Wednesday, April 23, 2008

The script will be better than this post though, don't worry.

Yesterday then, in descending order of importance, Mum got back from hospital early, scans revealed that the Blue Kitten (due in September) is almost certainly girl-shaped, and the eleventh draft of my kids' book has been declared almost ready to go to the some publishers.

(EDIT: it's been pointed out this makes it look like I have a publisher lined up. I don't, so my literary agent OH YES I'VE GOT TWO AGENTS is sending it off to various different publishers. Are you a publisher? Why not call me now, before missing THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME!!!!!)

Obviously all sorts of things can go wrong in all sorts of direction, but sometimes it's okay to look back and think 'Hmm. That was quite a good day'.


Also I was able to make a start on the second episode of my teen drama thing, after the BBC Drama department okayed the outline, a process which went something like this:

SFX: phone rings

BBC DRAMA DEPT.: (sobbing) Is james there?

ME: Speaking.

BBC DRAMA DEPT.: OH MY GOD WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME!

ME: We don't?

BBC DRAMA DEPT.: The outline went to the highest levels. THE HIGHEST LEVELS! Word from on high is (whispers) you may proceed to stage two

ME: You mean actually writing it?

BBC DRAMA DEPT.: I can't talk now, I think this phone is tapped.

SFX: Click. Brrrrrrrrrr....

Because they're the 'Drama' department, you see. They do everything in quite a dramatic- oh please yourselves.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

Very good news about your mum (oh, and the book, obviously)
and, although I'm completely biased, baby girls are wonderful* (and teenage ones turn out to be even better!)

Truly, a great day.

*I'm sure baby boys are too, I just never had one.

James Henry said...

Yeah, I quite wanted a girl one, as a nice change from the rest of my family, what is mostly big blokes lumbering about.

"I think I can just make the labia" said the nice scanning lady, and I managed not to giggle until hours later. It is moments of maturity like that which will make me a great dad.

cello said...

A scanning lady who is relaxed about saying 'labia'* to complete strangers is almost certainly a GW fan.

I am drinking a toast to your excellent day.

* I believe it is possible to mistake labia for a scrotum.

Billy said...

Would a phone call from the Comedy department have me requiring surgery to stitch my sides up again?

James Henry said...

Billy, you'd be amazed at just how humourless the BBC Comedy department is. It's like they've evolved beyond the need for it or something. All lovely people though, etc.

Cello: she did specifically say she couldn't see a penis. I did make sure she wasn't looking at me.

chatterbox said...

Good news all round.

Have you discovered a whole new way of embarrassing your children later in life? 'No Dad,the photos and videos were bad enough, pleeeaase don't get the old blogs out'..

Sylvia said...

good news all round!
You do realise these scans are not 100% accurate re gender identification? Mistakes have been made! So I'd hold fire until baby actually arrives......

James Henry said...

Don't worry, I do know that - hence the 'almost certainly' bit in the original post.

Tim F said...

Sylvia, if he'd held fire in the first place, the whole situation wouldn't have arisen.

Oli said...

Yep, I think you can chalk that day up as a good one. Congrats on all fronts.

Boz said...

It's terribly good of you to be making sure there are high quality children's books available for kitten to read when she appears. Was it planned this way??

Sylvia said...

James - you caught me out - obviousky have to sharpen up my reading comprehension skills.

Fire? So that's how they're made. Blows my cabbage patch theory right out of the water.....

Sorry - that was me who deleted the above - noticed a mistake and couldn't bear the ridicule...

Jayne said...

Me! I publish books for kids! Send it to me!

After all, I get books from everyone else in the country - often written in green ink...

James Henry said...

Well helloooooooooooooooooo Jayne!

(do you want to send me an email at james@james-henry.co.uk then?)

Yay blogs.

(although I'd better check this doesn't compromise any grand strategy my agent has been cooking up first)

Anonymous said...

Yay for blue kitten. To be honest, I've always thought she was a girl. Congrats!

cello said...

Can I just check that you're not actually going to call this child 'Kitten', or any variation thereof. You might think I'm joking, but Wossy has called one of his daughters Betty Kitten.

If you are, then let me be the first to say what a totally delightful name and sound decision that was.

James Henry said...

Cello, you'll be pleased to hear Patroclus and myself are eschewing the traditional showbiz conventions what come with our Golden Media Couple status, and given the child the perfectly normal name of Galadriel Starkiller Fingle Moosey Tenth Level Paladin Henry.

Which has a nice ring to it, I think.

Jayne said...

It certainly does. And it can't be shortened to anything embarrassing, which is always something to look out for...