Writing, dirty socks and three in one city

10 April

Facebook can be useful, it can also be a real pain in the backside. Occasionally though you do get a few gems on there, like some of the animal and bird photos which I like, especially the bird ones. As a writer I like some of the comments that other writers have posted. There's one this morning that I've shared ...

https://www.facebook.com/128993273955131/photos/a.132590106928781.1073741828.128993273955131/241648679356256/?type=1&theater   which sort of clicked with me, but not for the obvious reason.

You see, I love writing too and the more I think back on it, the more I've come to realise that I have always loved writing. When I was in the Army I used to write very long letters home and to some pen-friends I had at the time. While writing my mind would wonder all over the place, often getting lost in the process but at the same time, I always seemed to know how to get back to the start.

Now I write novels, or at least try to, and to be honest I do find the writing pretty easy. What I find hard to deal with though is all the faffing around you have to do afterwards to get the story ready for releasing it into the wild blue yonder.

Take Shipshape for example. I had the free edit done and now I need to go through it again to make sure I've corrected the whole thing for the parts that were picked up during the free edit. One of the speakers at the self publishing conference earlier this month liked it to this ... I am employed to steam-clean a bedroom carpet but I have to pick up all the dirty socks before I can start on the carpet. What she meant of course, was that we should clear up all the mess we know is there before the editor gets hold of it. So now I have a lot of dirty socks pick up before that ship is in shape.

Last night I finished a novel by James Oswald, The Book of Souls, a murder come mystical-type of story. Actually, it was a good read by another new writer. Oswald is the second now writer I've tried who bases their stories in Edinburgh. So now we have three writers up there killing off the good folk of the Scottish capital, and such a friendly place too from my five days I spent up there last year. I must remember to take more care when I go back eh.

As it happens I have lots of photos of Edinburgh ... 

This one is of the what I think is the cathedral on the Royal Mile.

And today's funny is ...

Drive By

 
A guy broke into my apartment last week.
He didn't take my TV, just the remote.
Now he drives by and changes the channels.
Sick Bastard!!