one other chapbook (possibly another kids).
- a. Read more poetry and open my mind to new ideas.
- b. Become more technically honed in publishing.
- c. Read more kids books.
6. To make more of an impact freelancing.
- a. Focus on one or two specific markets.
- b. Study copywriting.
- c. Put together a focussed freelance website.

Dreams
List your dreams for the coming year.
1. To obtain the services of an agent.
2. To have a novel bought by a publisher in a traditional book deal.

List three positive, active steps to transform each dream into a goal.
1. To obtain the services of an agent.
- a. Complete Slick and pitch to agents.
- b. Complete all work to a high standard (don't sub too soon).
- c. Pitch completed manuscripts to agents as strongly as possible.
2. To have a novel bought by a publisher in a traditional book deal.
- a. All of the above.

Resolutions
List your resolutions for the coming year.
1. Lose 2 stones.
2. Get fit.
3. Become debt free.

List three positive, active steps to help you stick to them.
1. Lost 2 stones.
- a. Eat more healthy food.
- b. Cut out more crap food.
- c. Cook more healthy meals.
2. Get fit.
- a. Exercise more regularly.
3. Become debt free.
- a. Restructure outgoings.
- b. Sell more writing/chapbooks.
- c. Utilise bonuses and royalties.

SPECIFIC WRITING GDR'S
What project(s) did I leave unfinished last year that I need to finish for my own peace of mind?
* Never finished A Friend To Die For from 2005, so I really want to get this first draft down as soon as possible. It's a great but complicated story I started writing before I had the necessary skills.
* Technical manual for HTML and the Internet needs put to bed. Sitting at about 75% done this would be a great seller if I could get it completed.
* I dropped The Scruffy Dog Review Blog Column. This will be resurrected to cover Scottish literary news.

What creative goals do I want to achieve over the next year?
* Turn out more fiction, including three new novels.
* Publish Poolside Poetry and at least one more chapbook (a kids book)

What steps do I need to take on the technical front to achieve these goals?
* Committ the time.
* Do the research.
* Upgrade my PC.

How do you want to structure next year to support your writing?
* I need to set a daily/weekly target of words when I am writing. There has to be days built in for doing marketing and promotion work. Monthly plans should be established to lay this all out and I can use my monthly GDR's to incorporate these. NaNoWriMo can be used as a template for this, allbeit, a more intense schedule. Plans need to include research time and be realistic.

What changes do I need to make in my daily life to achieve these goals?
* Don't think I need to. I have achieved a balance in 2006 and I aim to keep the boat from rocking. Keep moving forward.
* I intend to move outside my comfort zone more willingly in order to make the next step, whenever the opportunities/ideas arise.
* I will cut out all negativity from my life.

What marketing steps are needed to achieve these goals?
* I need to market myself as well as my work.
* Improve press release quality and target these aggressively, but politely.
* Need to build more contacts.

How much time each day do I vow to devote to writing?
* 3-5 hours per day minimum writing or researching.

Where do you need to be more disciplined?
* Research.
* Pitching.
* Marketing.

Where do you need to ease up on yourself?
* If it's not happening just accept it and work on something else in the meantime.

With what new type of writing will I experiment with in the coming year?
* Not new, but I want to go much further with childrens poetry and fiction.

Where do I want to be with my writing in the long-term?
* I want to publish traditionally and become a full-time writer.

How does the rest of your life support your writing?
* It should allow me to be able to mix family, friends and my working life more easily.
* Ideal balance would be 50% family and friends, 40% writing, 10% day job.

How can you change/compromise on the non-supportive elements?
* Convince people that I am a writer and that I am serious about pursuing it as my career.
* Treat myself more seriously, in order to become more serious.

What will make me refer to myself, first and foremost, as a "writer"?
* Having a major piece of fiction published traditionally.

What new non-writing interests do I wish to add to my life this year?
* I will read further about Buddhism - The Dharmapada.
* I will start learning to play the guitar.

FINANCIAL GDR'S
What financial goals do I want to achieve over the next year?
* Make £1000 in royalties from book sales.
* Become debt-free.

What creative steps are necessary to achieve these goals, if any?
* Sell current stock of First Edition Fringe Fantastic books.
* Market Poolside Poetry aggressively online.
* Reorganise myself financially.

What steps do I need to take on the technical front to achieve these goals, if any?
* Improve my publishing skills.
* Upgrade my PC.
* Take a leap.

What changes do I need to make in my daily life to achieve these goals?
* Step outside my box and be prepared to do personal promotion. This is vital.

What marketing steps are needed to achieve these goals?
* I need to improve and target press releases.

BOOKS TO READ IN 2007
* Don Quixote, Cervantes *
* The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck *
* A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzenitsyn *
* The Dharmapada *
* The Brooklyn Follies, Paul Auster *
* In The Country of Last Things, Paul Auster
* Moon Palace, Paul Auster
* The Music of Chance, Paul Auster
* Leviathan, Paul Auster *
* Mr Vertigo, Paul Auster
* Timbuktu, Paul Auster
* Hide & Seek, Ian Rankin *
* Tooth & Nail, Ian Rankin *
* The Black Book, Ian Rankin *
* Mortal Causes, Ian Rankin *
* Let It Bleed, Ian Rankin *
* Black & Blue, Ian Rankin *
* Sleepyhead, Mark Billingham *
* Scaredy Cat, Mark Billingham *
* Lazybones, Mark Billingham
* The Burning Girl, Mark Billingham

* Vital reading

Jinx Boy

2007-01-07T12:19:00.001Z

Some stuff I meant to mention in Friday's post.

I only just noticed that Anne Wicking & Loman Austen left a message on the Dec 16th post about the length of time it took to publish my first book. Assuming you mean Fringe Fantastic (as it was my first in paperback), it took about a month to write the first draft, a further two months of redrafting, during which time I was doing cover shoots, learning about design and layout and managing the publication process more or less myself (with a little help from some good friends), it took about 4 months to complete. A third of a year.

My latest book has taken much longer despite me being supposedly more experienced and knowledgeable. This took a month to do the first draft, which was completed in mid-August. I'm STILL re-drafting this one and am STILL working on the cover and font designs though. I reckon it will be February before this one hits the shelves, so that would be a total time taken to about seven (7) months to complete.

I suppose it all comes down to how easy you find it to match your vision to the reality. Until I am happy with it though, I'm not releasing it, otherwise, what's the point? I do tend to write poetry very fast, as I feel it comes out more naturally that way; thought capturing rather than forced. Rather like eating a chocolate raisin, it's much better and easier to stick it in your mouth and melt the chocolate off, than try to bite away the edges to get you to the fruity part.

I also meant to mention that my short series of Nutty UK articles detailing the Glasgow and Newcastle Madness gigs, were picked up by the editors of MIS (Madness Information Service) and published in their final edition of 2006 (also the 400th). This goes out to over 1000 subscribers, of which hopefully some of them read poetry.

Finally, it was with much delight that I read of the saving of the Little Chef restaurant chain from closure. My life used to revolve around those small, badly serviced motorway stations, so I am delighted that I will be able to continue visiting them for my post-drinking breakfasts. Some things in life, just should NOT be touched.

Anyway, back to Saturday.

Me and Gail found ourselves way out in the sticks in the evening. Wallyford to be precise; a part of East Lothian I am none too familiar with. We were visiting friends who have recently fallen in love and bought a house together. Armed with wine, beer and whisky, we made our way east and were given a tour of their newly built home. Very nice it is, too.

As we reclined on their new leather sofa, we supped on our drinks and turned the music to a nice level so we could talk. Then - BANG!! No, it wasn't an orgy. All the lights went out, the sound disappeared and the house plunged into darkness.

We looked outside. Black as far as the eye could see. All that could be heard was the sound of dogs barking and alarms squealing far of into the distance. Our second blackout in six days - are we jinxed, or what?

The power was restored after a couple of hours of candlelit drinking, and it turned into a long night. 4.30am was the finishing time, and I suffered dreadfully for it today.

The hangover lasted longer then normal. Final punishment I reckon because last night was my last session for a few weeks after all the excesses of the Christmas holidays. I've had enough, quite honestly, and need a break for all the partying. I'm getting too old for this kind of thing.

I'll post my GDR Plans for 2007 shortly. I go into 2007 confident and in good spirits.

PS - I am aware some of my grammar and spelling may not be up to scratch on this blog, but I couldn't give a shit. That's not what this place is about. This is a place of imperfection, of voicing opinion and thoughts, some you might agree with, some you may not. I write this blog as fast as I think it, therefore all of it must make it onto the page post haste. I only give this text a quick once-over for obvious mistakes, for if I treated ever post like a manuscript, you would be reading about events six months ago in my life and that just wouldn't do now, would it? This blog is about getting to know the Writer Me. Nothing more or less. This is not a work of fiction. Mostly.

2006 GDR Round-Up

2007-01-06T20:36:00.000Z

WRITING GDR's FOR 2006

What project(s) did I leave unfinished last year that I need to finish for my own peace of mind?

A Friend To Die For - 40% complete -Started doing catch-up in June but got caught in other things. Slick for NaNoWriMo took over totally in November - 70k in one month.
Stella - Completed in May. Sent out on submission after several re-writes and beta reading. The band, Yello, declined to be involed. Several publishers still waiting.
Working with Websites - 65% complete - No work done to date. Found it hard to get motivated enough with this and too much other work I considered priority. Technical writing isn't creative - it's technical and requitres a different frame of mind.

What creative goals do I want to achieve over the next year?

* Complete Stella and A Friend to Die For - Stella completed in May. A Friend to Die For scheduled for June but never got touched.
* Complete drafting and development of Hunting Jack - Complete. Used it to get back on the rails after New Year. First refraft complete Feb. plus ending re-written. Second re-draft started March. Third draft and new chapter completed in June 06. Out on submission, several agents still waiting.
* Look at developing Jackie McCann as a character - Decided to change ending of Hunting Jack so to make it a possible serial, though this not applied as yet Looking at series of books through Jackie's life. Thought of using NaNoWriMo to write HJ sequel but chose something new in Slick instead.
* Write regular non-fiction articles on areas of interest .i.e step-dad, music, Scotland's arts - written a lot of articles and some were published, nothing regular though.
* Be more involved with Scruffy Dog Editorial work - Story/poetry readings, regular column and book review. Magazine moved to quarterly in November due to work contraints on Ed's and amount of submissions coming in.
* Produce more photographic work - No work done to date. Photo session for Poolside Poetry in September at Portobello Beach - freezing cold in shorts and t-shirt. What fun!
* Adapt What A Waste into a stage play - Not started. Not in pipeline any more.

What financial goals do I want to achieve over the next year?

* This is not my driving force. Getting published and recognised is more important to me. Of course, in the transition from full-time office-worker to full time writer this has to become an issue, but until I feel I am at a certain standard with my writing and inner-belief, then I cannot use it as a means to forward my art.

* Aim to target more paying markets and develop work relations through publications already accepted to. - Made a couple of submissions to Glimmer Train in January. Worked with Wildchild for accepted story, Under the Skin, for March issue. They remembered me from last year and my Heart of a Child story. In Feb, also, several chase-ups to submissions resulted in informal emails in return from editors. Should keep my name fresh with them. Submitted On A Monday Morning in March - more quality correspondence with editor. Received payment for RLS article from Literary Traveler.

* Make Fringe Fantastic as much of a financial success as possible. - Lots of leaflets, cards and posters handed out during Xmas and January month. Book reviewed in Issue 25 of Scotland Magazine and Spring issue of East Lothian Life. New leaflets designed in April. New PR campaign planned for summer festival. Fringe sales poorer than expected in August, although interest was higher than normal, no money made. New ideas for outlets in pipeline at end of 2006.

What creative steps are necessary to achieve these goals?

* Focus more heavily on fiction - Stella and Hunting Jack complete and on submission. Slick worked on heavily in November and December.
* Do lots more research for fictional work - Lots of research needed for HJ, Stella researched heavily. New HJ chapter researched and completed. Some done for Slick but more planned for re-writes in 2007.
* Research, target and develop more paying markets - submissions list now heavily added to in Feb and re-organised to get the best out of my subs. Kept on top of regularly.
* Be more organised with marketing and develop PR relations - working with editors more closely where appropriate. Met a lot of good contacts at the Book Festival.
* Try to make more time to read more books - trying to find time to read is hard. Getting there though. Getting much easier to squeeze in time. Got through more books second half of year.

What steps do I need to take on the technical front to achieve these goals?

* Grammar - Read more books and pay more attention to what other writers do also.
* Internal Thesaurus - Try to take more notice and use my Thesaurus more often, whic I tend to forget I have.
* Editing - I have read more books on this and worked on a process that I continually tighten.
* Upgrade my PC - New RAM cards added in Feb. XP added in April along with broadband connection and multi-ISB port. Need new internal hard drive and processor upgrade to complete the overhaul. Long-term need new monitor (got flat for Xmas), mouse (new) and keyboard (got). In May got hold of new processor, mother board and sound/graphics cards. Need to find time to put this all together. Also tore apart old PC given to me and may be able to use parts in this for upgrade.

What changes do I need to make in my daily life to achieve these goals?

* Continue to convince my friends and family to consider me as a writer first and foremost. - constantly telling people I'm a writer first - Telling people about writing achievements when they happen. Not force-feeding this information though. Made good advances in this through work, the Festival and with friends. The word is spreading.
* Continue to devote time and effort to the act of sitting down to write and of the act of research - Not too hard to manage but do need to still dig deeper and harder with any research I carry out. Hunting Jack needed more research to complete into novel form. NaNoWriMo proved what I can do and the level of writing output I can achieve. No excuses from now on.
* Try to develop my writer's network - lots done on this at Book Festival. Joined two new forums.

What marketing steps are needed to achieve these goals?

* Promote FF to a larger audience including the Fringe Festival in August. - Won't be available first week of August due to family holiday. Plans being prepared. Poorer response than expected.
* Continue to develop the process I built when promoting HJ and FF.
* Develop relations with other writers, editors and journalists - working well with Wildchild and getting valuable experience. Hard to meet writers in Edinburgh for some reason though have joined a meetup group. Still to attend as of November due to date clashes.

How much time each day do I vow to devote to writing?

Weekdays - 4 hours minimum - Not achieved in January. Back to normal Feb. March output excellent and same for year until November when it went through the roof. 5am starts seems to be the key for me.
Weekends - 10 hours minimum - Harder to achieve.Utilising notebooks more and more then transferring stories to PC later.

This is flexible. See working time guide for more information.

With what new type of writing will I experiment with in the coming year?

* Technical writing needs more work - nothing done on this yet
* Poetry for kids - wrote Silly Poems for Wee People Vol.1 for the 2006 PSH Great Poetry Free-For-All e-book project on May 1st. 280 downloads by end of December.

GENERAL GDR's FOR 2006

Where do I want to be with my writing in the long-term?

* I want to be a successful and ackowledged writer - I'm more successful and more often recognised by other that this is what I am. With regards to published work, not as mucgh as the previous year but I am building and have been pushing myself into new areas.
* To be able to resign from my job, in the knowledge that I can support my family to at least the standard of living we have now - not there yet.

What will make me refer to myself, first and foremost, as a "writer"?

* Complete A Friend to Die For and Stella - Stella complete
* Complete drafting of Hunting Jack - complete
* Find an agent - in progress via HJ manuscript. HJ being put to the side now.
* Establish myself as a good columnist for TSDR - enjoying the column. Moved to quarterly.
* Be published more regularly in non-fiction markets that are paying and higher quality - being published more this year though paying markets still generally elusive.
* Work with my colleagues to develop The Scruffy Dog Review - ongoing. Now quarterly to provide more focus.
* Persuade others around me to see me as a writer first and an office worker second - ongoing - but significant advances made

What other goals, dreams and resolutions in my non-writing life do I want to work on in tandem with my writing goals?

* Lose my beer gut (or a fair portion of it) - bought a dual action trainer and started using. Then stopped. Found out how unfit I was at the ska festival in Falkirk in April!!! May have lost weght during the year, but no net loss. Not too happy about this.
* Do more DIY around the house - did the bedroom, my office and the downstairs bathroom. However, being married, this is of course never enough.

What new non-writing interests do I wish to add to my life this year?

* Find the time to start fly-fishing again - got the equipment back home. Found a local club that might suit. Started worm cultivation in back garden in May. Nothing more done.
* Develop my tropical aquarium - decided to incorporate my aquarium into my writing by setting up a new blog to follow my experience with my tank and tropical fishes. http://collys-fishes.blogspot.com. Tank going well and learning about it all the time. It's good fun, but the blog stalled in latter half of year. Intend to resurrect, hopefully.
* Find inner peace - still a long, long, long way off although major breakthrough made on March 22nd 2006. Been talking to people about religion and heaven etc. I just cannot accept it. Would like to be able to. Every time I see the news religion moves further away from me - or I from it. Religion not the answer for me.

December GDR Review

2007-01-05T19:14:00.000Z

Fiction
* Finish writing Slick (est. 20k) - complete.
* Finish edits for Wide Awake - ditched. Cant get it to work. Will come back to it later.
* Write some new fiction - nothing done.
* Get back on top of submissions list - done.
* Follow up on three outstanding Stella submissions - done - 3 outstanding
* Follow up on four outstanding Hunting Jack submissions - all in. Nothing more on this just now
* Find a new market for Hunting Jack - considered an e-publisher. Major decision whether to go ahead with submission. Eventually decided NOT to e-submit. Will wait however long it takes.

Poetry
* Publish Poolside Poetry - still to finalise book cover and font - down to 12 fonts and 6 covers. Not going to happen in December. Looking at possible Feb 07 release.
* Write more poetry - develop idea for children's book for next year - ideas/planning WIP (to include fiction also)

Non-Fiction
* Complete work on Scotland's Treasure for January column - Done - Blockheads gig review. Christmas/NY in Edinburgh - WIP for publish just after NY.
* Contact Scottish poet for re-arranged interview - not available till Jan earliest.

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare press release for Poolside Poetry for when it goes live - not done.
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic - no hurry, can even wait until early next year
* Keep website up to date - complete.
* Re-analyse promotion of FF and PP - looking at new things I can do and more outlets for selling.

Reading and Research
* Finish reading Flesh and Blood by John Harvey novel - IP
* Began reading Billy by Pamela Stephenson - IP

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR - WIP
* Put together final 2007 GDR Plan - WIP

Things That Turned Up
* New books received at Xmas: Leviathan (Auster), Watchman (Rankin), Sleepyhead (Billingham)

Submissions Made
None

Successes
* Completed the first draft of Slick
* River Monkeys, published in A Pocketful of Fun - A Collection of Poems for Children on December 31st by Anchor Books.

Failures
* Spent too much time on GDR's and reflecting. Holidays kind of scuppered plans and preparing the family for the Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Statistics
Fiction - 5,000
Non-Fiction - 9,400
Poetry - 0

Outstanding Submissions
Fiction
Pulp 1
3am Magazine 1
Barcelona Review 1
The Portable Muse 2
Crimespree Magazine 1
Wildchild 1
ThugLit 1
Ephemera 1

Non-Fiction
Interactive Dad 2

Stella
Waiting 3
Rejected 5

Hunting Jack
Waiting 4
Partials 1
Rejected 7

Summary
This month was all about completing Slick and working on my GDR's. I need to move forward now after what has been a challenging and enjoyable year. But I need more. Now is the time to reflect on the year as a whole, not just the month, and to plan accordingly.

Annual GDR Review will follow...

2007 Is Here

2007-01-05T13:34:00.000Z

Hello, good day and welcome.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that the 2007 will bring you and your family good luck, laughter and fun.

I had big plans for my first post since the Christmas and New Year holidays, but alas, I left my notes elsewhere and so had to re-write all this from scratch. In these well prepared notes I had my summary of my December GDR, my 2006 GDR Review and of course, my 2007 GDR Plans. I'll post all of these later tonight under separate headings.

My holidays were heavy going in the respect that I was busy, but content in my activity, hence why I never posted. There was nothing sinister going on, I just wanted to make it the best Christmas me and my family have had.

The lead up to Christmas Eve was exciting as we enjoyed a house full of Chrimbo cheer, watched films, ate well and went out for walks in the nearby woods (walkway) and the Links. Christmas Day was spent as usual over at the in-laws. This year it proved to be quite roudy and entertaining, so it was by far the best one they've had. Carol excelled herself with her cooking, and Ian guided me through a mixture of wine, Guinness and whisky.

I had no work in the gap between the two weekends, and so spent all my time with the family before we headed west to see my parents on the 28th, and Christmas Day Pt.2. It was great to have the whole family together again over a meal and lots of drinking that went on until the early hours. Most enjoyable.

Next day we trooped up to The Trossachs and enjoyed five days with close friends eating, drinking, laughing and having loads of fun. Even the blackout at 9.20pm on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) failed to spoil our collective good spirited mood, and despite having our big steak pie dinner ruined, we ploughed on towards the bells drinking by candle-light and playing Charades.

I wrote nothing over the two weeks, preferring to use my spare time to assess myself, where I am, what I've achieved and to try and get a better idea of where I really want to go. I came up with some answers, and some fresh enlightenment fell my way. These will be revealed in my 2007 GDR Plan. Let's just say I intend to streamline my activities in 2007, my non-writing goal for this year is most interesting, and I have decided not to throw religion out of my life entirely without one more throw at the dice.

The storms that lashed Scotland over the New Year period meant my article for The Scruffy Dog Review is now a pile of mince since the actual event I was "reviewing" was cancelled. This needs to be re-written quickly and sent off to the Editor tonight.

On Hogmanay the anthology, A Pocketful of Fun A Collection of Poems for Children, was published by Forward Press (ISBN: 1844184390). It contains my kids poem, River Monkeys and is on sale at WH Smith, priced £14.99. You can also buy it online here, though there is no front cover to admire as yet.

Today is the calmest day weather-wise we have had for quite a while. Blue skies reflect the chill in the air, and the breeze is calm and easy. I feel strangely at war with myself, as I always seem to do at this time of year.

It's a strange mixture of the holiday blues, mixed with the knowledge that another year has gone and another is beginning. Right now I am in the Ground Down Phase, guilty for the over-indulgence and feelings of worthlessness at work. I search hard for inspiration and excitement to get me going again and feeling good about myself at this early stage of the year.

Next month the Rugby Phase will begin with the start of the Six Nations Rugby Championship. Edinburgh will host Wales, Italy and Ireland in Edinburgh, which means days out drinking with the kilt on through to April. Cannae wait for that.

Then the Spring Phase, where plans are made for summer, and anything can happen. The Summer Phase is probably my least favourite next to this one where the heat becomes unbearable, only made worthwhile by the calm and quite evenings spent in the garden. The Festival will be back in town and all that involves, which is always interesting.

Then it will be back to the Autumn Phase - my favourite - where creativity will peak, NaNo will begin and all thoughts turn to the end of year celebrations once more.

As I sit and write this I know I am happy with all I have. I'm just not happy enough. I'm not content, not satisfied. I want success and I want to stand straight among my peers and look them in the eye. I want to hand my boss that letter and turn swiftly from this rat-infested race, couped up in this fancy chicken shed doing nothing worthwhile, motivating or indeed challenging.

This is one invisible square I have outgrown. Time to step over the line and embrace life before it's too fucking late. Noone is going to do it for me.

Good Clean Fun

2006-12-16T00:21:00.000Z

Today I felt slightly back to normal after my little jaunt down to Newcastle for the Madness gig on Thurdsay. I say back to normal, because today is the first day I managed to shed some of the fatigue, loss of appetite and dare I say it, the little bout of depression that comes in the wake of such an extreme event. The dazed-brain effect is still in place though, as when I got to the coffee shop this morning and pulled out my notebook, I realised I'd forgotten my pen. The tip of the iceberg, as far as little 'senoir moments' like that are concerned.

There is always an element of feeling like you just don't quite fit into the world any more after a Madness gig. Bus and train seats feel different, words become impronounceable, people look at you and stare, food tastes strange, clothes hang looser off your shoulder, and even this keyboard is giving me jip.

It was a truly awesome day on Thursday though, and I really made the best of it having being seated at the Glasgow gig. I hopped on the 9am from Waverly and made my to Newcastle, jumped on the Metro system and was supping my first Guinness by 11:30am in a pub in South Shields. My mate, Craig, showed up and we had another before heading out to his flat.

From there on it was a musical and drinking bonanza. Ska and reggae filled every corner of the flat along with our ever-increasing laughter and chat, and of course the beer flowed - perhaps a little too well - but nobody was caring.

Later on we headed back into Newcastle and to O'Neills bar, where I discovered just how drunk I had become. I just hadn't realised it. The place was packed full people dressed in black and white suits, pork pie hats, shades and Fez's. I myself had dressed in jeans and a white Fred Perry top, shades but no pork pie this year - I couldn't find it!

We moved from there towards the venue itself, the Telewest Arena, and got ourselves some more beer (Red Stripe of all things) from one of the bars inside. Then the first moment of controversy. I went to buy a progamme and was todl they were ten pounds. Ten Pounds! I couldn't convicne the girl to drop her price so had to cough up. I couldn't go home without one.

Then the second moment of controversy. The staff at the Telewest Arena have a horrible habit of taking the full ticket off you when you enter instead of just the stub. I'm a stickler for this kind of thing and hate to be parted with my brief, so I tried to convince the man that it would be ok. He wouldn't listen - rules were rules and they had to be applied to everyone. The wee prick wouldn't give me my ticket back and at one point I found myself trying to pull the damn thing from his hand in a feeble game of Tug of War. When he called over two burly bouncers I gave up, shouted something about him being a wee Hitler and disappeared into the 10,000 strong crowd.

We got ourselves a pretty good vantage point; left of stage about 20 or 30 yards from the front. That was as close as we could get at that point. Madness came on dead on 9pm to the Star Trek and Space Odyssey theme tune intros and then it was into One Step Beyond. The place went absolutely mental. They ran through pretty much the same set as Glasgow from what I could remember, and throughout it all there was much over-crowding, jostling, stomping and skanking. I probably lost around two stones just through sweating.

Having forgotten my camera, I had to rely on my mobile phone for pictures, but only succeeded in capturing two very blurred images and a shoddy video of the lads on stage.

After the first encore it happened again as what happened in Glasgow; loads of people dived for the exits thinking the gig was over. This left spaces opening up in front of the stage. "Fuck it," I said to Craig. "I'm going in!" And I did. I got right to the front of the stage - the very front - and when Suggs and Chas Smash appeared above me they launched into Night Boat To Cairo. The place went berserk, and then things started to get hairy.

With the floor being so wet from beer and sweat it was impossible for everyone to stay upright. And with everyone being so tightly packed in and jumping around in time to the beat, accidents were bound to happen. Heads, limbs, torsos and other body parts seemed to be all over the place. I managed to slip and fall, my legs taking the feet of a couple of heavy-set skinheads who then crashed onto my ribs and hips. I got more than a couple fists and elbows in the face just for good measure as the romp continued - I don't think anyone didn't. I saw one guy get his nose broken, blood everywhere, but with nowhere to go he just kept on dancing. None of this was deliberate I should point out - it was all very cheerful enough, but as I say, the environment and the music meant it was bound to happen - it always does.

Being in a moshpit can be a lot of fun, being in one at a Madness gig is as dangerous as it is exhausting. But it's all good clean fun and I love it. Absolutely love it.

The gig ended and we trooped out of the arena. I stopped to get a ticket that they were handing back out as souvenirs. It's not the same though. It's not my ticket, and now I have one with Mr. Dunlop on it instead of my own name.

Much of the journey back, I'm afraid, becomes a bit of a blur at this point. The drink and activity of the evening, the sheer thrilling high I was on, had taken effect and I was in a sore and weary state - but elated at what I'd witnessed. I recall nothing about the journey home on the Metro train to South Shields - what I do know was relayed to me by Craig - something about managing to empty almost an entire carriage of people. I did nothing illegal or disgusting - just maybe a bit too loud and boisterous for some types. You're kind of deaf after these gigs, you see, and it takes till the next day for the ringing in your ears to stop.

When I woke up I was in Craig's living room on the couch, still fully clothed though my Fred Perry top was damp and cold from the evening's sweating. He was snoring on the other couch and a DVD of Frasier was about to finish on the TV. Several empty cups of tea and Irn-Bru were scattered around amongst discarded crisp wrappers (essential salt replacement was my excuse) and it was just after four in the morning. I felt dreadfully woozy so went back to sleep.

The next time I woke up I had to stay up so that I could catch my 11:34am train back to Edinburgh. Which was not an enjoyable journey in the slightest. What with the pounding headache, parched mouth, dodgy gut, sore ribs, neck, knees and back and the kids screaming in the carriage (yes I know - poetic justice if ever there was), it was a hellish way to head home.

I got home only to remember that I had to collect Laura, get her ready and take her to perform in a swimming gala. Not an ideal way to recouperate but there you have it. I got home and was in bed for nine.

As for today it was all about trying to coerce myself back into the routine. I cleaned out the hutches and while on the phone to my sister remembered I was working an overnight shift. Wonderful - just when I was about to force some words out onto the paper and attempt to get the rhythm started again.

But like I said earlier, there is a numbess that comes over you after Madness gigs, not just physically, but mentally - because you just don't know if there will ever be another experienced in your lifetime, and secretly you hope it;s not too soon. You realise how old you are getting after one of these gigs - it all realted to the time it takes for you to get over it.

Me? I never get over Madness gigs. I'm sadly passionate, but you have to remember that it's all just a bit of good clean fun!

Next gig: Tonight, Birmingham, NEC

Mini Recovery

2006-12-13T20:41:00.000Z

It was 1am before we got home last night after a long and tiring day. Thus, this morning, I was shattered. I went in to work later than normal and staggered bleary eyed through the day. I got home early'ish too and got my gear ready for tomorrow.

And that's it. Newcastle awaits my arrival. Madness are in Manchester tonight, and tomorrow the North East will see the arrival of the Nutty Tour.

Sorry for the short post. I have not the energy. I am keeping it all for tomorrow. :-)

Nutty UK - Glasgow

2006-12-12T20:36:00.000Z

The day arrived. And the day was over before we knew it.

I picked Laura up from school and got the bus into town, met Gail and we all jumped onto the Glasgow bus. We arrived in plenty of time with my sister and her pal, with still enough time for a sneaky beer or two before taking our seats - front row centre behind 6,000 dancing nutters and the sound and light technicians. Madness gigs are just too rough for 9 year-olds so that was the reason I was sitting for the first time at a Madness gig.

The boys were in great form and I was delighted with the stage setup and backdrop video. We had a near capacity crowd of over 9,000 in all, with only the far flung seated areas at the sides were empty.

Most memorable moments:

- The intro music, a combination of Star trek and Space Odyssey
- One Step Beyond. Until you have been in a packed room and the lights go down, and you hear those immortal words, "Hey You! Don't watch that, what this..." you really will never know what it feels like to be at the centre of the Nutty Universe
- Thommo dancing in a pink tutu on the video backdrop for Swan Lake
- the kilted piper who led the band on for the encore playing Flower of Scotland
- the new songs. NW5 is class and should be released IMHO. Sorry is "different". I liked it, but as has been said before, I think it's a grower.
- the Bed and Breakfast Man (aka John Hasler) was in attendance having made the trip from Edinburgh where he now lives - this will mean nothing to non-Madness fans
- On The Beat Pete - a song from the early days that was a treat to hear live
- Meeting a bunch of mates I've not seen in a while before the gig - Rob W from Fife, Armani Mason, Wee Stoo and Fiona, Paul and Yvonne Stewart, Bob Mackie and Susan, and I think I may have missed people but I can't think - sorry.

Least memorable moments:

- Being relatively sober for this gig, I noticed every mistake. i.e. Lovestruck's missing words, Woody's timing during On The Beat Pete, and some weird vibrating sounds near the start. Since we were right at the sound deck I wasn't sure if the noise was coming from that or the main speakers.
- Sitting at a Madness gig is not to be recommended. It was my first time and I was glad I booked front row seats - it meant I could use the aisle to dance while the twats behind me sat cramped into their wee seats. Some if them never moved the entire gig - what was the point???
- My pockets bursting and my money going everywhere during House of Fun
- Gail turning to me half way through the gig to say all the photos we had taken up to then went nowhere because she had forgotten to put film in. Needless to say that was fixed and over 30 pics were taken in the last 10 minutes.

It was a great night. Laura loved her fist Madness gig and everyone enjoyed it beyond belief. The smiles on the fans faces afterwards said it all. Live, Madness are as good, if not better, than any band in the country at any given time. Age may have matured them, but like a good whisky, they only seem to get better every time.

Roll on Thursday and the boys arriving in Newcastle. I'll be drinking at that one, you can bet on it!

Pictures will follow in good time.

Next gig: Tonight (13th), Manchester, MEN Arena

A Tremble

2006-12-11T22:23:00.000Z

First day in our new office situated in the West End of Edinburgh. I was first to arrive. I flicked on the lights to an open plan chicken pen. With the lights on it makes it very bright and noisy - not how I like it at all - and it is impossible to concentrate.

The coffee machine is 10 years old and churns out tar, plus I now have to sit opposite the boss and one old guy who does nothing but moan about the work he has to do all day.

By 9.30am the men's loos smelt like a cow shed and sheets of sleet had begun to fall outside. In other words it was a thoroughly miserable start to the week.

Sheets of sleet and snow fell in between strong gusts of Arctic winds today, making it altogether very cold and unpleasant. My feet are suffering most, what with the shitty state my shoes are in.

Not to worry, for tomorrow the Nutty Boys return north to Glasgow. The excitment grows like a far off earthquake, and Scotland awaits!

I can't write any more. I'm too excited.

A Decision

2006-12-10T22:00:00.000Z

Early to rise again, which was probably a bad move given I was so bloody tired and was heading out in the evening. I ended up going back to bed during the afternoon to get some badly needed kip, then in the evening headed out with Gail and her pal to see the Bootleg Beatles at the Usher Hall.

We had a quick drink in a pub on Lothian Road beforehand, then made our way into the seat-less venue. We went to see the Bootleg Beatles last year, but I didn't think they were as good this time round. I think it maybe had something to do with the repetitive banter on stage - all the same as last year - and the introduction of some really slow and unknown (to me) ballads to the set, in favour of some of the more popular songs.

Still, it was a good night out and they are a fabulous cover band, looking and sounding just like the real article (from what I can tell not having been born till the 70's). The aficionados who were around for The Beatles have been going to see this Bootleg band for two decades now and seem to think they're good, so I'll take their word for it. Certainly they look the part, particularly the Lennon and McCartney actors who look and sound spookily like the real thing.

On Thursday Devon put some questions to me about my feelings and approach to Hunting Jack in an effort to a) understand my inability to decide what to do with it, and b) come to a decision. I've been thinking about them over the past couple of days, and so here are my responses.

What is your vision for the book's future?

Hard to answer. Obviously in an ideal world I would want it to be published traditionally and to form the start of a possible series of books. It would be the basis of future novels revolving around Jackie McCann, how he came to be etc.

So yes, I would want it published. But I don't think it would make it into book form. I don't think it's quite strong enough to be picked up - yet - as much as I love it.

If I compare my writing from Slick to Hunting Jack, I have definitely come on as a writer. I'm more rounded, intense and organised. Hunting Jack was the big learning curve. It was my first attempt when every page was a new experience and every chapter a blind bend. During Slick, I knew what I was doing and I knew where I was going. I have a have better chance at publication now, (though maybe not all the way there), than I do with Hunting Jack.

Are you willing to have it take the time it will take to find the right traditional publisher, or do you want it to be out and about earlier, which, since the e-process tends to be quicker, is what's likely to happen?

I'm an impatient person, especially about indecision. If I could decide one way or the other, the patience would come if I knew where I was going to take it. If I felt absolutely positive that the book was good enough for traditional publication, then I would take more time and be more patient.

I spent nine months writing Hunting Jack, and a further two months revising and editing it. It took five weeks to write Slick, and four weeks to plan and research. There's around three months of research and editing to go. The point being, do I want to invest more time on Hunting Jack when I have moved on and can use my new experiences and knowledge to bring Jackie forward into present-time in a more effective manner?

In terms of your career, do you want HUNTING JACK to be your debut in traditional format?

To expect my first attempt at a novel, which was written originally as an e-serial, to be picked up and published, must surely be asking too much. I know it happens from time to time, but to me? Personally, when I pick up the manuscript something shouts at me saying, "it's not good enough". Or is that just typical writer's mentality?

Based on what I said earlier about me feeling it isn't strong enough, then no. I would want my first novel to be as strong as possible. I think Slick is already in that position. Would I want Slick to be my debut in traditional format? As it stands, yes, more than Hunting Jack.

Is the wait and the search for the right traditional publisher worth it in the bigger picture?

Good question. Is it worth it? Surely it's always worth it, because that's why I'm in the game - to see my work published and so I can look back at a body of work I am proud of. Will I be proud of Hunting Jack as it stands against the quality I can write at now and want to achieve? Perhaps not, but then it can be worked on - I just don't want to work on it right now, but I don't want to see it sitting doing nothing. I want to do other things, maybe work with Jackie on something else, and maybe work on other things more then revisit it again some time down the line.

But in the bigger picture? Well, I would also need to think about what end it might serve. Hunting Jack was my first novel and it was written under the auspice of a bi-weekly e-serial. It served as a major learning experience with it being my first full-length work of fiction. It's been through the mill many times and is a good manuscript and it is publishable, I'm just not sure it's publishable traditionally in it's current state. Would it credit me or hold me back? I think if it was good enough, credit. The question is, should I wait long-term for a traditional publisher, or publish on the internet now?

Is HUNTING JACK a foundation cornerstone for you or one of the other building bricks in the career?

I always saw Hunting Jack as a learning curve, as the novel where I would learn a vast amount about whether I had it in me to a) have the patience and tenacity to complete a draft of a written novel, and b) whether it would be any good.

In the end, I achieved what I set out. I have it in me to write novels, and I think Hunting Jack is pretty good - for a first effort. It could be better in places, and in others, it's sublime in my eyes. I love the characters, and grew into my apprenticeship with Jackie alongside me.

A lot that I went through and experienced with Hunting Jack, I was able to apply and be prepared for in Slick. In other words, it has always been a building brick that I leanrt vastly from. Slick is the cornerstone where I proved I can learn from it and can learn and move fast. The process was much easier, and in that respect, and without the internet, Hunting Jack would probably never have seen the light first time round even with KIC.

Conclusion

I love the story and I love the characters, but I feel this may be clouding my judgement. I don't think Hunting Jack will make it on its own right now. I think I should use it as the learning experience it was and maybe one day, once I have learned and moved on, I can go back to it and work on it. I'm beginning to think of it as the early years of Rebus before he joined the police force, except that I have the background written to a story still to come, that maybe people will one day want to read about. If that makes sense.

With that in mind, should I continue with my plan to submit to e-publishers, bearing in mind it has a good chance of rejection along with everything else? No, I don't think so. So I've decided to leave it and drop my idea of publishing in e-format. I'll wait. It could be years, but I'll wait.

Thanks to Devon for prompting me in this most valuable exercise.

Day Off

2006-12-09T07:34:00.000Z

Christmas arrived in the Galbraith household on Saturday. After a usual morning of dancing lessons, coffee and chocolate pastry, writing into notebook (came up with a great idea for a kids short story) and visit to the aquarium shop (bought 3 African Dwarf Frogs for the tank), we all had lunch before heading out to see Happy Feet in the cinema.

It's yet another animated offering for kids but supposedly with adult content. It had its humorous moments; a tap dancing penguin is always bound to be funny to an extent, but the adult content seemed to revolve around a rather heavy handed attempt to ram a simplistic environmental message down our throats. Stop fishing and save the penguin seemed to be about it.

It was good, don't get me wrong, if only for the fact all three of us were out and munching on popcorn and having a carry on, but I've seen better animated films. They seem to be struggling to come up with original ideas ever since Nemo.

Gail had to rush home to get ready for a Christmas night out so Laura and I went and bought the Christmas tree. We picked the one we wanted and took it up the road. Gail put the Star on and left us to decorate it. And I think it's looking spiffing. I'll take a pic and post it Monday.

After what turned out to be a longish day I wound down by entering details and thoughts into the old notebook while watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Simply a fantastic film.

Habit

2006-12-08T07:19:00.000Z

A strange thing happened this morning. I bounced out of bed at 5am, got showered, dressed and made my coffee. I sat down and turned on the laptop at half past the hour and went immediately to my WIP folder. I double-clicked the Slick sub-folder and was about to open the manuscript when -

"Hold on Chas!" I said to myself. "Don't you remember?"

And I hadn't. It's not so much that I'd forgotten I had finished the first draft, it was just pure habit that I went through the routine and sat down to work on the manuscript, such as it has been a major part of my life these past five, heavy, consuming weeks.

Strangely, but not unexpectedly, I stared into the void. The deep, dark chasm where novel WIP's don't exist, where no major life consuming pieces of work survive, and where no writer wishes to find themselves. There is nothing but emptiness and blacker than black dark.

So! Onto other things, then. One of my GDR's for this month is to plan a new children's book. I really enjoyed doing Silly Poems for Wee People Vol.1 in April, and now I want to do Volume 2. I think I am being drawn to it now due to where my mind wants to go after having worked on a crime novel the past month. If I alternate kids projects with crime thrillers I reckon I would be a happy chappy for some time.

I worked on my Scotland's Treasure article for January, which includes two gig reviews I juts had to write about. The main section is all about Christmas and New Year in Edinburgh and I'm hoping to get pictures also.

My internal confusion over where to go with Hunting Jack continues, despite working through the synopsis again today. Yesterday Devon posted some thoughtful and interesting questions. I'm going to try and answer them here in an effort to a) understand my inability to decide and b) come to a decision. But not today - they' ve proved too thought provoking.

Nutty UK - Brixton

2006-12-08T07:16:00.000Z

Madness at the Brixton Academy
Last Night's Review
(Edited from Jonathon Young at the Madness Information Service )

A Tornado struck NW10 in London Today. It's front page news here. And I cant help but think that it was Madness just warming up! A great mix of tunes; some familiar, some new, and some old favourites returning to the set.

Chrissy Boy was on top form and thanked the band for letting him return in a moment of genuine emotion that left Suggs waiting for the joke. The whole band seemed alive to have him back and it made the gig something special. He trashed the guitar on his back at one point and it reminded me of why he was missed, a bit of his wild rock improvisation for a few seconds in songs really adds something.

Some great new visual back drops too, including Thommo dancing in a pink tu-tu!

A few slips up but no one cared, and so much sounded so great. Grey day was dedicated to Dave Robinson who was in the house.

Set List

1. One Step Beyond
2. Girl
3. My Girl
4. Embarassment
5. Lovestruck
6. You Keep Me Hanging On
7. Sun and the rain (introduced on the back drop by Michael Fish!)
8. On The Beat Pete (oh yes!)
9. The Prince
10. Return of the Los Palmas Seven (With Bruce Forsyth impressions)
11. Shut up
12. I Chase The Devil (AKA Ironshirt)
13. House of Fun
14. Rise and Fall
15. Grey Day (dedicated to Dave Robinson in the audience)
16. NW5
17. Bed and Breakfast Man
18. Wings of a Dove (stopped)
19. Baggy Trousers
20. Wings of a Dove
21. Our House
22. It Must Be Love

(encore)

23. Sorry (Short with no rapping. Played against a playback I think)
24. Madness
25. Night Boat to Cairo

(encore)

26. Swan Lake
27. Papa's Got a Brand New Pig Bag

Keep watching Madness' You Tube Page for exclusive Madness footage!

Next gig: Sunday 10th December
Dublin, The Point

First Draft Of 'Slick' Complete

2006-12-07T21:42:00.000Z

Dentist Day today, so even though I've caught up with my sleep I was up a bit later than normal so I could spend a full half hour scrubbing my molars clean. I provided the packed waiting room with some entertainment upon my arrival, however. After I gave my name I went to sit down, but due to the lack of seating in the reception area, I had to squeeze into a double-seater next to an old woman.

I sat down and my left elbow crashed off their tall standing glass cabinet causing it to rock back and hit the wall. As it rocked forward again, the sudden intake of air into everyone's lungs caused a mini vacuum to occur, as we all waited to see if the cabinet was going to tip over and smash. It never, thankfully, and I managed to stabilise it once the shock had passed.

Two old woman, including the one next to me, fought hard to stifle their laughter, and I was glad the dentist called me shortly after so I could hide my blushes in another room. Other than that I got on fine, but need to go back to fix a split tooth next week. Don't remember it breaking, which was weird.

I worked heavily on my 2007 GDR today. I really want to focus in particular things next year now that I am finding the areas that I enjoy writing in most. But while I am comfortable in these genres, I am becoming more aware of the need for me to keep pushing myself into new areas where I am not so familiar. I must stretch myself and I have to include the way I market myself in person and online. I'm planning big things, as you can probably tell. Big strides were taken this year, bigger next.

I complete the first draft of Slick in the evening. The final lines all came naturally and I had started going through my notes when I realised, "wait a minute - this is redrafting." So I stopped at a logical point and pressed Save for the final time this year on the manuscript. It's done. I need to put it away now and take a rest from it. I'll keep adding to my notes and preparing the research, but I will go back to it after the new year and begin the re-writes and interviews. So by March/April I think it should be ready for initial beta-reading.

My focus for the rest of the month is to complete the month's GDR plans, which will satisfy my thirst and prepare me for January's new beginning.

Words today: 411
Final 1st draft total: 76478

Nutty UK

2006-12-07T11:18:00.000Z

Tonight Madness kick off their UK tour at London's legendary, Brixton Academy.

The sound check took place on stage last night, which you can view by clicking here.

It's a new song - woooo!

The full list of UK dates are:

Thursday 7th December
London, Brixton Academy **SOLD OUT**

Sunday 10th December
Dublin, The Point
Tickets

Tuesday 12th December
Glasgow, SECC Hall 4
Tickets (Extra capacity available)

Wednesday 13th December
Manchester, MEN Arena
Tickets (Extra capacity available)

Thursday 14th December
Newcastle, Telewest Arena
Tickets (Extra capacity available)

Saturday 16th December
Birmingham, NEC **SOLD OUT**

Sunday 17th December
Bournemouth, BIC **SOLD OUT**

Tuesday 19th December
Brighton, Brighton Centre **SOLD OUT**

Wed 20th December
London, Wembley Arena
Tickets

Come On Eileen!

2006-12-06T21:57:00.000Z

I felt absolutely shattered today. Really, really tired. A major sleep is required to catch up on all my early mornings stints.

Got the Hunting Jack synopsis down from eighteen pages to seven. It needs to be about four or five for the submission and as it gets tighter, the harder it gets. I'm still not sure if I'll submit it. I need to do some more research I think. I need more information not so much about the publisher I'm going to submit to, but about the whole e-book versus trad-book thing. "Go with my gut," said Devon in yesterday's post, but my gut feeling is clouded. It's weird.

Did some more work on Slick, adding in a couple of new scenes and researching another. I finally realised why the ending is so crap. It's because it's NOT the ending and another chapter is required to finish it off. Once I realised it was an, "of course it is!" moment. It all suddenly made sense, and so I'll start work on that tomorrow.

The plans are almost finalised for this years Madness UK tour. Click here to see footage of Madness in rehearsals this week. Laura asked me if I was still making her a pair of dungarees for the Glasgow gig. Say what? It's not Dexy's Midnight Runners we're going to see!

Words today: 1347

Gests Only, No Celebrities

2006-12-05T21:28:00.000Z

The gale force winds have died down at last. Could hardly sleep last night for the noise and as for my poor wee bunnies, well, they must be scared shitless out in it. You'd never know mind you judging by their average output of daily poop.

Took a new, quicker route to work just to break things up a bit seeing since I slept in by an hour (yes - 6.30am is a wasted morning these days).

Can anyone tell me what is important about this man?

Why should he be making a "special stage appearance" at last night's Royal Variety Performance? Two weeks ago his reputation in the UK was as the freak who married Mannelli. Now, because he spent two weeks scratching his bollocks in the jungle for a reality TV programme, he's suddenly everyone's favourite person and that qualifies him to be making special appearances for The Prince of Wales! Am I the only one who doesn't get this shit? Or am I the only one that sees reality TV for what it is - patronising, dumbed down, unimaginative television.

By mid-morning I was stressed with the amount of shit I had to deal with at work. Some people don't seem to understand the concept of "work remits"; the term used to describe what is and what isn't your job. I'm not sure I do either, because no matter how many times I tell some people that "it's not mine" or "I'm not doing it" they still don't seem get it. Or is it me? The new regime permits a certain amount of shit stirring, shit deflecting and shit-thick beaurocracy. Good or bad? Take a wild guess.

I took time away from Slick today. I just wasn't in the frame of mind for it and I didn't want to push it. Instead I worked more on my 2007 GDR and on the cover for Poolside Poetry. I'm still trying to pick a font but I discounted around thirty chosen fonts and now I'm down to about a dozen. It doesn't get any easier though, trying to find the right fit and image.

Eating Italian

2006-12-04T20:54:00.000Z

I was about to get a nice and early night last when I discovered a programme on one of the cable channels just starting. The History of Punk just couldn't be avoided and I ended up watching it to the end, some ninety minutes later. As a result, I only got five hours sleep and woke up today requiring a fair amount of coffee in me before I could get my eyes open without the use of matchsticks.

Two hours after getting up I reached the end of Slick. The final chapter starts well, but ends crap. I need a better finale so I decided to leave it alone and come back to it. I also decided to go back to the start and go through each chapter (of which there are forty) and update my chapter tracker. I've found this is a good way of highlighting all the main links and making sure the important details are correctly written. It's just a once over really, but the notes I took I'll work on this week. So I'm not shouting that I have completed the first version of the manuscript. Not quite yet. Once the notes are worked through, I'll claim victory.

I worked on other things in the evening. I'm still getting next year's GDR together and I think I may have found a possible market to pitch Hunting Jack to. I'm still not sure though. It's an internet publisher specialising in e-books who have a good reputation for marketing and the editors that work for them. It's tempting because I want Hunting Jack to have a good home. I want it to be back out there and available. With it sitting on disk I can never fully put it top bed once and for all - it always seems like a work in progress.

So I have to think seriously about this. Does it really have that good a chance of being published traditionally? It's been to a dozen agents and been rejected, and while there a lot more I haven't tried I just wonder if for a first effort it's really good enough anyway. Comparing my first draft of Hunting Jack to Slick is like comparing Canneloni to Macaroni. You might not get that. Meantime, I'll prepare the query letter and synopsis and as I do, try and make a decision.

Words today: 1707

Progression

2006-12-03T20:14:00.000Z

Opened our calendar's and had bacon sandwiches for breakfast this morning while watching Spongebob Squarepants and our weekly dose of Narnia. I know, I'm such a big kid. But Christmas means I can go over the top just as much as the wee ones. Doesn't it?

Did a bit of tidying up before my folks popped in for a wee visit. I got my Christmas present early from them since it is some I've been after for quite a while. A new 17-inch flat-screen monitor for my PC. It looks awesome in the room, makes my desk look much more tidy, allows me to have better arm and wrist posture while I write, and means I am not straining my eyes with the monitor being so close to me.

Wrote another four pages of Slick after dinner. It turned out to be the penultimate chapter. One more to go that I shall complete tomorrow. I won't consider the first draft to be finished though as there are some sections that have to be added in, not so much as fillers, but that are needed for the story to be complete. So although I'm sitting at 73k just now with one chapter left, there is still several thousand to go over all.

Words today: 1536

Before I close off for the day, here some pictures of the new Tropical Fish my Dad brought through from Glasgow for my community aquarium. I now have a new Red Tailed Black Shark, a replacement Blue Ramerizi, my first Jack Dempsey and my first Firemouth chichlids. All are superb specimens and their colours awesome to look at.

Red Tailed Black Shark © Aquahobby.com

Blue Ramerizi © Aquahobby.com

Jack Dempsey © Aquahobby.com

Firemouth © Aquahobby.com

Unashamed

2006-12-02T22:55:00.000Z

Seven years to this very day I went with a girl I hardly knew on a first date. I got the train through from Glasgow on a freezing cold day and met her at the top of the steps outside Waverley station. We went for coffee, bought some records, then went to the pub. 40p extra for a double. We talked about music. We talked. We got pissed. My kinda girl. We married 9 months and 2 years later.

Back to my normal Saturday routine but I deliberately did not go anywhere near anything that remotely resembled a shop. I really cannot be arsed with shopping at any time of the year and December just proves my point. I cannot stand the browsing, queuing, hanging around, double-browsing and so on and so forth. Every female that reads this post today will now be shaking their head, and muttering to themselves, "typical bloody male."

I am not ashamed.

Stopped by the aquarium shop for a gander. They had Blind Cave Fish in; wee white, almost albino in appearance fishes that stumbled around lost and disorientated their entire lives. I almost bought half a dozen just out of sympathy.

I solved the problem with the filter when I got back by attaching a new adapter that allows air in through a tube. This means the filter can lie under water and instead of sending jets of water out over the surface, it releases streams of bubbles into the water from way below. It means the fish will get healthy water, but I've lost the ripple sound of a mountain stream flowing through the room. Instead it sounds more like a kid blowing through a straw into a glass of Coke.

I decided who it was that gets killed off, kind of, and moved forward with Slick. Despite the decision, I still had some amount of final planning in order to be sure the move into the ending is the way it needs to be in order to fit and be 'real'. Getting there, though the wrapping up bit is tougher than I imagined and nothing like the original I had planned.

Words today: 1334

Decisions, Decisions

2006-12-01T22:54:00.000Z

I went to bed with a problem last night, which I was hoping to resolve before falling asleep but it never happened. Lennox had just walked in to a house in Leith and found a body shortly after hearing a violent argument while out in the street. This person was shot through the chest and now appears to be pan bread (dead). The problem is, of the three people who were in the room arguing, two had a gun and so it could be any of them who copped it!

Ronnie Glover (protagonist), Lesley Fenwick (Ronnie's girlfriend - who had a gun), and John Fenwick (divorced husband of Lesley Fenwick who can't let go - also had a gun and was holding them hostage). There's a lot more to it than that, but if I told you it would ruin the whole story should you ever come to read it.

But the body has to be one of them. Killing any one of them would add a new dimension to the story, and any one of them would provide their own share of excitement and alter the end of the book in many ways. Do I kill my main character or have him seriously injured? Do I kill his enemy, John, and have Ronnie run off to a new life with Lesley? Or do I kill off Lesley, and have Ronnie and John chasing one another?

As you can see, it's complicated, and it all has to be decided against the backdrop of a police investigation, the murder of two young women, an arson attack and an international security incident.

Bet you fancy reading the book now though, eh?

I also had to undertake some maintenance on my aquarium last night. The filter has become almost blocked restricting the flow of water through so I cleaned it out and did a partial water change while I was at it. While I was cleaning it out (you should see the gunk) I went and threw out the wee stopper for the end of the pipe that shoots sprays of water over the surface. So I had to setup a new way of getting the water moving and oxygen into the tank. I'm not happy with it - it's just not fast enough though there is oxygen getting in. I may have to get a full replacement. No oxygen = dead fish.

No early start today. Not through complacency, but because I had to do the school run this morning so I saw no point in getting up at 5am. I rewarded myself with an extra couple of hours in bed before dropping off Laura and heading in to work.

Before leaving there was much excitement in the house. Gail will probably kick my bollocks for saying this, but there are certain small traditions I like to keep going from my own childhood to this day. One of them is that I must have an Advent calendar. I bought Laura a Bratz one, and I have a traditional Homer Simpson one. It's a wee ritual in December; get washed and dressed, breakfast with a cartoon, then the grand opening and comparing what picture and chocolate we got.

Ah, to be a kid again!

I think the elation of completing NaNo came on the 20th when I hit the 50k point. Yesterday's completion of 70k on the last day of NaNo was a personal target I was glad to meet. But nothing stops just because November is over. The end of the novel is beckoning. 20,000 words I reckon will see to that, so I must keep the pace up. I'll be using the wee blue meter over on the left to track progress from now on.

I did quite a bit of work on my GDR for 2007 today, incorporating some new prompts from Devon Ellington. It's a lot different from this year's layout and hopefully will help me target them more effectively.

Words today: 0

December's GDR

Fiction
* Finish writing Slick (est. 20k)
* Finish edits for Wide Awake
* Write some new fiction
* Get back on top of submissions list
* Follow up on three outstanding Stella submissions
* Follow up on four outstanding Hunting Jack submissions
* Find a new market for Hunting Jack

Poetry
* Publish Poolside Poetry - still to finalise book cover and font
* Write more poetry - develop idea for children's book for next year

Non-Fiction
* Complete work on Scotland's Treasure for January column - Aberfoyle article binned. Might
still include the Blockheads gig review
* Contact Scottish poet for re-arranged interview

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare press release for Poolside Poetry for when it goes
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic - no hurry, can even wait
until early next year
* Keep website up to date
* Re-analyse promotion of FF and PP - anything new I can do?

Reading and Research
* Finish reading Flesh and Blood by John Harvey novel

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR
* Put together final 2007 GDR Plan

Success at NaNoWriMo

2006-11-30T20:24:00.000Z

Made a nice and early start with writing commencing at 05:45 this morning. The desire to drift and take the characters off on a tangent is strong, so I'm having to be strong and keep in mind the direction and strands of thread that must now be intertwined. It's fucking thrilling stuff to be doing. Imagine getting this much satisfaction from picking out words and then writing them down in a certain order. If only the day job was half as good.

For those wishing to keep on writing their novels, I noticed that NaNoFiMo has been set up. National Novel Finishing Month aims to keep writers going who made it but want more, or who never quite managed the 50k in November. I've had my fair share of all things starting with NaNo this year, and will rely on my own motivation and craft to complete the book from here on in.

The Bad Sex in Fiction Award 2006winner was announced yesterday. Iain Hollingshead has won with the "most crude, tasteless, often perfunctory use of redundant passages of sexual description in the modern novel", in his first novel, Twenty Something.

After I've finished Slick, I think I may be in with a chance for next year's competition!

Over lunch I worked on the novel, and found myself ridiculously following my word count after each paragraph. Just as Lennox discovered "someones" body in Claremont Road, Leith, I checked the count and it sat proudly at 70,001 words. Awesome! I kept on writing to the end of that chapter and finished for the day.

I'm delighted to have gotten this far in only a month. 50k was hard, particularly because I tried NaNo once before and failed, but with some good preparation and commitment to write the set quota each day, I ended up writing 70k words in only 30 days.

When I got home I uploaded the manuscript and collected my winners icon (see left) and certificate.

NaNo words today: 3089

NaNoWriMo Progress

November's GDR

Fiction
* NANOWRIMO - Slick - 50,000 completed on the 20th, 70,000 on the 30th - done

Poetry
* Publish Poolside Poetry - still to finalise book cover and font - postponed.

Non-Fiction
* Begin work on Scotland's Treasure for January column - Spotlight on Aberfoyle. Locality,
history, what it offers, getting to etc. Might include the Blockheads gig review too. - Started planning
* Carry out interview with Scottish poet - still to arrange

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare and submit press release for Poolside Poetry - postponed.
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic - not done
* Follow up meeting with owner of Elvis Shakespeare bookshop - not done
* Keep website up to date - done

Reading and Research
* Finish reading The Flood and Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin - Complete. Long reading but enjoyed the ride.
* Start reading The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster - Postponed. Wanted to read Harvey instead.
* Start reading Flesh and Blood by John Harvey novel - WIP

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR - done

Things That Turned Up
* 1 poem written (I Kissed You)

Submissions Made
* None

Successes
* Wrote 70,000 words of Slick during the 30 days of Novermber

Failures
* Amanda and Joe rejected by One Story 18/11

Statistics
Fiction - 70,000
Non-Fiction - 13700
Poetry - 70

Outstanding Submissions
Fiction
Pulp 1
3am Magazine 1
Barcelona Review 1
The Portable Muse 2
Crimespree Magazine 1
Wildchild 1
ThugLit 1
Ephemera 1

Poetry
Nothing

Non-Fiction
Interactive Dad 2

Summary
As far as fiction goes this month has been spectacular. I have written 70k in one month, over 80% of a novel, and enjoyed the ride. It was hard work, took a lot out of me but there have been too many benefits to mention. Slick has a lot of potential and I'm happy with the way it panned out.

As far as everything else goes, apart from a few preparatory notes and website updates, I didn't do much of anything else. I didn't think I would. I wiped the slate clear for the month so I could put my all into it and it paid off.

I now have to focus on completing the novel and then putting it away for a wee while. I'll work on other things next month, enjoy my Christmas holidays and be ready and refreshed to face new challenges next year.

Twists and Turns

2006-11-29T21:21:00.000Z

Never made it up this morning for the penultimate day of NaNoWriMo. I stayed up way too late last night when I began watching some documentaries on TFM about Jackass as part of the promotion for the upcoming release of the movie sequel. I know it's not everyones cup of tea, but I've never laughed so hard to the point of vomiting as I did when I saw the first one. I'm ashamed that I find the humour in it, but c'est la vie - laughter is good for you. It is who I am, and it is therefore the beauty that is me.

The worst thing about daughters is the indignity of having to purchase concert tickets for bands such as Girls Aloud. Just when I thought that taking her to see Madness in Glasgow next month as a core part of her musical training would finally turned her, I still find myself clicking on the BUY button next to bands like this. What's the world coming to?

Speaking of this years Madness Christmas tour, I see that Birmingham, Bournemouth and Brighton are all sold out, and that Glasgow, Newcastle and Manchester have all had their capacity's increased to cope with the demand for tickets. The boys are still the best and still as popular as ever among the nation's hearts through all generations. Great to see!

I was approaching the 66k mark with Slick when I hit a major problem. My original plan for the ending has somewhat fallen by the wayside, but I had a general idea of where the story was going to go. This, I was using to gently steer the plot towards its final goal.

Then.

I realised that where I was could actually provide the story with an amazing twist - one that I never even saw coming until now - but by doing so it would cut the story short by about 20-30k. Even taking Devon's excellent comments in from yesterday's post into account, I still think it would be a problem with regards to the overall quality of the story.

What I mean is, I'm not worried about being short of words after the advice, but I am worried that being that far short and diverted from the original idea, might harm what I'm trying to do. I dropped the final estimated word count by 10k on my Zukoto meter to reflect this.

So I began writing about it here in my blog to try and clear my mind and see the real issue as it might be. And as I typed these very words, it came to me. Use the twist you just thought of, but alter it to encompass your original ending and make it much more exciting. You dick!.

So that's what I did. And it's waaay better than I planned. Once I began following the idea, I had to force myself to stop writing. A lot of people have uploaded their manuscripts already to avoid the final day rush, but I just can't resist going for the 70k. I hope it doesn't backfire on me and the servers don't crash.

I also realised that the reason I want this story to go on, is that I'm enjoying writing it so much. I'm enjoying the exploration and the twists, the discoveries and characters. I don't want it to end. But it has to. I can feel the pinch of the great void that comes after a major piece of work coming already. The addiction has to be fed, but there has to be reflection as well. I have to keep learning and growing.

NaNo words today: 2982

NaNoWriMo Progress

Pot Holes and Passion

2006-11-28T20:51:00.000Z

Magnificent effort today on the old writing front, even if I do say so myself. I got off to a flyer before dawn, kept it going through my lunch break and followed it up with a final spurt in the evening. I broke 64k and things are looking good on the word count side of things.

On the plot side of things, the flower bed doesn't look quite so rosy. I'm discovering lots of loose ends, holes in the main and sub-plots and discrepancies between foundations I laid earlier on in the manuscript to what is happening now.

It's nothing I can't fix, and indeed when I go back to edit, these are the details I will have to double and triple check anyway, but it's annoying nevertheless. There are some glaring holes with police procedures and forensic stuff, all of which are building into long lists with which to approach the Police service with, and there is still the worry that I am going to run to the end of the story before I reach the 100k point.

It's all part of the novel writing process, so worry doesn't come into it. I'm looking forward to finishing the first draft and then after the new year, starting the first redraft with all these 'problems' incuded.

Later in the evening I felt able to finally get back to some of the other stuff I planned for myself this month. I'm glad I cleared my plate for the month otherwise this NaNo thing could have been an even tougher ride, but there are still some must-do's that can't escape my attention.

I updated my website - nothing major just a few wee changes - and then I went on search for a new font to be used in Poolside Poetry. Remember that? It's my new book due out shortly but I have still to choose the final front cover and font! The font change was a late decision - but the right one. I just didn't like the one I had picked originally. It has to be right otherwise what's the point?

Then I listened to some Blockheads and ordered some Chrimbo presents online. December is almost here, after all, and time waits for noone.

NaNo words today: 4019

NaNoWriMo Progress

Working Through The Noise

2006-11-27T07:39:00.000Z

I had a couple of errands to run on the way to work this morning so it wasn't an early start. Lying in bed contemplating having to get up and do them on the way to work filled me with little excitement. So, I used some of my owed time and took a holiday on Flex - one of the few benefits of working where I do.

I used my time wisely, doing some tidying and cleaning before picking up Laura later from school. I began work on my GDR for next year. I think there are going to be some heavy accents on particular areas of my writing next year, and a more obvious move to making fiction writing the main focus.

Working in the evening didn't come as easily as planned. All my thinking throughout the day had led to a swell of ideas as to how I was going to take the next stage of the manuscript forward. I began writing and it all came rushing out. I had the first 1k down within half an hour. Then the banging started, and the scraping and the glorious noise of slamming doors alongside the fun of seeing expensive heat rushing out of the wide open door to be replaced by its freezing cousin rushing in to replace it.

The noise was still going at 10pm. God knows how Laura got to sleep. Will it ever end? Who knows. Sometimes it seems like it has always been there.

Regardless of the headache I managed to pass the 60k mark, so the train rumbles on.

NaNo words today: 2177

NaNoWriMo Progress

Chillin'

2006-11-26T18:54:00.000Z

A great weekend was had. I left the house early yesterday morning after a pretty decent sleep and made my way on the GNER to Newcastle. I arrived in South Shields by mid-morning and sat back with my mate in his flat, and caught up over a strong Bloody Mary and some tunes.

We went to a couple of bars in the town and down by the coast during the day, but it wasn't a heavy session. It was a late one though, but it was just good to relax and talk, take in the slower pace and enjoy my bro's company.

Slick was always in the back of my mind, but not as much as it has been over the past coupe of months. There were delays coming back on the train, which didn't amuse me, and when I got back the tiredeness caught up with me and I thought I wasn't going to get anything written as planned.

I fought through it though and managed to write into the next chapter - not as much as planned, but enough to get back into the flow and enough to keep me on track for 70k.

NaNo words today: 692

NaNoWriMo Progress

Back on Track

2006-11-24T21:12:00.000Z

I'm back on track. I was up at 5am sharp and writing by 5.20am. By the end of the day, with the day job in between, I had managed a little over four thousand words. I'll be unable to write anything tomorrow what with a wee visit to my friends house, so I'm aiming high for the end of NaNo thereafter - 3k for the final four days with 5k on the final. That would take me to 74k on the manuscript. That would leave me with only 26k to the end of the novel - story permitting - to be written by Christmas.

It can be done!

Only problem is I'm running out of story again. I may have to write to the end then go back and add some new scenes. It's actually got quite complicated when I look back. It switches between the protagonist and the police quite a bit, and as I reach the excitement of the revelations, there seems to be more of them. It feels like it is adding to the suspense of the plot though, which may also explain the ease at which the words are coming, but only time will tell.

I've already had a couple of offers for beta readers, so it looks like the excitement is spreading.

Check out this guy. He gets jailed and escapes because his girlfriend hasn't contacted him. When he turns up at her house he finds she's four months pregnant to another bloke! Had to laugh.

For an interesting wee video animation using album covers (two Madness), click here.

NaNo words today: 4075

NaNoWriMo Progress

Mr Forgetful

2006-11-23T21:59:00.000Z

I made it through yesterday without incident. There were a couple of scary moments when I thought Death might be close. Like when I banged my hip into the photocopier narrowly missing something more vital. Or when some cheese fell out of my sandwich and landed on my shoe while having lunch at my desk. Or when a little old lady barged into me in the street, shouting, "sorry sonny!" with her arms aloft, before carrying on headfirst into the icy wind. But in the end there was nothing worthy of the Reaper. Life, it would seem, goes on regardless.

I was in such a mad rush to get to work this morning that I made a couple of major boobs. First, I turned up for my 9.30am meeting - just as everyone was coming out. The meeting, I found out, was actually at 9am, and I had missed it.

Then as I was apologising profusely for my poor time keeping, I realised I had neglected to put on my tie as I rushed out the door that morning. Age, and the effects of it, escapes nobody.

Work was hectic. We have some major problems in all sectors that are piling up and we do not have the time or resource to handle them all. So we're prioritising, but it all means that I'm losing lunch break time to write.

It was late in the evening before I could even do what work I could manage on Slick. I had to attend a quiz night at Laura's school. The highlight was the pre-advertised "free refreshments" that was shown in the ticket we had to buy. I was expecting a choice of tea or coffee and maybe some sausage rolls. What did we get? Cartons of fresh orange juice (strictly one per person) and a choice of Chocolate Bourbons or Custard Creams (strictly one per person). I had a Custard Cream. Then waited till it was over.

I got home about 9pm with my back sore from having to sit on wee plastic seats for the duration, so I tried to write what I could on the next chapter. I struggled mentally to get into the flow and gave up after half an hour, deciding to get out a book and do some reading instead. An early night means i can get up early tomorrow and steam ahead with the novel.

I have now fallen behind and am glad I've completed NaNo. But I am in danger of letting it all fall by the wayside if I don't get sharp about this. I won't get anything done this weekend as I am going away, so I need to write 5,300 words tomorrow to make up for it. All I need is a good start of about 2k before 9am.

It's been done before!

NaNo words today: 705

NaNoWriMo Progress

The Fear

2006-11-22T12:07:00.000Z

I left the house at 6:30 this morning. There was no moon and so the streets were dark and sleepy. I was alone as I walked toward the bus stop in the bitter cold, the salty taste from the coastal mist drifting over the Links and nipping at my tongue. I would be glad to get to work today, I thought, as it seemed colder than normal and the streets seemed to shift in the shadows as I passed through. I obviously had some more waking up to do.

Then I saw it. On the top of a garage roof to my right, there appeared to be the figure of a small dark man. Not just any small man, more than that. I double-took as I approached and yes, it was the Grim Reaper himself. He was standing with his black cloak on, his scythe in his hand with the staff resting on the ground where he stood. He was watching me as I made my along the misty Leith street. I thought my time was nigh.

Fear gripped me. I walked steadily and quietly, tried to control my breathing, but couldn't hide for the small nervous bursts of condensation leaving my mouth. I drew level with the Reaper, and then saw what was happening. I was looking at a Sky satellite dish. The angle I had been approaching made it appear like Death's servant standing on the roof.

Bugger.

But as my heart settled down to a gentle canter, I came to the conclusion that regardless of the dish's form in my over-fertile imagination, I should take care with everything I do today. Just in case.

Onto less heart stopping matters. I wrote a diabolically low amount of words today and was unable to catch up due to distractions such as being ill-prepared in the morning for a quick getting ready routine, a busy lunch time, and then snooker in the evening. What I did write - and am about to write in that particular chapter - will need verification and research after the manuscript is down on paper. I have a lot of questions to ask both the Metropolitan and Lothian and Borders Police Forces come the start of next year.

NaNo words today: 20

NaNoWriMo Progress

No Pressure

2006-11-21T22:24:00.000Z

Slept through my 5am, which really pissed me off as I missed a whole morning's writing. On the bright side it meant I could have breakfast and watch a cartoon with Laura, which we only get to do on weekends, and then I walked her to school.

I felt quite sprightly and fresh today after a slightly longer kip though. I say long; long compared to my recent starts but not to 'normal' people. Last night I finished Rankin's The Flood but I had to force myself to the end I was so tired. Such an exciting and alarming twist to the book's finale though, which I never saw coming. To be honest, as a Dad of a wee girl myself, it made my skin crawl and I felt quite uncomfortable with it from that point of view. That said, it was fabulously written and a good lesson in plot and character development and how to trick the reader then hit them between the eyes.

Looking at my stats for NaNo so far, I've done an average of 2507 words per day, 500 more than I aimed for. Obviously that's including the lows and highs, but still pleasing as an overall average. It also highlights the main thing I reckon I will take from this experience, and that is that I have absolutely no excuses for not attaining this level of writing every day. Mix that in with everything else; research, promotion, web work and the imagery side, and it will obviously have an impact, but I should be writing more per month than I have been. It's been an eye opener and proof that I have it in me to stretch to such limits, even with a family and child - and rabbits and guinea pigs and fish and so on.

The good thing is I can relax with the manuscript now. There's no pressure to get to 50k anymore so it should, theoretically, get easier. The trouble I have when writing is that I want to see it down on paper sooner rather than later. Even if I end up sacrificing some amount of quality I can always go back and edit. Getting it down is a huge first step and allows you to then step back and look away for a minute before analysing. It's the old lump of clay analogy. You can't really begin until you have constructed that initial lump of clay. That's how I see it, anyway.

I'm approaching the traditional sticky area for me in the novel - that bit where you begin to head towards the conclusion and tie everything up. I'm through any form of middle-sag - NaNoWriMo saw to that - but I always get the "am I doing the right thing here?" syndrome. We'll see how it transpires. I believe I may have done enough preparation and I know I am a more experienced writer since I was last at this stage with a novel, so you never know.

Got nothing written until after work, but I sat down with the laptop and got stuck in to make my daily target. It wasn't my best. I was writing a vital scene between two vital characters with some major issues, and t came out as almost all dialogue. The main thing was to progress the story and explain some history through their voices so I achieved that. I can, and will, go back and pad it out with the rest later on, probably a morning when it will come out easier.

Tally-Ho!

NaNo words today: 2148

NaNoWriMo Progress

NaNoWriMo Is A Done Deal

2006-11-20T21:27:00.000Z

When I woke it was raining heavily, just as it had been when I went to bed last night. Luckily, it stopped just before I left for work and didn't start again until I reached the front door of the office. How's about that for luck?

I had an excellent morning, managing to get down over three thousand easy flowing words before it even hit the afternoon. This left me with only about 1500 to go to reach the NaNoWriMo finishing line. The flow was so good I had to stop myself from writing just to get the bus into work. It was then I thought today might be the day.

But then I hit a snag. I uncovered a loose thread in the plot, pulled it and unravelled a chunk out of the finely patterned fabric. So close to the target and I had a problem! I had to think about it and it meant going through the plot, using my imagination and logic circuits to the max.

I needed a link between the body found at the foot of Arthur's Seat, Ronnie Glover, and DI Lennox still down in London. I needed to get Lennox up the road to join the murder investigation running in Edinburgh. So I wrote this blog entry in the hope of sparking a thought. Nope. Nothing.

It hit me later on I the day. Of course! It all made sense later on after a break. I couldn't wait to get home and get typing. I thought about it some more to make sure no silly threads were left dangling in the breeze and it seems water tight. I'll recheck it when it comes round to the next draft though, but in the meantime it works and seems to fit like a glove so I'm happy.

I got totally drenched on the way home. Horizontal rain and gale force winds made it a nightmare hourney back to Chez Galbraith. I started writing when I got in and before long, the magic 50,000 mark was almost upon me. The atmosphere was electric as I approached the line, and then crossed it be by a mere 3 words at the end of a sentence.

On the 25th of the month we get to upload our final manuscripts for confirmation and get our winners badges for the websites. I'll keep writing to the 30th and see what I end up with after a full month. According to my planner, at my budget of 2k per day, I should reach about 67,000.

But for now I must take stock and start thinking about the next 50,000, which I have estimated is required in order to finish the novel. So I have to keep going. Maybe not at the same pace as NaNo, but who knows. If I can get this manuscript drafted for the end of the year I'll be well chuffed.

NaNo words today: 4941

NaNoWriMo Progress

Sunday In The Park

2006-11-19T21:13:00.000Z

Very early start this morning because I wanted to get stuck into Slick for a couple of hours. It never happened. After coffee I went round to the newsagent to pick up my cope of the Mail on Sunday, not a newapaper I would normally purchase but this week was different. They were giving away a free Madness live CD, part 2 of which is next Sunday.

CD in hand I walked excitedly back to the house to listen to the tunes. It's an excellent recording of a range of Madness concerts. Well worth the £1.20 the newspaper cost. The paper pitched it as; buy our Sunday newspaper and get a free CD on the cheap of an ageing 1980's pop band.

I saw it as; buy a cheap CD containing nostalgic, footstomping music of one of Britain's greatest treasures, and get a crappy Sunday paper for free.

After a read of the paper and some interesting short story ideas circled, we had bacon sandwiches and tea then headed off for the day to Inverkeith Park and the Botanical Gardens on the northern side of the city.

We were out for most of the day and covered a fair chunk of the place. We fed ducks and swans, watched the old geezers playing with their remote controlled boats on a pond. Some of them were quite good actually. They had working versions of home made replicas of an aircraft carrier and a steam boat, complete with tiny people on deck having a party and a small radio tucked inside the boat so it played music as it sailed.

We bought seeds and fed lots of grey squirrels, saw the first Robin Red Breast I've seen in many years, and spent a while in the tropical centre looking at their palm trees and chilli plants.

So I never got started writing until much later than intended. I had a good evening writing. I hit a sticky patch with Ronnie's current situation, but forced it through to get to the next section. I'm now back with Lennox, still in London, but he's got a lead. Lennox is exciting me. He's smart but not infallible, and he knows it. He has the Glaswegian humour which he uses to good effect on his Cockney colleagues. But he's shady in a good way, like there is so much to know about him that he could never tell. Only actions can bring that out. His working partner, DS Clare Mulholland, is cool, and as sharp as a tack. They work well together, bouncing ideas and strategies about. There's a lot of respect and I'm really enjoying writing about them.

I wrote almost 6k on day 1 of Nano. 5k more and I've done it so if I can finish on an equal high, tomorrow could be the day. Failing that, Tuesday.

Finally, I'd like to say a big congratulations to Devon for completing NaNoWriMo this year. She's the first person I know who is doing that and has completed it. As they say where I come from, "Gaun' yersel' hen!"

NaNo words today: 2474

NaNoWriMo Progress

Rest Day 1

2006-11-18T22:02:00.000Z

After a week away from the Saturday morning routine it was good to hop into town, get my cappuccino and choccie pastry and scribble some ideas for Slick into my notebook. It was good to be back and good to just be.

It was cold outside, the overnight frost melting and leaving slippery conditions underfoot, which I managed to make full use of when I slipped on my arse as I strolled confidently past a full bus stop of Saturday morning shoppers. I swore at the pavement and pointed at the ground, then sheepishly wandered off trying to reclaim my confidence but it never quite happened.

I got a rejection in from One Story. "Dear Writer.... [insert standard one line rejection text here]." The magazine is moving further away from my own direction and I think I'll be removing them from my list. They do have the worst laid out rejection slips I've ever been sent - and I'm an expert on those.

Spent the afternoon doing some crazy things, not NaNo related. Laura wanted a make over but none of her pals were out playing. So I bravely volunteered to slap on some blusher, eyeliner, lipstick, eye shadow and nail varnish. By the end of it she looked like a clown escaped from the local circus. Here she is for your entertainment.

I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Laura and the animals, cleaning them out and making sure all is ok in the Galbraith Zoo. Darkness fell as we were finishing so the evening was settled in a family fashion in front of the telly and with a home-delivery courtesy of Pizza Hut.

Sad to report that I had my first day with absolutely NO words written towards my novel. I went against all my instincts and aims and decided on a restful day. Although I'm a tad disappointed, it's not going to last for two reasons. First, I needed a break. I was getting into a rut with the manuscript which felt like I had lost some direction and I needed to take stock. Second, I did promise myself I would have a couple of rest days and this is the first I have taken. It's only annoying because I am so close to completing, but I have the full 100k novel to consider in this as well.

NaNo is a cert now. Getting this published is anything but.

NaNo words today: 0

NaNoWriMo Progress

Long Day

2006-11-17T23:00:00.000Z

Does anyone actually give a shit about Tom Cruise getting married? I woke up to it all over the news this morning on the TV, radio and again in the morning papers. Wow! How could I ever have made it to work without knowing all about it?

And why are these two old ladies walking about robbing people? What on earth is the world coming to?

My worries about a new temporary place to drink when my office is shifted to the west end were put in their place this morning, when it came to my attention I will be working within a short distance of the Oxford Bar. It's not as close as Clark's is to my current location, but at least I'll have a good bar that I can drink in until I return. No doubt there will be Fridays where I do make the journey back down the road to Clark's to partake in a Friday afternoon sesh, because needs must and old habits die hard.

Today was an extremely long day. Up at 5am and wrote just over 2k before daylight, but by lunchtime I was lagging severely. The afternoon dragged and dragged and I was downing strong coffee just to stay awake. It didn't help that I was the only person in from my team today so I was covering the lot - and there turned out to be a lot to cover. By mid-afternoon the headache had arrived of course and I had to lie down for a bit when I got home. Coffee lesson learnt.

I brought the rabbits and the Guinea pig in for the first time this winter. It was so cold outside I couldn't have left them outside and not worry about them all night. So I stuck Mopsy and Pippin in their original indoor run for the night and constructed a makeshift den for Millie out of a large cardboard box.

Only then could I relax and hit that sack that had been waiting for me all afternoon.

NaNo words today: 2376

NaNoWriMo Progress

Silly Poems Strikes A Chord

2006-11-16T07:06:00.000Z

Very tired this morning. It took a long time with my head held up and my eyes open facing the stream of hot water before I began to feel human again. It then took a further two coffees and one strong espresso from the work machine to complete the process.

Got some lovely feedback about one of my free ebooks today. I had got into conversation last week with one of the women I work with and we got talking about my writing. She checked out my website from home and came across Silly Poems for Wee People Vol.1 (download it over there <----- ), which she asked for a printed copy of for her daughter. I printed it off yesterday and signed a wee note for her.

This morning her Mum told me that she thought it was "Really good" and that she was "cheesing" about it. Whatever that means.

It doesn't matter who it's from, when someone likes your work you feel awesome. Especially when it's children - the hardest to please and the toughest critics in the world!

I never got much done until the evening. It was a battle to get started, but it was an upward curving slope as I got into it. Some of the prose was just downright awful but that can be changed later. I wanted to break 40k before the weekend and I did. Didn't want to stop by the end of it but had to call it a night eventually.

NaNo words today: 3339

NaNoWriMo Progress

No Rights For Criminals

2006-11-15T12:06:00.000Z

Missed my alarm by twenty minutes but my natural rhythm woke me up and so I was able to get back on schedule easily. Couldn't sleep last night which was probably the reason for feeling tired today. I had that scene going through my head and the implications for Ronnie, my protagonist. No going back now.

It's a terrible card been dealt for him but it's probably for the best. It's a poetically just way of making him see through the shit to who he is. Only problem is he's still a wanted man, and those people aren't going to change their minds as quickly as Ronnie has changed his.

Work was busy. Still got lots of problems with people who have foreheads made of Teflon. It makes for interesting and frustrating conversations. So then I end up sticking on a Teflon mask and walking away from. Some folk just can't see when you are trying to help them.

The rain tumbled down all day. Heavy, saturating rain that only takes seconds to penetrate your outer defences and get to your skin. Walking home I was amazed to see the rivers that had formed running down Restalrig Road. If only it were salmon season.

Quick question: why do British taxpayers have to foot the bill to pay compensation to drug addicts, who took the Home Office to court for making them go Cold Turkey when they were jailed? What kind of fucked up country are we living in? Read the full story

If I was put in jail would I be able to claim for compensation for missing out on my Wednesday night game of snooker? Or perhaps I should be owed money because I won't be able to go to MacDonalds ever again?

Sorry, but you were put in prison for a reason. You lost your rights when you committed your crime - that's meant to be the punishment. It is not meant to be the beginning of your process of whinging because you can't get your heroin injections or anything else you feel you are owed.

NaNo words today: 1957

NaNoWriMo Progress

Poor Protaganist

2006-11-14T07:38:00.000Z

I think my body is adjusting into the pattern of the 5am starts. My morning routine is finely tuned to squeeze in the essentials; coffee, toast and writing. Non-essentials like showering and getting to work have also been included.

Managed 800 words before work and 1400 in the evening. Never got anything done during lunch - there was been too much going on today after an overnight drama on one of the systems.

It's funny though while writing the 800 in the morning I didn't really feel like it was going anywhere. In the evening I say for about an hour staring at the last paragraph written, wondering where I was going to take it. I was stuck.

I decided to take my character on a walk through Leith, just to see what would happen and if I could link up to where I knew I needed to be. It was as simple as that. A couple of new characters crossed paths with him and before I knew it the most dramatic and violently upsetting scene was unfolding on the page.

It caught me quite by surprise, but on reflection I think will provide an important catalyst in my MC's development as a person. It will be the definitive point where his fall from grace becomes complete and the only way forward is to analyse what a bastard he has been. In short, my main concern about how I was going to handle the character from start to end was handed to me on a plate, and not in a fashion I would have sat down with an intention to write.

When I was writing Hunting Jack I was upset by some of the things I had to put Jackie through. I felt guilty but knew it had to be. Same here, though what I put Ronnie Glover through last night pales into insignificance against Jackie McCann sleeping rough on the streets.

Finished Knots and Crosses. I'll complete The Flood and make a start on my next Auster novel. I've got that exciting feeling in me at the thought of another one of his books about to enter my head. Can't wait to read it.

Gail made Chicken Tikka Masala for dinner. Yum!

NaNo words today: 2201

NaNoWriMo Progress

Quick Post

2006-11-13T07:14:00.000Z

800 words up by the time I left for work this morning at 6:30am. You beauty. It meant that I knew by the time lunch was over, I would have reached my daily goal no problem. Anything in the evening, would therefore be a bonus. Unfortunately nothing did get done in the evening, what with coming home with a major headache and having to lie down for an hour or so. It was also the final night of the current Spooks series, so I admitted defeat on health grounds and watched it in the sack.

Never dreamt anything more about Abi Titmuss last night. Shame. Here's another picture instead.

Work was a nightmare. Dealt with more than the usual number of idiots and twisted procedures. Sometimes I think it would easier to do a back flip with triple pike somersault off of the Forth Bridge and land on my feet, than get things done in that place.

Got another 600 words written over lunch. Would have been more if it weren't for the stupidity highlighted in the last paragraph. So today's tally was less than 2k, but then I am 10k or so above the minimum expected.

NaNo words today: 1396

NaNoWriMo Progress

Chicken Bhuna = Abi Titmuss

2006-11-12T21:19:00.000Z

Musselborough was good last night. Had curry and beers with my mate and his fiancee (as of last Wednesday night) at their new home. It's the perfect balance between bachelor pad and married home, with a lovely wife and child in the house and a pool table and fridge stacked with beer in the garage. I don't think he'll ever let go - and I support it all the way.

I have no idea why, nor do I care why I dreamt about the magnificent Abi Titmuss last night. It was one of those dreams you wish you could have at will, any night of the year, but if that's what Chicken Bhuna does for me on a Saturday night I'm definitely having more of them.

Rose slightly later this morning, my batteries and life energy getting an excellent recharging this weekend before the early starts for NaNo next week. Half way through week two and progress is still above the target.

Couldn't seem to get warm today at all. When I finally did my hands stayed cold and it was difficult to type. Even with the radiator on full next to my desk I still couldn't get warmed up.

One of my Khoolie Loaches met with a grizzly death. The wee critters resemble eels as they are long and slithery, but they have fins and gils so they are actually fish. They have a natural tendency to burrow, which is good for the gravel in the tank as they turn it over, but they can disappear for days even months on end without being seen, happy to live under the wee stones and rocks.

It was Laura who spotted it, lying inside my lump of lava rock, colourless and still. I tried to nudge it with the net but it wouldn't move, and even other fish swimming over it couldn't disturb it. Eventually I put my hand in and stroked it. Nothing. So I tugged at its tail. It still wouldn't budge. After quite a lot of pulling and tugging it finally came free. Dead.

The poor wee thing had burrowed into one of the holes in the lava rock and got its head stuck. Unable to free itself and probably in some amount of distress, it died where it was. The lava rock is not only a home to several of the fish, it has also become a monument, commemorating the life and death of one of my Khoollies.

Started work on Slick before lunch. I looked at my chapter synopsis and realised I am racing through it again. With just under half way to go, I am once again running out of story. But I'm also on an easier roll so I wasn't sure whether to go back and pad out or to carry on blind.

I carried on, because I feel the padding required may involve larger new sections of the story being added, not just a few descriptive passages or sections of dialogue. I also have developed a habit of moving the story on by missing chunks out that seem irrelevant in order to keep up the tension and drama. For instance, instead of going round several flats to look for a place to rent, we join the MC as he finds the best one and has settled in. Things like this need thought more about.

I came to one particular section of the story as detailed above, where the time between the two chapters is at least a couple of weeks. In my original plan I intended to skip straight over, but now I've given myself license to go where I want with it. I'm not going to plan what happens in the two week period to my MC, so I know I'm taking a risk. I have to get back on the path before the end, but by doing this I may end up so much off course I could end up re-writing the end of the book!

Who said this NaNo wasn't a challenge or an experiment. Might as well go where the words take me!

NaNo words today: 3826 (a 6K weekend!)

NaNoWriMo Progress

Armistice Day

2006-11-11T17:30:00.000Z

Armistice Day. A day for us to remember all those men and women who bravely fought and gave their lives for our freedom in the First World War. A day to remember all those who sacrificed in any war in our country's name. And a thought kept back for those still serving in hostile locations around the word today, least not Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gail did the honours with Laura this morning so no coffee, pastry, bookshops, research or aquarium centre. So I got caught up with some sleep. I rose mid-morning and had some coffee to get my heart started, then settled down to the computer to begin the second half of the NaNo challenge.

Then the door burst open. My FIL had arrived. End of peace. End of house not filled with cigar smoke. Oh happy day, oh glory be.

Managed to write over my daily goal so I was well pleased and in between cleaned out the hutches and gave all the animals a run in the garden. Finished up and got ready for beer and curry in the evening over in Musselborough. A nice end to a productive day, despite only getting a couple of hours actual writing time overall. On target for another 5k weekend though.

NaNo words today: 2246

NaNoWriMo Progress

Picking Up The Pace Again

2006-11-10T12:57:00.000Z

Slept in and never got up till 6:30am (sic). I was pissed off that I had missed some writing time and even more pissed off that I got stuck on a bus full of people going up Leith Walk, crammed in like sardines in a tin. Not the Friday take off I had wanted.

By lunchtime things had improved, thanks to Clark's Bar no less. Two pints of Guinness with Dave went down a treat before heading back into the myre.

Poured with rain and blew a gale all afternoon so I was delighted to get home - soaking, but home. Made some spicy rice for dinner and played with Laura. Spent the evening working on Slick. It's coming easier again. I broke the half way mark with the novel, (NaNo numbers only), so I'm now over 25,000 words.

Ten days to get to 50% and a quarter of the way through the novel as a whole. I'm pleased. 2000 words a day from now on in will see me crossing the finishing post on the 24th.

Finished the night off watching a Jamiroquai live performance from the Camden Jazz Cafe, a place of several wonderful drunken memories over the years.

NaNo words today: 2113

NaNoWriMo Progress

Digging Up The Words

2006-11-09T08:35:00.000Z

Enjoyed a later lie in before getting up for work. After all my efforts this week I felt I was due a slightly later rise after being out last night, so I got up at 8am. I felt brilliant. Totally re-energized and the flu-like feelings I felt yesterday morning are gone.

I'm sure that was my body crying out to get some rest before I make myself ill. It worked, though last night at snooker my right wrist was in agony. It's only a dull pain most of the time, but if I catch it the right way (like when holding a snooker cue) the pain shoots through my wrists, up my forearm and I lose all power in the muscles. It's almost like a cramp but more acute. I tried shaking it off, but I just looked like P Diddy in one of his music videos.

Updated my NaNo chart this morning. I never realised it would skip a day so it now looks like I went yesterday without doing anything! Not happy. Not happy at all.

Work was hectic but managed to get a few words written over lunch. Decided when I got home I would try and get to the 25k mark by the end of the night. Never happened but I managed to get to over 23k.

For some reason the chapter I was working on was proving problematic. It needs research into a subject I know little about and that I never foresaw happening in the original concept. Now it has to happen and I tried to do write through it - but it still wouldn't happen So I decided I would do the research afterwards, foregoing quality in place of quality. I have a fear that something I write will impact what happens after, despite me trying to convince myself this is a stand-alone chapter.

What's the subject matter? The exhumation of human remains.

I wrapped up what I could of the chapter, leaving holes galore, which I will go back and fill out at a later date when I have the information.

NaNo words today: 1488

NaNoWriMo Progress

A Slower Day

2006-11-08T10:56:00.000Z

Struggled to get up today after two days of going at it hammer and tongs. Still managed though but it was tougher getting into it through the haze of tiredness. I'm getting the sniffles too, so I think I may work in a wee day off soon. Perhaps Sunday might be a good day, then start afresh again next Monday. I'm going over to a friends for beer on Saturday night, so that may well be another great plan from Monsieur Galbrandy. Wrote circa 600 words before leaving for work.

Week 1 of NaNoWriMo is now behind me so I think I should take time to take a look back and reflect on what has been.

The Numbers
My daily target before all this began was 2k per day. I met that every days except one (I was 30 words short so I ain't going to cry). My total for the week is 21,155 words, 7155 over the weekly target, achieved by both an explosive start on day one and over 5k over the weekend. If I stick to this, I should reach the 50k by day 18.

Negatives

* Worrying that the plot was unfolding too quick.
* Very tired by the time it gets to the evening.
* Wrist and back starting to hurt.
* Not as much connection in the local lounge of the forum.

Positives

* I'm enjoying writing the story I prepared.
* My word count is way ahead of my target.
* I'm proving to myself I can meet a heavy "deadline".
* My wpm on the keyboard has gone through the roof.
* My overall feeling of "life happiness" is spilling over.

To Take Into Week 2

* The 5am starts are working. Creativity is more positive in the morning, even if it has to be kick started on the harder days. Need to schedule in slower days to balance it out.
* Not being afraid to go back and edit/pad out is keeping the plot strong and thus giving me the motivation to keep going. It seems to be the story that's driving me now, not so much the NaNo challenge (60-40%).
* Keep aiming for 2k per day, but if it goes over just keep going as long as the drive is there and I want to.
* Don't push it over the 2k if it's not going well. Keep poor sections of prose to a minimum.
* Do not go a day without writing anything. Could be fatal.

One of the minor characters from earlier in the story is nipping slowly at my muse. I think he may have a larger part to play in the outcome of this novel before the end is reached.

Work was unusually busy so I never got anything written over lunch. Got home early from work and was so tired I went to bed for an hour before snooker. Won 5-3 and had a few pints of Guinness, which went straight for me since I was so tired. So there was a lot of thinking done about Slick today, but not a lot got written.

NaNo words today: 624

NaNoWriMo Progress

On The Radio

2006-11-07T21:02:00.000Z

Woke up with my right wrist throbbing. It felt like I had fallen on it and sprained it and I began to wonder if it some kind of repetitive strain injury brought on by all my intense writing. I also sit at a keyboard for the day job as well. When I got to work I found the pain was worse when I had my hand on the mouse. My chair is quite raised so my arm points down towards it. I lowered the chair so my elbow was horizontal with the table and it seemed to do the trick. Hopefully the throbbing will die down though. The last thing any writer needs is a bad wrist or a bad back.

There is one thing that has annoyed me about getting up at 5am to write. The radio is full of pish DJ's. I imagine most people (me anyway) would rather listen to music than a couple of boring unintelligent morons prattling on and on and on about how wonderful their lives are because they got a backstage pass at the X-Factor Live gig. What's wrong with playing music? I was sure DJ stood for Disc Jockey - not Deranged Conversationalist.

Normally I listen to Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2, but occasionally I'll tune over to Chris Moyles on BBC Radio 1. Wogan is the undisputed king of radio, but at least Moyles is funny, unlike the boring Scottish morning DJ's from independent stations who have nothing to say at all. The inane laughing that comes over is enough to make you put your head through the bus stop window.

The problem is, Wogan and Moyles don't begin until 7am, which is when I arrive into the office. So I spend most of my journey with the radio off or scanning channels just to find anything remotely interesting. This morning it was Classic FM. Relaxing and not in anyway annoying.

Got circa 2k written early doors over breakfast and during my lunch break. Well pleased with that. It set me up for writing the evening so that anything I did after that would be a bonus towards the daily goal.

Priorities and perspectives is something talked about a lot during NaNo, whether between writing and external factors, or between different areas within the writing sphere. NaNo has helped me look at some things differently. For example, I am writing early morning, midday and in the evening every day just now and my word count is through the roof. Does that mean I am more productive? Or is the NaNo Factor coming into play and making me prioritise everything to suit the novel?

I think it's a bit of both. I'm making the time and doing it no matter what, and as a result I am very productive. This is not to say I am less productive in other months, I just have other things to work on. I have cleared the deck for November to do this, but I also have other things I do throughout the year, which just because they do not contribute to a word count, does not mean I am any less productive.

So what to take from this thought? I think I need to prioritise more early mornings, put more time aside then even when NaNo is not on. I also need to understand and not beat myself up over the fact last month's output was crap, and remember I spent a lot of time promoting my work and doing research.

It can't all be about sitting writing. There has to be a balance.

NaNo words today: 2658

NaNoWriMo Progress

Good Bad Good Bad And So It Goes

2006-11-06T21:32:00.000Z

Nice and early start again, gave me plenty of time to start working my way further through the manuscript I have written already. It's getting easier to be up at 5am, though when evening comes it's getting harder to concentrate on anything except rest. I'm reaping the benefits though in word count, I just hope the quality is something I can work with after it's all over.

Slightly warmer climate over the east of the country today. Perhaps it's due to all the bonfires still smoking away in the streets. Arthur's Seat caught fire after a firework went astray last night and set fire to it, causing 1500 revellers to be evacuated off the top. Arthur's Seat (real name Salisbury Crags), is an extinct volcano - I thought it would have been able to handle a bit of heat?!

Zukoto is back. They must have renewed their domain or something. All my WIP graphics are now back up and running, I'm please to say.

I ran through the entire manuscript today as planned and did a lot of padding. There is stuff I will probably edit out by the end but for the time being it's all staying in. I've got more consistency with the characters, though most of that doubt turned out only to be in my own head and not on the paper. I think i was just losing the trail a wee bit.

I'm noticing a trend with NaNo. Although my word count is good - better than I was budgeting for, in fact - I seem to experience a good day followed by a harder day followed by a good day and so on. I seem to have to fight to get into it on the odd days, and it flows so much easier the next. I've not figured out why that is, tiredness, or perhaps a natural rhythm my body/mind has settled into. If I have a bad day I want to try harder the next to make up for it. Next day I maybe relax a little more because the previous was so good. Or maybe I'm just thinking about it too much because overall I feel I am doing not bad at keeping it all going.

I've always had a tendency to analyse things. Maybe this is just an extension of that and I shouldn't read too much into. One thing is for sure, I'm enjoying the challenge.

NaNo words today: 2469

NaNoWriMo Progress

Guy Fawkes Is Dead

2006-11-05T07:32:00.000Z

I allowed myself a small treat this morning. After going to bed last night I read more from The Flood (almost done now), watched Parky (Tony Bennett is the MAN), then went to sleep thinking about Slick (obesssion? possibly).

I dreamt some weird stuff. I was on a golf course with a stag party and they were all very dull people. It was the golf course you could see from my bedroom window when I was growing up - I told you about it a few days ago. Then we were in London, down at the Docklands, and I was in an elevator with the stag party going somewhere. They were so boring by this point I jumped out and locked them in. Then I ran off laughing.

I don't know what it means but I know the source. Golf course - after talking about my home town and the views from my window last week, I printed off the winter image and stuck it up on my desk here and at work. I listened to The Wall and Stella as well, so I think my mind was just in the zone for it.

Stag party? Probably down to me badly needing a night out with my mates.

London Docklands; that's where Ronnie lives - I've been writing about it and other parts of London since I began work on Slick.

Elevator? My mind is telling me to jump off at the next floor and take some time to relax. So I did - I relaxed in bed until 10am.

After coffee and eggs with toast, I got back to work. I wrote some new stuff but it was coming slow. Again I had some research to do which accounted for some of the time, but I also started to feel I was losing my way. I feel as if the plot is moving just that little bit too quick.

The way things stand, I am on target to write somewhere just over 90,000 words by November 30th. Which is excellent, though it won't happen in reality. Two reasons: first, it will be impossible to keep up this level of energy, and second I get the feeling I'm going top run out of story!

I'm approaching the half way point of the story, and I've not even hit the 20k mark yet. Worrying, both for the NaNo challenge as well as the novel itself.

So I went back and began reading objectively. I know the purpose of NaNo is quantity over quality, but I don't want to work that way. Not even sure I can. I know I can reach the 50k, the last few days have proved that, but I need to make sure the story is coming out the way I need it to if I am to be able to concentrate fully and remain involved with it 100 per cent. I need to make sure everything is explained (or not explained), and I need to be sure that the characters are not getting lost within it.

Therefore, I think some padding is required. Tomorrow I shall devote one day to reading the story afresh with all these objectives in mind. There is padding needed, so it will be interesting to see how many words come out of it by doing this. But I think it needs to be done before I move forward.

I'm really getting sick of fireworks. All week we have had missiles and bombs raining down from us from all sides, which is not only a pain in the arse at 11.30pm when you're getting up at 5am, but it's scaring the bejeezus out of all our animals.

Things took a turn for the worse tonight when the fire service were called out three times to a street over the other side of the walkway to us. I could see if from our landing window. Wee neds continually set fire to the bracken and let off fireworks - damn loud ones - because they are hidden from sight. That's where they go drinking, drive their motorbikes and do all their drugs as well. Like we don't know you are there assholes!

They are causing a major nuisance to everyone in the neighbourhood. In the blustery wind the fires could easily have spread taken hold and blown over to our property, so I'm not just being a cantankerous bugger by going on like this. It's a danger.

Tonight Leith sounded like a war zone for about five hours. Constant thundering cracking noises well after the legal time limit. And no doubt it will go on still for the next few nights until all the discount firework shops (only open this time of year) have sold out to these wee fuds.

Happy Guy Fawkes!

NaNo words today: 1970

NaNoWriMo Progress

Progress Is Inevitable

2006-11-04T22:09:00.000Z

Slept in! Woke up and the clock was showing the time had read 6.30am, so I lost ninety minutes before the day had begun. I think I was due and extra hour in bed. Last night I was so tired and with the headache coming on I retired to bed around nine'ish with the TV on and a book. It felt like the protective membrane of my brain tearing away from my skull. When I woke today I felt much better, more refreshed and still as eager to get on.

I've reached the point in Slick where Ronnie has his flashback nightmare. I thought about it in bed last night but couldn't really concentrate or come up with anything suitable, what with the blinding headache. I tried to let my head empty and swear once I did, I could feel the headache lessen. Maybe my body is trying to tell me something.

Thankfully I remembered to buy coffee on the way home last night so this morning got off to a great start. I wrote for about an hour before heading to the coffee shop and scribbling out the dream sequence longhand. I got a full chapter down on it. Much, much better.

I was thinking about why my word count and motivation might be higher for this NaNoWriMo thing than other times in the year when I have lots of other writing to work on. I came to the conclusion it's all about deadlines. The 30th November deadline to write 50k is a tough one, but if it weren't there, would I really be getting up at 5am to write?

Last year when I was having trouble finalising the manuscript for Fringe Fantastic, Devon said I should place a deadline on it. I did - December 2nd - and suddenly everything started moving. If left to just get on with things, I get through them, but without the added pressure so they seem to happen slower, and perhaps, I suffer creatively from the lack of stimulation.

So there are two outcomes from this. First, I'm placing deadlines on everything I do from now on (if applicable). My 2007 GDR will contain more deadlines. Secondly, I intend to use the NaNo experience and develop it into my every day writing routine. In other words, the early starts will probably become more regular than not.

I was ordered - yes ordered - out of the ground floor of the house so Gail could tidy the house after lunch. Not being one to want to get in the way of my wife's domesticated desires I obliged and did a few of things.

First I introduced the new fish I got for my aquarium this morning to the rest of my wee fishy community. Two Khoolie Loaches and two Krebensis, the latter beautiful wee fish, the former, funny eel-like things. I watched them for a while and fed them then got on with cleaning out the hutches. The rabbits were stinking, and I mean stinking as in the most severe use of the word imagineable. I think they were happy to get the run around but there must have been a tonne of jobbies in their home.

Then I got down to some more writing. The dream sequence was typed up and the following chapter put to rest as well. There was a fair bit of research involved, mostly map and location searching through London, but my A to Z and www.yell.co.uk soon had me noting down the information I required. Progress is inevitable. But it's hard going.

NaNo words today: 3103

NaNoWriMo Progress

Dream Path

2006-11-03T20:44:00.000Z

Although I met my word count goal yesterday I feel as if I should have done more. It was slow in coming, most of it written in the morning and a little over lunch. In the evening I hardly wrote anything, possibly because I knew I was safe for the day, but mostly because I was pretty tired.

I wonder if it is wise to try to manage the creative flame?

I'm really enjoying getting up early. 5:15am this morning and I was writing by 5:35 (with tea and toast - forgot the damn coffee again!). When I come home I'm tired at night, but still charged, some nights I'll manage a few thousand words, other nights little or none. I know if I carry on like this during NaNo I may risk burning out and grinding to a halt, so how do I manage the creative flame?

The way I feel today, I'll get up at 5am, tomorrow, write until about 8am, get Laura up and take her to dancing. Then I'll sit in the coffee shop and write some more. Maybe in the afternoon I will manage a few words and in the evening I know I'll get time since I have no social plans. But is this wise? Should I not put aside some rest time, because I wonder if by doing this I will be contributing to my downfall later on, and that maybe I should chill after working hard during the week, maybe watch some TV and get a pizza.

But when the urge is there, I believe it has to be acted upon. The urge to write is more powerful than many things on this earth - for me anyway - and when it comes, it must be listened to and nurtured. So while I'm in the seam of high motivation, I should make the best of it.

I feel so charged at the moment, relishing the early starts, the writing that comes with it and the feeling of brain-bursting creativity before dawn, I'm just going to keep going no matter what happens. In the first three days of this month, I've already written more words of fiction than I have done in any other month this year. It puts what I've been doing into some kind of perspective. But even when the hard times come, which I know they will, I must keep going. To quote one of Britain's finest men, Sir Winston Churchill; "If you're going through Hell, keep going."

The Zukuto Wordmeter I use to track my word progress seems to have gone down overnight. "Account suspended" according to the domain host. So I have no graphics to display my Work In Progress. If you spot any free word meter utilities anywhere can you drop me a line so I can put it back up?

Moira Allen at Writing World asked these questions in her newsletter today, aimed at questioning if your writing dreams are different from the path you have taken.

1) Am I having fun, or am I bored? Are my tasks challenging and rewarding, or do I constantly have that "been there, done that" feeling?

Oh I'm having fun alright! I'm enjoying my fiction, poetry and doing NaNo. I've been getting published and have a new book coming out. I've not experienced the "been there, done it" feeling, yet. I like to keep things fresh and new, but how long that lasts is anyone's guess.

2) Am I benefiting from this path or getting less from it than I hoped? Is it providing something useful in terms of skill, reputation, or income - or am I stuck in tasks that aren't helping me grow much as a writer?

I'll let my GDR summary of the year sum it up when it arrives. I know I am not stuck and I know I am getting a lot from my work, particularly this year when I have really pushed myself these last few months. I've made myself step out the comfort zone and benefited greatly.

3) Is this path contributing to my ultimate ability to follow my dream path, or leading me farther from my dreams?

Undoubtedly. I'm going in the right direction, learning, evolving and progressing every day.

4) Has my dream path changed? Do I still want to follow the dream I originally had, or have I discovered a new dream?

Unchanged. I'm pretty single-minded when t comes to what I want to do. How I get there is the variable.

5) How long do I want to follow this path? What do I still hope to achieve on this path, and how will I know if and when it may be time to change directions?

Until I die. I want to achieve success in what I love doing - writing. I'll know I'm there when I look back and not before.

6) If I want to change paths in the future - whether to return to my original dream or to follow a new dream - what is my exit strategy? What steps will I need to take, and what might I need to change or give up?

I don't forsee changing paths in the near future, but if I have to for some unforeseen circumstance, I guess I'll rearrange things to suit my life, what's happening in it and with my goals in mind.

I was shattered when I got home and after spending the day in front of a computer screen for the best part of ten hours, I took a couple of hours off to have dinner and watch some TV. A massive headache came on, so I never managed to wrote anything else. Good day though.

NaNoWriMo words today: 2931

Daily NaNoWriMo Progress

Coffeeless

2006-11-02T06:55:00.000Z

First NaNoWriMo cock up of the month. I forgot to get more coffee on the way home last night and thus, found myself coffeeless this morning. I was writing by 6am, but with no coffee. It felt weird. My world didn't feel right, off centre, built on sand instead of rock.

I had tea instead, with my usual two slices of wholemeal toast then started reading through yesterday's output. Some of it isn't bad. In fact it improves as the prose progresses during the day. There'll be a lot of editing to be done when all this is done and dusted, a lot of padding and cutting, but what I have so far I'm pleased with. I don't want to rattle words out for the sake of it. I want to produce the story through decent prose, in line with the plan, thinking what I'm doing and hopefully that way I can achieve a half-decent first draft as well as completing the NaNo challenge.

The novel is budgeted for circa 100,000 words. NaNo is (only?) for 50,000 so by the end of November, if I've completed NaNo, I will have half a manuscript. I'm wondering if I can get the full manuscript completed by the end of December? Hmmm, doubtful with it being the season to be jolly etc. but hopefully by the end of the year I'll have an almost completed manuscript.

Day 2 total = 2138 words. Over my budget, so well on target. In fact, I'm twice as far ahead as where I expected to be.

Devon Ellington tagged me for five interesting things you never knew about me. I've done this one before so I had to dig deep into my memory and decide what to reveal and what not to. So here they are. Whether you find them interesting is another matter -

1- When I had hair, it was ginger.

2- I once tried to sneeze while under the water in the bath, and nearly drowned myself.

3- A police horse once attacked me at Hampden Park before a Scotland football international match. It ruined my suede jacket that at the time, I thought was very cool.

4- I once fell out of a first floor window while attending a student party in a flat just off Charing Cross in Glasgow. I landed on two passing policeman who were attending a complaint about the noise at the same party.

5- I once caught a friend of mine urinating in my kitchen sink while it was full of dishes. In revenge, I stole his spare house key, took the day off work, entered his house, ate all his cheese, bread and crisps, watched a few DVD's, sliced his tub of Flora margarine in half horizontally, scooped out an oval hole, defecated in said hole, replaced the top, sellotaped it together and put it back in his fridge. He phone me to "complain" two days later.

Daily NaNoWriMo Progress

A Flying Start

2006-11-01T07:33:00.000Z

Good luck to all my fellow NaNoWriMo'ers!!

Got up at 5.30am (the alarm went off at 5am but I was still dead). I showered, dressed and made the coffee so that by 6am on the dot I was turning on the laptop and opening the blank manuscript for Slick. It felt magic to be finally sitting down and getting the project onto paper.

The first sentence came easily: "The man slurped from a cup of strong coffee." (That's all yer getting). But maybe that's because I've had the first couple of chapters pre-written inside my head for a while now.

I wrote 11 pages before work and during lunch (3140 words), so not a bad start! I'm aiming for an average of 2000 words per day. That would work out as 60,000 words be November 30th if I kept to it. Taking into account the bad days I'm bound to have, I'll need to get ahead of the game if I'm to do it. That means more good days as well as a good start.

Using my chapter synopsis is helping me stay on track with the story, but already I've found myself swaying off course. There is ALREADY a new character involved, who I just know is going to have a say in the final outcome. I knew it would happen, but there's nothing I can do to stop it. Once they are in my head they have a life force. Once on the page, they have a presence and a human quality. Unless I kill them off - muwah, muwah!

I left work early and nipped home for an hours kip to revive myself after a hard day before I went out to snooker. I had set my alarm for 6pm, but at 5.45pm Gail called - Ian had done his back in. While I hate to see the old bugger in pain and hear of his discomfort, the silver lining of this particular dark cloud was I could have a non-rushed dinner then resume Slick in the evening.

I turned out another couple of thousand words before I knew it. I was totally engrossed in it, carried away without disturbance and able to concentrate fully. By ten o'clock I had brought my final first day total to 5886, an equivalent of almost three days average word count I had been aiming for. When the bad days come, I'll have a nice wee cushion to fall back on.

A website of note that was launched yesterday, and worth checking out is : City of Literature

Now here's the autumnal work plan!

November's GDR

This month obviously only has one theme taking over everything else - NANO!!

Fiction
* NANOWRIMO - Slick - 50,000 words before midnight on 31st

Poetry
* Publish Poolside Poetry

Non-Fiction
* Begin work on Scotland's Treasure for January column - Spotlight on Aberfoyle. Locality, history, what it offers, getting to etc. Might include the Blockheads gig review
* Carry out interview with Scottish poet

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare and submit press release for Poolside Poetry
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic
* Follow up meeting with owner of Elves Shakespeare bookshop
* Keep website up to date

Reading and Research
* Finish reading The Flood and Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin
* Start reading The Brooklyn Follies by Paul Auster
* Start reading John Harvey novel

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR

Daily NaNoWriMo Progress

Ready, Set, Go!

2006-11-01T06:26:00.000Z

And we're off!!!

Wrapping Up October

2006-10-31T07:28:00.000Z

Well, well, well. Not only is it the Eve of NaNoWriMo, the GDR summary day for October and the start of my favourite month of the year, but it is Halloween as well.

Although autumn begins in October, it isn't until we get to the depths of it that I really enjoy it. In October the late summer evenings are still fresh enough in the back of the mind to make it too far from autumn. November brings us on the verge of winter, and the dark nights, some calm with silvery moon, others stormy with high winds and rain fresh in from the North Sea.

I like the dark mornings. Walking to work in the pitch black with only the early birds and the odd fox as company. The dark nights, when accompanied by a clear sky and bright moon, take me back to when I lived with my parents and would be studying for my exams.

I would sit at my desk studying, listening to a tape with Pink Floyd's The Wall on one side, and Yello's Stella album on the other. The tape would repeat time and time again until the lyrics and tunes became synonymous with that period of my life. If I looked to the right I could see out my bedroom window, at the frozen fields and golf course, the leather works and the hill behind. Between the hill and the next house I could see the shimmering lights of Johnstone and Linwood, and beyond that Paisley.

There is one image that brings all of these memories together:

I gave my Slick synopsis one more run through today, but there was not much else I can do to it. I am so totally charged from this, and part of the energy comes from knowing I have prepared properly for it and done my research. Rankin told me; "you can never do enough research. and when you have, be prepared to only only use 5% - but you must do it. Even if it takes a week to understand something and it results in only a single sentence, it's still worth it."

I further narrowed down my selections for the cover to Poolside Poetry during the evening to try and take my mind off NaNo. I was just getting too excited and annoying everyone with my jabbering. I'm having trouble selecting a suitable title font. The one I've been working with is good but hollow, so has no real impact when placed over the images. I prepared a few different covers, each with a font I think might work. Still wasn't sure so I may have to go searching once again to find one that works for the book.

Took my mind off everything (because I can'tstart or finish anything until November starts now), by watching Sleepy Hollow on Film4. I saw it in the cinema, where I thought it came across better, but it's still an excellent film.

I was in two minds whether to stay up until midnight and start NaNo, or get up early as planned. Only my crazy urge to get going was making me consider staying up all night. But that would be getting ridiculous. I went to be around 11pm and set my alarm for 5am.

October's GDR Review

Fiction
* Complete as much pre-research and synopsis for NaNoWriMo novel, Slick - done with all the plotting, sub-plots, characters ad formate. Ready to go!
* Continue with TSDR short story exercises - complete up to a natural point. Sensory exercises on hold.
* Take a look at Stella to see if revisions should be made - decided no. I'll take my chances. Too much work would be involved with it and is meant to be a tribute to the album so am too reluctant to change anything. May not see publication as a result but I don't care, it was always a personal thing. I like the story and I like the characters. I can always use them in something else later. The story stays.
* Re-write On A Monday Morning - done. Resubmitted to Wildchild.
* Finish typing up Wide Awake and make edits - completed type-up. Edits IP but on hold.
* Follow up on Stella submissions - 3 waiting, 13 still to go, 5 rejections (1 after a partial request)
* Follow up on Hunting Jack submissions - 4 waiting, 7 rejections (1 after a partial request) - not sending out any more for now
* Submit Water of Leith - Ephemera Magazine
* Keep on top of submissions list

Poetry
* Work on new book, Poolside Poetry - all poems fully drafted and compiled. Cover photography shoot on 29/10. Just to design final version of covers and publish.
* Write more poetry - not done
* Keep checking listings for performance poetry nights - done. Won't be going to any next few weeks what with NaNoWriMo

Non-Fiction
* Complete work on Scotland's Treasure for November column - Blockheads gig reviewed. May may be going quarterly with Nov. Cancelled.
* Plan and begin work on January's Scotland's Treasure column - Spotlight on Aberfoyle. Locality, history, what it offers, getting to etc.
* Interview Scottish poet for TSDR - Had to be cancelled. Waiting for new date.
* Continue actively seeking work in specific markets - Ongoing. Subs made this month were specifically targeted.
* Continue looking for freelance gigs, but not for during November - Done. No assignments received.

Marketing and Promotion
* Prepare new press release for NaNoWriMo - not done
* Create new standard Fringe Fantastic leaflet and poster - not done
* Re-analyse promotion of FF based on new information gained at Book Festival - approached ElvisShakespeare Bookshop. Arranged to meet. Had to cancel. Still to rearrange.
* Complete cross-promotion with Fife B&B for Fringe Fantastic - not done
* Keep websites up to date - done
* Follow up on PR received - done

Reading and Research
* Read more poetry - various chapbooks in house and stores
* Read more fiction - completed reading Lifeless by Mark Billingham. Reading The Flood and Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin

Other Projects
* Stay on top of editorial work for TSDR - done. Might be going quarterly.
* Work on ARS Anthology - send out emails as no work will be done on this in November - on hold. The forum has slowed down and too much other work to justify pushing it just now.

Things That Turned Up
* Put together website for Poolside Poetry (http://poolsidepoetry.colingalbraith.co.uk)
* Second Edition of Fringe Fantastic released. Website updated and press release put out.
* Organised office and bookshelves before NaNoWriMo

Submissions Made
* Water of Leith to Ephemera Magazine
* On A Monday Morning to Wildchild

Successes
* All the research and advance preparation of Slick for NaNoWriMo
* Sending off the proof copy of River Monkeys to Anchor Books for the anthology

Failures
* Only a Bagel rejected by Wildchild - reworked to be sent back out
* Had to cancel bookshop owner and poet interviews. Outwith my control and adjustable, but still a disappointment
* Lack of any new fiction written the entire month

Statistics
Fiction - 0
Non-Fiction - 13,300
Poetry - 0

Outstanding Submissions

Short Fiction
Pulp 1
3am Magazine 1
Barcelona Review 1
The Portable Muse 2
Crimespree Magazine 1
One Story 1
ThugLit 1
Ephemera 1
Wildchild 1

Long Fiction
Stella 3
Hunting Jack 4

Poetry
None

Non-Fiction
Interactive Dad 2

Summary
If it weren't for my prep work for NaNo and my work on Poolside Poetry, this would have been a disastrous month. I got no new fiction or poetry done and managed to hook myself zero writing assignments. Add to this the failure to meet the bookshop owner and Scottish poet, one could not be blamed for claiming this as my worst month ever.

But it wasn't. I completed the manuscript for Poolside Poetry including the cover photo shoot and website. All that remains is to edit the cover to make it final, request the ISBN, proof the preview copy and launch the damn thing. A November launch is still not out of the question.

Work on NaNo took up most of my time. I wrote a few thousand words on character profiles and synopses, which if I had added the total words into my fiction count would have given it a 4,400 word boost. But I never counted it as it is not true fiction. Working and researching the novel has been a great experience in itself. Working through the plots and characters gave me a real buzz.

There was a period during the middle of the month where some personal time had to be taken. This amounted to around 10 lost days, so again, I will not be putting myself own over this. It had to be, simple as that.

I did get a couple of rewrites done and submissions made through them, so I have still been active and flexing my writing muscles.

The next month is all about NaNoWriMo. No time to think about the past just now. Only the future.

On The Starting Grid

2006-10-30T11:45:00.000Z

I never made it up in time for a 5am start. The house was so cold I lay there in mid-conscious, thinking there was no way I could manage to get up without chilling my bones. Solution - change the timer on the central heating so it's easier to get out of bed. Done.

I left the house in daylight, which felt weird. All last week it was night time when I was leaving the house, now with a later start, it's daylight again. It was very overcast with a chilly wind. Not very nice but there you go. I like it to be dark and calm. Rain is good too.

With only two days to go until the big NaNoWriMo kick-off, I'm wondering when exactly I should begin the marathon. Midnight on Tuesday night, or 5am on Wednesday morning. Both is out of the question - I would be dead within the week.

I think I may start at 5am on Wednesday. I can get to my bed early the night before and rise at five. Get ready for work and put pen to paper for the first few words of Slick. I already have it all mapped out in my head. It begins, "It was a dark and stormy night."

Kidding.

Had a bit of a thought drama at one point though. While running through the synopsis and imagining it in my head, I began to think that maybe I should write this from DI Lennox's point of view. It could be his first case. But then a lot of what I have planned would become redundant so I scrapped that idea.

I'll use the story to bring in Lennox and find out more about him that way first. I want this to be about Ronnie, to follow him on a personally journey as he discovers who he is. He has a lot of soul searching to do in the coming weeks so it has to be from his point of view. Besides, I like the idea of seeing it from the crimnials point of view while including the copper in pursuit.

I am also having trouble with the ending. It's convergant and dramatic, but I don't think there is enough of a twist. There is a big twist earlier in the story about half-way through, but I'm not sure how to (or if I should) double this up with another. Or even, if I should shift the first twist to the end of the book. I've got it straight in my head as it stands just now, so maybe it will be a case of "write it and see".

One thing I do know, is that there are characters in this novel, as with everything else I have written, who have yet to make themselves known. So I should be prepared for it.

Then, on my way home walking through the streets of Leith, I hit upon a fantastic idea. I've felt since the beginning of this project that there was something missing, an ingredient to Slick that would give it more spice and a real hard-hitting edge. Something to pull it out of the mediocre pile and into the potential best-seller pile. I just sensed it.

Then on the way home, it hit me. There is a sub-plot I can tie in that threads the whole way through the book, without shifting the current twist mid-way through, and be as explosive as you could imagine. It is logical to the theme and topical. Plus it is very exciting and really does pull the story out of the mundane. That's all I'm saying. It was a moment of pure epiphany. I saw the light. My muse spoke to me, nay, she screamed to me loudly.

I spent the rest of the night filling out the synopsis to integrate the new sub-plot. It literally stretches from the first chapter right through to when it is revealed at the final climax. Only then, will the reader see it. I expanded all the character profiles, too. Most were already done but I had left DI Lennox empty, other than the fact he enjoys the odd cigarette and alcoholic beverage.

Lennox spoke to me. Told me about his past, what makes him tick, what pisses him off and what he thinks about his life thus far. I am relieved first of all that he is nothing like Thorne, Rebus, Taggart et al. He has his own personality and is more of an enigma than I thought I was capable of creating. I cannot wait to write about him in this story, and I am looking forward to giving him something of his own. Mustn't lose sight of the fact the book is not about him, but he will be a powerful supporting character.

As I tried to wind down for the night, I felt like a Formula One Ferrari sitting on the starting grid, my engine revving loudly with the handbrake on. I'm poised and ready to let go, to hear the screech of rubber on tarmac, and leave clouds of burning rubber in my wake as I roar off into the unknown. There will be twists and turns, potential crashes and burns, but it's going to be a superb journey. I can feel it. I've got the plot, sub-plots, characters and format all worked out. I just need to hear that starter's gun!

The North Sea

2006-10-29T12:10:00.000Z

Having the clocks go back last night didn't mean getting an extra hour of sleep for me. In fact it meant I lost an hour. I kept Laura up till well after ten in the hope it might make a difference to her rising time. It never. She rose at the same time, which because of the clocks going back, meant I lost an hour, where she seemed to be totally unaffected.

I long for the day when she discovers the luxury of a lie in. Then I'll gladly be the volunteer who wakes her up. An extra hour in bed these days means a whole lot more than it used to.

I walked round to the shops with her early and got a few messages and the Sunday papers. The Scotland on Sunday was giving away a free book about ghosts in Scotland and the News of the World had an article written in it by my pal who works on the paper. It was an interview with Madness' lead singer, Suggs, that I was lucky enough to be sent the transcript and copy for last week. It had been heavily cut by the time it got to print, but it's very exciting to see the build up to December's tour beginning in earnest.

In the afternoon we all headed out to Portobello beach for the Poolside Poetry book cover photo shoot. My normal photographer was unavailable and it was too nice a day to risk leaving it any longer to get the shots, so Gail borrowed her father's digital camera and off we went.

I knew I would be able to make the scene look more summery using PC software post-shoot, but we still needed clear skies and for me to wear shorts and t-shirt. So I stripped on the beach in front of people wrapped up in heavy coats and scarves and got into the water. The North Sea. In Scotland. Late October. I checked the temperature over the east of the country when I got home. It was around 10 degrees - so God knows what the water temperature was.

It was bloody freezing. I mean really cold! Before long I could hardly feel my feet and after about an hour in the water we had got all the shots I think we would require, but the bottom half of my legs felt as though they were missing. Looking back I should have wore my shades but forgot to take them, nevertheless, the pictures came out well and I spent much of the evening manipulating them and narrowing the selection down.

I did a final run through on On A Monday Morning. I'm very happy with it now and am thankful to the editor at Wildchild for her suggestions. As she suggested, I think I'll re-send it to her. It's a non-paying market, but I like their production.

Had to take a Syndol to combat a major headache that came on and fell asleep on the couch for half an hour while it took effect. Then when I felt a bit better I had some tea and worked on Slick. Not long to go now!

Characters Ready...

2006-10-28T16:09:00.000+01:00

Usual kind of Saturday morning, though a bit stale. I wandered through Fopp and bought the first Rebus novel, Knots and Crosses. I just can't help but leave a bookstore with a book in hand. It's hard not to walk out empty handed even if it is with just a a pamphlet.

I drank my cappuccino and pastry and read the first few chapters before returning to get Laura and going home for lunch.

Up until recently I seem to have been working my way through Rankin's novels in no particular order. Which is why, after reading The Flood, I'll move onto Rebus from book one. And catch up to where I am with my books on the shelf.

Blogger wouldn't post yesterday's entry. Kept getting error messages despite trying various methods. Pain in the butt. First time I've had real trouble with it, though I know others who seem to be much worse off over the past few months. Maybe I've been lucky up till now.

I gave my office a good tidy in preparation for NaNo beginning next week. I also boxed a lot of the books I have on my shelf, keeping only the ones that have value or special meaning. So there's a lot of Auster, King and Rankin etc. as well as a lot of reference books I can't do without. I only have limited space. The first two top shelves have novels, poetry and story collections. The third some of my folders and research. The fourth more reference magazines and books that are related specifically to the writing craft. Five has Gail's stuff and six has a scanner and other computer type stuff. Not ideal, but it's a small room.

I worked mostly on my characters for Slick this evening. Full names, ID's, backgrounds, personality profiles and characteristics. It was fun and made me feel at ease about the whole project. I feel like I have the cast set, the location ready and the script coiled waiting to be sprung. All I need to do, I think, is start writing.

Media Intrusion

2006-10-27T22:47:00.000+01:00

Found something to rant about (and with good reason):

Family Tragedy in Corfu

I was watching this on BBC News 24 this morning on the 6am bulletin (yes - another early start) and noticed how this family tragedy is being turned into a media circus. The BBC alone have reporters at the Corfu hotel where the incident occurred, the hospital where the parents still lie comatose, the coroners where the dead children await their post-mortem and in West Yorkshire where a TV crew and reporter are able to tell us the effect all this is having on the extended family.

This is an average family who have suddenly been thrust into the media spotlight for the whole of Britain because of their children dying and their parents fighting for their lives. Is it not too much to ask that we remove these smarmy and pretentious reporters and let the family grieve in peace. The last thing anyone wants is for their loss to be broadcast to the four corners of the nation, particularly when the parents themselves don't even know heir children are dead. It serves no purpose.

I can understand a need for it to be reported. Something awful like this can't be kept from the media, but do we really need to swamp these people with cameras and microphones everywhere they turn?

Leave them alone. They'll talk to you when they're ready. If the British media showed some respect and empathy every now and then they might find they are treated with less disdain than they are currently.

Looked out of the day job office window just before 7am and saw a glorious red sky filtering through the darkened windows. Shepherd's warning apparently, but surely it won't be as bad as yesterday's weather. We had torrential rain for the first half of the day and from then on gail force winds battered the country. The north of Scotland was declared a state of emergency after severe flooding.

Read a Rankin short story from one of his collections. Took the edge off work over lunch seeing as I never made it to Clark's.

Reworked On A Monday Morning, totally turning it on its head. Came as a good idea not only to continue editing practice but also as a fresh story not touched for a while, but it also provided a good way to let go of NaNo for a few of hours.

When Drinking Sessions Go Wrong

2006-10-27T11:06:00.000+01:00

Click to enlarge:

Haiku Brolly

2006-10-26T07:49:00.000+01:00

No early start today. Got in late after snooker and a few pints of Guinness last night, then had a cup of tea and cheese sandwich with an episode of Frasier before I went to bed. I am so healthy an eater it is beyond BELIEF!

A couple of interesting projects came in to my email inbox this morning.

The National Short Story Prize 2007 (BBC), has a deadline of October 31st 2006, and is looking for stories up to 8k with a £15k prize. I had a possible entry in mind, but that was canned due to this condition of entry:

2.7 The author must have a prior record of publication in creative writing. This means the author must previously have had works of prose fiction, drama or poetry published by a UK publisher (excluding self-publishing) or established printed magazine in the UK or broadcast by a UK national radio station. "Established" here means a periodical that is published regularly (monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly), that has been in circulation for at least the past 12 months, has an ISBN or ISSN number and is not self published. For avoidance of doubt online publishing is also excluded.

A lot of my stuff is published online, and where it's not it's US-based. My poetry books are under my "pseudonym publisher", Smashing Press, Therefore, I do not qualify. Wonderful.

conFAB are running a haiku for an umbrella project that sounds interesting. Special edition brollies will be adorned with haiku and sold with accompanying books of all accepted entries. They are currently looking for submissions - relating to rain, naturally. There's nothing to prevent me entering this one. So I will.

Stopped by the NaNo forums and suggested a Leith branch be formed. I'd much rather be able to meet up with local writers that trooping up to some Edinburgh University campus building where they all seem to be from. Handy for them, but totally out of the way for me.

Did a few website updates to keep my techy animal happy, and worked on Slick as much as I could. Re-wrote Only a Bagel and it is now ready to go back out on submission. Ended up going to bed early and reading for a while, such was my level of tiredness, that I never got round to actually subbing it. I'll do that tomorrow.

Not sure what the coming weekend entails. There's a few possibilities up in the air of activities and things to do. Wouldn't mind a pizza at some point in the proceedings. Or a curry. And a beer.

What Voice?

2006-10-25T11:19:00.000+01:00

5.30am start today. Checked my email before I left for work and received a rejection from Zygote in my Coffee. Wished I hadn't bothered. Sang Save a Prayer by Duran Duran in my head all the way in to work. No moon yet. Streets dark, damp and drab.

First in the office again. Discovered that PrWeb have stopped doing free press releases. There are others I know of but this was the best one, despite the fact you never actually knew where it was going. Not having all that much money to put into marketing at the moment so this is a bit of a set back. So as yet, the second edition of Fringe Fantastic has yet to be publicised - when I thought the release went out on Monday. Typical.

Worked on my November column for The Scruffy Dog Review. There's rumblings we could be moving to a quarterly magazine due to the quality of subs and the pressure we all have with our other commitments. I reckon it would be a good move, not because I happen to be struggling each month but I think it would give us a better structure to promote and edit. See what happens. If November is scrapped then the column I currently have will become redundant.

Related to this is the interview I am doing with a well known Scottish poet. I'm still waiting for a date so I ran through all the stuff I have prepared for it. I'm not sure there is enough questions, but then as has happened in the past, too many means you don't get through them all because you end up talking about loads of other stuff you never considered. I'm confident enough with the whole thing. Looking forward to it but just need a date now.

Re-wrote Only a Bagel giving the characters more in the way of motives, thereby explaining why they are in the situation they find themselves. Also gave more senses a mention to enrich the prose. I'll send it back out shortly.

Worked more on the Slick synopsis for NaNoWriMo. There are some important things missing; believable characters, scene setting (it dives right in), and I am swithering whether to make the detective who gets involved be DI Lennox, the copper that has come to life in a couple of my short stories recently. Could be a good way of getting to know him without him being a main character.

I feel like writing a rant about something but nothing is coming to mind.

Doing well with Rankin's The Flood; into the last third of the book. I want to begin Paul Auster's The Brooklyn Follies this week. Reason being, to give me two fresh examples of writing in third and first voice. Originally I was going to write Slick in first person, but now I'm not so sure.

First - immediate, personal, active and the reader becomes the protagonist. Reader will not see anything else that is going on round about; only what the protaganist sees. I've not done much of this but when I have, I've really enjoyed it.

Third - easier to switch between the protagonist, the police and if needed, the villains. Ability to see other things going on the protaganist is not aware of. Most of my writing has been in this style and it's what I've worked on hardest to improve.

First (for protagonist) with third (for others) - hard to accomplish. But I always said since NaNoWriMo was an experiment I should try something experimental. Would be able to mix the benefits of involving the reader (first) while being able to introduce tension via the omniscient third point of view.

I'll need to think harder about this and come up with a decision soon. Reading these two masters of these styles of writing should help me make up my mind.

Itching

2006-10-24T07:43:00.000+01:00

My warm-up for NaNoWriMo began in earnest this morning when I got up at 05:45. By 06:15 I was showered and had drank my coffee and ready for the off. I fed the animals and was at the bus-stop for 06:30.

The family normally get up around 7am so if I can get into the 5am starting habit, I figure I can get 90 minutes writing in the morning before anyone rustles out of their kip. Then I can get into work mega-early and leave early, too (we're on flexitime).

This will mean I can work on the novel when I get home before the rest of the family get back from work and school. I'll need to get to bed at a decent time if I'm to achieve this, though.

Why am I wanting to do such early starts? Simple, I'm most productive early morning. I have no excuses to procrastinate while the world is so quiet. Sitting in my office just after 5am with nothing but the sodium glow of the street lamps forming a bubble over the city outside, and the trickle of water in my aquarium as the fish wake up for another day's swimming, is actually very calming and conducive to writing. Words that I might not be able to place later in the afternoon seem to spring to mind with ease.

In the evenings it is much harder to get it all together, get freshened up and be in a position to produce solid work. Fatigue comes into it and the pull of the television and the couch can sometimes prove too great. I have to achieve a 2k daily word count if I'm to pull it off. Hopefully any drops during the week - like Thursday mornings after a few pints over snooker the night before - can be made up over the weekends.

So anyway, there I was, sitting in the office (day work office) and it was still pitch black outside. No moon just now means it's extra dark and not as special. Soon the glow of the moon will be back and it will be time to begin listening to Stella again, this time, with a matching story to go with it. Oh, and don't forget the wee picture of the crow. He'll be back, too.

Work dragged on and on. By the time lunchtime came round I was starving, my stomach not being used to such a long gap between breakfast and lunch. Gail's home made pasta in pesto sauce that I brough to work really hit the spot.

The semi-detailed chapter synopsis for Slick is now almost complete. I have the basic layout of the story, the main threads and sub-plots. I've still to develop the characters, though Ronnie, the protagonist, is becoming more well-known to me each day. The others I've still to even create names for.

I don't think I like Ronnie. I think he's a good character, but I'm not sure that I actually like him. I think he's the sort of bloke that if I overheard him in a bar I'd probably go out my way to accidentally shoulder him on the way back from the toilet. By the end of the story however, he is very likeable - and more human.

There are still some things to work out, and I want to allow for a lot of freedom with how I get from a to b to c etc., but I really can't wait to start writing it now. It is so tempting to just begin, but I won't. I will wait - promise.

I'm finding it hard to think about anything else really. From morning until shut-eye. The story is there. Ronnie is there. The excitement of embarking on a new novel is there. Roll on November 1st.

Running in Neutral

2006-10-23T08:41:00.000+01:00

Slept late yesterday after not getting finished in work until 5am. I felt totally drained, knackered, zombified. By the time I got home I actually felt sick from having had no sleep and forcing myself to stay awake.

Sunday was pretty much a wipe-out as a result. I flaked out on the couch and got nothing done. The impact of my day job on my personal life is starting to concern me. Not only does one of these (well paid) shifts ruin the Saturday, but also the Sunday. The entire weekend is a total waste, then you find yourself back at work again.

Today I felt so sick with it all, I took the day off. It was pre-arranged if I wanted it but I wasn't 100% sure until this morning that I would take it.

I did a bit of reading and scribbling, then hoovered the downstairs before going up town to take a look around for possible Christmas pressies for my wife. She says we shouldn't get each other anything, but really! I always believed that something meaningful, even if small, is much better than an expensive gift. Something that touches the heart and has some thought in it. That's a sentiment that gets harder each passing year, however. What do you give the woman who has everything? She has ME after all!

I can't believe how fast October is running in. There is only about a week to go until NaNoWriMo and I still have much to do to prepare through the research. I wish it would just start. I've got the damn book half-written already in my head.

This week promises to be dramatic. I've still to interview the Scottish poet, and I'm unsure if I can schedule this and get it submitted in time for the November issue. This goes back to the family emergency last week, but still, I should have been better prepared. I may have to hold my hands up on this one.

I have still got to finish the November column for Scotland's Treasure, my regular column in The Scruffy Dog Review. It's half-written, I just need to get the rest complete.

I've lost my way this month and I'm impatient to begin NaNo. I'm feeling at a loose end and pretty vulnerable, starting to doubt myself. All becaue I've been distracted with work and other things that were of higher importance. Got to get back into the writing solidly. NaNo couldn't have come at a better time.

Finally, a message to my wife if she's reading this (because I'm feeling soppy today):
LUVSYA' BABE!

Is It Me?

2006-10-21T20:50:00.000+01:00

Back to my normal Saturday morning routine; dance school, coffee and pastry, bookshop, aquarium shop, Greggs, dance school and home.

I forgot my bag with copied of Fringe Fantastic contained, which I was going to take into the book shop on Leith Walk. First cock-up of the day. I couldn't see the bloke when I passed so I'll get in touch with him to re-arrange again.

Then I discovered they've put up the price of the pastries in my coffee shop. £1.50 for a wee piece of delight. They've doubled in size, though, so I forgave them.

Checked out Ian Rankin's new novel, The Naming of the Dead in Waterstone's. Funny to think that the sleeve blurb describes what he was "toying with" when I interviewed him last year. Back then the plot was just an idea based on the G8 with a specific incident involving Rebus and the President of America. Now it's a complete novel, with sub-plots, twists and excitement.

I intended to get some sleep in the afternoon with a long and arduous night shift ahead of me but it wasn't to be. There was too much noise in the house and I just grew more and more annoyed at the prospect of another night with no sleep, this time because I had to be in the office. I gave up and showered, then left early to get in to work.

I stopped off for a chippy on the way, which only frustrated me further. Being a west-coaster I'm not into 'salt 'n' sauce', much preferring the healthier option of 'salt 'n' vinegar'. I never saw the young Polish girl put any salt on my sausage supper (they were out of fish!!!) so I asked her if she had. She confirmed it had been done. I get to the office, pull out my cutlery and opened the bag - no salt! It's not rocket science, a bag of chips and deep-fried sausage, is it?

What's the point. The whole day made me feel like it just didn't want to go my way. Should have stayed in bed. Should have stayed 8 and I could have been out playing on my bike.

Work dragged. Thought of the money coming my way in December's pay for doing it. Tiredness played a big part too, and I thought of my bed quite a lot as well.

Decided to run through Poolside Poetry and see if any of the poems could do with better titles. Some of them I just don't fancy and feel they could work better if they had a different one.
Finally got away around 5am.

Hallelujah

2006-10-20T23:19:00.000+01:00

Hallelujah, it's Friday!

Couldn't have come quick enough, if you ask me. I know you didn't ask me, I can just imagine you standing in front of me asking the question, that's all. Or to be more accurate, sitting in a bar - probably. The fact is I am delighted it is Friday and there is nothing more to add. Well, there is other wise it would be a pretty poor and pointless post. Wouldn't it?

Got a rejection in for Only a Bagel along with a couple of comments about the plot. Not sure exactly what was meant so I'll have to re-read the piece with the crits in mind. I trust the editor who sent me her opinion, so I'm happy take them on board and re-work it if necessary.

Day work pretty tough at the moment thanks to a devilish blend of incompetence and rudeness. Went to Clark's for a couple of pints at lunchtime to alleviate this, and then returned for two more straight after work.

Spent the evening with Laura, watching TV and our vast array of animals. Galbraith Zoo we call it. They're all doing fine, by the way. Not that you asked or anything. I just thought you would like to know.

Here's a Friday joke:

Gearing Up

2006-10-19T15:04:00.000+01:00

Really tired this morning, but not from lack of sleep. I'm exhausted after the weekend and long start to the week, so going to the snooker last night meant I slept heavy and wanted it to continue. Wish I could get my sleeping patterns back into sync. Ideally, as it's autumn, a 5am rise and 10pm bedtime would suit. Just can't get into the routine, however.

I've put several of this months GDR items officially on hold while I concentrate on the new book release and preparing for NaNoWriMo. I want to write some new fiction before the end of the month as a kind of limber up as well and I'm running out of time.

Revamped the Fringe Fantastic website. I've been making small changes to the manuscript over time and just need to tweak the cover for the Second Edition, which will be published tomorrow.

This new edition will be available as a downloadable e-book as well as in paperback. The First Edition of the book will only be available in print and all copies signed by me. I want to clear them out for good.

While I was at it I put together a press release to announce the new release and gave my website and the Fringe Fantastic website
a top-up, too. I figured this will stir some interest just prior to the launch of my second book, Poolside Poetry.

All this took me quite a while to get it right, after which I decided on a cup of tea and an early'ish night. I caught Mr Rankin on This Week chatting about the state of the UK Prison Service and laughed as he managed to squeeze in a small promotion of his new book out today, The Naming of the Dead.

Speaking of which, my MIL gave me a tatty first edition copy of Rankin's Let It Bleed, which I already have but she wasn't to know that. It was a lovely gesture and made incredible when I opened the cover to discover a handwritten note from the original buyer to the recipient. It read, "To George, cheers, Ian Rankin." I don't think she knows it is signed by the author.

I'm still reading The Flood and have lost touch over the last weekend. I'll pick it up again in between.

Time Out

2006-10-18T10:47:00.000+01:00

Had to take a few days off writing for various personal reasons so I'm lagging behind on all fronts. Was unable to keep the meeting at the bookshop and had to cancel the meeting with the poet - both of which will now have to be rearranged. Thought I may have had to cancel NaNoWriMo next month at one point, but it's back on again.

Work was awful. We've been advised that come December we are all being shifted from the relative calm of our current 'just-outside-the-city-centre-leafy-suburb', to the burly hub that is Edinburgh's west end.

I don't want to move for various reasons:

Longer to travel to work
Longer to get home
No Clark's Bar
No Club Sandwich coffee shop
Lots of noise and bustle every day

But then, moving could be to my advantage, too:

A change of scenery might brighten things up
The building we are in can get refurbished (we are supposedly moving back in 6 months)
I'll be nearer the shops

Hopefully I can pick up the remains of this month's GDR and make some impact before the end of the month. I may have to prioritise and drop some items.

Sunset on Leith

2006-10-12T10:04:00.000+01:00

Forgot to mention an incident from the other day that typified the type of egotistical, arrogant and rude kind of assholes you get working in here.

Picture it: I'm heading to a meeting in another office but neglected to take a note of the room number. I call on my mobile to one of the phones in my area to ask someone to check my diary and see what room it is. A bloke (who shall remain nameless) answers, says his name and asks how he can help - as you do with any external call received. I begin to speak, started to explain my situation and he HUNG UP. He simply put the phone down while I was talking! Enraged, but to be honest, not at all surprised, I rang someone else who obliged to help me out.

The person in question is of small build and I'm pretty positive suffers from Wee Man's Disease. That is to say, he has a major chip on his shoulder over the fact he never reached over five foot four inches in height and he is now in his forties. He's the type of bloke who, when you go to say "hi" on passing, completely ignores you. He is loud, bitchy and a total wanker.

And I have to put up with this? I don't remember it reading in my contract that, "the employee shall put up with all wankers in the company who choose to toss their ego's off into other people's faces for fun."

Don't expect any help from me in the future little man.

Anyway.

Worked on Wide Awake. The first draft of this really was awful, I don't think I'll ever be happy with the final version because I know where it came from. A bit prejudiced I know, but I can't help but feel that starting it over again might be the way to go.

I completed the final draft of the Poolside Poetry manuscript. 89 pages of poetry; some funny, some reflective. It's two pages shorter than Fringe Fantastic, yet it has 22 more poems but no photographs. Why would that be?

Started putting the finishing touches together for the poet interview on Monday. I won't have any time on Sunday so I need to have it all done by Saturday night. Saturday morning I am confirmed to be meeting the owner of the local bookshop in Leith. I wonder if I can talk him into putting a copy in the front window. Now wouldn't that be a nice picture for the website!

I caught my catfish and put him down. Fingers crossed I disposed of the correct predator, and that when I wake up in the morning I don't have half a tank of dead fish.

Stayed up late to watch The Sopranos. It wasn't a problem really, since I was wide awake come 11pm anyway.

Here's a picture of the sunset over my neighbourhood. I thought it was impressive, so I took a picture on my mobile phone camera for your delight.

Sunshine on Leith(click to enlarge)

No Longer A Baby

2006-10-11T11:54:00.000+01:00

I had time to think on the way to work this morning, but I was so busy during the day I forgot it all, so this post is not going to be as good as I originally hoped.

Got an email from someone trying to start up a Writer's Group in Edinburgh. I'm definitely getting involved. It would only be one Wednesday per month but I want to continue meeting other writers and getting out there actively. It can only be a good thing.

I've begun clearing the decks for NaNoWriMo. The aim is to have as little on as possible that could detract, but I must have something on, because working on the one project all month could seriously do my head in. I'll keep the poetry stuff going, and maybe leave myself with a few stories written, but unedited. Then there's the marketing of Poolside Poetry - that can't be forgotten.

My aim is to write an average of 2,000 words per day. There are 30 days, so that would equate to 60,000 words of a novel. Knowing my writing pattern and other commitments, I can see my writing 2k for a few days, nothing for a couple of days, then 5k the next day, and so on. It's definitely do-able, and I'll give it my best shot. I've got a good foundation with all the planning I've undertaken both in schedule and plot.

I got soaked on the way home from work from sheets of heavy, hard rain under a dark grey sky. It was glorious.

Cue the song: Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon, by Urge Overkill (as head in Pulp Fiction).

Pippin, my grey/white rabbit, is still suffering huge chunks of hair fall-out. Apparently it's just her adult coat coming in. All the scratching, nipping and digging was her puberty phase, as her hormone levels soared. Now, with the advent of her shedding her skin and being replaced by a new coat, she has moved into the next phase of her life.

Now, she is a woman.

I'll need to watch though because if they get any hair balls they could be in trouble so extra care over the next few days. Soon be time to get her and Mopsy sprayed, anyway. It's for their own health and well being apart from the obvious protection.

Got more trouble with animals elsewhere, too, this time with the wet and slippery variety. My catfish has turned predator. (I think it's him, though I can't prove it). Over the past week I have lost about 6 or 7 fish. No illness, no poor water and no signs of anything wrong, other than him tearing chunks out of them overnight. I pulled three dead fish out tonight alone and he's moved from the cheap/flashy fish to the quality ones larger than him. It's either him or the fast-maturing Angelfish.

I'm going to play the odds. Tomorrow, Mr Euthanasia will visit upon the Catfish for the good of the other inhabitants. If that doesn't do it, the Angelfish goes too.

I badly needed the Guinness and whisky I consumed while at the snooker this evening. Sometimes a little drop of alcohol helps to sweep away the gloom and get you back on a relatively even keel. Or at least set you on the path.

One of my best mates who had a second child a few weeks ago is celebrating it this weekend with the traditional "Wetting the baby's head" this Sunday night. It will mean a lot of lads out in Glasgow city centre doing what we do best. Drinking and laughing. I cannae wait.

Writing oasis

2006-10-10T23:55:00.000+01:00

I delayed going to bed last night in a feeble attempt to beat the insomnia. Picture it - I want to sleep but I'm not letting myself, because if I don't I won't be able to sleep just yet. Yeah, I'm lost too.

It worked partially though, because I managed to get to sleep when I did retire. Trouble was I woke up at 3am this morning - too early to get ready for work and too late for me to get up without me being "up for the day." Fuck it.

So I just lay there, waiting for the sun to rise.

Got through some non-writing related tasks to take my mind off things today.

I'll be meeting with the owner of the local bookshop hopefully on Saturday. He's said he would be fine stocking a few to see how they sell so I'll pop in and see what we can arrange.

I caught up with all my submissions for Hunting Jack and Stella.There are still a few to come back for both but I'm not running any more out just now for Hunting Jack. The latter I'll keep plugging away at.

Submitted Water of Leith.

Spent a bit of time on the NaNoWriMo forums posting some comments and getting to know some of the more local participants. I'm really looking forward to this.

A lot of people still don't know what they are going to write about. I find that scary.

Put together the website for the promotion of Poolside Poetry. It took me a couple of hours to get to where it is, which is pretty good going time-wise. It's almost done, except for a few pages of content.

If you want a sneak preview, point your browser to: http://poolsidepoetry.colingalbraith.co.uk

Let me know what you think.

Thanks to Devon for her comments left after yesterday's post. They made a lot of sense.

Cannae fucking sleep

2006-10-09T12:19:00.000+01:00

Tried to get up early but having had no sleep over the past few night prevented it. I'm getting the urge for mega-early starts, and walking through Edinburgh in the dark before everyone is awake. Why???

When I woke up it was to bright sunshine and damp streets. I'd slept in. Looks like we had heavy rain overnight and now Mr Blue Sky is everywhere. Reminded me of the ELO song from nineteen seventy something.

People close to me say I'm talking rubbish with this erratic sleep patterns, and that I don't have any problem getting to sleep. What people don't see is the nights when I just lie there, unable to let the tiredness that I know is lurking, cawl over me and subdue my conscious.

What people don't see is the nights I wake up at 1am, my body convinced I've slept a full night, then unable to capture it again. so I get up and sit in the lounge, drink some milk, watch BBC News 24 or write.

It's not unusual to be up all night now. It's happening more and more. It's the unseen curse, and it's doing my head in.

If I let it go in its own way, I would turn night into day and then back round again. It would keep working in a cyclic motion where my body would simply not fit in to day time hours any more, but work its way round, an hour a night, until it did. Then it would start over again.

It's not that I'm particularly stressed or worried about anything, and I think that's part of the problem. I can't define it, pin-point a reason as to why it's happening. It just is. Some nights I want to go to bed, but I just don't want to sleep.

Work is terribly boring. I even had people commenting on how tired I was looking, so it must be bad. I could feel my cheeks hanging bruised from being awake too much and I'm not about to statr wearing make-up to hide it.

Worked on Slick and proof-read Poolside Poetry using the printed manuscript. Always, always, always a vital part of publication. No matter how many times you draft and double-check on-screen, you always spot mistakes/improvements when it's printed off and in front of you in black and white.

I now have a date for the interview with the Scottish poet for The Scruffy Dog Review - next Monday evening. I'll call to confirm again on Sunday, but the time and place are set.

I contacted a local bookshop I've been meaning to approach for Fringe Fantastic. I've asked for a meeting and promoted the benefits of a mutual exchange. Hopefully the owner will be reciprocal, because I do happen to think it will be an important venture.

Pippin is losing chunks of hair. Great wispy patches of fluff were filling out a soft base inside her hutch when I got home. I took her out and checked here eyes and skin. Looked ok so I clipped her nails and cleaned out the hutch. Hope it's just a cycle they sometimes go through, but if it continues it might have to be a visit to the vet to clear it up.

Maybe a wee bath this weekend in some "special" shampoo will help. Should be a laugh - she's not a wee thing any more.

Chillin'

2006-10-08T12:03:00.000+01:00

Lazed about all day. I have simply no energy to do anything and I'm so overtired I can't sleep. Didn't feel too guilty about it as I thought about Slick and Poolside Poetry most of the time.

It rained more often than it didn't, and when it did, it lashed down. I quite like being inside when it's raining and doing nothing. Staring out at the circular patterns on the pavement puddles. I like being out in the rain more though.

Reading the news of last night's celebrations across Scotland for our win over the French in the Euro Championship qualifiers, it turns out that Glasgow city centre had to be shut down, as well as several bars to accommodate the party.

The Granary in Shawlands for instance - an old drinking haunt from my bachelor days - actually ran out of beer and glasses, and was forced to close its doors to prevent a crush. The city centre was so over-run by people partying that several streets were cordoned off by the police to prevent traffic congenstion.

I can't remember that last time all everyone was talking about was a Scotland match. 15 years at least.

No Title Necessary

2006-10-07T00:22:00.000+01:00

Another sleepless night, compounded by having to get up early to take Laura to dancing. Wandered round Waterstones for a while, had a coffee and pastry and popped into the aquarium shop on my way home.

Went home and tried to sleep during the afternoon. Couldn't. Read more of Rankin's The Flood, then tried to sleep again. Couldn't. A combination of being too tired and the drilling/hammering in the house saw to it.

Scotland beat the World Cup runners-up, France, by a goal to nil at Hampden. It's been 17 years since I saw Hampden so delirious at a National football match.

Went to work for 7pm to do a mainframe software implementation and was totally shattered by 11pm as a result. Couldn't concentrate and had thoughts only of my bed the entire time.

As I write this, it is a few minutes past midnight and I am not expecting to get away until 3am at the earliest. Hopefully it will be sooner and I'll be able to get some sleep before I conk out totally.

East v West

2006-10-06T20:24:00.000+01:00

The NaNoWriMo forums are coming to life with more and more writers coming on board. It's getting quite exciting. There seems to be a lot of sci-fi writers, which is not something I'm interested in writing at all, but at least there's quite a few people from Edinburgh.

Poolside Poetry is all but complete. I finished the preface tonight and I think all the poems are now in satisfactory order. I'll be giving the manuscript a full going over in print to check for errors and improvements that can be made, but all in all, it's done. All that remains is the photo shoot for the cover.

After several feature length episodes of Rebus over the past few Friday evenings, with the pleasure of seeing Edinburgh and Leith as the backdrop to Rankin's novels, and how the books adapted to the TV screen, something else. Tonight in the same slot, Taggart; the Glasgow-based police drama of the same ilk.

Taggart isn't derived from novels but is a similar kind of drama; local and criminal, hard and street-wise. While the outdoor shots of Rebus were filmed in Edinburgh and the interior in Glasgow, all of Taggart is filmed in the West of Scotland.

Watching it, I felt less guilty (?) about writing about Edinburgh locations. I'm not an east-coaster and all this worry I've had of late to do with basing stories in Edinburgh seems less apparent when I watched Taggart. It was good to see the Dear Green Place on screen, but I realised that my unique view of Edinburgh is what can help me pull it off.

If I want to write a story based in Edinburgh, I always feel it might be compared to or in some way mistaken for plagiarism from Rankin, Welsh, McCall-Smith et al. I would need a new angle, a different perspective to what has already gone before. Edinburgh is, after all, a small city and it is too much to expect not to write about the same places from time to time.

Rankin's a Fifer, Welsh is a Leither and McCall-Smith is from Zimbabwe. I am from Glasgow and the West of Scotland, which none of them obviously are. And now I think I can use this to make my voice more unique.

As far as the programmes themselves go, Rebus is better, mostly because of the actors involved. Ken Stott is Rebus, and is a gifted actor. Taggart on the other hand, is comparable, but not since Mark McManus died and the programme continued without him under the same banner. McManus wasn't as good an actor, but the Taggart production was always top-notch. All things considered, Rebus pips it, although seeing Glasgow again, well, it's home and I miss it.

I remember when I interviewed Rankin last year, I asked him what Rebus would have thought of Taggart should they ever have their paths cross. "Rebus wouldn't have liked him," he said. "They're quite similar in some ways, but he wouldn't have liked him because Taggart's a Glasgow detective and Glasgow detectives and Edinburgh detectives just don't get on. It's to do with territory."

East v West. It's everywhere.