love from Dublin.

So I sent off my second book to the publisher this morning. It is very late. Although actually, I heard that Mary Karr was seven years late with her second book so maybe nine months late is actually EARLY?!

Anyway. It’s been sent to my editor and we’ll see what she thinks.

I’m nervous and also OK. Had a proper wobble before Christmas where I wanted to pull the plug on the whole thing but I seem to have pulled myself together thanks to patient friends and colleagues.

Funny old business writing about yourself, and I’m not sure I can do it again. Not in a book form. But maybe it’s like having a baby - all this will be forgotten if it turns out OK.

Anyway, anyway. I finished another book and while the critical part of my brain wants to go to town on what a mess I made of it at times - the other part says, well done, you did it. Books aren’t famous for being easy things to do and you did it.

Why I feel compelled to do something that I find so hard and which makes me quite unhappy a lot of the time is another matter. (Masochism? Attention seeking?) But let’s not dwell on that now!

For now I’m heading Dublin for a few days. Bit of fun in the sun. Ha. That was a joke. Books aren’t famous for being easy and Dublin is not famous for being sunny. But it is famous for being fun and being the home of Guinness and some of my favourite people.

How are you? Are you OK? I’ve been reading articles lately about the existential crisis many of us are in and I wonder if the fall out from all this will be bigger and messier than health and the economy. There seems to be a deep questioning of what life is for? What should we be doing with it? What matters?

I’ve been reading a few articles to about the ‘end of work’ . People - esp young people - are questioning the point of the hustle and I have to agree. I watched Greed on Netflix, by British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom about a Philip Green type character and it made me wince. I was part of that time in the 2000s when the world worshipped that kind of excessive wealth and cruelty. Kate Moss was always being photographed at one of Phillip Green’s parties and we watched Sir Allen telling people YOU’RE FIRED! on the telly… it’s so weird now when you think about it…

But that’ll start me off on a rant that I have not thought through enough. But I suppose I have been questioning what it’s all for - what my writing is for, what this newsletter is for, what books are for…. while also trying to lighten up and get on with it. There are bills to be paid. A day to be got through.

And while over working and hustle might not be healthy, there is great peace and satisfaction to be found in doing a good job on whatever is yours to do that day.

Ok. Bye for now. There are so many good articles around at the moment and I don’t have time to send the links. I will do a bumper link section next week.

Also, we have a Writing for Fun and Sanity session on tomorrow and next Saturday. Do join us. There is a pay what you can option so please don’t let money stop you from coming. Whatever you can afford is fine and if you can't afford anything, just send me a message here and I’ll sort you out.

OK. Love and Dublin SUN!

xx

PS I have become obsessed with Viv Albertine. Read her two books this week. They are great great great. Please read them. xx