Author: Paul

I’ve just been taken on as a writer by SoundInflux. They sent out some messages on Twitter advising they were looking for new writers for reviews. I applied. There was a time when I wouldn’t have been able to even get that far but that was doing very little for me and I realised that I had to change. What is the point in being a writer if you aren’t writing? That’s honestly not some kind of deep, loaded or metaphorical question, there is no point. I’ve taught myself to sit and write as I’ve taught myself to apply for things of interest to me. All things considered this has been a year of substantial growth for me. Looking back I can’t help but smile.

I think if you are reading this and sitting on an application or an entry or anything else and you don’t know what the force is that is stopping you from submitting it then just do it. Once you do you’ll realise that it really doesn’t matter all that much. Some things come to fruition, others drop off, they are all important to you.

“IT’S SNOWING! IT’S SNOWING! GET THE SLED!”
What happened to that attitude. Now when it snows people just get the arse-ache, complaining about how they can’t get into work or what a hassle it is sweeping the snow.

How about we all just forget about those silly grown up attitudes and just appreciate how beautiful it is. This morning I was sat at the bus stop with my boo and it was so serene and peaceful that it almost made me forget about everything else that dragged me out of bed at half past six. That’s the way snow should be. It’s only a pain in the arse if you try to do anything so lets just let the taps run for a couple of days and not get too hung up on those things we hold onto so tightly that really don’t matter at all. Before you think of matters of life and death, concentrate on life alone.

So there are now a lot of people reading my NaNoWriMo project, Visions Of Violet. They should know that I love every single one of them. The three people I know of who have finished it all admitted to crying. I put that up on my Facebook page as a challenge to anyone else and I think there are about ten people who now have copies. The key is just getting people to read in the same way when I write and record music I just want people to hear it. I’m not really interested in making money from it at the moment. Although that might be some kind of ideal, where I get up each morning and pad down to my mahogany office to write on an Olympus typewriter and be brought cups of teas and cake all day I understand that might not happen for a while yet. I have a lot more writing to do before I’d be able to do it full time.

For the time being though I’m stuck on a cold commuter train to London, for work.
One day this will be an anecdote as I sit suited and cross-legged on a chat show, talking about what I did before I made it as a writer.

For now though, I just roll those ideas around in my head.

I’m struggling continuing with my ingenious plan of writing a book a month. It was all well and good in November when there were people all over the world doing the same thing but now I’m struggling to put pen to paper, or rather fingers to board.
I have a very basic outline of the story, too basic maybe. That could be the issue. It sort of feels like it is treading water when it should be marching on. I’ve only written two thousand words and I’m already so dismissive of it. Terrible business. The cool thing is that I’m writing though. I haven’t stopped for over a month. I’ve pretty much written every single day, a thousand words at least.
I may need to take the time to plan this piece out before I get lost and it turns to January before I get beyond this opening. I hope not. My leading lady is far too cool for such things.
Must read now though. I want to finish Gatsby, The Hobbit and Catcher In The Rye before Christmas.

Toodles

I’m not ready to go back to work.
Why are the hours of a weekend so much shorter than the hours of two work days.
This just isn’t on.
Also, I’ve done no writing today.
I have eaten a lot though.
A lot of meat and sausages.
Nevermind, tomorrow I’ll write.
I’ll write so damn well.
I’ve got another freelance journo thing this week as well.
I’m reviewing the new Amy Berg documentary.
I’m also going to see Band Of Skulls with my favourite.
That and much much more this week on PAUL!

x

Today is the first of December.
I’ve decided to try and start another novel.
I’ve been sat on a trilogy for about four years. I’m going to try and continue the momentum I showed during NaNoWriMo to take me through that. If I continue I should have them all done by March. That’s a big deal. This is something I’ve put off for far too long. I kept promising myself that I would get round to it at some stage but it feels like after writing two novels that I am comfortable within my writing style and can therefore take on a bigger challenge. The first two were fun because they both have roots in truth. This new one is something completely different, complete fantasy, completely of my own imagining. That’s quite a cool thing to start work on, it’s all my image, it’s all my thought and my pattern and whoever knows what else. I just hope it doesn’t leave me any time soon because the joy of writing is something I need.
Stay tuned.
I may hit a wall.

I’m back on the commute. That’s fine because its Friday and I have the rest of The Great Gatsby to read.

Yesterday I managed to wrap most of the Christmas presents I have bought and I recorded a new video (here)
I also went to the dentist for the first time in five years. It wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened. It was better than I had built it up to be.
I didn’t manage to finish redrafting but that’s fine. Kate is reading at the moment and fighting back the tears I believe. It’s a real weepy. I call that a success.
As far as my weekend plans go I’m out tonight for dinner and then tomorrow The Sultan is being delivered. That’s my new mattress. I wish I had given it that name. Aside from that I really need to get another microphone lead and start recording or I could write. Something will happen no doubt.

I recently recorded a new demo.

Hear it here.

James had this to say on it. It’s the best review I think I’ve ever had:

Well that was shit. Look what you made when you could of spent that time with me getting high doing fuck all…… I’m kidding I really liked it. Prefer your voice on that one. Radiohead do have a track of the same name tho and a nice 13 seconds of dead air

Today is my last day off this year (not including Christmas and Boxing Day). After this it is solid work. I’ve been thinking about starting another novel, despite the fact I haven’t finished redrafting the current one. That’s what I should really get done today.
Instead I’ll make a stupid video about moustaches and go to the dentist. I wish that was me just being wacky, that really is my intended course of action for the day.
I made a list of things I wanted to do with my four days off. It is composed of six items. I have achieved two. I don’t think even if I worked all day on the others I could get them done. Maybe I should give it a go though, what’s the worst that could happen. That’s it. That’s what I’ll do today, try and do all the things I said I would do today. I won’t be able to record a whole album today though. That’s a bit rich, even for me.
Salut.

I have a terrible habit of dropping myself in it. I get this from my mother’s side. No wait, actually. I get it from both sides. I seem to often get caught trying something, I’m that guy. The one who takes a joke too far. Recently I was at the cinema with my incredibly beautiful and talented and long-time suffering girlfriend, Kate. I think it was when we saw On The Road actually. We sat at the back of the tiny studio screen and there were four other people in the room. A couple in their sixties/seventies sat directly in front of us. I was fine with this. There’s plenty of space but why not sit right in front of me, it’s cool. After the trailers finished they decided to move to a more central location and got up. As a joke I stuck my middle finger up at them and nudged Kate to show how funny I was being. She quickly shot me daggers and as I stared at her perplexed I was filled with horror because the old man had turned back for some reason to find me swearing at him and his wife. That’s the kind of stupid thing I do. It’s not big and it’s not clever but I think it will get me a quick laugh so I do it anyway.

Last night I decided to make a brilliant satirical comment on a post on Tumblr. I have a horrible feeling that someone is about to turn around in the dark and see my middle finger pointing at them again. This post was basically saying that it is terrible that New York got flooded and everyone was worried about it and yet at the moment Britain is flooded and nobody seems to care.
I decided the best thing I could do was place a flippant and disrespectful comment below this and see what happened. It turns out you get called a “fucking idiot”. I said (and you have to remember that it’s brilliant and satirical) that anyone who dies in a flood in Britain was just doing their bit for natural selection. Funny? Right? You’re still reading aren’t you? Hello.

Yeah. I thought that was quite good. Then I remembered that I was posting onto the Internet where people aren’t sane and reasonable and don’t know how hilarious I am. That is known as hitting a wall. I’ve had one response so far which I can only assume is from the person who wrote the original comment. They have however posted anonymously making the “fucking idiot” comment and saying that I obviously don’t know what natural selection is because it is mostly old people who die in floods and they’ve had their children already.
I’m in turmoil now because I don’t know whether to prove them wrong or just be quiet. I have a horrible feeling that I know which it will be.