Don’t panic. I don’t mean the end of me or this blog, although I know my previous post (not counting the shared post this morning) may have left you wondering about my wellbeing. I think Christmas really stressed me out. The hype, expectation and so on. Anyway. Tis done .. for another few months before it all starts again.
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Guess what?
I wrote to the end of my novel and typed THE END!
I was typing the final chapter with the laptop balanced on my knee as Man of the Woods drove across the England/Scotland border en route to a 3-day trip to his sister’s. They live north of the Cairngorms, so once you think you’ve got to Scotland, you’ve still three and half hours to go.
It’s been a while since I posted, and those final words to finish the first draft were what I was concentrating on, rather than posting here.
I reached 77,000 by the end.
I’ve since started a first read-through – on paper, armed with a pink pen. Not so much editing as literally reading the whole thing through as if it’s someone else’s work, to see if the story flows, asking myself if the characters ‘work’, the timings of births and deaths mentioned make sense.
I used small font, in 1.3 line spacing and used both sides of the paper to save sheets.
Approx 157 x A4 sides to ‘edit’. I aimed for 25 per day each day of last week and am presently at 127, itching to get back on the laptop but know that first I have to get back to THE END, just like I did when I was laying out the initial story.
It was incredibly powerful, how writing those two words actually turned out to be. I’d heard hundreds of times ‘just keep writing’ … ‘get to the end of the draft’ … but I always found it hard to reach when so much of what I’d written I knew needed work. However, it was liberating to visualise the final scene and get something down because they suddenly I had a whole beginning, middle and end thing going on.
The fact I am setting my final scene in Edinburg felt fitting that I should be typing that scene while we drove past it!
Lots hasn’t worked I assure you! I’ve crossed out plenty of rubbish amateur sentences which added nothing other than word-count; I’ve killed off a dog and a secondary character who brought nothing to the story.
I’m aware I shall be down on word-count once I get back on the laptop and implement the changes this coming week. However, I plan to replace lost useless words with new and relevant examples; ones which will deepen every scene as I do a second run-through.
I’ve heard authors give these editing stages correct names. I believe I’m doing them in a sensible order as I didn’t want to do the spellcheck and grammar details until a final run through or I will have potentially wasted time making improvements to paragraphs which were going to get the chop anyway!
I no longer want to call it The Key to Verona, the feedback I received last summer was spot on which said “It makes it sound historical which it’s not, and anyway, you don’t mention Verona.”
I’ve had a couple of other ideas but am following the advice of people who know about these things … leave it to see if any agent or publisher might wish to title it for me.
I love my male character, Antonio. I can see him, feel his pain and am aware what he wants from life and I know how to help him achieve it π€
I saw this actor play the part of Mr Oak in ‘Far From The Madding Crowd’ … my God! Have you seen it? You simply must watch it. He has all the attributes that I’d written in for my Antonio. He’s quiet, respectful, focused, calm. But he’s passionate and stronger than the other two suitors in Thomas Hardy’s beautiful novel which I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read π
I’m still struggling with Martha. I don’t know what she looks like, or what her attractive qualities might be to help a reader like her. Strange that …
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So, what are you all reading so far in 2019?
I’m presently half way through Ali Harris’ ‘The First Last Kiss’ which is great .. a good old romantic tale of the angst of first loves and .. well, I’ll tell you when I’ve finished it!
… and my next read, has probably got to be this!
I’m hoping Matsu is not dead, and simply wearing his winter costume?!
Oh well done Viola. Always a champagne moment to finish a book, though there’s still work to do. And 77k words is a comfortable number to be able to thin out a bit of excess.
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Thanks Roy – cheers!
Iβve done a whole read-through with the pink pen now and have started to implement those changes back on the laptop TODAY in fact!!
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Im Proud of you Viola!πππ may the editing process go smoothly.
Ive been reading
As I walk the Bridge of Dreams
The conspiracy against the human race
Howls moving castle
Asteroid mining 101:wealth for the new space economy
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(*takes a bow*)
Iβm enjoying it so far, which has to be a positive.
Good Lord.
And do we get a review on each?
Howlβs Moving Castle – Iβve just read the blurb on amazon … sheβs highly thought of!! Perhaps I shall try it π«
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Just started reading Howl’s moving Castle two nights ago , I could wait for you to reach chapter 2π
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WOW so happy for you and your ending!! Great job!
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Thank you Nora!
I must not stall now … π
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Congrats on reaching The End, Viola! Great effort and good luck with your edits π.
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Thank you very much – Iβm enjoying the first read through, although itβs making me realise how poor some of the writing is – especially some of the early parts!
I feel I improved as 2018 went and it shows π€£ππ
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Ahh yes, Iβve had that problem too. Always happens when youβve been working on something for a long time. The start never sounds like the end, because by the time you got to the end, you were a better writer. Itβs a good problem to have π.
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Iβm hoping so βΊοΈπ
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When I first read that you were crossing the border to Scotland I wondered if you were going to reflect on how that would change if Scotland referendumed and remained in the EU. Sorry to bring that up. Anyway many congrats on getting to The End. Congratulations!
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Gosh, I hadnβt thought of that angle!!
Many thanks for popping over. I am excited for the manuscriptβs onward journey! I hope you and family are well x
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All good here. Thank you!
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How exciting. Good for you!
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Thank you… itβs taken 15 months so far to get to this stage ππ
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That’s not bad!
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ππ x
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Congratulations! I’m just starting to work my way through the books that have been hanging around the house over the last few years. The first up is called “Otherworld”, by Jason Segel, and Kirsten Miller.
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CongratZ on your ending.
I don’t think I’ve ever written these two words, and your post made me wonder why. It’s true that last November was the first time I actually finished a draft of something longer than a short story, but still… no “The End”. I’ll have to think about that.
And you leaving spelling and grammar for the end, I think you’re onto something. I like your editing process.
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My darling .. you have to take that seed of an idea this post might have sown, and run with it x
After my course in Devon in November, something g clicked. Yes, NaNo was invaluable in giving me words to edit and getting me over that middle hump of βwhat the hell can happen here to get me to the ending Iβve envisaged for months?β … but it was the inspiration of being with other writers that I knew I was putting off laying the foundations, finding reason after reason to not type my way to the end.
I see this mark as mountain climbing and reaching the peak of the the first mountain in a range. It felt really good to sit up there for a few days and admire the view. Iβm aware there are many downs and ups ahead of me in the mountain range, lots of editing and beta reading and wobbles in confidence but one thing no-one can deny me.
I WROTE A WHOLE DRAFT
xx
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Cheers to that.
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Wow well done. You’ve smashed that first draft. And so glad the tree is still with us…
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Aw Michael xx same!!!
Iβm pretty sure when Matsu arrived last April his leaves were teeny tiny buds, so Iβm assuming he will bud soon enough.
And thank you, thank you ππΌ letβs see if I can remain focused on these editing stages ππΌπ«
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Congratulations! π Sending you all the good vibes there is. Look forward to reading it when publishedπ
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What a lovely thing to say – thank you so so much πΈπ«xx
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You’re very welcomeπ
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Congratulations!!!!! So much hard work!!!! What a great feeling!!!! π
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Thank you my longest-serving supporter πxx
Lots more work still to be done, but yes – all those months π
Iβve got a weekend in March with Phoebe Morgan, learning all about how (properly) to approach an agent so my aim is to have it polished by then π
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GREAT!!!!! Wishing you …THE BEST of LUCK!!!!! Prayers and Fingers Crossed! π
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xx
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