Well hello, April! You're almost here!
This week I've said, 'This year's flying by,' at least twice, and without irony. I know it's the kind of thing old people say. It's a cliched statement that's used for all sorts of meaningless situations when small talk is required. BUT IT'S STILL TRUE.
It feels only two minutes since the January snow arrived just as my pipes were getting dug up. (Not a euphemism!) The new cess pit is working like a dream - thanks for asking - and I can't believe how often I can have a bath now. But all that was three months ago. Three months! And now Spring is well and truly here. The clocks have changed, the daylight lasts longer, and there were one or two days last week when I didn't wear a jumper. Can you believe it? We've turned a corner, folks.
So, let's sally forth and embrace the change. As you know, I dread the Summer. The heat, the sweat, the general stickiness of it all. But that's ages away. Spring is fresh and breezy! It's warm but cool! It's bright and beautiful! Let's enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
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| The 1st Leeza book |
It's time to start thinking about the next steps of the third Leeza McAuliffe book. I'm officially going back to it on Tuesday 15th April. My diary is clear from then on so that's when it'll be. So what will I be doing on the 15th April? Well, reading through the first draft. That's the first job. From start to finish, all in one go. It'll take the best part of the day, but it's the first step.
That will flag up loads of issues. LOADS. There'll be too many to make sense of. I'll be bursting with so many thoughts that there'll be no room in my brain for them all. But as soon as I've finished reading the whole thing through, I'll open a new word doc and let every thought I've got explode onto the page. It'll be frenzied and garbled, and potentially make no sense. But it'll be the only thing to do at that stage.
And look, it's not my first rodeo. I know the kinds of things that'll stand out before I even read it back. They'll be the same as the four other times I've written a book. I'll spot that some of the ideas that jump out in the first chapter, fizzle out by the third. I'll notice that the middle section is saggy and dull. I'll also realise that the ending needs more oomph. But there'll be loads of other things too. Inconsistencies, characters that don't do much, or plot lines that need beefing up or cutting. I'll spot everything all at once and I'll make a list of it all. That will shape what I'll be doing in the next chunk of 2025.
I've just finished the 3rd season of Reacher on Amazon. I infinitely prefer the books but there's something wonderfully escapist about watching a big good guy beat up the big bad guys. And despite being generally pacifist at heart, I surprised myself by shouting, 'Shoot him in the dick,' at the telly when a would-be rapist was getting his comeuppance just before he attacked. In book news, I've just finished Janice Hallet's The Examiner. Properly gripping and much more reminiscent of her first novel, The Appeal, than her other books have been. Finally, The Flat Share is being repeated on Channel 5 right now but it's all there on Paramount if you want to catch up. It's sweet without being saccharine, and has been making me smile as I wind down each day.
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| Exmoor caviar, confit potatoes, and brown crab. |
Ooooh. Let me tell you about my birthday meal starter from last Monday. It was confit potatoes - all crispy on the outside and melty on the inside - with a crab mayo-y sauce and caviar on top. (The official title is under the picture.) You know when you can't stop thinking about something you've eaten, and you're craving it all the time, but you can never hope to replicate it yourself no matter how hard you try? Well, that. That's all I've thought of this week. If you want to see for yourself, the Dog and Collar on Hope Street will be able to sort you out. It's just opened and is utterly lovely.
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| Borealis |
After the pub and the nicest starter I've ever had, I had a walk down to the docks. For the past week, the Borealis light installation has been in place at the Albert Dock. The effect is beautifully strange, with music and smoke adding to the feel of the whole thing. Despite being busy, there was no bustle. The eerie vibes slowed people right down, and gave a sense of calm as people wandered under the lights. A pretty cool way to end the evening, not going to lie.
So enjoy the first day of April tomorrow. Will you spot a daffodil? Eat a cream egg? Pat a newborn lamb? It's unlikely I'll do any of those things as I'll be busy indoors, but no matter. It's the thought that counts. Baaaaaaa.
Have a lovely week, folks.
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