Lazy Sunday Service

Two endings today. The first, the last government. The final result is still pending as there is still counting going on in some constituencies. As of writing there are 150 out of 166 seats confirmed, with four constituencies still outstanding, two of which are undergoing recounts. Wicklow, which had the largest number of candidates, is on Count 13 with no candidate yet over the quota and elected. Fianna Fail and the Greens have been decimated. Fianna Fail got 78 seats in 2007, the Greens 6. This time round it looks like Fianna Fail will be on c.20, the Greens 0. No party will have a majority, with seats gained by Fine Gael, Labour, Sinn Fein, Independents, and United Left Alliance. Only four cabinet and junior ministers survived. It looks like a Fine Gael/Labour coalition.

The second, I completed the first draft of Good Cop/Bad Cop this morning. It didn't end quite as I expected it to, but that's good. This is the first novel I've planned out in broad terms, making brief notes on all chapters, before drafting. It's taken its own course in writing, but stayed within the general parameters of the overall plot. I've also drafted all the way to the end without stopping to go back over earlier parts to edit and redraft. At the minute I have slightly paradoxical feelings about it: for once I'm happy with the overall story, which makes me a little unnerved. The two main characters are so easy to write for, the book kind of wrote itself. Next stage is a full read through and hopefully I'll still be happy enough. If so, then onto beta readers.

My posts this week
Review of The Vienna Assignment by Olen Steinhauer
Winter's Bone: Book and Movie
Review of Falling Glass by Adrian McKinty
NAMA and Northern Ireland
I loved my mother so much, that I have killed her
Review of Miami Blues by Charles Willeford
A kick in the ballots