In Brighton

Thursday, February 24th., Royal York Hotel, Brighton.

Today I signed contracts with Duttons of New York for £1000. It is the most I have yet signed for in a day. It gives me some security financially, and confidence that others, hard-headed businessmen at that, have confidence in me. 

I walked about Brighton in cold showers this morning collecting my thoughts preparatory to writing my first love scene between Edwin and Hilda. Plenty of idlers about even though the weather is unsettled. I walked out to the end of the Palace Pier (1,722 feet long) and stood for a good while just looking out to sea. Not looking in fact, as my thoughts were turned inwards. But it was therapeutic and I turned, set my shoulders, and walked back here to begin work. I wrote 2,300 words and began to feel a wreck. 

The pier is advertised as 'the finest ever built'. Well, it may be. Must have cost a tremendous amount of money and one wonders how it can be viable financially. And of course it is not a one-off cost. It has been finished now for ten years and close inspection reveals that wind and waves are having their effect. So maintenance and repair must be a continual process. There is a sort of arrogance involved in throwing out a pier into the sea, as if the land is inadequate to contain human energy and ingenuity. I have thought of setting one of the scenes later in the book on the pier. We shall see!