Valentine's 'Can't Settle' Day

14th February. Valentines Day. My Birthday. Thank god they didn't call me Valentine - though if they had I'd have been used to it by now. Even so, I have the suspicion that every 14th February I would have hidden from the world. Nothing against all the Valentines out there, one of my best mates growing up was call Val. But he wasn't named after the day he was born on, if he had been he'd be called June Twenty-Fourth.

The stitches from my arm op came out today so it feels a little less tight around the elbow. The temptation is to think I'm now 'all better'. I'm not, the op was about fixing the tendon and freeing up the ulnar nerve, that takes weeks, months. Steady as she goes boy.

I've tried to 'do nothing' as I've been told. You can't 'do nothing', it's impossible. I told myself I'd catch up with all the TV I've recorded and haven't got around to watching That's okay for the first hour, after that it feels like I'm becoming one with the sofa. Maybe it's box set time: The Sopranos, Rome, Mad Men...that should get me through.

I've got a new project at early stages - lots and lots of research, bits of dialogue that point towards character strewn here and there. Plot points, lots of single words underlined three times. I've got a notion of who my main characters are and a good handle on the setting but I'm still playing with the stories. I'm only going for things that happen in this world - I'm not having anyone go sick and ending up in hospital and no-one mysteriously disappears and is sought by the police. You can see those stories on medical shows and cop series. 

Tip: when you're thinking about a new series idea; if the stories work just as well somewhere else you're probably not thinking enough about your stories. Don't set your series in a coal mine if you want to write about doctors.

I feel like I should be knuckling down, firming things up. Getting on with things, it's my work ethic - don't just sit there do something. But it's one of those days and my mind keeps wandering off and I can't settle. If this happens when I'm writing to a deadline I go for a walk, read something, regroup, sit back down and bash away. No time for the muse when the clock is ticking. But today...

I think I'll allow myself to 'go home early' and come back afresh tomorrow. You're allowed to do that on your birthday.