Guest: Alex Horne

Alex Horne is a writer and comedian who's partly responsible for the fabulous BBC4 show We Need Answers while being fully responsible for singeing a book of his which I bought after one of his gigs ... and yes, I do mean 'singeing'. Alex is also the kind of man who you could describe as one of life's over-achievers. His current ambitions are to get a word he's invented into the dictionary, to become the world's oldest man:

..... and to get to a certain party on time .....

'Inspiration'

By Alex Horne

It’s Sunday night and I’m ashamed.

I promised to come to my first blog party and on the night in question here I am, at home (well, my parents-in-laws’ home), miles from the get-together. In fact, I’m just about to get into bed. I’m pretty sure I’m a blog party-pooper.

But I didn’t mean to shun this party. I blame my son. He’s going to be one year old in ten days time and for the past 12 months he’s stopped me going to almost every sort of social occasion. Not that I mind. Every day’s a party when you’re a new parent (a strange sort of party with naps, nappies and crying). But it does mean I’ve missed rather a lot of events and had rather a lot of early nights instead.

Just before turning in tonight I checked my emails and discovered the invitation to this particular party. I kicked myself (quietly – Tom’s asleep) because I’d so wanted to go to this one.

Mainly because it didn’t involve organising a baby-sitter.

So here I am. Fashionably or, more likely, frustratingly late, but here nevertheless. I might even be a whole day late, in which case I promise to help with the clearing up.

But what I wanted to say is that this is exactly how I’m inspired to write.

I need deadlines – often last-minute deadlines – to force me to put pen to paper or finger to keyboard. Without deadlines I’d sit and stare at my son all day. But now, with three hours until the 9th of May is over I feel I can suddenly write something.

It may be little more than a note of apology but I have written something. And that’s often how I feel about my entire writing career: better to write something than not. If it’s terrible you don’t have to show it to anyone but it will do you some good. You have to start something to finish something.

And I have to be badgered to start something.

So there we go. Sorry, thanks and happy blog party!

Thank you Alex! Very much.

You made it to the party in time and you're most welcome .... even if you are in your pyjamas!

As for the rest of you, you really ought to treat yourself to a funny, friendly and thoroughly life-affirming night out and catch one of Alex's upcoming live shows.

Make sure to follow Alex's attempts to ...well, to not die .... at http://www.longlivealex.com/ and learn more about the man and his quests at http://www.alexhorne.com/.

Thanks for reading and Alex, thanks for making the effort to get here. Better late than never.

Don't forget to collect your cake wrapped in a serviette on your way out.

Jx