Today I tried to breathe some life into a morgue scene, which is pretty easy to do. I re-ordered exposition, stripped out unnecessary foreshadowing, added in an allusion to the Brides in the Bath. Pretty usual stuff.

Tomorrow – actual content, I promise! (For a given value of “content”, anyway.)

Specifically finishing off the work on chapter 4, and laying a plan for some plot surgery. Apologies for the dearth of actual content, but this is likely to be the case more often than not – especially if I try writing new stuff that I want to sell or the like. If you’re following on my twitter, then I’ll make sure to note in the tweet if there’s new stuff. (If you’re on the Facebook page, then I’m only putting actual content on there, so you’re grand.)

Today’s scribbling was rewriting the first part of chapter 4. Partially to redo the opening to put more scene-setting, partially to extract some unneeded levity form a conversation that should have been serious. There’s amusing dialogue, and there’s making your characters sound like assholes.

Specifically, working on chapter 2 and turning it into more of a chapter 1. Cutting out some overly heavy foreshadowing, shifting a plot reveal from the start of the chapter to the end, rewriting some bits I decided were crap. Usual stuff. I expect this chapter to need another round or two to get perfect, though.

Back to work today, which means back to workmanlike scribbling. Today was devoted to novel rewriting work – specifically amputating the first chapter entirely. I liked it, but not enough happened in it to justify it. In fact, I replaced most of it with a paragraph in Chapter 3, along with a bunch more rewrites on it (which means Chapter 3 is rewritten before Chapter 2, which seems odd). Anyway. Sorry for no new actual content, but that’s probably going to wind up being the case more often than not with this blog.Tomorrow – probably more novel work.

Today’s scribbling is really more an exercise in writing than anything else, picking a painting in the Ulster Museum and writing an in-depth description of it. Worthwhile, if exhausting.

Today’s scribbling is basically some pointless self indulgence. On the other hand, it did make me decide to keep two of the books I was going to give away (none of those I summarised, though).

Today, some meandering pop culture analysis. You may disagree with some of the things I say or conclusions I draw (frankly, I’m not sure I entirely agree with them), but if so, let me know in the comments!

Some family history for you this time. Sometimes life can be stranger than fiction.

Today, some non-fiction: HMS Wasp And The Cursing Stones Of Tory Island. This is actually something I did the research for four or five years ago, as part of a general investigation into the more odd myths and legends of recent vintage in Donegal. Other things that turned up in that week of research included ghosts in Ballyshannon, the Holy Grail being buried near Lifford, “hungry grass”, a monster-slaying saint and other stories that may turn up here some day.