The boat 'MISS BAUDET' is a garden, party venue, writers' retreat and HQ for serious meetings with my publisher David

Wednesday 16 November 2016

Moving On



We all move on, metaphorically, physically and mentally.

Here we see a glowing example of how the barge that was featured heavily in Muddy Water (and where some of the hot action took place - say no more, say no more, Rowtree's Breakaway, etc) has now, at obviously great expense, been moved on from its dilapidated state.

I too have moved on mentally to pastures new, with unbound enthusiasm for projects plentiful and so-far untold. More to come in the near future.

Monday 7 November 2016

Radio Radio

Exciting times are around the corner with the beginning of Colne Radio, our very own local radio station, GOING FM.

Yes, sirree, and yours truly has been signed up for a multi-rupee deal to present a regular daytime show.

I've just got to come up with a title.

"The Neil Watson Show"? No - who the f*ck's Neil Watson?
"The Arts Show"? No, too pretentious, Darling.
"Trump That!" No - who the f*ck's Trump?
"Guitar Masterclass" Could be cool.
"The Book Club" - Hmmm, we're
getting somewhere.

Maybe I could mess them all up and make a combo.

"The 'That's Another Fine Mess' Show" will be coming to a radio near you early next year.

I hope I'll be able to pre-record some of the shows from my old boat. I always wanted to do that.

And maybe from inside Tallulah?

The possibilities are endless.




Tuesday 1 November 2016

Remind Me To Smile


It's quite tough, I've discovered, being a novel writer.

Florida Key is a fictional story set in Florida and Illinois, and of course Wivenhoe.

This time I decided to plan out the story in detail before properly getting down and dirty and writing the words. The trouble with that plan is that when you try really hard to come up with the story's intricacies, they simply don't flow as well as this author hoped.

The only thing to do under these circumstances, I decided, was to forget Florida Key for a while and totally immerse myself in someone else's work, thus freeing up my own mind, and letting it be open to subconscious thoughts.

In my particular case, I began reading Martin Downham's wonderful Remind Me To Smile.

Thanks to Martin for his yesterday-story about his love for Gary Numan. He is totally transporting me away to a world so far removed from my story-writing of today.

It's like drinking a tonic.