Wonderfully indulgent

This was such a good idea. I know that there were only two days left to the weekend and I could have saved my holiday but waking up gently, reading a book for a while, scribbling down notes for the opening scene of the next book I intend to write (subject to change obviously), and generally doing nothing arduous has been a great way of starting this particular Thursday.

Oh, somewhere in there I even found time to upgrade the iOS on my phone, check my email (no rejections or acceptances today), answer some tweets, check the news headlines and make my wife a coffee.

Listing all that doesn't make it sound like a quiet start but it was perfect for me.

My wife is in the middle of show week - performances of Aladdin every night with an additional matinee on Saturday and hence out all the time. So it's also good to actually get some time spent with her. I did marry her for a reason after all.

I'm hoping it will recharge the writing brain cells some too, the last couple of nights have been a drag. It's taken so much more effort to write than normal and I never want this to feel a chore. This is my escapism.

I think it's working. I'm taking the fact this morning was the first time since Saturday when I've scribbled down notes on the next story as proof the brain is happier. Fingers crossed when I hit the keyboard later I'll be able to get back with the program and get this plot moving. The next couple of scenes will get the main part of the story going.

My mother in law always tells me I would miss working if I could retire early. She tells me retirement is boring. I'd like to think I would find enough to occupy my time creating stories for it not to be.

In any case it would be cool to give it a go but the realities of paying a mortgage would soon kick in. Like most of us I have to work and this isn't going to change any time soon - unless a certain Mr Spielberg happens across one of my novels and decides it would make a cool film. So far nothing; I'm still waiting.

But for one day at least I'm going to live the dream.