A Thank You to Steve Jobs

Image: Unknown

RIP Steve Jobs
Woke up to the sad news that Steve Jobs died in the early hours of the morning. Shocking to hear it come through although not entirely unexpected; it was public knowledge he had been seriously ill for quite some time.

It’s impossible to measure the impact his life has had, and will continue to have, on generations of computers and media users to past and future. I’ve heard the words visionary, rebellious, genius, and controller all used to describe him so far, and it’s probably fair to say they are all spot on. He took Apple, shaped it to his vision, and it was a success. You can’t argue with that.

If it wasn’t for Steve Jobs, I’d still be suffering with my godforsaken Windows PC and MP3 player, and have been unable to tap into a world made smaller through being able to improve my creativity, productivity, and networkability, through innovative software and social media on the iPhone and Mac.

In other words, his technological ideas, reliable, steady and integrated computers and media devices, have improved my life, boosted my literary career, and helped me sell more books.

For all of that that Steve, I thank you.

On a Lighter Note
Is it just me, or does the Duchess of Alba look like one of the characters that looked into the Ark after it was raided by the Nazis and then chased by Indiana Jones? Check her out here to see what I mean.

Writing
Got through a lot of good stuff today. The paranormal/magic essay moved a clear draft nearer to completion. It’s coming together now but it’s not been the easiest piece I’ve every written. The second draft really was a new draft—completely re-written and re-shaped.

I started work on what will be my next chapbook release: the Edinburgh chapbook. I’m putting the poems through their first round of editing; tightening them and re-shaping where necessary, and I’ve also begun to prepare the skeleton manuscript.

I also have a name for it: ROSE STREET RIPPERS. Look out for it on sale before Christmas.

Novella
No name yet for the novella I’m working on but I made a big breakthrough. Experience told, when I went to the coffee shop after the day job and just sat with a cappuccino and thought, took notes, and thought some more.

Then it came to me, the seed of the idea I’d bee looking for. I started to write, map, and plot, and within an hour had the structure of a thriller that is descended from the work produced in the Advanced Dialogue Workshop last month, but that I have also used all the advice I learned at the creative writing workshop I took at the Edinburgh Book Festival in August.

I am VERY pleased with what I have and VERY excited about writing it. I still have to connect a few loose threads and then I’ll be ready to go, but rather interestingly, do you that character I saw on the bus to Portobello on Saturday? He’s now slap bang in the middle of it.

Peace and out!

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