Here's the deal. I've been single since time immemorial. So, in an attempt to remedy my eternal singledom, and to get over my nauseatingly pathological fear of dates, I've decided to challenge myself. The challenge? To go on one first date a week for a year! So in 52 weeks time, I will have either found my Mr Right, or I'll stay forever Miss Write. This is what happens...


The Rules

Here are the rules to the 52 First Dates challenge...

1. A first date must be had once a week, EVERY week, for a year, that's 52 dates in 52 weeks.

2. Taking someone home after a drunken night on the cider does NOT count.

3. Second and third dates are allowed, I must continue first dates unless there are exceptional mitigating circumstances. For example, God forbid, the start of a relationship.

4. Each date must be blogged.

10 March 2015

The 27 Hour Novella for Red Nose Day 2015

Hi folks!

Well, it turns out that I went and did yet another of Mark Watson's ridonculous marathon gigs for charity, 27 hours to be precise, and in the process succeeded (if success can be measured by survival) in writing a 20,000 word novella. And as proof, I went and published it, so if you want to see effects what extreme sleep deprivation and excessive gin consumption have on the creative brain, you can find out right HERE! with all proceeds going to Red Nose Day / Comic Relief:

Enjoy. I mean, good luck.

CTS x

06 February 2015

A cry for help...

...or rather a beg for sponsorship. I should probably elaborate shouldn't I?

As many of you might remember, two years ago I foolishly took up the challenge to go on 25 dates in 25 hours, as part of Mark Watson's famous mega-gig for the 25th anniversary of Red Nose Day. Although I can't remember at least 18 hours worth of it, it was an incredible and incredibly bizarre experience, and enough time has elapsed since then that I've forgotten quite how physically, psychologically and emotionally difficult it was. That's why I seem to have agreed to take part in the next one, celebrating 27 years of Red Nose Day. I think you now where this is going...!

This year, however, I've decided to ditch the dates and am going solo in an effort to try and write a novella during Mark's 27 hour gig which takes place at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington on the 27th of February. Technically a novella is anywhere between 17,500 and 40,000 words, which it turns out is rather a lot to get done in one single sitting. I realise now I'm fully signed up that this is an insane idea, and quite frankly I don't know if it's physically possible. But it's for an incredible cause and clearly I'm a glutton for punishment. If by chance it IS possible, then I'm hoping to be able to publish whatever it is that's come out of my brain and through my fingers on Amazon within a few days after the gig with all proceeds also going to the charity. 

So where do you come in? Well, all this would be pointless if it wasn't to raise some cold hard cash for an organisation I've preveiously worked for and have a lot of love for, Comic Relief, and having worked there I've seen first hand at how much it changes peoples lives. And it really does. So of course, I would love you to donate whatever you can do my ridiculous challenge because of all the good I can tell you it will do. At this stage I have no idea what I'm going to write, so if you have anything you want to contribute, words, names, events, evil plot twists etc that you'd like me to try and include, please write so on your donation and I'll try my very best to fit everything in. You never know, if you are the most generous donor, you could even become the protagonist. Think about that, being the lead character in a story written by a delirious, sleep-deprived, mad woman...! Could be worse, you could actually have to go on a date with me, so count yourselves lucky.

So before I bore you any more, here's the sponsorship link to make this ridiculous endeavour as worthwhile as possible: https://my.rednoseday.com/sponsor/27hournovella

Please do give as much as you can and share and support and maybe send care packages of malt loaf and gin if you're so inclined, whatever you do will be incredibly appreciated (especially the gin and malt loaf).

Thank you so so much.

CTS xxx