Lost in action

For the last few years it would seem I had completely forgotten all about this page.

Real life, as it usually does came in and changed everything all around.

My depression worsened. I ended up on anti-depressants for a year (something I had avoided for a very, very long time), going up two waist sizes as a result (though vigorously denied as a side-effect by my GP).
My mum became ill, leading to a diagnosis of dementia. I spent time off work travelling to London to give my sisters time off caring for her in her home. She is now in a care home. My dad was informed of serious health problems as well. My family and myself wondered just how much could be piled on us in such a short space of time.

It's been a tough, emotionally fraught, stressful couple of years.

But I did keep writing. And miraculously stayed away from the anti-depressants, perhaps at the time anyone else would say I needed them most.

Poetry started to become more of a rarity after churning out multiple pieces on a daily basis. I began a novel.

Nearing 400 handwritten, double sided A5 pages later I stopped, unhappy with the farce it was becoming and realising that I was never going to transcribe that many pages into Microsoft Word. I took the story idea back ten years, bought a second-hand laptop on eBay and began again. The blue Tesco ring bound notepads have of course been kept for further usage...

I joined the Glasgow Writers Group online years, many years ago, but nervously went along to my first meeting not so long ago. I plan on going regularly, but shifts have sometimes got in the way, and work-induced migraine/headaches have impeded me as well. But alas, 'there is always next time'.

Whilst working on the novel, with a tentative title of "Edge Of A Lens", I completed my first reasonably long short story. I had never completed anything beyond poems, and vignette-like fiction that was not more than a few lines long. I never thought I could complete a story so it was a huge boost. I passed it on to one soul, Stevie McEwan, my long-time musical cohort and friend, who gave me his opinion and I was buoyed further by the fact that he had enjoyed it. I will hopefully submit it to the writers group for critique, but that is a very scary thought as there are some people who seem to really know what they are talking about. I'm a rookie in this, I've only read two whole books of fiction in my adult life! I have so much to learn...

I once heard a saying that everyone has one novel in them. It would seem that this novel is going to take a lifetime to pour forth from me. One day, one day.

Until then I will do my best to post my vignettes here, digging out any worthwhile past moments and some newly penned (or should that be typed now that I've going the laptop crowd?) scribblings...

Shane