Saturday 11 April 2009

Happy Easter!


Lent's almost over. There's a bottle of Jameson on the kitchen worktop. The kids are in bed. I'm closing in on 1,000 words for today's novel-in-progress output. And best of all, the postman brought me a reason to celebrate today...

The Art's Council of Northern Ireland have offered me a small award that'll allow me to ditch the dayjob for a month and live the life of a full-time writer! Feckin' sweet!

So, I'd like to officially thank the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and their Arts Development Officer, Damian Smyth.

The time is intended to help me complete the first draft of the current novel-in-progress (working title SHOT), and by God, I intend to do just that.

11 comments:

Michael Stone said...

Congrats, man.

Oh, and tell Mya I'm sorry about the fish. But a dog, yay! *shakes head* Kids, eh?

Paul D Brazill said...

Smashin. Happy Eastern, as ALL of my students at-which shows how good an English teacher I am!

Unknown said...

You glorious bastard, Brennan! Congrats, good sir! Take full advantage of the fortunate unemployment and get the book done! (also, there'll be plenty of time for blogging and what not.)

Stuart Neville said...

Well done, Gerard. I'm sure you'll make the most of it.

Josephine Damian said...

To hell with blogging and what not! Get that novel done. This will be the fastest, shortest-seeming month of your whole life.

seana graham said...

I expect you haven't read many of these comments yet, as Easter's comen and gone for you now and you're probably still lying under the table with that empty bottle of Jameson's clutched in your hand, but when you do stagger to your feet again, congratulations!

adrian mckinty said...

Congrats Ger,

Remember the Ken Bruen rule: get up early and feed the swans and then work hard all day.

Dont do the McKinty rule: get up late and eat Maltesers and faff about until five minutes before the wife and kids come back so it looks like you've been working all day.

marco said...

So you've got what other countries call a "genius grant" for a young and promising writer?
Congratulations.

v-word:under (the table,like Seana suggests?)

Gerard Brennan said...

Mike - I'll pass on the message.

And cheers.

Paul - Don't worry. The students usually surpass the teacher, don't they? Thanks, man.

Keith - I intend to work my 'nads off in the hopes that I'll finish the first draft at least.

Stuart - Thanks. I will.

Cheers

gb

Gerard Brennan said...

Josephine - Absolutely. The blogging takes a back seat to the fiction every time!

Seana - Considering the time lapse here, it looks like you were right about the Jameson. I'm more of an on the couch man than under the table, though. And I still have just enough for a tiny wee tipple tonight. Yay!

Adrian - Cheers, mate. Bruen rule. Bruen rule. Bruen rule. Okay. But I might add some Maltesers in there as well.

Marco - 'Genius grant'... Hell, yeah! That's what I'm calling it for now on. I might add 'handsome' to the young and promising but too.

Cheers

gb

seana graham said...

Tiny wee tipple. That is a euphemism if ever I heard one. Well, euphemism may not be the right word. What is the word for the opposite of exaggeration?

Anyway, enjoy both the tipple and the opportunities.