Daynote - Sat 12 Apr
I usually try to write a daynote on any day that I do writing work, which is usually not the weekends - I've learned over the years that trying to write at the weekends really doesn't work for me, because it activates my long-buried resentment at doing homework.
I can overcome that feeling if two conditions apply - one if I'm with other writers, or if I'm on deadline. Today I've met both of those conditions - I'm at the Edinburgh SFF Write-In at The Crannie community hub with other members of my writing community, for a full day of writing sprints, too many sweet baked goods and some good catching up.
And I'm also on deadline, rattling rapidly towards a hand-in date at the end of May and with 14,000 words in the current draft left to cut. Hence - writing on a Saturday. And I'm only slightly regretful at missing the sun outside.
ON DECK: Only halfway through the writing day, but a solid -828 so far this morning on the PROJECT SCARLET editing, and I've dipped under 114k. I'm hoping for at least the same again, but I'll update the post letter with final counts.
Edit: I ended the session at 1,350 cut, and just over 113k. Nice!
Yesterday Waterstones started to publicise events with Chris Whitaker, part of his UK paperback tour for ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK. I'm very pleased to say that I've been asked to chair his Edinburgh event on April 30th. Do come along to hear me ask him lots of questions about this gobsmacking novel.
TOOLS AND PROCESS: Now that I've got my Supernote notes back, I'm very, very glad to have done so, it's an immense help and really speeds up each editing session. I almost always find additional cuts as I go along, but knowing that I'm doing a second pass and I've already read, parsed and thought about what to do to fix the scene gives me a real boost of confidence that is otherwise missing when I start editing a scene.
Again, though, I'm running out of road a bit on the marked-up pages, so I'll need to set aside some time in the coming week to read and edit the remainder of PROJECT SCARLET.
LISTENING: I really enjoyed this interview with fellow DHH client Robert Rutherford on Confessions of a Book Collector. I met Rob at the DHH 25th anniversary party last year, and he very kindly blurbed A RELUCTANT SPY. Great interview.
WATCHING: We finished off LAST ONE LAUGHING last night, which was a hoot, and a well-deserved winner with a stonker of a final joke. We also continued WHEEL OF TIME, which I must confess I'm finding a bit all over the place. But it's probably because I'm quite distracted at the moment.
READING: Still reading PROJECT SCARLET, but I'm also about to start ALL THE COLOURS OF THE DARK by Chris Whitaker in preparation for the event above. It's a pretty chunky novel, but I've heard from many, many people that once you start it's very hard to stop.
LINK: The truly wonderful Cymera SFFH book festival posted its 2025 programme yesterday and it is an absolutely fantastic one. Packed with amazing writers, workshops and events. If you've never been and you're anywhere near Edinburgh, I strongly urge you to come along. It's been one of the highlights of my writing calendar for years now.
UP NEXT: More writing this afternoon, then a day off tomorrow at home, then back into it again next week. It's a short working week at the day job thanks to the Easter weekend, plus we're having our fence replaced in the middle of the week which I'd imagine is going to involve a lot of power tools, so there will be plenty going on. But the Big Edit rolls ever forward and I am its mere servant. Onward!