The Book of Write-On: Day Nine

After an unbelievably enjoyable weekend of reservoir swimming, of parkrunning, of central Edinburgh drink-fuelled tourism, of dog, walking, fish and chip-eating, film-watching and gin drinking, we found ourselves waking up to a new week. Me and my cousin Paul joined my brother James in his morning commute to work. We had a coffee near Edinburgh College of Art until James left for work. Paul left at around ten to board a bus for the airport where he was Stansted-bound.

I spent the morning reading and writing in the College of Art’s cafe, observing the artistic youth of the day. I read an extraordinary short story by A.L. Kennedy called AM SONTAG. It’s quite unlike anything I’ve read before. It really gets into the head of a mentally-ill/psychiatric patient in an open ward. Or at least that’s what I think it’s about. After a quick lunch with James, I caught a bus to the hotel. Having checked in, I had an incredible run around Murrayfield Stadium and down the Water of Leith, around Lauriston Park and its walled garden and back again. An easy five-miler.

And now it’s 8:21 pm and I’m at a pub called the Hampton, writing shiz out of shiz, having written the bones of the story between 2:40 and 4:23 on Saturday morning. When The Muse wakes, you wake with it. I’m hopeful for the week ahead. Inspiration for stories will come just as long as I read and write as much as possible.

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