Once upon a blog

*DEEP BREATH*

Hello?

In the beginning was a deep breath, followed by a small word, followed by a big silence.

And so the blog begins.
And so all blogs begin…
more or less
(self-consciously).

This blog though? About what?

A dog, perhaps.
Why not?
I’ve always been nervous of dogs (once bitten, twice shy ‘n’ all that), always ready to turn tail and walk a different route if a stray dog’s in the street ahead of me, but recently I’ve realised an affinity with them... which has nothing to do with trees or lamp posts and everything to do with looking for a publisher.

I’ve enjoyed playing with words since I was six and a quarter, or thereabouts, and somewhere along the way must have also discovered a pleasure in making and telling stories, in entertaining people - in making worlds and sharing them. In this vein, by the time I was twenty, I’d formulated a plan to make a frugal living from writing novels, short stories, children’s books, and to happily-ever-after avoid being tied to the nine-to-five for ever and ever.

Which is not, of course, the way the story goes. Not for any except the most fortunate few (right time, right place, right skills, right write). Not for another twenty-nine years in my case. And neither is this necessarily a bad thing… especially if it leads you to have an affinity for strays.

Although I’ve wandered from one city to another, from one job to another, from one side of the world to the other, from one story to another and another and another, it’s really my manuscripts that are the strays in this blog. It’s irresponsible, I know, but I haven’t had the courage to dump them in a sack and drown them at birth. They’ve entered this world clamouring for a home - a publisher, an agent even - to give them meaning, purpose, direction. Some have been smarter than others, knowing when to prick up their ears and wag their tail, and have received the occasional stroke and a pat, but have then dropped their noses to the ground when opportunity walked away.

*SOB. WIPES A TEAR*

Until now.
One’s been taken in, given a home! Go PaperBooks!
We’re giving it a few shots, protecting against distemper, doing a bit of house-training, making sure it doesn’t bite the hand that reads it (sorry!)… which is what this metaphor will do if I don’t put it down right now.

Anyway, the book is on its way, and it’s got nothing to do with dogs (and a lot to do with everything else).

The Snowing and Greening of Thomas Passmore.

And the blog has begun. Long may it run.

*PHEW*
Thanks for being here, if you were.

PS. Lucy is a very friendly spaniel with a fine home - not a stray at all. Big thanks for the photo opportunity, Mark (and Lucy).

Disclaimer: no animals were hurt in the making of this blog.