I started on the mentoring scheme in January so I thought now would be an opportune time to review the first six months.
So what have I achieved so far? This year I’ve had short stories published in Morpheus Tales and Midnight Echo, and I’ve had another two short stories accepted for publication in other magazines. I read the first two chapters of ‘Bloodie Bones’ at the World Horror Convention in Brighton, was short listed for the Brit Writers awards 2010, and I had an agent interested in representing me (although that didn’t come to fruition in the end).
During the first six months I’ve submitted three sessions to Miranda and I’ve done two drafts/re-writes of Bloodie Bones. The re-writes have been substantial (I’d say 50% + is entirely new and the rest has been heavily edited) and within that I’ve got a new start and a completely different ending.
As I’ve just finished draft 4 of the novel I’m leaving it aside for a few weeks to try and get some distance from it, before starting on draft 5. I know I’ve still got substantial work to do to bring it up to scratch but, especially with the new-improved (non-bio?) ending I’m happier that there is now a coherent structure and narrative to the novel.
So for the next few weeks I’m focussing on a bundle of short stories I’ve been itching to write for the past few months (How is it that when you’re engulfed in one project a hundred other story ideas come flooding out?). I’m also trying to “train” myself to write directly onto the PC - historically I’ve written long hand and then had to type everything up. I think if I can write directly to the keyboard without losing anything it will give me a lot more writing time instead of just mindless copy-typing. I started with a short story I’m collaborating on with a fellow author and I’m now trying it for a couple of my own short stories.
Then at the beginning of September, with a lot more of my short story “babies” out looking for a home, it’s back to the novel and mentoring with Miranda. I’m planning to take the final 20,000 words of the novel as the subject for the next two sessions and also look at covering letters and a synopsis, so that by November Bloodie Bones should be in a position to go out to agents/publishers.
