7072/19592
Very excited to reveal the cover for the new book today (and big thanks to Emma Watson for holding that ball in the foreground for us), and (I think) to finish the writing off. I am going to read through the whole thing tomorrow, but I think I’ve plugged the gaps and got rid of the boring bits. It might actually be quite good. My editor may be surprised at how much it’s changed since the first draft (that she was more or less happy with). It was a bit short when I gave it in and though I cut quite a bit, it’s now a bit long. I think it’s going to be the best of my “proper” books. I feel with How Not To Grow Up and Talking Cock I slightly ran out of time and whilst I am happy with how they turned out, my feeling at the end (as deadlines flew past) was that it was done and it felt like I threw the manuscripts into the publisher, so keen was I to be shot of them. This time (and with The Problem With Men, though that was a lot shorter) I want it to be as perfect as possible and that feels like a slightly different mood. I am not giving it in until I am sure everything is as right as I can make it. If you worried about getting everything perfect it would take a decade to write a book (and even then it would still be imperfect) but I think I now have both my own story and the stuff about history and culture of testicles working towards proper conclusions. I’ve learned a bit and surprised myself. I’m really looking forward to it coming out. I am not so stupid to think that there will be any fanfare or that this book will do any better than my previous ones (which have been enjoyed by a select group of connoisseurs, but failed to make a splash with the general reading public - as long as they do well enough for me to be asked to write another book, then I take that as a success)
But I am writing this blog on the high of completion, so there’s every chance I am talking out of my arsehole. Writing this book, aside from a little bit of PTSD, has been an absolute pleasure. I’ve enjoyed it nearly all the way. And found the application of my arse to the seat has been the most constant I’ve ever managed. In this last week of rewrites I have been incredibly and unusually focused - pretty much every spare moment has gone into improving my already acceptable manuscript.
It was a full day today incorporating a morning of childcare, a lovely long dog walk listening to Georgia Pritchett’s excellent “My Mess is a Bit of a Life”, a difficult personal training session (because I’m not quite well yet and my fitness has dropped a bit due to general inactivity) and then an afternoon of book writing and an evening interviewing a secret American guest for next week’s RHLSTP. I love to have to work this hard, but it’s been great to intersperse work with thumb wars and stupid chats about nothing with the kids. All without leaving the house (apart from the dog walks).
The most unexpected result of having testicular cancer is the contentment it has given me. Probably mainly because of the perspective it has given me. I am an extraordinarily lucky person.
You can preorder the book (in all formats)
here or wherever you get your books. I suspect gofasterstripe will do some signed bookplates etc if you want to give your cash to Chris Evans (not that one) rather than Ian Amazon. One day Chris Evans will be as big and evil a businessman as Ian Amazon and will commute to work (at his own house) via space every single day. But until that day you should give your money to him.
RHLSTP with Terry Christian is now up in all the usual places.
Like here.
Newsletter with all the latest crap
is here.
