Ok, yes, I know those two words in the title of this post don’t normally go together. In fact, they tend to go together like a mushy peas and marmalade sandwich, but, speaking for myself, it’s my current modus operandi.

The reason I’m so tired is that I’ve recently been put on a course of amitriptyline (I think I spelt that correctly) by the doctor to try and resolve the blinding headaches I’ve been having. And I have to say that it is having an effect. My head feels so much better than it did. The downside is that the drug is making me so mentally foggy and exhausted even though I take it at night time before I turn in. God knows what I’d be like if I took it in the morning. I’d probably be limping around with my bottom lip hanging down below my chin crying, “Brains, brains!!!”

So that’s the tiredness dealt with but what about the excited part?

Well, I’ve got myself all in a lather about a new character that I’ve created.

Of course, there’s no details that I can give away at this stage but what I can tell you is that I am so confident in this character that I’m going to offer it traditional publishers first. Yes, you heard that correctly. I’m going to approach all the publishing houses I can with it before I even think about self-publishing.

But why Stevenson? I hear you ask.

Well, firstly, self-publishing does have it’s benefits but it also means that you have to do all the marketing legwork yourself and, as I’ve stated recently, I’m shite at that. It would be so nice to have someone behind me for a change.

Secondly, I think I need the kick up the arse that having to produce a follow up would give me. I work better when there’s a deadline. It helps me to focus and be more self-disciplined. Although, I believe a great many of us can relate to that.

So what it basically boils down to is this:

• The hilarious tales of Joe Wilkie in the Blessham novels will continue to be self-published.
• The Ingleby books will take a bit of a back seat and be fewer and farther apart.
• The podcast is being ditched (nobody was listening anyway).
• I’m going to approach traditional publishers with my new character.

Whaddya think about that then?

I’ve now got to map out how that’s all going to take shape and how I can get my wrecked body and enfeebled mind to rise to the challenge. Stopping the podcast is one thing for sure, aside from the fact that no-one was listening; it takes too much time out of my week to write, record, upload and promote the damn thing. Time that could and should be spent elsewhere.

The blog is no bother as it usually costs me only about two hours a week to work on. Plus, I’ve been blogging on and off for years now and I bloody well enjoy it.

I also need to re-vamp the website at some point and make it a bit more eye-catching.

Time management was never my strong point but like I say, when there’s a deadline I do tend to raise my game and work well towards it. Where the amitriptyline fits into it all I don’t yet know but I have to find a way of living with it and hoping that I’ll become adjusted to it in a short amount of time. I’m also toying with the idea of these talk to type software that I’ve been hearing about. It would mean that I can sit in a comfy chair or even lie down (on a and day) and still work. The technological possibilities are truly endless in this age we live in.

Other than that I can just hope and pray that someone soon comes up with a cure for FMS and a way of beating chronic fatigue and brain fog. I cannot adequately describe the frustration that I feel with having my head chock full of all these cool ideas and a body that doesn’t want to play and won’t let me get them down in words.

And if someone else could come up with a quick and easy way for me to lose about eight stone in weight so that I can function a whole lot better and not get out of breath when answering the door, that would be good too.

So, in summation, I’m as giddy as a schoolboy on one hand and as tired as a ninety-five-year-old opium addict on the other. Can this end well? I certainly hope it will, but for now I’m going to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to get that current work in progress finished.