Wrote 10 pages of Book 8, and plotted out the next few chapters. I find the plotting out crucial -- with a guide, the actual writing flows quite easily, but without one I struggle!!

Saw the original version of the movie "Scum" yesterday -- powerful stuff!! It's about a young offender's institution in the UK in the late 1970s. The BBC commissioned the piece, then banned it -- they thought it would prove too controversial. A movie version was made a couple of years later, featuring many of the same cast. When that was shown on TV in the early 80s it led to a change in the laws regarding juvenile offenders!

Saw a silent film called "Tartuffe" today, directed by the great F W Murnau, who made "Sunrise", one of my top 10 films. "Tartuffe" wasn't in the same league, but it was an entertaining little piece about hypocrisy. Lesser Murnau, but worth a look if you like silent cinema.

Received this amusing e-mail a couple of days ago, in response to my blog bit about some people thinking I'm really J K Rowling:

My daughter and I went to your recent "Lord Loss" event at the Edinburgh Book Festival which we both really enjoyed. It was a lot of fun (especially the sing along at the end!!) Great value for money and quite exciting to hear so many snippets from your forthcoming " Demonata" series. Anya, my daughter, was particularly chuffed and impressed at you recognising that you had met her at a similar event before - so very well remembered! As on the other occasions she met you at book signings, you were friendly and charming and frankly, not at all up yourself, in the way that some people are on attaining a degree of success!

Anyway enough of the arsey lickiness! The primary reason I am writing, is that I recently came across your blog, which I hadn't previously realised existed and was particulary amused at the idea that some people believed that your books were really written by JK Rowling! Inspired by this and the fact that, I understand, you live in Co. Limerick, the following limerick came into my mind and struck me as so mindlessly stupid, that I thought I would share it with you, whether you wanted me to or not!! Here goes...

There was a young writer called Shan
Who some people thought was Joanne
"It's Rowling..." they said
"Just a bit more undead"
So he now wears high heels for his fans.

With many apologies, both for the appalling poetry and in case I have inadvertently outed the fact that you are really a secret cross dresser!!!

Best Regards,
Marion Stevenson (age 41 1/2!)