November 5th Guy Fawkes Day 2008
Hello there.
I must tell you. I woke this morning at the ridiculous time of 1.30 am. But it was not to start making bonfire toffee, nor to find bottles suitable for launching rockets, nor to find a suitable post on which to pin a Catherine wheel, oh no. It was to watch the result of the election of the President of the USA. And I had to wait until 4.30 am before it was 24 carat certain that it was to be Barack Obama. I am pleased to see that he is the victor, and I wish my friends (I have lots of readers in the US) the very best in the future … But I wished I had slept through. I will be in a fog all day. Instead of writing page turning saleable stuff, it will probably all be tripe and have to be scratched out tomorrow. I will not merely have lost a night’s sleep, I will have lost a day’s work as well.
Moving quickly on …
I got a few good wishes on the launch of MURDER IN BARE FEET on October 31st, which was very kind. The dust jacket was well up to expectations and should be quite striking among the hundreds of other books competing for attention in the shops. Also, my dear wife, Celia, did have the pot removed from her arm, and we did go out and had the special haddock to celebrate. The country pub we go to has a big log fire and we sat by it and heard the logs crackle and enjoyed the heat as we tackled the batter.
It is nice to live extravagantly now and again, isn't it? …
I knew you'd agree.
Oh dear. (Yawn. Yawn)
I must get some sleep.
Thanks for looking in.
Come back soon.
October 24th 2008
Glad you’ve come back.
The good news is that my wife, Celia, is having the pot off her broken wrist next Friday, October 31st. Great stuff! That’s Halloween, which coincidentally is the publication date of my new Inspector Angel book, MURDER IN BARE FEET. So we are going out for a double celebratory lunch. We’re planning to have haddock and chips at a quiet little pub we know out in the country. (Stuff the expense). Please look out for MURDER IN BARE FEET in the shops or in your library. It’s an intriguing story that stumps Angel for a while. I had great fun writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Hey, I had an email from a reader who has just read MANTRAP. She said she enjoyed it, which is always nice to hear. I note from her address that she lives in New Zealand. Her name is Mrs Amy Pollard.
Isn’t the internet amazing? It reaches all parts of the world. Do you think anybody in Mars is also having a secret peek at this?
Anyway, Amy tells me she used to live in Askern, which is not far from Doncaster and Bromersley. So she knows the places Angel and Co visit, and the kind of locations where the crimes are committed.
Do you know, I understand that my books are sold in every English speaking country, but up to now, I’ve only heard from the US and Singapore? It’s nice to know that Inspector Angel is also read in New Zealand. Good on you, Amy. Thanks for the email. Slap another sausage on the barbie.
You know, I’d love to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might give it a mention here and you could maybe see it in due course.
Must go. I’ve got to collect Celia from the hairdresser’s. And I’m supposed to be working on another book. I’ve got started and it’s going OK, so far. I’m on page 50. Hales need 224. Only another 174 to do. Easy?
Thanks for looking in.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, up on the right.
Come back soon.
Take care.
Glad you’ve come back.
The good news is that my wife, Celia, is having the pot off her broken wrist next Friday, October 31st. Great stuff! That’s Halloween, which coincidentally is the publication date of my new Inspector Angel book, MURDER IN BARE FEET. So we are going out for a double celebratory lunch. We’re planning to have haddock and chips at a quiet little pub we know out in the country. (Stuff the expense). Please look out for MURDER IN BARE FEET in the shops or in your library. It’s an intriguing story that stumps Angel for a while. I had great fun writing it. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Hey, I had an email from a reader who has just read MANTRAP. She said she enjoyed it, which is always nice to hear. I note from her address that she lives in New Zealand. Her name is Mrs Amy Pollard.
Isn’t the internet amazing? It reaches all parts of the world. Do you think anybody in Mars is also having a secret peek at this?
Anyway, Amy tells me she used to live in Askern, which is not far from Doncaster and Bromersley. So she knows the places Angel and Co visit, and the kind of locations where the crimes are committed.
Do you know, I understand that my books are sold in every English speaking country, but up to now, I’ve only heard from the US and Singapore? It’s nice to know that Inspector Angel is also read in New Zealand. Good on you, Amy. Thanks for the email. Slap another sausage on the barbie.
You know, I’d love to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might give it a mention here and you could maybe see it in due course.
Must go. I’ve got to collect Celia from the hairdresser’s. And I’m supposed to be working on another book. I’ve got started and it’s going OK, so far. I’m on page 50. Hales need 224. Only another 174 to do. Easy?
Thanks for looking in.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, up on the right.
Come back soon.
Take care.
September 26th 2008
Hello there, readers. Glad you're back.
On Tuesday last, my dear wife, Celia, fell and broke her wrist. Needed an ambulance to take her to hospital, where she had to have it set and then reset with the support of what they call gas and air. It was, of course, nitrous oxide, but absolutely nothing happened at all that made her laugh. Bless her. She is now wearing a plaster cast that weighs more than a Strangeways porridge cooker. Her face is down to her boots, and who do you think is doing the nursing, the shopping, the cooking, washing up, feeding the cats and the birds, and everything else?
I thought for a time that I wouldn’t be able to get to the northern chapter meeting of the Crime Writers Association (the CWA) on Sunday. However, she very kindly let me off the hook to go.
The meeting was held in a posh hotel in Lancashire. It was a smaller turnout than usual due to illness; also some members had delayed their holidays due to the bad summer and were taking them then.
My good friend Peter N. Walker (who also writes under the name of Nicholas Rhea) who wrote and created the ‘Heartbeat’ series and writes the ‘Constable’ books was not there. He hardly ever misses a meeting, but this last year, he hasn’t been too well; just as he was getting on his feet, his lovely wife, Rhoda broke her leg (skiing, no doubt), so Peter is having to mix the Martinis, take the money to Barclays and throw the fish and chip papers out for the both of them, for the time being.
At the lunch, I sat next to my good friend, Shirley Wells and her husband Nick. Shirley tells me she has just finished a book she has been working on for more than a year. She keeps reading it and polishing it, and one day, very soon, she’s going to print it off and send it to her publisher. She’s had about six good sellers published, so she shouldn’t have anything at all to worry about.
Met up with Meg Elizabeth Atkins who reminisced about the time we used to have CWA meetings in The Queen’s Hotel in Leeds. She remembers me as I do her, but that was over twenty years ago. She has written some very hairy books in the past. Meg writes much less often now, but enjoys organizing the Association’s conferences and meetings.
Also met for the first time a delightful lady and very busy writer who now lives in Leeds, Frances McNeil, winner of the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for the most regionally evocative debut saga of the Millenium, ‘Somewhere Behind the Morning’. She has written plays and short stories for the BBC, written novels, worked in the US. Been everywhere. Done everything. Seen everything. Makes you sick.
The national chairman, Lesley Horton, was there, and told us that the national committee are negotiating with a major TV company to be the new sponsor of the Silver Dagger Crime Writers’ Association awards. If that comes off, it should be exciting and open the door to a wider choice of crime fiction to viewers of that particular channel and more work for lesser known writers, instead of the same, usual half a dozen regulars.
The northern chapter chairman, Roger Forsdyke, who happens to be a superintendent of police, said that the 2009 national conference was to be held in Lincoln. That’s great news for me. I can probably get to that without staying away from home.
The meeting finished after the lunch and I got home at about four o’clock to my darling Celia, a sink full of pots, a meal to cook and the cats to feed. Anyway, it was great fun meeting old friends.
You know, I’d love to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might publish it here and you could maybe see it maybe in a week or two.
I got an appreciative email from Edward Day in South Wales, who was very complimentary about Angel and said ‘could you please promote the ever eager Police Cadet Ahmed Ahaz, he does so deserve it.’
I was able to reply to Edward that Ahmed had been promoted, a few books back, to the rank of Police Constable following passing a course at Aykley Heads Police Training College, near Durham. But thanks very much for that, Edward.
Must go. Got another sink full of pots to wash. And a book to write. Thanks for looking in. Please come back in a little while and I’ll tell you what Angel’s up to and how I’m getting on.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, up on the right. God bless.
Hello there, readers. Glad you're back.
On Tuesday last, my dear wife, Celia, fell and broke her wrist. Needed an ambulance to take her to hospital, where she had to have it set and then reset with the support of what they call gas and air. It was, of course, nitrous oxide, but absolutely nothing happened at all that made her laugh. Bless her. She is now wearing a plaster cast that weighs more than a Strangeways porridge cooker. Her face is down to her boots, and who do you think is doing the nursing, the shopping, the cooking, washing up, feeding the cats and the birds, and everything else?
I thought for a time that I wouldn’t be able to get to the northern chapter meeting of the Crime Writers Association (the CWA) on Sunday. However, she very kindly let me off the hook to go.
The meeting was held in a posh hotel in Lancashire. It was a smaller turnout than usual due to illness; also some members had delayed their holidays due to the bad summer and were taking them then.
My good friend Peter N. Walker (who also writes under the name of Nicholas Rhea) who wrote and created the ‘Heartbeat’ series and writes the ‘Constable’ books was not there. He hardly ever misses a meeting, but this last year, he hasn’t been too well; just as he was getting on his feet, his lovely wife, Rhoda broke her leg (skiing, no doubt), so Peter is having to mix the Martinis, take the money to Barclays and throw the fish and chip papers out for the both of them, for the time being.
At the lunch, I sat next to my good friend, Shirley Wells and her husband Nick. Shirley tells me she has just finished a book she has been working on for more than a year. She keeps reading it and polishing it, and one day, very soon, she’s going to print it off and send it to her publisher. She’s had about six good sellers published, so she shouldn’t have anything at all to worry about.
Met up with Meg Elizabeth Atkins who reminisced about the time we used to have CWA meetings in The Queen’s Hotel in Leeds. She remembers me as I do her, but that was over twenty years ago. She has written some very hairy books in the past. Meg writes much less often now, but enjoys organizing the Association’s conferences and meetings.
Also met for the first time a delightful lady and very busy writer who now lives in Leeds, Frances McNeil, winner of the HarperCollins Elizabeth Elgin award for the most regionally evocative debut saga of the Millenium, ‘Somewhere Behind the Morning’. She has written plays and short stories for the BBC, written novels, worked in the US. Been everywhere. Done everything. Seen everything. Makes you sick.
The national chairman, Lesley Horton, was there, and told us that the national committee are negotiating with a major TV company to be the new sponsor of the Silver Dagger Crime Writers’ Association awards. If that comes off, it should be exciting and open the door to a wider choice of crime fiction to viewers of that particular channel and more work for lesser known writers, instead of the same, usual half a dozen regulars.
The northern chapter chairman, Roger Forsdyke, who happens to be a superintendent of police, said that the 2009 national conference was to be held in Lincoln. That’s great news for me. I can probably get to that without staying away from home.
The meeting finished after the lunch and I got home at about four o’clock to my darling Celia, a sink full of pots, a meal to cook and the cats to feed. Anyway, it was great fun meeting old friends.
You know, I’d love to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might publish it here and you could maybe see it maybe in a week or two.
I got an appreciative email from Edward Day in South Wales, who was very complimentary about Angel and said ‘could you please promote the ever eager Police Cadet Ahmed Ahaz, he does so deserve it.’
I was able to reply to Edward that Ahmed had been promoted, a few books back, to the rank of Police Constable following passing a course at Aykley Heads Police Training College, near Durham. But thanks very much for that, Edward.
Must go. Got another sink full of pots to wash. And a book to write. Thanks for looking in. Please come back in a little while and I’ll tell you what Angel’s up to and how I’m getting on.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, up on the right. God bless.
September 17th 2008
I say, members of the Crime Writers Association (the CWA) who live in the north will be getting ready for the six-monthly meeting and luncheon of the Northern Chapter which will be held in a hotel somewhere central on Sunday next, September 21st. I am not allowed to say exactly where, because it is for members only and the famous faces wouldn’t want the press and celebrity spotters watch them as they tuck their serviettes in their shirt collars and dip their bread in the gravy. It’s understandable really …
Crime writers will travel a hundred miles or more to meet old friends, have a meal, a ginger beer and talk about stuff like changes in the gun laws, publishers’ advances, book sales, TV rights and the apostrophe. It might sound like the stuff out of Strangeways slop buckets to you, but it’s the very lifeblood to writers like me, who spend hours and hours on their own, tapping away at a computer keyboard, thinking up characters, bringing them to life and putting them in original and believable plots.
Anyway, I’ll tell you about it when I get back next week. Thanks for looking in.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, above to the right.
Happy reading!
I say, members of the Crime Writers Association (the CWA) who live in the north will be getting ready for the six-monthly meeting and luncheon of the Northern Chapter which will be held in a hotel somewhere central on Sunday next, September 21st. I am not allowed to say exactly where, because it is for members only and the famous faces wouldn’t want the press and celebrity spotters watch them as they tuck their serviettes in their shirt collars and dip their bread in the gravy. It’s understandable really …
Crime writers will travel a hundred miles or more to meet old friends, have a meal, a ginger beer and talk about stuff like changes in the gun laws, publishers’ advances, book sales, TV rights and the apostrophe. It might sound like the stuff out of Strangeways slop buckets to you, but it’s the very lifeblood to writers like me, who spend hours and hours on their own, tapping away at a computer keyboard, thinking up characters, bringing them to life and putting them in original and believable plots.
Anyway, I’ll tell you about it when I get back next week. Thanks for looking in.
If you want to get back to the main website, click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer, above to the right.
Happy reading!
DIARY
September 13th 2008
I am simply bursting to tell you that my book was accepted. Got a letter and contract in the post this morning. If you’ve been following this diary, you’ll know that last week I submitted my latest Angel book to the publishers for their consideration.
It will be called THE CUCKOO CLOCK SCAM. This was the book I had had such difficulty with because I had been diverted twice for different reasons and had to reread twice and concentrate really hard to get into the spirit of the book and get back into the plot. It was well worth the effort. I hope you will think it’s a good read. It won’t be published until about this time next year, but the publishers get on with the pre-production such as the ideas for the dust jacket, and working out exactly how many pages it will be and if I have the apostrophe in the right place and so on.
Do you know, if I could drink a bottle of champagne, I’d open one today; as I can’t, it’ll have to be a cup of Tetleys.
I’ll get back to you soon. Thanks for looking in. If you want to get back to the main website, scroll up to the top right and click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer.
September 13th 2008
I am simply bursting to tell you that my book was accepted. Got a letter and contract in the post this morning. If you’ve been following this diary, you’ll know that last week I submitted my latest Angel book to the publishers for their consideration.
It will be called THE CUCKOO CLOCK SCAM. This was the book I had had such difficulty with because I had been diverted twice for different reasons and had to reread twice and concentrate really hard to get into the spirit of the book and get back into the plot. It was well worth the effort. I hope you will think it’s a good read. It won’t be published until about this time next year, but the publishers get on with the pre-production such as the ideas for the dust jacket, and working out exactly how many pages it will be and if I have the apostrophe in the right place and so on.
Do you know, if I could drink a bottle of champagne, I’d open one today; as I can’t, it’ll have to be a cup of Tetleys.
I’ll get back to you soon. Thanks for looking in. If you want to get back to the main website, scroll up to the top right and click on Roger Silverwood – Crime Writer.
September 6th 2008.
Hello there. This is my fourth entry. I think I’m getting the hang of this diary writing caper. It is certainly creating a lot of interest. But I may have to make future contributions to it shorter, though. After all, my prime writing commitment has got to be to the publisher. If I don’t get my Angel books written in the first place, then Hales can’t publish them, and nobody would ever hear the latest about what Michael Angel and his wife, Mary, Ahmed and the rest of them are doing. And this diary, about them and me would be totally irrelevant (if you see what I mean). Also, if I owe you an email, hang on in there. I’ll get round to it as soon as I can.
On Saturday 23rd August, my youngest nephew, Andrew and his lovely wife, Mandy and their two adopted boys, James and Kieron came over from Bridlington to see us. They are definitely emigrating to New Zealand. They’ve both got jobs waiting. The only thing that is stopping them is the selling of their house. They’ll be off as soon as they get a purchaser. What about that? But it’s a long way. We shall miss them terribly.
On Saturday, 30th August, I finally finished the book. Oh what a relief! I had been through it again, laboriously questioning every word, tightening the plot, rounding the characters, still finding little inconsistencies and typos. My wife, Celia, also finally went through it and found a few more. Anyway, I printed it off on Sunday, packed it up and posted it off first thing last Monday morning. All I can do about it now is wait and hope.
On Sunday, 31st August, I heard from my old friend Matthew Elliott. Matthew has written stacks of radio plays. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of crime fiction both American and British and writes articles on that subject for trade magazines. He is very busy too. He has a commission to write a new series of that cult hero, Mike Hammer.
My wife’s cousin, Jennifer and her husband Derek Mold in Sheringham, Norfolk, were in touch also last Sunday, and he played his digiridoo for us over the phone. It’s a sort of one note instrument and through simultaneously breathing in and out allows the one beautiful, atmospheric note to be played non stop for long periods. It’s very soothing. Derek is a skilled player and is going back to Australia soon for more lessons. It’s absolutely true.
On Monday, September 1st, - hey, this was exciting - I got an invitation to dinner with America’s Sherlock Holmes, John Patrick Lowrie. He is flying into London for a few days. It is for dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Hotel (where else?) later this month. I have written three plays for him. I would love to go, but I’m not sure I can fit it in. We’ll see.
I am still waiting to hear whether my latest Angel book has been accepted. I’ll slap it down here and tell you even if it hasn’t. Watch this space.
I’ve started another book … so I’m going to get right back to it. Thanks for looking in. I'll write again soon.
If you want to get back to the main website, scroll up to the top right and click on Roger Silverwood - Crime Writer.
Cheers.
Hello there. This is my fourth entry. I think I’m getting the hang of this diary writing caper. It is certainly creating a lot of interest. But I may have to make future contributions to it shorter, though. After all, my prime writing commitment has got to be to the publisher. If I don’t get my Angel books written in the first place, then Hales can’t publish them, and nobody would ever hear the latest about what Michael Angel and his wife, Mary, Ahmed and the rest of them are doing. And this diary, about them and me would be totally irrelevant (if you see what I mean). Also, if I owe you an email, hang on in there. I’ll get round to it as soon as I can.
On Saturday 23rd August, my youngest nephew, Andrew and his lovely wife, Mandy and their two adopted boys, James and Kieron came over from Bridlington to see us. They are definitely emigrating to New Zealand. They’ve both got jobs waiting. The only thing that is stopping them is the selling of their house. They’ll be off as soon as they get a purchaser. What about that? But it’s a long way. We shall miss them terribly.
On Saturday, 30th August, I finally finished the book. Oh what a relief! I had been through it again, laboriously questioning every word, tightening the plot, rounding the characters, still finding little inconsistencies and typos. My wife, Celia, also finally went through it and found a few more. Anyway, I printed it off on Sunday, packed it up and posted it off first thing last Monday morning. All I can do about it now is wait and hope.
On Sunday, 31st August, I heard from my old friend Matthew Elliott. Matthew has written stacks of radio plays. He has an encyclopaedic knowledge of crime fiction both American and British and writes articles on that subject for trade magazines. He is very busy too. He has a commission to write a new series of that cult hero, Mike Hammer.
My wife’s cousin, Jennifer and her husband Derek Mold in Sheringham, Norfolk, were in touch also last Sunday, and he played his digiridoo for us over the phone. It’s a sort of one note instrument and through simultaneously breathing in and out allows the one beautiful, atmospheric note to be played non stop for long periods. It’s very soothing. Derek is a skilled player and is going back to Australia soon for more lessons. It’s absolutely true.
On Monday, September 1st, - hey, this was exciting - I got an invitation to dinner with America’s Sherlock Holmes, John Patrick Lowrie. He is flying into London for a few days. It is for dinner at the Sherlock Holmes Hotel (where else?) later this month. I have written three plays for him. I would love to go, but I’m not sure I can fit it in. We’ll see.
I am still waiting to hear whether my latest Angel book has been accepted. I’ll slap it down here and tell you even if it hasn’t. Watch this space.
I’ve started another book … so I’m going to get right back to it. Thanks for looking in. I'll write again soon.
If you want to get back to the main website, scroll up to the top right and click on Roger Silverwood - Crime Writer.
Cheers.
August 26th 2008
Hello there. This is my third blog entry. If you haven’t looked in before, I’m trying to convey a flavour of what it’s like living here in South Yorkshire, writing crime novels (especially stories about Inspector Angel) while also trying to live something like a normal life. Now if that would be of interest to you, join the gang and please read on.
Since last time, I have had some interesting emails from very some nice people. One particular gentleman asked me if I was a relation of Herbert Silverwood, the evangelist who came from somewhere here in Yorkshire. Sadly I am not, but I had met him 20 or more years ago. He was a nice old gentleman wonderfully and sincerely gifted. I expect he will have passed on to greater glory by now.
You know, I’d like to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might publish it here and you could maybe see it in a week or two.
A writer friend of mine, lovely Shirley Wells, reminded me that this diary goes all the way round the world. Wherever anybody with a computer, who might be at home, in an office, up a tree, in a boat, on a hot beach shaking down a coconut or wherever, who might be interested in Angel, or anything else I write about, can have a peek here for free.
Well, of course they can, cobber. I hadn’t thought about it. So it’s an opportunity for me to say to hello to all my friends in faraway places … such as Imagination Theatre in Seattle, Washington, USA, who I have written plays for; also my cousin, Paul in Northfield, in Michigan, USA, (it’s the town where Jesse James was shot dead); my wife’s cousin and good friend Robin and his lovely wife in Singapore, and my wife’s nephew, a great young man, Robs who has a posh job in Perth, Australia. Hope you’re all happy, making a few quid and getting a few beers wherever you are. Great stuff.
I say, on August 7th, I had not had a good night, didn’t sleep very well, and after I’d had my prunes and bran flakes and a mug of tea, I was upstairs, unshaved and in my pyjamas and dressing gown bumbling between the study (it’s a little store room with a desk, a computer and a filing cabinet in the corner) and the bedroom, where I do most of my writing on a laptop on the bed, on one elbow. I had wanted to write, but pains in my back and tooth-ache were getting at me and all I could think about was what to grumble about next. Well, it was that sort of day … chucking it down with rain as well as everything else. My wife was in the bathroom getting dressed, as I passed the door, I came back to tell her that the new two ply toilet paper doesn’t tear properly. Which it doesn’t. Each ply tears at a different length, which is damned inconvenient. I was going on at length about this and she was beginning to get ratty and I was getting rattier, when the phone rang. I turned and went into the bedroom and answered it. I expected it was somebody wanting to selling me something. I once had a girl ringing me up at eight o’clock at night wanting to sell me a wheelchair with 35% off!! I don’t even need a wheelchair. I could have reached down the wire and choked her. Anyway, it wasn’t. It was an appointments clerk at the hospital. It was about my appointment at the hospital for an examination and check up on the 21st. Would I like to come in earlier? Yes. Of course I would, I said. When? Soon as you can. How about today? Today? Can you make two o’clock? Today? Yes. I thought a second. Why not? Of course I can. Yes, I said. Yes. Right, she said. So, it was on.
I started moving round then. Had to. Time and tide and all that. Washed and shaved in no time. Shower. Clean vest and pants and all that for the doctor. We gobbled lunch … tomato soup, mashed banana in milk, apple and pear … and we were there, outrageously early at one o’clock, seen early at one-forty-five, told I was clear for another twelve months. Clear! Great. I said WONDERFUL, THANK YOU, God. Got dressed. Home for two twenty-five. Done, dusted, don’t have to worry about the hospital, and I’m clear for another twelve months. Absolute Magic. Fed the outside cats. Went upstairs. Wrote almost a full page.
The following day, the 8th, the galley proofs of MURDER IN BARE FEET (to be published on October 31st) arrived for me to check over. That was the last opportunity for me to make sure there were no mistakes to be reproduced a thousand million times, for all the world to see for all eternity what a fool I am. Another tedious job. But I decided to let it wait.
You see, I was afraid that I might lose the thread of the book I’m currently writing yet again. Well, you know I am in the middle of another Angel book, and had had two disturbances to my stream of thought. One of them was getting the website open on time for July 1st and the other thing was a painful wisdom tooth. I eventually had to have the damned thing out. Both these things took my concentration away from the writing. Once you’ve lost the thread, you’ve got to re-read the narrative, refresh your memory, pick up the characters, the plot, the intensity of the thing and regain the momentum. I had lost all that.
I was determined it was not going to happen a third time. I made everything wait, that I could, until I’d finished the book. I reckoned it should only take me about another 10 days. Dammit. I had everything, the characterisations, the clues, the exposé and the ending in my mind. I just had to get everything down in the right sequence, in the right words, to make the right length, while it was fresh and before I forgot it. Why doesn’t anybody understand that?
Anyway, on August 20th at 8.30 in the morning, I finished it. I say ‘finished’. I still need to go through it and polish it, but there’s no risk of me forgetting anything. It’s written down. I have got every character’s name right. The plot works. The story’s thrilling, unique and crisp. I am quite excited. Hope everybody else will be. (If it’s accepted, it won’t be published until September 2009).
Now I’ve chance to catch up with jobs I’ve left. Got to check those galley proofs and sort out my accountant. I am sure he’s getting things wrong. I think I’m being charged for all the Bejing fireworks!
Well, I hope you had a super holiday. We didn’t go away this year, maybe we’ll manage it later on.
Must go. Got to polish my book then think of a plot for a new book … and I haven’t an idea in my head.
Please come back in a little while and I’ll tell you what Angel’s up to and how I’m getting on.
-oOo-
Hello there. This is my third blog entry. If you haven’t looked in before, I’m trying to convey a flavour of what it’s like living here in South Yorkshire, writing crime novels (especially stories about Inspector Angel) while also trying to live something like a normal life. Now if that would be of interest to you, join the gang and please read on.
Since last time, I have had some interesting emails from very some nice people. One particular gentleman asked me if I was a relation of Herbert Silverwood, the evangelist who came from somewhere here in Yorkshire. Sadly I am not, but I had met him 20 or more years ago. He was a nice old gentleman wonderfully and sincerely gifted. I expect he will have passed on to greater glory by now.
You know, I’d like to hear from you. If you send me an interesting email, I might publish it here and you could maybe see it in a week or two.
A writer friend of mine, lovely Shirley Wells, reminded me that this diary goes all the way round the world. Wherever anybody with a computer, who might be at home, in an office, up a tree, in a boat, on a hot beach shaking down a coconut or wherever, who might be interested in Angel, or anything else I write about, can have a peek here for free.
Well, of course they can, cobber. I hadn’t thought about it. So it’s an opportunity for me to say to hello to all my friends in faraway places … such as Imagination Theatre in Seattle, Washington, USA, who I have written plays for; also my cousin, Paul in Northfield, in Michigan, USA, (it’s the town where Jesse James was shot dead); my wife’s cousin and good friend Robin and his lovely wife in Singapore, and my wife’s nephew, a great young man, Robs who has a posh job in Perth, Australia. Hope you’re all happy, making a few quid and getting a few beers wherever you are. Great stuff.
I say, on August 7th, I had not had a good night, didn’t sleep very well, and after I’d had my prunes and bran flakes and a mug of tea, I was upstairs, unshaved and in my pyjamas and dressing gown bumbling between the study (it’s a little store room with a desk, a computer and a filing cabinet in the corner) and the bedroom, where I do most of my writing on a laptop on the bed, on one elbow. I had wanted to write, but pains in my back and tooth-ache were getting at me and all I could think about was what to grumble about next. Well, it was that sort of day … chucking it down with rain as well as everything else. My wife was in the bathroom getting dressed, as I passed the door, I came back to tell her that the new two ply toilet paper doesn’t tear properly. Which it doesn’t. Each ply tears at a different length, which is damned inconvenient. I was going on at length about this and she was beginning to get ratty and I was getting rattier, when the phone rang. I turned and went into the bedroom and answered it. I expected it was somebody wanting to selling me something. I once had a girl ringing me up at eight o’clock at night wanting to sell me a wheelchair with 35% off!! I don’t even need a wheelchair. I could have reached down the wire and choked her. Anyway, it wasn’t. It was an appointments clerk at the hospital. It was about my appointment at the hospital for an examination and check up on the 21st. Would I like to come in earlier? Yes. Of course I would, I said. When? Soon as you can. How about today? Today? Can you make two o’clock? Today? Yes. I thought a second. Why not? Of course I can. Yes, I said. Yes. Right, she said. So, it was on.
I started moving round then. Had to. Time and tide and all that. Washed and shaved in no time. Shower. Clean vest and pants and all that for the doctor. We gobbled lunch … tomato soup, mashed banana in milk, apple and pear … and we were there, outrageously early at one o’clock, seen early at one-forty-five, told I was clear for another twelve months. Clear! Great. I said WONDERFUL, THANK YOU, God. Got dressed. Home for two twenty-five. Done, dusted, don’t have to worry about the hospital, and I’m clear for another twelve months. Absolute Magic. Fed the outside cats. Went upstairs. Wrote almost a full page.
The following day, the 8th, the galley proofs of MURDER IN BARE FEET (to be published on October 31st) arrived for me to check over. That was the last opportunity for me to make sure there were no mistakes to be reproduced a thousand million times, for all the world to see for all eternity what a fool I am. Another tedious job. But I decided to let it wait.
You see, I was afraid that I might lose the thread of the book I’m currently writing yet again. Well, you know I am in the middle of another Angel book, and had had two disturbances to my stream of thought. One of them was getting the website open on time for July 1st and the other thing was a painful wisdom tooth. I eventually had to have the damned thing out. Both these things took my concentration away from the writing. Once you’ve lost the thread, you’ve got to re-read the narrative, refresh your memory, pick up the characters, the plot, the intensity of the thing and regain the momentum. I had lost all that.
I was determined it was not going to happen a third time. I made everything wait, that I could, until I’d finished the book. I reckoned it should only take me about another 10 days. Dammit. I had everything, the characterisations, the clues, the exposé and the ending in my mind. I just had to get everything down in the right sequence, in the right words, to make the right length, while it was fresh and before I forgot it. Why doesn’t anybody understand that?
Anyway, on August 20th at 8.30 in the morning, I finished it. I say ‘finished’. I still need to go through it and polish it, but there’s no risk of me forgetting anything. It’s written down. I have got every character’s name right. The plot works. The story’s thrilling, unique and crisp. I am quite excited. Hope everybody else will be. (If it’s accepted, it won’t be published until September 2009).
Now I’ve chance to catch up with jobs I’ve left. Got to check those galley proofs and sort out my accountant. I am sure he’s getting things wrong. I think I’m being charged for all the Bejing fireworks!
Well, I hope you had a super holiday. We didn’t go away this year, maybe we’ll manage it later on.
Must go. Got to polish my book then think of a plot for a new book … and I haven’t an idea in my head.
Please come back in a little while and I’ll tell you what Angel’s up to and how I’m getting on.
-oOo-
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