This post is just a diary note to myself really. I’ve got myself a nice enough little novel complete with a first self-edit and proof read. I could progress from this point with a beta read – but the thing is I’m not entirely happy with it.

At 65,000 words it’s too short. I know it’s not every author wants to embark on a 140,000 word epic but I feel mine is at least 10,000 short. The good news is that the structure of the book gives me lots of scope to add material without necessarily messing with the main storyline.

At the same time it gives me an opportunity of stripping out some of the padding that I discovered on the read-through. For example, my MC ponders the fate of her faltering marriage a zillion more times than the reader will be interested in. So, just as Jersey’s workmen are presently raking the flood debris back onto the beaches I’m sure I can thin some of the wordiness out and replace it with a bit of action.

Handwriting a first draft! I think I’m concluding that, for me, it was a waste of time. It was a worthwhile experiment and I’d read that maybe creativity flows better that way. I’m not convinced, and it took me too long to type up everything into Scrivener. And neither did this transcription – which was effectively a first edit – result in many changes.

Scrivener! I’m unconvinced so far with this programme. Some writers swear by it. Yes it has some nice features but I’ve spent too much time trying to get to grips with its way of working. Also, there have been too many moments wondering where the hell my work has gone. But I’ll persevere with it if only for the fact that I know where all my projects are without having to search document folders high and low. The jury is out.

So that’s where we are. A few more weeks writing then a beta read. In the meantime I’ve knocked out a short story for a Channel Islands anthology. And, in the background, a longer-term project of script-writing a full-length play.

But for now, back to the office after a few productive days break.