The novel’s going well. I’m getting more done this week than I expected. Either I work through a whole chapter, editing bits here and there, or I’m rewriting scenes, doing at least 500 words/day. I got through three chapters this week, 10-12. If I have 27 chapters, at this rate, I’d be done… *gets out calculator*… by the end of the summer! That’d be awesome if I could keep up this pace…
In other news, I’ve gotten my UK Visa started, and I set up my appointment for them to get my “biometric data,” a.k.a. fingerprints. I waited this long because the way they set up school loans changed in July, and I couldn’t start that process until then. But now things are moving. As long as I don’t get worried about it, red tape is almost exciting, since I can’t really do anything else to prepare for Scotland. Except clean out my room. Which I don’t want to do.
I don’t really have anything big and amazing to talk about, since I’ve mostly been an anti-social hermit this week (not that I can be anything else, with most of my friends either miles away or so busy they can’t hang out). But I feel like I want to make a plug for a new musician I’ve discovered. Her name is Amanda Palmer, and she’s engaged to my favorite author, Neil Gaiman. They make the cutest couple, by the way. Crazy rock star meets thoughtful, quiet writer. I think they mirror each other’s inner personality. You can follow them both on twitter, @neilhimself and @amandapalmer. Amanda Palmer, former member of the Dresden Dolls, has been releasing solo stuff, and her newest EP is a few covers of Radiohead songs on her ukelele. The whole thing is available online (not in CD format), for 84 cents. For the whole album. It’s exactly how much it costs them per EP, partly to pay Radiohead to be able to cover their songs. They make it easy for you to pay more than that, in case you’re feeling generous, which I did. I’m always happy to support musicians, especially one with this much heart and soul in her work, not afraid to be who she wants to be. Check it out.
She makes me want to get a ukelele and learn how to play it.
Photo: The cover of Amanda Palmer’s EP, the vinyl version. “Amanda Palmer performs the popular hits of Radiohead on her magical ukelele.” Quite a title.