Freedom From The Mundane

Image: Weekly Reader

Looking back, June was a great month. May had been good and I had been wanting to build on it, so when carrying out my GDR review of the past 30 days I was delighted with the results of both the amount of work I’ve got through, the quality of my submissions, the [...]

July 1st, 2010 | Tags: Editing, Fiction, Freelance, GDR's, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, sumbissions, websites, work review, Writing | Category: Books, Fiction, Internet, Photography, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing, Writing Process | Leave a comment

Image: Yes China Tour

It was a scorching weekend—Scotland’s summer came early this year and now we (us Scots) are all heading back to work sporting skin all shades of pink and red the spectrum has to offer. Yes, we know how to handle the sun.
Saturday saw me up town in the morning to enjoy a [...]

May 24th, 2010 | Tags: August Rush, coffee shop, DVD, Edinburgh Marathon, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Freelance, gardening, housework, movie, Music, pizza, Reading, scorching sun, Scotland, sun bathing, Weather, Writing | Category: Day Job, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Music, Reading, Scotland, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: David Blaine

Long week it has been and I’ve not been feeling too great at all. I’m not sure if I came down with something or if I was just generally run down, but for the latter half I felt like crap. Headaches, dodgy stomach and a desire to sleep constantly, I was in bed [...]

March 27th, 2010 | Tags: Andy Knox, bigotry, Day Job, Football, Freelance, gig, Glasgow, Hampden Park, Holiday, illness, League Cup Final. St. Mirren, Music, News of the World, Old Firm, review, Sick, Writing | Category: Day Job, Freelance, Glasgow, Music, Scotland, Sport, Writing | Leave a comment

Fiction
* Write 20K words on BACCARA BURNING – part-done; 5k
* Write one new short/flash story per month – done
* Re-submit any rejected/recalled short stories – done
* Submit more fiction/poetry competitions – done
Poetry
* Write at least one poem per week – done (plus lots more)
* Complete MS for SILLY POEMS FOR WEE PEOPLE VOL.2 – done
* [...]

February 28th, 2010 | Tags: Books, Dreams and Resolutions, Editing, Fiction, Freelance, GDR's, Goals, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing | Category: Books, Fiction, Freelance, Poetry, Reading, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: Seattle Municipal Archives

It’s definitely getting milder. The wearing of my bunnet is now becoming an unnecessary addition to my daily attire, although we’re not quite at the stage I can safely leave the house with it and risk freezing my napper to the bone. Still, it’s a sign that despite the snow two days [...]

February 5th, 2010 | Tags: Arizona, article re-write, Clark's, Day Job, Editor, Fiction, Freelance, Guinness, I.T., mild, nature, phone call, pint, Scottish accent, Short Stories, spring, Submissions, telephone, USA, Weather, writing competitions | Category: Day Job, Freelance, I.T., Publishing and Marketing, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: thescruffydogreview.com

I missed Groundhog Day on Tuesday. I only know about it because of the Bill Murray film of the same title. I love that film—think I’ll have to get a copy and watch it soon. As it turns out in real life, Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. I could have seen [...]

February 4th, 2010 | Tags: article, chapbook, Day Job, e-zine, Freelance, Groundhog Day, I.T., lit-zine, Luke Wright, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, re-writes, Reading, Scruffy Dog Review | Category: Books, Day Job, Freelance, I.T., Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)

Image: Dennis Wong

Yesterday was the kind of Saturday I’ve needed for quite some time. If I could have wished for a better feeling come the twilight of the afternoon, then I got what I desired. It was a nice day but not all that exciting. It was low level boring stuff to most, but for [...]

January 17th, 2010 | Tags: alarms, Arab Strap, Boots, chapbook, Coffee, computers, DVD, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Editing, External Hard Drive, Freelance, iPod, Me Time, moleskin notepad, movie, PC World, pizza, poems, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Samuel L Jackson, Saturday, Scotland's Treasure, scrabble, security, Starbucks, Ten Years of Tears, Tesco, The Cleaner, writers, Writing | Category: Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Family, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, I.T., Music, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Reading, Travel, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: Homeys.co.uk

I’ve ordered some new slippers. I came across some fabulous foot offerings called Homeys and was swept away, not only with the comfort they look like they have (like walking on shag pile) but also their designs—take a look for yourself! I ordered a pair of Crazy Feet; purple weave with innards like lambs [...]

January 12th, 2010 | Tags: baffies, computers, creativity, Day Job, Electronic Voice Phenomena, Enchiladas, EVP, Fiction, Freelance, gig review, Homeys, I.T., Mexican food, movies, office, slippers, Writer's Group, Writing | Category: Day Job, Editorial Comment, Fiction, Film & TV, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, I.T., Writing, Writing Process | Comments (4)

Image: Linis Bohman

It was a productive weekend. I swapped my Saturday and Sunday routines around so I could have a lie on Saturday morning. I needed it—really needed it—and it paid off. When I arose the infernal tiredness had gone and I was feeling great about life. Lots of things to do and I had [...]

January 11th, 2010 | Tags: albums, articles, creative, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Freelance, gigs, Indian meal, Music, pet food, productive, Reading, Reviews, Writing | Category: Animals, Books, Edinburgh: the City & the Festivals, Fiction, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Music, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: Byrion Smith

I wrote some poetry last night, my first writing of any form for almost two weeks. It wasn’t great stuff but at least it was writing, as in, the pen transferring my thoughts onto the page.
It was a start. It felt familiar. It felt like sitting on a steam train that had scraped [...]

October 22nd, 2009 | Tags: album, Baccara Burning, CD, Freelance, gigs, Glasgow, Homecoming, laucnh party, Madness, Music, News of the World, plotting, Poetry, press release, Reviews, Scruffy Dog Review, ship launch, storyline, WIP, Writing | Category: Fiction, Freelance, Glasgow, Music, Poetry, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (2)

Image: zeon7

ne⋅glect  [ni-glekt]
–verb (used with object)
1- to pay no attention or too little attention to; disregard or slight.
2- to be remiss in the care or treatment of.
3- to omit, through indifference or carelessness.
4- to fail to carry out or perform (orders, duties, etc.).
5- to fail to take or use: to neglect no precaution.
This definition, particularly [...]

October 10th, 2009 | Tags: Blogging, CDs, Day Job, Fiction, Freelance, iPod earphones, Music, neglect, Reading, websites, Writing | Category: Day Job, Fiction, Freelance, Internet, Music, Reading, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: hammerhouse

Not a particularly long blog post today as yesterday was swamped. As Monday’s in the day job go, it was a mad one, though I was expecting it as the rota has been packed out for a few days now. Typical it would have to be my week on the “day shift” when it [...]

October 6th, 2009 | Tags: articles, Billy Connolly, Blogging, Day Job, Freelance, I.T., Reading, review, Scruffy Dog Review, SDR, Website | Category: Day Job, Food, Drink, and Bevvy, Freelance, Internet, Reading, Writing | Comments (1)

Image: FruitFly

I found myself dealing with more numpties than I would normally expect to during my day job, yesterday. I mean, one has to wonder where we get the staff from at times. On one hand it boosts my profile, but on the other it is so infuriating to have to lead people by the [...]

September 23rd, 2009 | Tags: acceptances, Day Job, e-zine, Editing, Fiction, flash fiction, Freelance, GDR's, idiots, Internet, League Cup, numpties, Poetry, Publishing and Marketing, Ranfurly Review, Reading, rejections, Scottish football, security, St Mirren, Submissions, The Leither, Website, Writing | Category: Day Job, Editorial Comment, Fiction, Freelance, Internet, Interviews, Photography, Poetry, Reading, Sport, Writing, Writing Process | Comments (1)