Achieving the first milestone

Well another year on from my last blog post and at last I can report that draft 1 of Novel 1 was completed on the 30th December 2013. I was elated to finally get to write 'The End' on my manuscript and have begun the exciting task of editing. It feels amazing to have reached the first milestone but it is still a long distance to my goal.

As usual I have allowed stuff to get in the way but I am determind to get the first edit done by the summer. I have new ideas all the time but need to focus on this again now. I have a bottle of champagne waiting to be chilled then popped for the publishing deal I hope to get one day.
I am starting a new job with Cornwall Dyslexia Association in June and hope that I will be able to knuckle down on the edit with a new structure. Thinking now about book 2 as well as revising book 1. I also have got inspiration for a dystopian YA novel too. Exciting to have lots of ideas, just need to get my time management and motivation sorted then off we  go!!

Inspiration and Motivation

During half term, I managed to enjoy some dry, sunny (if chilly) weather with the kids and some friends and revisited the mine ruins at Wheal Peevor. They were behind the inspiration for my novel # 1 and they did not disappoint again. Walking around the buildings reinvigorated the story in my head and prodded my conscience as to why I had let other things crowd out my heart to write. Along with some good friends encouraging me to get back to it, I decided to examine why I had stalled.
Simply I had lost my way in the book and therefore my confidence to keep going with it. I spent an evening replanning the second half in chapters, feeling very pleased with myself too. A few days later I wrote another 2000 word chapter, the first in over eight months. It felt great to meet up with my characters again, like a reunion with old friends. Now I am resolved to maintain the impetus and get this first draft done!!