December arrives...

and although it's quite cold, I have lots to do which keeps me warm (at least on the inside!). I have really enjoyed getting 'out there' a little in the last couple of months and hooking up with 'The Creative Eye' (Essex) group. The discovery of the group and its people has energised me in a soft and delicate way and stimulated my thoughts and creative endeavours no end.

So much so that I'm now working on the artwork for our (UnderTow's) next music project - which will be 'Pieces of Eight - London Diary' - and have also decided to complete some more work on an earlier (Kindle only) Novella ('Reflections - Memories of a Woman'). This was released some time ago and once released I basically forgot about it. But doing some computer and NAS housekeeping I re-discovered it and thought it might make a nice and quick project for very early next year. I've been thinking that I'd like printed copies of all of my work, not some in print and some on Kindle, and this will be the first of the couple to have this treatment. My intention is to rework it (slightly) and I've asked a local artist I've met at The Creative Eye networking event to come up with a few pieces of art that will fit within the A5 framework and suit the storyline. The artist concerned has a great look and feel to her work which should suit the subject matter perfectly and I'm pleased to report that she has tentatively agreed to consider it and come the New Year I hope to have a meeting with her to chat about my ideas and 'requirements'. Until then, I'll keep the rest of the ideas for it under wraps!

My work on the current collection ('Distant Echoes') continues apace as the year trickles down to a final few days. Going through the book, now at over 130 pages, is a semi fun, semi awful requirement if I'm to reduce any spelling or other mistakes to the minimum. This final polish of each of the collections, whilst the document itself is still 'alive' as more poems are written; makes it an interesting pursuit. 

I'm ploughing my way through the work, formatting and sorting out photos and poems, ensuring that the introduction to each 'chapter' is readable and interesting, and creating the Contents and First Lines elements to it at the same time. I realise that it's not as arduous as having to mark a high number of Science papers (as a mum at Laura's school who is also a Science Teacher at a local secondary school told me tonight that she has to do before Thursday); but it is nevertheless something that requires concentration if it to to result in a pleasing end product.

So, with just two days to go before the end of term, as the anniversary of my fathers death (on the 22nd) approaches, and as we rush towards the closing of the year; I'll take this opportunity in wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year.

I hope you'll pop back early in 2020 to see what I'm up too, but in the meantime, take care and keep reading!

Alan