Well readers (reader? hubristic assuming more than one?),it’s been an exciting day. First the shortlist for the Sony Reader Award was announced and there’s me on it! (Along with someone who teaches writing for a JOB…but as we all know the underdog always wins, so that’s OK. Think Mighty Ducks, Jamaican bobsled team, Dodgeball).

Then agents started finding ME through cyberspace. Very odd feeling. Must be similar to how kidnappers feel when hostages develop Stockholm Syndrome. Surely they are supposed to be running away, pretending to go out of business, changing name, having plastic surgery a la Face/Off etc? Not wanting to read my scribblings.

But they do, so hurrah! Just like in film, end of Dirty Dancing, uplifting 80s montage, bit in The Social Network where they reach 1 million and are mean to Andrew Garfield, etc.

As I also have a day job I’m luckily kept grounded by more prosaic requests, such as copying a whole pile of DVDs (no, do not work in illegal Chinese DVD factory, don’t worry), adding links to website, and replacing inaccurate hyphens. I’m also for some reason more inkstained than ever before. Is it oozing out of me in excitement?

Today has been a very exciting day and even if nothing comes of all this, the sheer thrill is enough to keep me scribbling, slogging, comma-hunting, looking up how to kill someone with a bottle, jostling for space on the train, etc, for many years to come.

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/132962-unpublished-authors-shortlisted-by-sony.html