Drink up, dreamers, you're running dry.

I'm a whole day early putting this up on account of steaming through this week's editing mountain. Today has been brought to you by incoherent rage at crap news pieces and finding a South American internet radio station that's full of 80s.

Right, angry people in the 80s, you say? Have some more book words. I'm 75% sure there's more of Chapter 2 and this was a section break, but I can't find my notes and my wrists hurt so nyerr nyerr.

( In which angry men are angry. )

Hoo boy. Pain in my shoulder from weightlifting and headweasels set to 'chatter unhelpfully'. Looks like it's another late shift on Word for me. Current earworms time.

A friend has been encouraged into creative writing and I promised I'd write something more substantial than a Facebook comment. I've written more frivolously about the NaNoWriMo slog here, but not much since people started going 'hey this is not utter tosh so how about editing eh' because I’ve been, er, editing.

( Such that a newbie can offer deep insight into the writing process, here it is. )

Well, that got long. Any questions?

The first edit is done. Oh yes, it is done, and with my editor. Having spent a fortnight doing nothing but prodding the thing, I sat down and did a bit of number-crunching on it.

( Tedious stats )

Now, I've been thinking about this momentous deed quite a bit, in between the whole 'Pete accepted a job and I might be in Edinburgh househunting next week and oh god stop talking to be about conveyancing my eyes are bleeding' thing.

( In which the authoress in no way attempts to justify herself one bit )

Incidentally, I've been secretly beavering away on a book blog similar to my editor's, so watch this space. But, y'know, NOVELS, EH.

Social media is a funny beast sometimes.

Yesterday on Twitter, I managed to:

- Discuss the shooting location for Modern Love with a Twitter pal who's a massive prog nut (Shepherd's Bush Tube station, incidentally)

- Have a sobering talk about a friend's customers with substance addictions (while she was hiding as one of them smashed the place up)

- Complain about O2 censoring sites on 3G with their crap porn filter after angua found herself on the receiving end of it (And I only made one joke about ladygardens after a gardening site I was on was blocked.)

- Finish a discussion with an online friend in America who, while he holds views on things like guns that I disagree with, is able to have an interesting and articulate debate about it

- Talk about creative writing with the girlfriend of the legendary paperghost. Thanks to her I'm now aware of the existence of Bata, Bata… Pa'no Ka Ginawa? and she's sending me the link to the English version shortly

- Laugh at the original Doctor Who theme with a listener to the WoW podcast I guested on a while back

And, on top of all that, I totally overcompensated for Monday's writer's block and wrote over 3000 words of novel.

MORE DAYS LIKE THIS, PLEASE.

( Day 5: Who is Mr Kirby, The Ginge the Geordie and the Geek, Mixed Doubles )

We both took our Fringe-free day today for a rest, but tomorrow is our last full day, so expect me hilariously attempting to see way too many shows in a short time period, have a meltdown outside the pop-up champagne bar on the Royal Mile and have Broadway Baby give it 5 stars...

Saturday is usually a quietish day for me during the Fringe, due to the fact that the entire universe appears in town and my elbows become extra-sharp to deal with it. Nevertheless, we squashed in two shows, and a wander round the bric-a-brac in the Grassmarket, before declaring defeat on the crowds and fleeing.

( Read more... )

Fringe Refreshments of the Day- Fleeing home for steak pie and roast potatoes chez parents. Even I'm not mug enough to stay in the town to be trampled by fervent Manolos clattering to the next hummus stop.

And now I must sleep, despite being a day behind on my scribblings. Weekday quietness invites an earlyish start at the shows!

I thought we'd have a quiet first full day at the Fringe, but alas it was never meant to be. Instead we took on one serious piece of theatre, some character comedy and some musical Fringe veterans.

( Read on for reviews... )

Fringe Refreshments of the Day: Swift half of cider at the Pleasance Courtyard, and dinner at Mamma's in the Grassmarket. Gluten-haters should note it was the first pizzeria in town to offer gluten-free bases, and they're awesome for a takeaway slice as well as sitting in. I recommend the Fireball topping with the spicy tomato base sauce, and the dense chocolate cheesecake of death.

Roll on tomorrow's Fringe randomness! Oh, and here's the famous 4 Chord Song to keep you going...