a writing update.
I thought I’d talk about writing this week. Looking back over the past few posts, the last time I actually did that was on Feb 22nd, when I let you into the workings of a new project.
Well, since then, I haven’t been quiet, far from it. It has just been one of those spells where I had other commitments. Unlike the Indie Showcase, which is an established feature, I try to vary my Monday posts, there are book reviews (I review for two blogger’s groups, as well as myself), and the odd recipe to tell you about. Dates are frequently arranged months in advance, occasionally they all come along at once, pushing talk about writing out of the way for a while.
The blogger’s group reference leads me nicely into news of Life and Other Dreams. It will be on a book blog tour of its own, from 21st to 27th March, with 21 blogs posting reviews and promotional spots. All organised by the wonderful Rachel Gilby; if you ever need a tour organising, she’s the one to speak to. Find her HERE
If you see any posts or tweets in your browsing, please share them around. It’s both exciting and nerve-wracking to anticipate what they are going to say about my creation.
Moving on, in association with a Facebook group that I belong to, several of us are going to attempt to write a novel (or other project) in April.
It’s not that hard, when you break it down, a first draft of 50,000 words is only 1660 words a day, reasonably do-able (as long as you have the ideas). I’m approaching it in the same way as NaNoWriMo, which I have managed four times now.
I have several projects that I could work on; the question was, which one should I go for?
In the end, it came down to the one that was freshest in my mind. The book I’ve just launched is crying out, not so much for a sequel but for a continuation. I don’t want to explain anything or reach a conclusion, just carry on where the first story left off. Because there is so much further that it can go. I have plenty of ideas for the next instalment, stuff that I didn’t want to put in the first one as it was at a great point to stop. Without giving too much away, things will continue, perhaps not in the way you might expect. Since I wrote the first one, I’ve found so much more fascinating research on the science behind the fiction, it’s time to incorporate it.
The sequel to Life and Other Dreams; called Wake
We’ll have to see how I get on as April progresses, I’ll keep you posted.
In other news, I have finally finished the third Andorra Pett story, Andorra Pett and her Sister, which has been sent to my editor. Following on from Andorra Pett on Mars; which included the first chapter, Andorra is involved in more shenanigans, this time it’s personal! Look out for the novel later in the year.
To complete my roundup, I have several other finished novels. Survive, The Sensaurum and the Lexis, The Lost Princess and now Promise Me, the third Dave Travise novel are all just about done. These are in the queue for an edit and a beta read, if anyone’s interested in a first look (and they don’t mind reading an unedited manuscript), please get in touch.
My textbook on world-building is also ready to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public; when I can get around to giving it a final polish and uploading it.
In terms of novels underway but not completed; I have five, plus one short story which I intend to expand, and one idea. If I can get all them done, and manage to release one novel a year, I have enough work already to keep me going for more than ten years. That’s always assuming that I don’t have any more ideas in between. Judging by past performance, there’s little chance of that happening.
So that’s where I am, meanwhile, the Showcase returns on Thursday. Have a good week.
