http://www.spiralskies.com The ups and downs of a gonna-be writer. Life, embellished and exaggerated. I even make stuff up... Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:02:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en While I’ve been busy not-writing (much) over the summer, I have been filling my creative well – an essential part of maintaining output and not just an excuse to laze around reading fabulous books.  No, really.  It’s true.  As September smiles patiently on tomorrow’s horizon with its 'new pencils' feel ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F08%252F31%252Fdance-your-way-to-psychic-sex%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DDance%2BYour%2BWay%2Bto%2BPsychic%2BSex&seed_title=Dance+Your+Way+to+Psychic+Sex Son 1 is, this morning, sporting a black eye.  He also keeps lurching about more than usual, talking manically about sausages.  I am envious.  I wish I was a little bit delirious.  Perhaps I should take up rugby and get my block knocked off ?  Sounds a bit drastic though.  ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F08%252F18%252Fof-sausages-and-swooning%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BSausages%2Band%2BSwoonery&seed_title=Of+Sausages+and+Swoonery Son 1’s new scootery motorbike was delivered last week.  ‘Ooooh,’ he cooed manfully down the phone, ‘now that it’s here I hardly know what to do with it.  I’m just going to look at it for a bit.’ Half an hour later, he phoned again to let me know he ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F07%252F07%252Fof-dodgy-domino-effects%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BDodgy%2BDomino%2BEffects&seed_title=Of+Dodgy+Domino+Effects Well well well.  Fancy seeing you here.  Do you come here often?  No?  Me neither. I can’t believe we’re halfway through the year.  It’s fair to say that my world has succumbed to an attack of the rampant randoms which do tend to drag me utterly off course and leave ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F06%252F15%252Fof-being-hedge-hunted%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BBeing%2BHedge-Hunted&seed_title=Of+Being+Hedge-Hunted Have you ever been given a box of chocolates that was just so special you didn’t want to open it?  You know, one of those boxes that is tiny but, despite the delicate, golden ribbon, you can feel the sumptuous beauty snaking out at the seams?  *Sigh*  I have been ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F05%252F23%252Fof-bite-sized-servings-of-perfection%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BBite-Sized%2BServings%2Bof%2BPerfection&seed_title=Of+Bite-Sized+Servings+of+Perfection No.  Despite its title, this is not a blog post about boobs.  I do, however, seem to have been awarded a booby prize in the form of my brain.  My Brian.  Call it what you will.  In fact, please, call it loudly.  Whistle for it.  Yoo hoo, Brian, where are ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F05%252F13%252Fof-being-a-bit-busted%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BBeing%2Ba%2BBit%2BBusted&seed_title=Of+Being+a+Bit+Busted It’s that time again.  That joyous occasion looming next week on which I become another year wider wiser. ‘Don’t forget, Horrid Teens, that I’ll be expecting luxurious treats to demonstrate your love for me,’ I hinted helpfully over the weekend.  ‘That means presents.  Ok?’ ‘Oh, I’m sure I can sort something ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F04%252F28%252Fof-ooh-and-aaaarrrgghhh%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BOoh%2Band%2BAaaarrrgghhh&seed_title=Of+Ooh+and+Aaaarrrgghhh I’ve been a bad blogger, haven’t I?  Not a peep for yonks.  This has largely been due to a technical crisis – the very trickiest sort of computering calamity that rendered my blog-writing thingummy useless until, after 2 days of wizardry and genius ideas, I plugged the wotsit that makes ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F04%252F01%252Fof-clocks-and-clouds%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BClocks%2Band%2BClouds&seed_title=Of+Clocks+and+Clouds Ok, ok, I confess. The novel-writing has sort of ground to something of a halt.  I’ve been, ahem, a little distracted with what I laughingly call ‘real life’.  There has been rather a lot of it lately.  Work is ridiculously busy.  Tweed Clad Colleague mysteriously gets louder in direct proportion ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F03%252F05%252Fof-whizz-bang-fizzle%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BWhizz-Bang%2BFizzle&seed_title=Of+Whizz-Bang+Fizzle Ok.  I have a confession.  After a midweek catflappery incident, I did what I’d promised I wouldn’t do.  I opened a bottle of red.  Even before it was poured, I felt disappointed in myself.  But there it sat, glowing richly in its glass, catching the light with its beautiful temptingness.  ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F02%252F26%252Fof-weak-willed-wibbles%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BWeak-Willed%2BWibbles&seed_title=Of+Weak-Willed+Wibbles I used to be terribly quiet you know.  When I started work I felt perpetually sick, my stomach lurching every time the phone rang, so nervous was I of ever having to speak to anyone.  I realised, somewhere along the line, that I was embarrassed about being so shy, so ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F02%252F16%252Fof-reckless-reinvention%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BReckless%2BReinvention&seed_title=Of+Reckless+Reinvention I had an email yesterday.  ‘You blog needs updating, Honey,’ it nudged.  Another last night asked ‘Have you dropped off the edge of the planet or just the edge of reality?’.  Hmmm. I’d like to inform you, dear reader, that I have spent the last month immersed in my writing.  Sadly, ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F02%252F03%252Fof-existential-excuses%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BExistential%2BExcuses&seed_title=Of+Existential+Excuses Well then.  Did I mention that Novel 2 will be jigging about in the little-known genre of Philosophical Comedy? The only laugh so far is that, as you will see (eyes right, if you please) the word count is now back to zero.  But that’s ok.  Until this morning, I ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F01%252F09%252Fof-splendid-serendipity-and-sprawled-at-square-one%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BSplendid%2BSerendipity%2B%2528and%2BSprawled%2BOut%2Bat%2BSquare%2BOne%2529&seed_title=Of+Splendid+Serendipity+%28and+Sprawled+Out+at+Square+One%29 I meant to write a blog post yesterday.  You know the sort of thing: looking back on not just the past year, but the decade.  A quarter of my life so far.  Crumbs. ‘What happened to the blog post?’ I was asked last night. ‘Oh, I’ll just write it tomorrow ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2010%252F01%252F01%252Fof-nurtured-new-year-or-sappy-sentimentality%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BNurtured%2BNew%2BYear%2B%2528or%2BSappy%2BSentimentality%2529&seed_title=Of+Nurtured+New+Year+%28or+Sappy+Sentimentality%29 Dear Santa/God (are you the same person? I have doubts that there could be two tubby dudes with the whole beard and robes thing going on? Your secret’s safe with me) Hello whiskery one, how are you?  All set for your busy night?  Have you figured out an alternative to reindeer ... http://www.spiralskies.com/feeder/?FeederAction=clicked&feed=Articles+%28RSS%29&seed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spiralskies.com%2Ffeeder%2F%3FFeederAction%3Dclicked%26amp%3Bfeed%3DArticles%2B%2528RSS%2529%26amp%3Bseed%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.spiralskies.com%252F2009%252F12%252F09%252Fof-wednesday-wishfulness%252F%26amp%3Bseed_title%3DOf%2BWednesday%2BWishfulness&seed_title=Of+Wednesday+Wishfulness