Yup. Chapter 14 succumbed - I've gone through EVERYTHING one more time - Sky Girl is done.* There is a well-regarded school of thought that clearly and emphatically states I should now put her in a drawer, either real or metaphorical, for a month or six. I agree. I absolutely see the sense of this. And I did that very thing, as long as you define "month" as "about 30 seconds". She is off my desk and awaiting judgement. Celebration is in order, and so I offer you my current favourite Youtube video from the Vivaldi Guys to dance along to. Huzzah!
*("Done" in the sense of "done until my agent points out what needs making better.")
Chapter 14 - or Bab empat belas as we say in Bahasa Indonesia - is my next task. I tried to find a wiki commons image of 14 kittens, or 14 puppies, or 14 flowers to put up.* No joy. So have a 14 in a circle instead, and wish me luck.
* Vincent Van Gogh's 1888 painting of sunflowers was close with 15, but I've already finished chapter 15.
That's twice this week I've come across something I must have written and just did not recognise. The first was a short story I stumbled across in my files called "Dissidents and Distilleries" with a surprise ending that completely took me by surprise. And the second came through the post - The Call of the Clerihew:*
The book wasn't the surprise - it was my contributions. There was a group on Facebook back in 2014 inviting folk to put clerihews** on various topics in the comments. It was fun. I did a few. And then I forgot about it, until the idea of an anthology was mooted. The editors asked permission to use some of mine - I gave it. Turns out I'm in the Poetry section with these immortal snatches: Emily Dickinson - with her it's slim pickin's on ways to punctuate - she was always dashing - and wouldn't wait. and Anon What are you on? Your output does put mine to shame - I'm thinking I should change my name. I know I will have enjoyed writing those, but, nope, don't remember either of them. Memory plays tricks sometimes. And sometimes, it just bails on us completely. * The Call of the Clerihew, ed. George Szirtes and Andy Jackson - available online and from a bookshop near you. ** "the limerick's shorter, smarter sibling" (from the preface)
I live and write in the Kingdom of Fife, overlooking the River Tay, with a view of trees and grey slate roofs and a skyscape it would be hard to better.
