After a couple of days doing other things - including editorial work on Claudius's Elephants (which is now reading really well and is stuffed with interesting anecdotes) - I have had another session on TRF - I managed 3,000 + words yesterday - partly re-cycled, partly new. On page 129 now... over half way I think, although I suspect that this version is going to end up a bit longer than the original... am still feeling a bit sad about what's being discarded, but it is such a different book now.
That's both a good thing and a bad thing. I liked the old book - even though I think I knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn't quite strong enough to be a novel in its own right - and despite kind friends who "couldn't put it down". I am sure the new version will be better and stronger - but I think my writing will be less alluring - it's a more "pragmatic" book than the old one - no more "velleities and carefully tuned regrets"... Heck I might stuff a few of those in anyway.
That's both a good thing and a bad thing. I liked the old book - even though I think I knew in my heart of hearts that it wasn't quite strong enough to be a novel in its own right - and despite kind friends who "couldn't put it down". I am sure the new version will be better and stronger - but I think my writing will be less alluring - it's a more "pragmatic" book than the old one - no more "velleities and carefully tuned regrets"... Heck I might stuff a few of those in anyway.
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