Blogs of note this week

http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.co.uk/
http://confessionsofanaspiringnovelist.blogspot.co.uk

Soho Square in Sun

Writers' London: Working Day

I need to do some budgeting. Is there

anything more calculated to send one into

a tailspin? At least with income, expenditure

and a calculator, I can find out where I have

to make adjustments. And it's sunny

enough to work out in the yard, yay.

In view of the fact that I did a great deal 
of work yesterday I am happy to do filing

today. Write first, other things later.

Nature in the city, plus some reality

Just so you know, I have reached the
section in my Writers' Guide (work in progress)
on writers' intolerances. There are so many, 
since reality can be massively offensive 
to the writer trying either to write or think.
One of my favourite tales is the one of Kingsley 
Amis striding up to a bar (possibly in Camden
Town) and remonstrating loudly that he wanted
them to turn the musak down, preferably off. 

Today, on my way to the supermarket, 
I passed a set of road diggers whose digging
machines were issuing a decibel-din that 
was quite above that of human tolerance. 
I then negotiated shelves of breakfast
cereals with titles like 'Krave' and 
the presence in the aisles, heaving with
lunchtime shoppers, of those huge goods
delivery cages being unpacked and
shelved. A nation of shopkeepers? We
have become a nation of bad shopkeepers.
(Oh, of course, the shops would say it 
wasn't their fault: delivery lorries were late, 
stuck in traffic, there was a breakdown, 
roadworks . . . any excuse.) As I said,
a post about everyday writers' intolerances.
If you have any to add, please do - and 
thanks for reading. 

Later I found this on intolerance and 'tolerations' 
from Linda Formichelli of The Renegade Writer


Lilies in Regent's Park - and I actually 

managed to keep the camera still

Regent's Park gardeners excelled 

themselves with their Diamond Jubilee

tribute: a whole section of the garden on 

the left of Broad Walk has been planted

in a precision Union Flag design
 

Blogs of note this week

http://allisonwinnscotch.blogspot.co.uk/

http://inkthinkerblog.com/

http://www.successful-blog.com/category/writing/

http://goinswriter.com/

http://janefriedman.com/

http://www.thecreativepenn.com/

http://www.thewriterssite.com/direct_pages/writing_blogs.php

http://simplyjan.wordpress.com

Starting this Sunday, London Festival

of Architecture

Nature in the city

The smallest yard garden 

can bring in the light
and refresh the mind

Early evening light in the Euston Road

The buildings on the left are magnificent refurbs

No-one ever said writing was easy, 

or quick, or anything really, other than 

what it is: an exercise in dogged 
persistence. I have just got to the end 

of novel 1 (feel free to raise a cheer); it has 

taken 14 months, 7 months to finish draft 1, 

and (this surprised me) a further 7 months 

for redrafts and polishing. It's READY TO GO.

Part of the writer's displacement activity 
- to go to Robert Dyas and find out
what new gadgets they've got in. 

The Institute of Contemporary Arts goes Retro

The ICA has a sound installation

in its ground floor exhibition space 

(I was there only for a quick coffee). At the same

time they have taken down the false interior 

wall, opening up these beautiful windows.

All hail those splendid architects

who are getting on their bikes:

may it inspire the others.

Further, I am contemplating volunteering
my poetic pedestrian lungs to try
out one of those Totobobo SuperCool
anti-pollution masks, if I can find one,
over the month of July.

Summer, summer, where are you?

Sitting at desk wearing a fleece

hoodie and boots. Trying very hard
to remember it's summer. 

Cafés with squishy sofas are the best

My secret writers' café

Islington on a summer's evening

. . . and not too many vehicles on the roads to spoil things

(http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/246495.php)

Nature in the city

A nice bit of topiary above these balconies