A Return to the Norm

"Hey everybody!"
"Hey, Norm!"

So, after a few weeks of galavanting around the country I'm now unmistakably back home with everything pretty much back to normal. Following a holiday to Dorset and watching two of my favourite bands in the midlands and the north I'm now back in Sussex, where it's all very quiet. It's been a fantastic few weeks, and these were some of the best concerts I've ever been to, but, I have to say, I'm a little excited to get back to writing.

Today was my first day that was really my own since I've been back. I had to work at my other job on Sunday and Monday so today when I woke I was ready to sit down and start a new chapter. I grabbed my pen, paper and my imagination (my imagination often wonders far and yet it's never a great distance away... weird, huh?) and I quite happily started writing. I did a good one thousand words and was happy with my progress. Then life happened. I realised all the errands I had to run. I had housework to do, things to do in town, and a host of other pieces of admin that couldn't really wait. I set to them immediately and emerged smiling at about seven pm. So, all in all, not the best writing day I've ever had, but that all looks set to change tomorrow.

I'm really close to the end of Lay Me Restless now! I can't let the pace slip.

This is a thing. I work in a cafe part-time to subsidise my writing (I'm not J.K Rowling yet) and I always call my cafe-job my other-job. My regular customers who know I'm an author (which is all of them, because, you know, it's a conversation starter...) call my writing-job my proper-job. I'd agree with this, but every so often one of my friends will call my other-job my proper-job. But I spend a lot more time at my writing-job than I do my other-job, so my writing-job seems more proper to me. Not only this, but I've been writing a lot long than I've been working in cafes and approach writing with a lot more passion and dedication than I do my cafe-job (sorry, boss; as much as I love coffee, you need something to read while you're drinking it). So, while some people might argue that my other-job is a lot more proper than my proper-job, they don't understand me properly, otherwise my other more otherworldly job about thing other than things you'd find in a cafe or other food establishment would probably seem as proper to them as it does to me with it being my proper-job and seeming properly proper. If you follow me...

In other news, my band is hard at work practicing for Battle of the Bands next month. I'm really looking forward to it. It's always a great event and this year, with it's new summer date and changed venue to the local park, it looks to be better than ever.

Also, go and see Pearl Jam live. You'll thank me.

Another Holiday!

So, I had a really great time in Dorset. I did so much reading, what more can you ask for? The weather was great and it was fantastic to have so much time to relax. But the holiday isn't quite over yet! Next week I'm travelling pretty much the entire length of country and back again to see two of my favourite bands. I'm seeing Pearl Jam in Leeds, Pixies in Manchester and then Pearl Jam again in Milton Keynes. They both put on fantastic live shows so I can't wait!

Aside from that I'm typically busy. Still writing, chipping away at it as and when I can and making a fair amount of progress with it. My band's practicing for the upcoming Battle of the Bands tournament and I'm practicing my acoustic stuff for the solo competition too. I'm getting everything ready for my book signing in September (stay tuned for more info on that). I'm also setting up a local group in my county for the Fawcett Society. Not to mention a few articles to write for the online magazine I've been writing for. What can I say? I like to keep busy.

Well, I should get on with the above list. I'll post again as soon as I can.

Sam