Here Comes Baby Jesus...

Monday 14th December 2015

Got the last of the paperwork ready for the college. Surpassed my fiction word count by a thousand. Finding it quite fun but that’s only because at this stage I don’t give a shit about plot. Me and Jenni had some big laughs today. I should just write down our exchanges. Better than any fiction I could make. More presents bought. Only a few left to get. 10.45 pm.

Tuesday 15th December 2015

Got some writing done this morning. Finally got the hard copy college paperwork into Waddy today. Was good to chat about how things have gone. Some new sign-ups for next year. Enjoyable Christmas meal with people from Mind at The Ox this afternoon. Read a bit from a novel called You, Me & Other People by Fionnuala Kearney on the bus back to Consett. Bumped into Mr Elliot from Giffin Print in Tesco this evening. He gave me a lift home. Looking forward to a few days of doing very little. 11.10 pm.

Wednesday 16th December 2015

Long lie in this morning. Got my words done. Mainly been reading articles online. Checked out some Black Flag videos. Watched The Doctor Blake Mysteries on tv this afternoon. Lush bangers and mash tea with Jenni. Wrote a bit more about the character, Stanley; today he was in some grotty scrap yard amid filth and decay. Checked out some Goth Facebook groups. Listened to Stray Cats. Got an excerpt from a poetic essay about biketrial and Castleside Quarry accepted by Jane Burn for The Fat Damsel e-zine. Christmas stuff is a bit distracting. I want to get ‘Anomalies 1989-2014’ completed. 10.58 pm.

Thursday 17th December 2015

Another lie in. Keep going to bed around midnight after falling asleep on the couch. The writing before breakfast is holding up. Over twenty-five thousand words done. Lots of vignettes listed today. Whether they can be rearranged to form the story spine of a sustained prose work remains to be seen. I read a few more chapters of You, Me & Other People. It’s not my usual kind of thing but I need to read widely to have stuff that might suit students. They don’t want Lydia Lunch, Rollins, Bukowski, Beckett, Michael Gira and obscure perzines… I’m now at JibbaJabba. Got here at 20 past seven coz after tea I went to buy my 2016 journal from Paperchase – might as well have it now as pay an additional two-thirds of the price on bus fare after Christmas. Got a present for Jenni that I thought had been discontinued, so chuffed about that. We’re late opening. The room is dark and guests are still doing tech. Stevie Ronnie is here, Inua Ellams and Pikey Beatz. Now Metallica/Journey mash-up on the sound system. People coming in soon. 7.45 pm.

Friday 18th December 2015

JibbaJabba was good last night. Great to see Jenni Pascoe back onstage doing a set of poems, plus Inua Ellams and Steve Ronnie. Pikey Beatz filled the room with their vibrancy. First time I’ve seen a full band onstage at The Cumberland Arms. On the bus back a very drunk punk couple were larking about and chatting to random passengers all the way to Consett. The woman with the multi-coloured dreadlocks was in her forties. When I got off she said: Goodnight, old man. Got some food at Tesco then home. Bed around half two this morning so a bit wrecked today. More parcels arrived. The furthest I got was the local shop. Read a bit of Kathy Acker and watched a documentary about her. Got final confirmation from Broadacre House on the January writing marathon. Six places filled so far. Four to go. Jenni is back in Bensham for a few days. Just messaged to remind her that Queen are on BBC4 tonight. Going to have a ‘nasty’ pasty and beans then watch them for an hour or so. 10.20 pm.

Saturday 19th December 2016

Apart from getting 1,700 words down most of the day has been devoted to Xmas shopping. Pleased most of it was already done online. Buying family-specific greetings cards always takes a long time. Got absolutely drenched in town by a fucking car speeding through a bastard river! Never mind fancy paving slabs, Consett – how about some decent fucking drainage! A couple of trips and about twelve hours later, the room full of stuff that needs wrapping for Monday, I’m ready for bed. 10.53 pm.

Sunday 20th December 2015

Heard back from all who expressed an interest in the writing marathon. Put out a shout for the final places, Chuffed it’s now full up. Aiming to organise another for end of Feb / March. Spent most of the day wrapping up presents. Got an hour and a quarter at the ‘fiction’. On track. Over thirty-three thousand words done. Some conflicts, dialogue, reveries – it’s coming along. 11.26 pm.

Monday 21st December 2015

Good to spend a few hours with family today. Mam and Ernie arrived just before ten with presents. I got ready and we visited Diane and Kyle for an hour. Then back here to pick up more presents. Defrosted the freezer with my trusty hairdryer and large screwdriver this afternoon then fell asleep on the couch. Keyed in more fiction this evening. It’s been fun but sometimes challenging to come up with narratives every day. Listened to Emile Autumn then watched Shocking Moments in Pop on television – L7, Iggy, Madonna, Freddy Mercury, etc. Will be out buying food tomorrow. 11.41 pm.