There are a few things that fall behind when you’re writing 12 books in 12 months. One is housework in non-communal areas (all surfaces in our bedroom, including sections of the floor, are strewn with detritus, 75-90% of which is probably mine although it’s hard to get an accurate reading without conducting a proper excavation); and another is eating sensibly.
Continue reading “You’re Scottish, Fry Something”
This morning I was horrified to read someone on the Twitter saying that they had read the first page of a book and consigned it to the charity shop pile without hesitation.
Continue reading “Judging A Book By Its Cover”
The question people ask me most frequently in relation to this project is “when do you find the time to sleep?”
This query is generally delivered with an air of shock or mild amusement, but I can assure you it is no laughing matter. I am deeply and bitterly resentful of any sleep denied me, be it resultant of my own machinations or those of my enemies. And these days, what with one thing and another, I miss out on a lot of sleep.
Continue reading “The Science of Sleep”
Are you a journalist? Have you ever known or worked with journalists?
Then I need your help.
My sixth book this year is about the staff of a recently shut down local newspaper deciding to start up a zeitgeisty current affairs stroke gossip website, probably called something like ‘Michty!’ (the genre for this one is Scottish), and getting it terribly wrong. With hilarious consequences, of course.
I am hoping to gather some anecdotal research, which is where you come in.
Continue reading “Journalists Wanted”
Last night at around 11.15pm I decided that it was time to call it quits on book five and get myself some sleep. I battered out a few paragraphs to remind myself what I wanted the last couple of chapters to entail, and set about organising my packed lunch for work. Tuna salad, for those who are nosey about such things…
The word count stands at 30323, and I think it’ll end end up around 36,000 by the time the first draft is finished. This means that overall this year, I’ve written 165,585 words of fiction across 151 days. That averages out at 1096.6 words per day, although there have been days when I haven’t written anything at all, and a few when I’ve done 10k in one go. Averages, dear reader, are relative.
Continue reading “Not-Quite-Half-Way Evaluation”
It’s pretty rare that a human has the courage to face a monster as fearsome as a dragon. Bearing that in mind, it’s almost unthinkable that a mere sheep might be brave enough to do it. In actual fact, this was very probably the first time in the history of everything. So naturally there had to be a meeting.
Continue reading “#WIP: Chapter Three”
12 Books in 12 Months 