It Really is Over- Honestly!

Well, I’ve actually arrived at that defining point in time.  That moment when it’s finally finished.  I’m talking about my latest book, Between Today and Yesterday.  It’s gone and now I’m waiting for my single proof copy to come back from the printers in Milton Keynes.  I do one last check, advise the publisher if there are any more amendments and if not then it will be offered to the world at large. This book, I have to say, has been so full on that it will be a glorious experience to get back to normality for a while.  Don’t get me wrong, I love writing, but it takes over your life and everything else has to take a back seat.  You find yourself scrabbling around to fit everything in and the things you took in your stride now become last minute panic jobs.

However, because I have my life back for a while, it doesn’ mean I’ve switched off from writing completely.  Oh no, my brain won’t allow me to do that.  Once you’ve finished, that little niggling thought is worming its way into your mind telling you that you have to think about the next one.  And I have sort of been doing that. A couple of weeks ago I was away for a whole week in South Devon and imagined quite foolishly that I could clear my mind of anything remotely connect with back home.  However, during that time I managed to plot the prologue for my fifth book.  So I know how it all kicks off, but where we go after that is currently a bit of a magical mystery tour.  Of course it always comes to me in the end.  It’s like I’m drip fed the plot by some superior life form.  When I started Between Today and Yesterday it was just the same.  I knew how the first part of the book would develop and the end.  It was the middle that was a bit of a grey area.  Because of that I was worried I would never find enough words to complete a decent sized novel.  How silly of me to worry!  The book has come out at around 144,000 words, nearly 30,000 words more than any of the three books of the trilogy.  I’d originally set myself a target of 120,000 but when it began nudging over that I knew by the way the story was going that I would never be able to keep to that target.  Anyway, all the angst and worry really isn’t of any concern any more, the book is finished, the journey ended and I’m actually sitting here feeling quite please with myself as it’s probably the best thing I’ve written so far. Am over the moon! I certainly hope those who decide to read it feel the same way.

Now then, enough of all this chatter, I’m off for an hour’s TV and a large glass of red wine!  Will catch up again tomorrow