A Bachelor’s Writing Life

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It’s a belter of a day outside. The sun is out, there’s no wind, and it puts me in mind to take a book out the back and read for the day. But there is work to be done—a lot of it.

I’m just back from my usual Saturday morning jaunt up town. I didn’t do a lot since my time was pushed by other factors, but I enjoyed a hot cappuccino and chocolate pastry in Rose Street while reading the Guardian book review.

Rankin got a good write up on his new book The Complaints and there’s a fascinating interview with William Boyd, who I unfortunately missed at this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival.

I’m about to make lunch for the “wee one” then set about giving the house a shine. I know if I do it today I can keep it looking this way for Gail getting back from London. I think I might even buy some ingredients and make Marzetti on Monday, then leave her a big portion for her coming in late off the flight.

I want to get some decent work done on BACCARA BURNING today—oh, there’s a thing. I only noticed this morning that the coffee shop I go to on a Saturday has a pub next door called The Black Rose!! They should rename it The Baccara.

I also want to finish off the spine-tingler story, work through some Ranfurly Review submissions (I’ve not had to put out a call for months now) and maybe write up some poetry.

Later tonight I will have to logon to the Company network and complete a mainframe installation I was working on during the week. There will be people in the office that I need to coordinate with but I have the luxury of being able to do it from home. Might even get a pizza while i’m at it; it’s a bachelor’s writing life. 😉

My editor at NotW emailed me yesterday afternoon to let me know my piece on the Ray LaMontagne gig was being upped from online publication into the actual paper. Good news, but it also meant a re-write to double the word count. It wasn’t hard to do given that cutting these reviews back to 200 odd words is usually quite a difficult task. The article ended up being much more like I intended, and will now appear on page 5 of the A-Listed supplement in tomorrow’s paper.

I also finished up the two interviews I’d been doing during the week, one for Blazing Trailers and one for Biblio Paradise. I’ll let you know when they’ve been published.

I ended up watching a programme last night about phone calls made from the Twin Towers when they were attacked eight years ago. Of all the documentaries made about this atrocity, I found this one more heart breaking than most. To hear those terrified people and the effect still felt by the ones they spoke to, or in some cases, never reached, it just doesn’t compute.

I’m off to get some work done. Have a great Saturday!

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