For the last few months, I’ve been writing reviews and articles for Sy-Fy. I run a fan website for a TV show they air on their channel: Legend of the Seeker.

For my latest article I wrote a comparative piece on a character of the show. It was supposed to sound intellectual, clever… well thought out. That was the plan. Instead what I ended up with was, well, a whole lot of crazy.

All good articles start with a hook; keep it current, keep it relevant. My choice of hook, in hindsight, was probably more down to lack of sleep than anything else. And the idea for the article came only five minutes earlier whilst sat on the toilet. Why is that previous statement relevant here? It explains the frame of mind I was in whilst brainstorming and undoubtedly gives you all a nice mental image. Imagery in writing is very important. Still, I plundered through with my article and finished sometime around day break. I’m not a slow writer, I’m just slow.

I submitted the article, somehow it got approved – and then, I had my first comment.

ur crazy.

I swear to you, in that one moment, I’ve never felt like I’ve connected more with my audience. Finally they were getting what I was saying. This is what all writers strive to achieve, isn’t it? That level of understanding between themselves and the reader.

I’ve made it.

I’ve really made it.

Last week found me lying in bed, quite morose I might add, sick, delirious, and in desperate need of a way in which to relieve my boredom. The four walls and ceiling had, up till that point, provided much of my entertainment. Summoning the strength required to lift the remote control from the bedside table, to point and flick – much like Hermione in Harry Potter – at the television set and eventually turn on, was a feat I’m proud to say I managed.

If I confess one thing this week, let it be that I love black and white films. I’m not sure if that love came from growing up with my grandma (Norman Wisdom was a constant childhood companion of mine) or the fact I really spent too much time watching television. But when the screen lit up in all its black and white glory, I was hooked.

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