Grrrrrrrrr!!!!!

On my lunch break today, over green pasta (it's got to be healthier, surely?) I was reading Charlie Brooker's column on the Guardian website when I suddenly had a thought. His article, which was about Christmas adverts on television, made me laugh aloud (after swallowing my green pasta, thankfully). Laughing at an article is a definite achievement for a writer. Charlie's column mocks the predictability of humans, the downfalls of our race and, basically, what annoys him. However, unfortunately for Charlie, his column is just as predictable. Why is it that the most entertaining articles and columns are the ones that are complaining? If Charlie wrote a lovely article about something that made him feel warm inside, it just wouldn't be funny.

To be a good writer, one must have eloquence, fluidity, an all-encompassing grasp of language and, to paraphrase myself, the ability to play with lexis the way Monet did with paint. Yet, these qualities alone just aren't enough. One must also be pissed off. 

Since moving to Cornwall a mere nine days ago, I've been thinking a lot about mindset - and seen how much it really does matter. In fact, something else I read earlier today informed me that the biggest variety in the performance of athletes is due to changes in state of mind. So it saddens me that I'm probably going to have to get a whole lot angrier if I ever want someone to read an article of mine of their own free will and actually, just possibly, laugh.

Of course, it's also about observation, something Charlie is quite clearly adept at. Alas, I have come to the conclusion that I'm probably better off observing something annoying. Anyone fancy putting on some denim shorts over leggings?