Nicky Bond's Blog, page 8

We're Not Going Back...

Picture the scene: It was the 20th October 2022. I was on the last day of an East Lothian mini-break. The plan was to have lunch, then get the train into Edinburgh for one last hurrah. Fate, however, had other plans. One pinging BBC News alert later, and everything changed. Liz Truss was set to resign! I got a cup of tea, put the telly on, and for the rest of the day, let Sky News do its work.
The only photo I 
took on 20.10.22. 
It was 8.05am and 
this is the view from 
the front door. I didn't 
even...

Ready, Steady, Go...

And we're back!. After six weeks of downtime, I'm back at my desk, surrounded by notebooks, and raring to write Book 5. 
I'll get to the specifics in the next section, don't you worry about that. But first, let's gather ourselves. This is a new start... literally a fresh page. My month-and-a-bit off, has done wonders for my brain. I've not thought about characters, plots, or ways to phrase what I mean, for ages. My head has been properly emptied. Hurrah.
Except of course that's not true. I've simp...

Norwegian Vibes...

It's Long Ramble time! Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome! Ready for some sweeping generalisations and vibes-based opinions masquerading as 'Insightful and Brilliant Observations on Life'? Goodo. Off we go.
Scandi prawnsIf you're a long-time reader of this blog, you'll have heard me mention how I'm a big fan of all things Scandinavian. The climate, the lifestyle, the food... it's my absolute bag. I nick the bits I can, and add them to my life wherever possible, fully aware I'm culturally-appropriatin...

Bleary-Eyed Frivolity...

Hard relateMorning! I'm still bleary-eyed from Thursday's all-nighter, how about you? Can you imagine travelling the country for a six-week campaign, staying awake til the results come in, meeting the King, and then having to appoint people for Very Important Jobs. Running on fumes doesn't do it justice. Let's hope Keir and the gang have managed to get some kip since the election. I, you won't be surprised to hear, have done none of those things. I've not run a campaign, got elected, nor been as...

Be Gone, Inner Critic...

Dream feedbackEvery fortnight I attend a writer's group. I have done since 2017, and whilst it's changed in personnel and has less of an official vibe than the original group, it's a really useful thing to do. Because when I'm in my writing bubble, beavering away at the first draft (or even the 25th draft) it's really handy to have a bunch of people listen to me read it out. They can spot issues, they can raise queries, they can point out shite before it's locked in forever. I started to read th...

Beyond the Village...

Me, in my teen bedroom,
approx one mile from
my current home.I currently live in the same area I spent most of my childhood. I've resided in a couple of other locations as an adult, but for fifteen years I've been back in the bosom of the village of my youth. And that's fine. Because of this, my gaff has become the unofficial family base since my parents absconded to Wales. That's also fine. Coming home for Christmas isn't something I've experienced since my student days anyway, and I quite like...

Big Event Summer is Here...

The Euros are here! It's a summer of sport! Get the beers and BBQs in for the lads! *sarcastic tone and obvious side-eye* 
I'm so very VERY happy for you, if a summer of sport floats your boat. And I admit, I will watch the England matches and cross my fingers that there'll be plenty more right up to the final. But the Olympics and Wimbledon? Nah, not my thing, ta. And that's a perfectly acceptable response. What I think is exciting, however, is the big event-ness of it all. Making an evening of ...

Fancy Some Fan-Girling?..

Folks, I've done it again. I've fallen down a rabbit hole. Remember when I found myself immersed in the GDR? Were you there when I spent a morning looking at fully clothed but hugely erotic moments on film? Well, we've got another one. For the past few months I've become borderline obsessed with the actor, Andrew Scott. 
Now, let me be clear. I continue to behave legally and appropriately at all times. But over the course of my rabbit hole fall, a few things have become apparent. Firstly, should ...

Hope? Don't be Ridiculous...

For Baby Boomers the question is, 'Where were you when you heard Kennedy had been assassinated?' For us GenX/Xennials, it's Princess Di or 9/11. As of Thursday 30th May 2024, GenZ has its own generational moment. 
So, where were you when you heard Donald Trump had been convicted of thirty-four counts of falsifying business records? I was - as you might guess if you've read my previous blogs - scrolling on my phone, waiting to see if the jury were about to clock off for the day. But then... they r...

We Did it, Joe...

On Thursday, the long-awaited publication of Leeza McAuliffe Has Loads More To Say, finally happened. If you follow me on any version of social media, you'll have seen me bang on about this book, repeatedly, for weeks. Actually months. I started my 'marketing campaign' (lolz) on March 4th. Let me now take this time to apologise profusely for being completely irritating. 
The main problem is, I don't know much about marketing. The second main problem is, everything I do know is comprised of snippe...