Yesterday, for the first time EVER, I completed the first draft of my book; and not just any old book of mine - the book! Please understand, that ever since I started writing, when I was around eleven, I have had many, many ideas buzzing around my head. The trick is to keep them there long enough to put them down on to paper and make something of them. This is the first time that I have ever written a full-length book; I guess the first time that I have so strongly believed in something to complete a first draft.
(Yes, I was that excited I took a picture of the final page!)
Now the hard stuff starts: I have to try and edit the thing! A wonderful author friend of mine, Miranda Dickinson, said that the best bit is writing the first draft, because you get to have fun with it and basically go wherever you want to go with it. Your imagination can run wild. It's after that when you're forced to take a second, third, fourth (and sometimes fifth, sixth and seventh) look at it that you need to knuckle down, be serious and think about what it is your potential readers will want to read.
I had no intention of finishing the first draft yesterday, but it did become clear throughout the day that my story was wrapping itself up nicely and I didn't want to stretch it to exactly 100k words just for the sake of it, so it came in at 87, 581k words instead. However, you never know, I may end up cutting about 20k words and putting 40k back in. That's all part of the process, really.
What I really need to work on is how to engage people in the first couple of chapters without spoon-feeding them or giving away too much. That's been the general feedback, but I honestly don't really know what it means. As my manuscript is my "baby", I can't work out what to change, and obviously think that everything in those two chapters is necessary - though I know that isn't realistic. That is definitely something I'll be voicing with the CBC course tutors; I'm sure they'll have a much better idea than I do.
I am so excited about starting the course, it's silly! I've been reading up as much as I could about the course and just can't wait to get stuck in. We'll be given 'homework' and projects to prepare for every class - if only I'd been this enthusiastic at school, eh?!
Anyway, just a little update on how things are going. I'll keep giving little updates - when I'm not banging my head against the desk - and then when the CBC course starts, I'll be going full pelt with the blogging. I hope you stay with me on my journey!
EG xxx
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