Three books in the drawer

And maybe even more.

I am embarrassed to admit I have at least three books in the drawer – metaphorically speaking, that is.

At over 100,000 words, my most recent novel was my most ambitious.

I finished writing it at the end of 2015.

It had been a huge feat for me to craft a story that wasn’t solely focused on the relationship between the hero and heroine. After years of mucking about, I had finally tippy-toed away from the romance genre into ‘popular women’s fiction with romantic elements’.

On completion of a first draft, I followed the recommendations of many successful authors – I put my novel “in the drawer” so I could return to it in a couple of months with a fresh perspective.

And there it stayed for a couple of months… and another couple of months, etc.

Gah!

When I dragged myself to the computer to edit it, my mojo had dwindled to a flickering candle with only a couple of hours burning time left.

As I traipsed through it, helped by some useful input from a writer friend, my attitude to my book changed.

• I didn’t like my heroine anymore where once I loved her
• I decided the story was flim flam, a crock, dog’s breakfast, all over the shop, total rubbish
• I resented the input from my friend who had suggested I make big changes to whole chapters towards the end of the story. You’ve got to be kidding?

All in all, I suffered an attack of ennui and self-loathing whenever I went into edit mode (this wasn’t helped by my lack of organisational skills – yes, I am using Scrivener but I can even mess that up).

I also became caught up in the drudgery (ya gotta earn a living) and occasional dramas and tragedy that punctuated my other life in the real world in 2016 and 2017.

My very first grown up/big girl novel was put on the backburner.

As we all know it is now 2018. You might think I’m daft (and you wouldn’t be the first) but I rather like the sound of “2018”. Call me superstitious but I have always loved the number 8, even before I knew about the Chinese fixation with its simple infinity flow.

*And so dear reader (that’s you Lisa C), this year I resolve to get the bloody thing out there. Like, published. Like…

*Disclaimer: this is my first real blog on my big/grown up girl website so I am over-excited and keen to get cracking. So bear with me if book stays in drawer for another couple of months… etc.

Gouge my eyes out with pointy winged pencils!