My Undeterred Writing Focus

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It’s the hardest thing to try and describe, but for the past few weeks I’ve felt incredibly energetic and charged with the determination, creativity and desire to write. This undeterred focus has seen me write a full novel, restart work on the novella that I’d (between you and me) put aside with the aching suspicion I would never pick up again, and balance several poetry projects and marketing ideas all at once.

All along, I’ve assumed that this uplift was due to the approaching Edinburgh Book Festival, and in part I know it is—it’s my writing year end and closing off most of my goals is a real driver—but within me, I know there’s more to it than the pressure of a looming self-imposed deadline.

When I find out what it is, I’ll let you know.

Baccara
I worked further on the BACCARA BURNING re-write in the evening. I’m taking it chapter by chapter just now because it is a re-write in the true sense of the word. I’m changing a LOT as I work through it; straightening out, chopping out, and writing what should have been there in the first place.

This steady approach is helping keep me focussed on the exact location of the story and the characters while allowing me to see the bigger picture, which is key to this story since I know it’s pulled the rug from under me on the last two attempts. And it’s working because I’ve yet to feel any resistance in the story at all.

Last night I passed the point where the wall hit me the last time, which led to me ditching the work, but so far it’s so good.

For some reason I keep thinking of Jason and the Argonauts when I try to sum up the work I’m doing on this book. It’s a bit like day to day, fighting off the challenges and demons being thrown my way and overcoming them, one by one, in the faith that I will get there in the end,

Rain
I was right about yesterday: it rained all day; in fact, Leith was flooded in parts such was the longevity of the downpour. It’s still going strong. I pity the poor plonkers going to see Bon Jovi out at Murrayfield Stadium today—not because they will get wet and cold, but because they’ve paid a lot of money to stand and listen to a band that is well past its sell by date, in a stadium that simply was not designed for rock concerts. Even the likes of Madness have kept things fresh over the years; these guys are about as stale as the slice of bread I found trapped behind the fridge last weekend.

Until tomorrow—peace out!