Shots

Those of you who read my fiction blog may have noticed that I somewhat lost interest a while ago now. I really tried hard to get back into it, but the 60x60x60 soap I'd set up for myself just wasn't doing it for me. It got so bad that, together with novel finishing, it contributed to me avoiding all of my blogs, and the blogging groups I was a member of too. I just didn't know what to do - I felt somehow that I had failed by not finishing the piece and wanted to bury my head in the sand and forget the blog had ever existed.

Then I came to my senses. The whole point of Shots had been to have some fun with my writing, get playful, and I'd got lost with that aim. So I found the 'delete' button and used the damn thing. I can't say what a relief it was.

The blog is still there, as are the short pieces I posted before the soap thing came along and spoilt it all. And now I feel like I can go back there and start posting again. Yay!

Huge thanks to the people who've been supporting me and encouraging what I was trying to do on Shots. You've been bloody ace and I love you all.

Nicola

Catch up

It has been a busy, busy, busy time for me the last few months. I'm gonna do this Reduced Shakespeare Company stylie to catch up.

NAW. 12 new students. Ace. Fiction module starts soon and is gonna keep me busy. External examiner (who is an agent) gave us a good report and we have all sorts of meetings coming.

Went to New York. Met my editor Alexis for the first time (gorgeous she is) Molly my publicist and Nan Graham and other Scribner types and their New York friends, including Alexis's boyfriend Postell, a very cool and funny guy who is an actor and musician. New York was fabulous, the way it always is. Caught up with my old friend Bekah and her new husband Patrick. Went over the bridge to Brooklyn for a reading at the Candy Store (great venue) and to eat Pizza with Laurie Collyer, scriptwriter of the stunning movie Sherry Baby and the (eventually to be I am determined) stunning movie The Killing Jar, and maybe even Starfishing. Watch this space...

Went to Waverton. It was, like, the polar opposite of New York. Award was presented at the golf club, which had been turned into a tribute to the book by organisers Wendy and Gwen. The two ladies and their husbands, the Peters, did us proud with a great night of food, as well as entertainment provided by yours truly :) I stood up and mumbled on about my book for twenty minutes or so and people seemed to like it. The consensus was that The Killing Jar did wonders to win out in Waverton, as there really are residents who will give you a mark of zero for using a four letter word. They can't have voted for me! They certainly wouldn't vote for Starfishing lol. All I can say is well done Waverton for enjoying being outside your comfort zone for the near on three hundred pages of my book. It does you credit.

Birmingham Book Festival madness ensues. I do all night workshops driving around the West Midlands. Yawn. (Not boring but TIRED). Bad cold does not help. Off to Brum again today to perform and record my Radio 4 story. It went down well and made one lady cry. Yay! (Does that sound cruel and heartless lol)

Went to Nottingham Creative Business Awards dinner. Ate great food and enjoyed clapping and cheering as we bigged up our special arty types for what they've been up to of late. Writers Studio did not win. Member of the studio Michael Pinchbeck did, for his play The White Album, which I have not seen but have heard great things about.

Meanwhile have received typset pages for Starfishing and am reading them, as well as putting finishing touches to the Crime Express story The Okinawa Dragon.

Novel number three? I can hear it whispering to me from down the road...