Well, I'm still here
But that might just mean the IT department hasn't caught up with me yet. So best not to chance things too much.
There's not a lot happening around me right now - yet another excuse for a lack of posting. Life is mainly focussed on getting the new draft of Book of Souls done before the tenth of July. Who knows, I might have reason to need a finished draft then...
Normally this kind of rewrite would be relatively painless. I'm not in the same league of pickiness as Mr Stuart, which is probably one reason why he's an internationally best-selling Bearded Writist and I am not. Book of Souls is proving to be somewhat more complicated though for reasons not unconnected with the aforementioned internationally best-selling Bearded Writist.
My original idea, when first dipping a tentative toe into the murky black pool that is crime fiction, was to create something that was very similar to a police procedural, but with the possibility, lurking in the background, that the nasty things happening might have some kind of supernatural origin. Natural Causes wore this rather more on its sleeve than was my first intention, with Detective Inspector McLean quite literally facing his demons at the end. Those kind editors who were prepared to read it all more or less said the same thing: loved the writing, could we have a bit less paranormal nonsense please?
Mr Stuart has been telling me much the same thing for a while now, but at least he's not smug about it.
Now, I'm not a complete whore to the market. I'd like to think that I have a few principles hidden away somewhere. But when some fairly well-known and well-respected editors at major publishing houses say that they like your writing but... it takes a certain foolhardiness to ignore them. True, I'm known for my obstinacy. My furrow is long, and far distant from anyone else's. But even I know good advice when I see it.
So the first chapter and synopsis of Book of Souls that I entered into the debut dagger this year is a somewhat different beast to the book I finished writing towards the end of last. There are, in short, no ghosts in it. They have been exorcised.
Which means that I've a job on my hands akin to writing a completely new novel, and a target of just one month in which to complete it. At least I've got a fairly good idea of how the plot resolves itself - call it a novel-length plan if you like.
So remind me, why am I wasting my time typing this rubbish here?
There's not a lot happening around me right now - yet another excuse for a lack of posting. Life is mainly focussed on getting the new draft of Book of Souls done before the tenth of July. Who knows, I might have reason to need a finished draft then...
Normally this kind of rewrite would be relatively painless. I'm not in the same league of pickiness as Mr Stuart, which is probably one reason why he's an internationally best-selling Bearded Writist and I am not. Book of Souls is proving to be somewhat more complicated though for reasons not unconnected with the aforementioned internationally best-selling Bearded Writist.
My original idea, when first dipping a tentative toe into the murky black pool that is crime fiction, was to create something that was very similar to a police procedural, but with the possibility, lurking in the background, that the nasty things happening might have some kind of supernatural origin. Natural Causes wore this rather more on its sleeve than was my first intention, with Detective Inspector McLean quite literally facing his demons at the end. Those kind editors who were prepared to read it all more or less said the same thing: loved the writing, could we have a bit less paranormal nonsense please?
Mr Stuart has been telling me much the same thing for a while now, but at least he's not smug about it.
Now, I'm not a complete whore to the market. I'd like to think that I have a few principles hidden away somewhere. But when some fairly well-known and well-respected editors at major publishing houses say that they like your writing but... it takes a certain foolhardiness to ignore them. True, I'm known for my obstinacy. My furrow is long, and far distant from anyone else's. But even I know good advice when I see it.
So the first chapter and synopsis of Book of Souls that I entered into the debut dagger this year is a somewhat different beast to the book I finished writing towards the end of last. There are, in short, no ghosts in it. They have been exorcised.
Which means that I've a job on my hands akin to writing a completely new novel, and a target of just one month in which to complete it. At least I've got a fairly good idea of how the plot resolves itself - call it a novel-length plan if you like.
So remind me, why am I wasting my time typing this rubbish here?
Comments
So here's mine.
GET YOUR LAPTOP OUT AND DO SOME WRITING!
Sorry, never have been one for being inspiring. Take Care.
Jo
And I see Jo's:
GET YOUR LAPTOP OUT AND DO SOME WRITING!
And I'll raise you a:
YOU BIG LAZY POO HEAD!
Well, personal abuse always works for me - it's how I get through the day.
I've recently made changes in my life that make me wonder what the hell I was doing just sitting around, so, it's the best advice I can give.
That, and don't let Stuart call you poo head. Although from him, it's almost a compliment really.
Best of luck with the re-write!
--hw