Sun, sea and sand. Well, sea and sand at least ...

We're off to Camber Sands for a long weekend. It's come at just the right time to give us all a break. Dad's still up and down and I'm continuing regular treks north of the river to visit him. Meanwhile the pool where Greg works as a swimming teacher has just closed indefinitely on health and safety grounds. (Years of underinvestment and neglect being entirely coincidental of course.) So it's bye bye income. I don't suppose I'd know what to do with a nice cosy secure existence if it hit me. Probably just as well ...

This is what progress looks like ...

So - I've been bullied by my fictional creations, encouraged by the ever wonderful East Dulwich Writers' Group and inspired by my dad's awesome strength. I'm now working on the 3rd chapter of my 5th book and can reveal the following:
The provisional title is Depth Charge.
The plot is loosely based on local government corruption.
Gotta get on now ... got some bureaucratic arse to kick ... I can tell I'm going to enjoy this ...

I'm trying ... but it's trying ...

My Nirvanan family are sitting on my shoulder waiting for me to release them from my head and onto the page. But there's so much else going on in this world, it's hard to make the transfer.
'So why are you sitting there blogging?' shrieks Jen.
'Get back into your own world,' I reply.
'No!' Jen says, 'Your world and my world are one and the same. So stop making excuses, stop blogging, and start typing. Blimey, you haven't even got a title for this 5th book, have you?'
'Maybe. I have a few ideas ...'
'Huh! What you have is an ability to raise displacement activity to an artform.'
'Look, I'm having a hard time, right? Don't have a go at me. I've got enough on my plate without my fictional creations ranting at me!'
'Your fault, matey. You created me but I'm out there now and it's too late for regrets.'
'Oh, all right then ...'

Life, eh?

Work on Book 5 is intermittent as my dad's in hospital following a major heart attack, so I'm currently mired in the real world with little opportunity for escape to the fictional realm ...
I did manage to get to a Society of Authors meeting re author websites earlier this week though. It was well-presented and interesting but to be honest, I felt a bit been there-seen it-done it. More than anything else, it proved what a brilliant job Aba has done on my site. (Like I needed proof!)
Call me childish if you like (you won't be the first) but I was amused by a notice on the inside of the toilet door when I was there. 'Do not put any foreign objects down the toilet.' As the venue was the Royal Overseas League, the choice of words tickled me ...