OFFICIALLY OVER-EXCITED

This week’s been a washout as far as writing has been concerned: novel writing at any rate. (Pah: just as I started a personal race with Sheepish and I’ll be seriously lagging behind this week and tomorrow is WC day (word count day!)

This week has been full of sickness (mine and Daughter’s) and of course I should be writing now because this afternoon I am on the Neilson Hays Library stand at the Living in Bangkok exhibition at Bumrungrad Hospital.

But instead of writing, I’m jumping up and down with excitement because I read this yesterday. I had, up to this moment, been quietly excited but my trip to London is getting closer and OMG I think it’s time to lose control. This is Othello with Lenny Henry at Trafalgar Studios. AND I’ve got tickets. OMG, OMG. I am going with Leigh. Yay yay yay. Othello is my favourite Shakespeare play and I have a rather large soft spot for Lenny Henry and every faith that he will be stupendous. I am wondering if Leigh will be embarrassed if I want to go to the stage door to swoon a bit…

Now I’ve got myself over-excited. I’ve got to calm down and write lots of words so I don't shame myself in front of Sheepish tomorrow. And then I can get off to the hospital to promote the library when really what I want to do is think about LH as Othello...

Last night and Awards

I went to see The Duchess last night with a friend. OMG, who’d want to have lived in those days?

I’d never been to the Apex Scala cinema before - it was the only cinema showing The Duchess – but I spotted it from the skytrain last weekend. So we knew where to go but we were in for a surprise when we got there. It was built in the 1960s and hasn’t been renovated since. This makes for an authentic movie going experience… The building was deserted (there were only around 20 of us in the auditorium.) The attendants were wearing bright yellow Crimplene jackets - shades of Butlins in 1973 – and jolly nearly outnumbered paying guests. The basic ticket was £1.90 or you could push the boat out, as we did, for £2.30 (see left.) Apart from being freezing inside it was perfectly comfortable.


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Thank you very much Leigh for this award: The Superior Scribbler Award. (Update: also kindly received from Debs and nearly awarded from Rachel too.)

The Rules
1. Every superior scribbler must name five other super scribblers.
2. Link back to the author and the name of the blog that gave you the award.
3. Display the award and link to this post, which explains the award.
4. Add your name to the Mr Linky List, some way down this page, as a record of who the superest scribblers are.

I must pass it on to most deserving super scribblers too. I pass it on to Angie, Hesitant Scribe, Helen, Yvonne and I would’ve passed it on to Calistro too as she’s been inspiring and partially responsible for my finally getting on with my writing. But she’s already had it.

Now to prove that I am most definitely a superior scribbler, I must go and write more than the measly 70 words I managed yesterday.

I ♥ the Novel Racers

Just take a little sideways look over there on the left … your left, not my left … yup, that’s it … where it says 20,000 on the lovely Leigh’o’meter. Even if mine’s gone slightly wonky, with a pokey uppy border bit on the far left, it still says 20,000 big ones.

And, it’s really 20,364 words. Now I've no idea how long my book will be, but I plucked 100,000 out of the air since I'm told I should be aiming between 80,000 and 120,000. 100,000 is a pleasing, round number. So if that's so, I've done a fifth of my book. A fifth. And most of those, I've done in the last ten weeks.

I should have a bit more humility about all this and I do apologise if I sound like I am shouting, but damn it, I am shouting. I am proud of myself.

I am coming to the end of my second year with the Novel Racers, and frankly I’ve been a bit crap – no, a lot crap. I can’t understand why they didn’t throw me out long ago because I have struggled. And some of my posts have been a load of drivel with the most boring excuses – I know because I’ve been back and read some of them. Let me apologise in retrospect.

Husband says that if I come home with less than 5,000 words I have to give him the money back that I’ve spent here. So Husband, today I’ve done 1,707 words.

Getting back to normal

Look at my new, gorgeous notebook. It’s a belated birthday present from the loveliest Leigh. It scores on so many levels:

• A gift
• A parcel in the real post
• A notebook
• Illustrated with classic Penguins
• Handbag sized
• With elastic to stop the pages scuffing (this is SO important. Readers, please don’t underestimate the necessity for this simple piece of stretchy design.

I haven’t done much writing these last few days because of Husband, half term, the holiday that wasn’t, one or two personal problems. Yesterday I sat down to do some and I managed only 150 or so. I’m not sure what happens next – well I know roughly. She’s got to react, but have I walled her into a corner with no-one to react to? Should I bring on a man with a gun? Perhaps that scary lady can email me again.

So today, I was a bit nervous of starting and finding I’d got nothing to say. The 150 odd words I did yesterday brings my total up to 15,000, so first I went off to add that to my sidebar so that I could glow in the words I have achieved. Then I did the rounds of the updated blogs, and well, bloody hell, she’s gone and done it again: Calistro has some fantastic news that’s given me another kick up the backside. So I’m off now to do some writing … whether I’ve got anything to say or not.

I shall report back. Please send me frightening emails if I don't.

UPDATE: 704 words

Gecko Cartoon time

Can you see the smile on his face in the first picture?

I sit in the chair by my balcony window, writing ... and sometimes gazing out at the entertainment. He's stolen 3 flies/moths from the colony of ants on the balcony.

Today I've written 1,048 words without the need for paracetamol! However, I did catch myself asking aloud if I wanted a cup of tea. Nothing too alarming in that, except that it was in a Yeovil accent. I've never lived in Yeovil, but I think I may be going a bit stir crazy. Hmmm, and it's only day 2.

Tonight's movie is Miss Congeniality. More mush for my worn out brain. I think Sandra Bullock is hugely talented - and this film makes me laugh out loud.

*****

Thank you to Lovely Leigh who has given me this gorgeous award for welcoming her to the blogging world a year ago. Is it really only a year? I feel I've known her longer than that.

Now, for my own nominees: Helen at Redders, Husband who hasn't got a blog, but left my first message, which was beyond exciting and still reads my blog today... Spiral Jen, Caroline and Liz F. Really, I'd include all the Novel Racers because they made me feel so welcome.