Daynote - Fri 22 Aug

I'm running out of visual metaphors for cutting words. But today was a good chopping session, so here's an axe. No walk this morning as I've got a day off, so it was a late-starting and slow-moving writing session. Then we're off out for breakfast.

As of this morning, it's just three weeks until Bloody Scotland. I am extremely excited. I went for the first time in 2023 and I was a 'Crime in the Spotlight' reader last year, where I got to sign books alongside Frank Gardner. And this year, I'll be on two panels as well as crossing my fingers as a Bloody Scotland Debut Prize shortlister.

The debut panel is sold out, but you can still grab a ticket for my spy panel with Michael Idov and DB John, chaired by Kim Sherwood.

ON DECK: A decent -233 words cut today and I'm within sight of my project target, with a good third of the book left to go. That's good, because I will probably keep cutting and refining as I got, then go back again and insert one or two new things that have occurred during this readthrough. But I'm very happy with my progress.

Off out shortly, then this afternoon I'll have a very exciting Zoom that I can't talk about. I am very much looking forward to it though.

LISTENING: Loved this episode of the Page One Podcast with Natalie Jayne Clark, one of my fellow Bloody Scotland Debut Prize shortlisters. I saw her do the pitch she talks about in this episode and I believe I may have leaned over to my friend Nick and murmured 'she's absolutely going to get a book deal with a pitch like that'. And she did!

WATCHING: Another episode of DEPT Q. last night and it's definitely taken a darker turn. I do find the surname 'Mork' quite difficult to take seriously though, mainly because it reminds me of Mork and Mindy.

READING: More BERLIN WOLVES yesterday and it has also taken a darker turn. In a very good way.

LINK: Very excited to see that my friend Nick Binge's next novella, ABYSS, has been announced, coming from Tor Nightfire next May. I read this while Nick was drafting it (we're critique partners) and it's some of the most raw, personal and terrifying stuff he's done yet, while still managing to be bleakly hilarious. Get it on your TBRs.

UP NEXT: A quiet weekend. Might do a touch of editing, we'll see. Then a signing trip to Glasgow (for sure this time) on Monday. Really looking forward to that. And I suspect, between the weekend, the train rides and the editing I'll do next week, I may well finish this edit!

Onward!