The Novel Imperative

The cover of the novel.

Today has been only very vaguely about Disappearing, inasmuch as I walked round the lake a few times this morning, had a porridge breakfast and a solid few of my new Starbucks regulars with what I both hope and have been informed are fewer calories than my previous standard lattes. I've had one hot dog (yes, back to Five Guys) for late lunch annnnnd that's about it, Disappearing-wise - I'm making this a relatively short entry because I still hope to have time to go up and jump on the exercise bike to add to the 560 calories that so far, my 8626 steps of walking about the place have burned. Rather pleasingly, and in line with yesterday's Disappearing Ripples idea, I biked yesterday for exactly half an hour and burned a solid 300 additional calories - on average, ten calories per minute, so I'm hoping to do slightly more today before I have to leave at 9.30 to go and collect d from her twelve hour work day. As I write this, it's 8.09, so again, am hoping to keep it reasonably short.

Today, apart from the porridge and the hot dog, has been my equivalent of a spa day. In my Starbucks, working on the second draft of my novel. I'm within a hundred pages of the end now, though that's a false measurement, as I know for a fact I have to add several key scenes in, or write them essentially better than they currently are. But that kind of time, all to myself, working in a world quite literally of my own, is hugely relaxing - as I say, it's my mental equivalent of a spa day.

The week ahead is going to be almost unremittingly grim - three medical appointments, something of a day-job deadline, progress that must be made on what I have to admit is a very fun ghostwriting project, and some humping and lifting and shoving in the flat to move things around before going on a glorious week's holiday. Fun fun fun. So was good to have this 'spa day' all to myself in my characters' world. Now - back to Disappearing. To the bike!