Seven Days

Tuesday 4th June 2013

Nice to get a good lie in this morning. Didn’t leave the house till after eleven. Only took a few minutes to set up this afternoon’s Writing for All Half-Marathon. A couple of people were reluctant to take the plunge but afterwards said they had a good time. Wrote ten new first drafts. Mainly fictional narratives. One or two stabs at poetry.

Has been unusually nice outside. It should be nice, I know – but the usual is wet and shit. Parts of Europe must be getting our rain this week.

Watched Week 4 of The Fall early evening then had a couple of hours prepping for the next two sessions. My spare room is full of old folders and lesson plans. Read some David Gaffney flash fiction and had a pepperoni pizza. Aim to be in bed in less than an hour. 9.45pm.

Wednesday 5th June 2013

Bit stressed this morning. Don’t like doing mid-term reviews and neither do the students. But we get through it. Gave them a copy of the Race by Sharon Olds. Wrote a piece of urgent travel. Recap of six sessions. Been out for a wander this afternoon. Walked up to WH Smith’s to check out the music papers. Nothing much of interest. Sabbath have a new album out but Bill Ward isn’t with them. Apparently his contract wasn’t in shape or something. Checked out some notebooks in Paperchase. Noticed a number of people going for the natural Kraft finish journals and scrapbooks. Same colour as “…Sunshine”.

Been taking it easy since rehearsing for tonight’s slam. I have a full-on day tomorrow and need to pace myself a bit more if I’m going to work on my own stuff at the weekend.

I’m in the Waddy kitchen. Ravioli and a tin of pineapple rings. REM on the radio as I finished my food. ‘Imitation of Life’. I lost track of their later albums but saw them play at Huddersfield McAlpine Stadium in 1995. Beautiful South supported. Saw BS three more times over the next few years. Talking Heads on now. Once in a Lifetime. I had the hits but wasn’t a huge fan.

Getting picked up at around half six this evening by Sky Hawkins and Jenni. The slam starts at 7.00pm. Going to give it my best shot but there are some phenomenal performers taking part this evening. Luck of the draw and audience tastes, of course. Could do with an hour’s sleep, to be honest. 5.09pm

LATER: Mint slam at Ustinov College. Some stellar performances and some off the wall scoring, but it was great to see Sky Hawkins take the title and seventy five quid. A number of people opted to ditch the mic, which freed up delivery a hell of a lot. I used the page but people said that was okay. Pleased to get past the first round. Thought Aidan Clarke would have been scored higher. One of the Waddy students was there, totally gobsmacked by the range of material, voices and delivery.

Good of Sky to give me a lift back to Durham. Got Clark Fenny to the train station, am now on the 43 to Stanley for 78 to Consett then a half hour walk to Moorside. Home by midnight, hopefully. 10.35pm.

Thursday 6th June 2013

At Waddy in the computer suite listening to Dead is the New Alive by Emilie Autumn on Vampirefreaks player. It’s a lovely sunny evening. Hope we get a good turn out for Poetry jam. Two gigs in two nights; Durham is truly blessed with wordsmiths this week.

Feel a bit wrecked. Didn’t get back from last night’s awesome slam until after midnight but was workshopping in Consett by ten this morning. A good session on building characters from the ground up. Then some dialogue kick-starters.

Been working with one of the students this afternoon on his debt pamphlet. It’s nearly done. We’re aiming to have it printed soon in time for the summer open day. Don’t think I’m going to be in a fit state for much first thing tomorrow morning. It’ll be after midnight when I get home.

Really pleased to get more work at Waddy over the summer. Need the money when thieving gas companies take two hundred quid for a spring bill. Have to be very careful with the budget this year. Only luxuries are meals and bike maintenance. Hope we have a dry summer. Need to put some miles in. Need to lose a stone in weight. Ok, best get ready to make a move. Doors open soon. 6.34pm.

LATER: Great night at Poetry Jam. Loads of people turned out. Guests were great, open floor spots high standard. New voices in the room. Jenni did good stuff and featured in about four of the announcements at the end. Sheila gave me a lift home. I’m currently burning in my messy bedroom while the wit and wisdom of Mr Rollins comes full throttle out of Facebook. Live in the Conversation Pit. I’m hoping to not be up too late tonight coz I want to work on my book tomorrow. And need to buy some food. 11.18pm.

Friday 7th June 2013

Gruelling day. Took three hours to make one copy of Sunshine. Trimming and folding the dust jacket is the hardest part. Don’t want cracks on the card, so the stock has to be scored on reverse of print. Have to be careful folding them. Not making any more individual copies start to finish. Going to fold all pages then press overnight.

Saturday 8th June 2013

Ten hours yesterday, thirteen today – all pages folded, endpapers square-spined, a fifth of them stitched. Book-building by hand is a lengthy process. Had to buy a box of disposable gloves to avoid fingermarks.

Checked excess trim and margins looked fine on page that was wrong on copy made yesterday. Just going to make all stage by stage, not individual copy start to finish. So Much for the Sunshine. 10.16pm.

Sunday 9th June 2013

Up at seven this morning. Spent two hours making a Sunshine tape for playback whilst working. Chuffed with the stuff - spent so long on production of physical book I forgot how good a lot of these pieces sound aloud. Should get a strong first set for Jibba. Might road test it at Lamplight with the book in my hand.

Another full-on day. Hands aching now. All copies stitched up, inner boards still to fold and attach, then dust jackets. Probably next weekend. Might put some production photos online at some point.

Jenni says she had a good workshop in Barnard Castle. I’m done for today. 11.31pm.

Monday 10th June 2013

Frustrating day. Woke early – too early really and have been feeling at bit wrecked since. The internet is being a fucking pain again. I don’t pay thirty quid a month to go online when it’s convenient to talktalk. I’m a fucking events promotoer and writing networker and I need to research and upload info! Only got a fraction of my stuff done today. On the bright side lots of people put LIKE on last night’s book progress update. Hands hurting today. Probably won’t get a chance to do more on Sunshine till Friday. Pleased to get the Lamplight Megabash event uploaded before net connection died. Pleased to get my prompts sorted for Half Marathons and the poems sequenced for a student collection. I’m in dire need of a shave and have still to prep for tomorrow afternoon. Oh, and I’m going to need my finances sorted for tax purposes as well. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on phone for first time in a while. Watching The Fall crime drama at nine. Ok. 8.45pm.