The definition of taciturn: reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying very little.
Stephen King: “I’ll never know if a book’s gonna get done, till it gets done…”
I’m a fair way through writing my latest novel. Admittedly, at one point, I did take the proverbial busman’s holiday (between Nov last year, and March of this), to revisit and revise – what ended up being – three of my previously released novels. That’s the beauty/curse of self-publishing; you can go back and improve (if need be). Without realising it, however, I’d embarked on 5 whole months of painstaking editing (not that this was my intention, nor did I believe they needed that much). As authors, we just love our work, right? We want it to be the very best.
After this… back in the saddle for my latest project.
Truthfully, some days I think – wow! – do I even possess the ability to finish this (Seriously!) Some days, I think: keep it incremental… don’t fluster/stress… go slow and steady, Eddy (In other words, Keep calm, and crack on!) On other days, I’m effusive and truly positive; gushing like a kayak on the Susquehanna river (that features in the latest) and on others, I’ve hit the proverbial dam(n) wall. Thou shalt not pass.
Mercifully, I have four of my other completed novels, sitting on the shelf to my left. And, I keep them there, purposefully in my eye-line, isolated from the authors I aspire to be like, to remind me… I did that once, so I can do it all again.
So, in keeping with the title of this blog, I’m at the stage now where I’m beginning to pull on those beautiful threads.
Meaning?
For me, carefully weaving together those plots, sub-plots, back-stories, origins, characters, histories, connections – gently pulling them towards the finale (organically) – but very, very carefully, so those same delicate threads do not fray. They have to look nice, and to me, they have to, above all, feel right. It needs to be holistic, and natural. And if it doesn’t… I pull myself up, and STOP! Don’t tug too hard…
One of the big things I’ll always advise any writer to do (and never, ever, in a conceited way) is trust inspiration. Trust it implicitly. Trust it like a burdock clinging to your jeans on a ramble across the moors. If it sticks, and won’t easily extricate itself, embrace. Keep walking… and more burdocks will gather. You’re on the right track.
I have a provisional date for releasing this next book. Dependant on June, I’ll share it with you all.
Thank you – as always – for reading.
JSC
PS. For more curveballs on this process, feel free – if you fancy – to click on my Blogger tab at the top of this page.