It’s May 2013.
I began writing my first novel in November 2009. Including that first attempt, I’ve begun seven novels. But it wasn’t until October 2012 that I decided I liked one enough to try and make it work.
My first drafts are usually completed in 1-2 months, and that means I have the story sorted. However, such a rushed format means that my edits take a lot longer. I rarely know how the finished piece will actually look, and I get tired of my characters. Last year, I wrote one book, and just a few weeks later, wrote the sequel. This has made the editing process difficult as I now know the characters full depths at the end of book 2. It’s frustrating to return to the original characters I created at the beginning of book one; without all the experiences that have made them who I now know them to be.
But in October, I saw a one off opportunity to submit a manuscript. So I did. In the space of a month I finished writing it, proof-read and edited it. Then I submitted the story, and threw myself into writing to keep my worry about the submission at bay.
Once I received the rejection in March, I decided that it had been a good learning experience. I’d crossed the threshold into the world of submissions, and I’d survived. So I may as well continue the journey that I’d started.
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I set up this website.
I joined a local writing group.
I began writing a whole new story.
I began planning the third book in my series.
I sent one of my novels to two beta readers.
I started the edits on the rejected one.
I submitted another novel to another place.
I decided to submit something to award/prize competitions.
I began sending out my flash fiction.
I bought back-issues of ‘writing magazine’ and ‘writer’s forum’.
I brought out an old novel and began drafting how it may work again.
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Having survived one journey through the woods, I returned home to buy a map, a compass and some of those trousers you can unzip to make into shorts.
Now I’m heading off into the jungle.
Don’t worry – I’ll write.