I finished printing out Winds
of Change yesterday afternoon, checked the manuscript yet again, then
packed it up. I've just posted it. 129,000 words on 504 pages is a hefty weight
and cost £10.30 to send first class. But that was only a little more than
parcel rates and will arrive three days sooner.
So, what now? Clean
out my office - I've forgotten what colour the carpet is. Tidying my desk and putting
away all my research files will help me move on from this story so I can begin
work on the next. Ideas have been
bubbling for a while but I needed to get Winds
of Change on its way first. Not putting anything on paper allowed me
freedom to consider all kinds of possibilities without commitment.
But now all that changes. I have to decide the year, background,
locations and characters for the new book. It's an exciting feeling,
exhilarating and slightly scary. For me one of the joys of being a novelist is
learning from each book I write and carrying that forward to make the next one
even better.
Where will I start? Reading
about the period and locations I've chosen will suggest events, plot-points,
and – most importantly - characters whose conflicts and choices will drive the
story and explore my chosen theme. Often
during this preliminary reading a title will suggest itself. Fingers crossed.
But first things first: vacuum cleaner, duster, screen
wipes ...
Jane Jackson.
Jane Jackson.
5 comments:
Your post made me smile, Jane. I recognised all of it.
It reminded me of the recent TV programme on Ian Rankin which showed him setting about a new book and deciding what to write about. I suppose all authors do it, one way or another. When Rankin started, he had no idea what he was going to do. Other authors may have several stories banging on the inside of their skull already, trying to get out.
Happy to find a kindred spirit, Joanna. I had to go into my office for something this morning and hated it because there's no work in progress. But just wait until tomorrow!
Congratulations! And isn't that a great feeling when the desk is clear and your mind can roam at will amongst all the ideas for the new book.
But I don't envy you having to print out and post! I'm lucky that my publisher takes it all electronically.
I know just how you feel, Jane - especially about rediscovering the carpet!
I hope your creative play time goes well.
Thanks so much for your comments, Louise and Rachel. I'm happier today as I've started prepping a shedload of blog posts in advance of the paperback release of Eye of The Wind from Accent Press in April, with others to follow throughout the year and into 2014. And, even better, I'm mind-mapping ideas for the new book. (Picture me doing a small happy dance)
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