So Far, This Year

By Shirl D

This seems a suitable point to write an update on Later Writer. In fact, to write anything for this blog, because it’s been neglected. But not through laziness, I promise.

In 2021, I announced on here that I was Turning to Crime Writing – a much broader field than it sounds. Previously, I had two incomplete novels to my name, both viable, both given much time, and only incomplete in retrospect as I have a much better idea of what is involved.

Editing

The most recent post about my current novel-writing process was I’m Editing… and that is the point I thought I’d reached. However, I’ve discovered that leaving my first draft for 4-6 weeks, before returning to grandly perform the magic edit was not nearly enough. Naivety before a fall.

Let’s recap – I had, so far (not an exhaustive record):

rewritten each chapter when I began a new writing day, going back through my work, tweaking and pruning the prose
structurally reordered the manuscript to make more sense of the story, in a way that still works for me to date
followed my draft plot, using all the notes, settings, character studies, and research I’d gathered together
developed characters and the story as I went along, finding out more about both, getting to know them well
built my presence on social media – see linktr.ee/ShirlD
taken part in several publishing and creative writing webinars
read, read, and read, when I wasn’t writing, sleeping, eating, taking Time Out
kept my eye out for literary agencies, bookmarking them, ready for when I could say the immortal words I Am Ready To Submit My Novel

this is a yellow sign like a roadworks one, with black prints reading WORK IN PROGRESS.

It is a pictorial representation of an unseen process when writing,
the almost never-ending, diligence required. — ^{A pictorial representation of an unseen process when writing,}
^{the almost never-ending, diligence required.}

Rewriting

And now I’m at 1st April 2023 and two rewrites later, I am editing. Although, if I am honest, it feels more like another rewrite. But it isn’t.

I have so far:

built and kept updated a spreadsheet I call my Chapter Tracker where details of who, what, when & chapter wordcount appear as a snapshot record
completed the rewrites and saved a copy of my manuscript in a snazzy font, nothing like the original one – why? So that my eye is forced to read not scan, so that I notice errors whether reading onscreen or in printouts
allowed the built-in voices of Microsoft Word to read the book to me

What next:

print out the Chapter Tracker and the whole manuscript ready to check the structure, copyedit, and proofread, prepare notes for Alpha and Beta Readers
allow my Alpha Reader (husband) to read through and make notes and comments (he is not as biased as you might think, critical in a good way)
my fact checking reader (sister) will help with all the specific points I’ve got wrong
send out to one or two trusted Beta Readers
the submission process will (at last) begin

And…

I will catch up with other areas of my life like crafting, lots of reading, seeing people, and I will be working on my next novel. While I wait… and I shall rest too.

More Posts on Later Writer

I will add a post about the submission process (aka querying) when it’s the right time. For now, I’ve raised a lever-arch file and created 3 lists of 6 target literary agents (no darts). Plus an ongoing list of other targets. I mean business folks.

Please read previous material on the Blog Posts (2020 – 2023) tab above or by following this link.

Tagsnovel writing

About the author

Shirl D

As a retired teacher, I am now a writer later in life, hoping to reach others with the same passion for stories and non-fiction, short or long. I've completed my novel (currently unrepresented). Later Writers can really enjoy themselves - join in and follow the fun. Pick up ideas and think through your own writing plans.