There is a terrible emptiness that comes over me once a novel has been completed and has gone out to be submitted. An emptiness somewhat exacerbated by the fact that people are not hammering on my door and demanding full reads.
My brain is over-compensating by giving me three different ideas for a novel simultaneously. Firstly there's Beastly Betty the reworking of Balzac's Cousin Bette, I bashed out a thousand words of that, I was setting it in the 1950's, so there was the same sort of post-war reverence for the war leader - it is set in London of course. Then I realised I needed to be really thoroughly immersed in the book for it to come easily...
The second idea - which I have done a fair bit of work on is The Dog-Walkers' Book Club - a story of life in a seaside town with gaslighting and stalking and deceit and secrets. Finally, inspired by my visit to Barfrestone, I began writing a short story, which expanded towards a radio play, which I now think might make a novel. The novel would be a 3-stranded work - linking Queen Bertha of Kent with some nasty medieval masons who are still worshiping the old gods in the 12th Century (not unfeasible) and some modern antiquarians who are trying to understand why this church is so EVIL.
As a result of these ideas, and the need to re-write The Ash Grove and perhaps get a screenplay for TMOF, my brain is far too busy to actually write. Oh, and of course, I have nearly completed Other Agents May Feel Differently a short guide to submission and rejections.
My brain is over-compensating by giving me three different ideas for a novel simultaneously. Firstly there's Beastly Betty the reworking of Balzac's Cousin Bette, I bashed out a thousand words of that, I was setting it in the 1950's, so there was the same sort of post-war reverence for the war leader - it is set in London of course. Then I realised I needed to be really thoroughly immersed in the book for it to come easily...
The second idea - which I have done a fair bit of work on is The Dog-Walkers' Book Club - a story of life in a seaside town with gaslighting and stalking and deceit and secrets. Finally, inspired by my visit to Barfrestone, I began writing a short story, which expanded towards a radio play, which I now think might make a novel. The novel would be a 3-stranded work - linking Queen Bertha of Kent with some nasty medieval masons who are still worshiping the old gods in the 12th Century (not unfeasible) and some modern antiquarians who are trying to understand why this church is so EVIL.
As a result of these ideas, and the need to re-write The Ash Grove and perhaps get a screenplay for TMOF, my brain is far too busy to actually write. Oh, and of course, I have nearly completed Other Agents May Feel Differently a short guide to submission and rejections.
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