A year ago, my good friend George first posited the idea of doing a podcast. And, like a puppy in need of attention and affection I said yes. To be fair, half of it was me wanting to say that I had a podcast and the other half was wanting to keep George out of headphone/security/un-manned aircraft sales. But, as it happened, I really enjoyed it. It was ace creating something with someone that I've been best mate's with since uni and who, despite his career in sales, I knew was just waiting to excel at something that involved creativity, spontaneity and fun. As it stands, we've managed to get over 2,600 downloads of our podcasts in just 5 months. That to me says something about the idiots on our facebooks and our idiots on Twitter. But, it was one of those fateful podcast night when George said to me, "I want to read your book". And I said to him, "I want to read yours". And that is when my irrational fear of someone that I know, reading something that I care about really hit home.
In 2004 I joined a group, with my friend Ian, called NaNWrMo (National Novel Writing Month) whereby you need to write a novel of 50,000 words or more in November. With the help of whisky, weed and a girlfriend who worked weird hours, I managed to bash out 2,000 words a day. To put this into context, I worked in corporate journalism so most of my day was spent bashing out shite so this was somewhat of a busman's holiday.
But the difference was, it was mine. I was writing whatever I wanted and I could make the characters go in the direction I wanted. It was the ultimate freedom. On top of that I ended up listening to, and loving for the first time, Bowie, Springsteeen and Ben Fold Five (I know - how can you not have loved Ben Folds Five before that!).30 November came and I had to submit my work. I'd done 52,000 and received a lovely certificate. And that's it. That's all.
My book has stayed in the same place, in the same childish format since I first wrote it. And now George has put a date on it. 31 August we send each other our books (I got George to do NaNoWrMo in another bid to stop him killing headphone technicians).
I hate my book. I read about 4 pages of it and I cringe. I'm even toying with the idea of putting it in the first person to at least take the comment out of it but even then it is useless. I always thought I could write. I even wrote about stuff I know. ie Me. But still it sounded OTT and jumped up and trying too hard.
But a deal's a deal. George, you will be receiving my book on 31 August. And I hope you don't disband the only production that does actually seem to have a following. That said, my blog on the Olympics has gone through the roof. Maybe it's because I used the words Olympics, Colour, Rings and Medals? Oh darn it, I've gone and done it again. Good job no one know who I am.
