Death of a thousand cuts

The Deluge is proving a real pig to edit, and heaven knows I’ve given up counting how many I've done. Each time I go over it errors leap up at me. I make changes and wonder if I’m not butchering the thing. I repeat the mantra ‘do no harm’, but when will I be happy with it?

Floating home

I floated home from the SWWJ summer festival in a haze of red wine, clutching a commended in the novel writing competition. And I’m all the more pleased as my gutsy thriller is a world away from judge Kate Nash’s genre of women’s historical romance.

SWWJ Summer Festival

Tomorrow is the SWWJ event of the year. It’ll be a good time to see friends, meet new ones and network. Agent Kate Nash and Sir Tim Rice are on the guest list. I’m hoping to get more members join the novelists loop too. I’ve great plans for what has been a SWWJ backwater. Oh and I'm wearing a dress!

Eating elephants

My manuscript is an elephant. But how do you eat a whole one? One bite at a time. That’s how I’m trying to look at my editing. The Yeovil Prize deadline was on me and I got the first 14,000 words edited to a level I felt comfortable with. But now I’ve got this edifice of grey to tackle and my neck is hurting looking up at it. One bite at a time – but where’s the spoon?

Short list

Timescales on competitions being what they are, I forgot I’d made the UKAuthors Opening Pages Competition long list. An email last week congratulating me on getting through to the short list threw me into a right tizz; not least because they wanted the whole manuscript in a few days. I’m delighted as this is a personal best and a welcome boost.

By George - I've got it!

Theme that is. I now know my theme or premise as some like to call it, is - challenging authority leads to alienation, with the addendum, but the result is a stronger person. I wonder how many people realize the importance of theme? It's certainly glossed over in most self help books. I shall find out and get back to you.

Editing post Cornwall

Post Cornwall, I'm editing the Deluge again to put in theme, symbols and other things I have subsequently learned. Thanks Bosorne Books in St Just for the self help books and sorry for clearing you out of them!