Dead Frog Lane: Shape Up & Dance

and a seagull epiphany

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MONDAY

The sun is shining and my new laptop should be arriving tonight, which means I may have paid work to do for the rest of the week (or I may not), so I want to write first thing in case the 14yo wants to hang out. (He probably won’t, but I’m ever needy.¹)

I’m reading the proof of a friend’s (fabulous) forthcoming novel and it opens with a dead bird. Which immediately reminded me that the 14yo and I saw a dying seagull a while ago and didn’t know what to do. Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill Steven (the seagull). Quite the opposite…

Words today: 512

Total wordcount: 10,814

Added to the playlist: Reasons I Drink by Alanis

TUESDAY

More about the seagull. And yesterday I remembered my own (childhood) bird rescue stories - one of which is one of my saddest memories. They can go in the book. (I do wonder if I’ve put the saddest one in a book already, but I’ll cross that bridge…)

New laptop arrived last night so I’m also trying to make sure I get everything copied over properly. Scrivener seems to only be able to access the stuff in my old laptop, nothing I’ve done using the interim laptop, so I need to make sure I don’t lose anything.

Words today: 601

Total wordcount: 11,415

Added to the playlist: Violently by Hue & Cry

WEDNESDAY

A couple of months ago, I read about American schools having Drop Everything and Read days. D.E.A.R. I decided I needed this in my life and so, using an online date randomizer, I added a bunch to my calendar. And then tried to forget about them so I could surprise myself. The second one came up today.

I still wrote though. Realised that I’ve got the seagull the wrong way round. Currently the seagull was a friend of Bea’s - waiting on Sam’s balcony, looking for Bea - and then Sam finds it injured on the prom, but obviously Sam should rescue the seagull and then the seagull becomes Sam’s friend. Cwaak.

Words today: 702

Total wordcount: 12,117

Added to the playlist: Seventeen by Sharon Van Etten

THURSDAY

Sam is in Aunty Bea’s loft, where she will find the suitcase of memorabilia, but first she’s finding a load of random stuff, including Aunty Bea’s old exercise paraphernalia, including this, which my mum had and I also used to do. Made me giddy to hear it again.

I only listened to a bit, I didn’t actually do it. I should do it, shouldn’t I. Fine, I’ll do it.

Words today: 800

Total wordcount: 12,917

Added to the playlist: Come Back and Stay by Paul Young