Arriving back from our week away in Dartmouth I’ve now settled back into writing. Once more I’m nearly at the end of a book writing journey; one which has taken longer than usual. This is because I wasn’t happy with my opening chapter. I didn’t just revise it, I completely rewrote it . This had a knock on effect through the rest of the book, meaning more time working on changes. For me the first chapter is the most difficult to write. It is also the most important if you are planning to hook the reader and draw them into the story. Therefore I have to be happy with it.
On 14th September I planned to leave my writing behind keen to take a complete break and spend some catch up time with family. However, there was one key scene I couldn’t leave behind; one I was sure distance and a new environment would help me sort out. The book was complete apart from one crucial scene where the two main protagonists get up close and personal for the first time. It was all there – the location and scenes leading up to that all important moment. All I needed was to sit down and hope sometime during that week I’d get the inspiration to write it.
For a couple of weeks prior to the holiday I’d worked through various options. On one occasion I’d actually written a scene I thought would work. To a certain extent it did, but not in a way that convinced me I’d cracked it. So Dartmouth I decided,
far away from domestic and other day to day distractions, was going to be my salvation. In those moments between our days out and evenings spent in one of the local restaurants I sat and watched the river from the window seat in our apartment. It was an opportunity to give the whole thing my total concentration. And eventually it worked – that light bulb moment arrived.
So now I’m sitting in front of my computer ready to write that final missing piece of the story. Wish me luck!
JO LAMBERT 