The 2nd Editorial

Today, I received back the eagerly awaited second editorial review from Janet Laurence. I love reading the overview first, to see where I've done good, but is always followed up by the but...

The Nor'easter

Having completed nearly 40,000 words of the next book in the series, The Elusive MacGuffin, I realised that I had set the book chronologically too far from the end of The Pink Herring. I had made changes in the characters lives that needed more explanation and time to bed in. So, I temporarily stopped work on the The Elusive MacGuffin and started The Nor'easter, which develops the backstories at a steadier pace. 

This will be the next Shaun Young novel, picking up the story a few months after the dramatic ending of The Pink Herring. Helena Crowthorne eases into her promoted role as Detective Inspector, Steven Forrester takes up the acting DCS role while the formal process to replace DSC Spencer is orchestrated by Mary Hart. Shaun outsources the renovation of his canal boat to Frank Barker and his boat building business set in the Martham marina.

And they all get involved in a new mystery surrounding the unexplained death at sea of an investigative journalist who had made many enemies, professionally and personally, with her ruthless approach to work and life...

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2nd Draft Submitted

Finally, I said enough is enough and called the latest update to my manuscript Final 2nd Draft. That's it, for now...

I decided over the summer to take Tim's advice about self-publishing, having heard another horror story from a friend's wife who'd gone the traditional publishing route and desperately wishing she hadn't. By taking this decision though, means that I need to ensure the finished article is as polished as it possibly could be. To that end, I contacted Janet Laurence who did such a fantastic job the first time around and she agreed to take it on again.

The manuscript has grown in size to 125,677 words and ground an extra couple of chapters but it is far, far better read. Having acted on all the feedback I had from the first draft, The Pink Herring now reads like a professional novel and I am even more proud of it. Let's hope Janet thinks the same...

Writer In Residence

Having sorted out what I need to re-write, I decided to head down to France. Mum and Dave were back in the UK leaving the house in Beaulieu empty and ready for a writer in residence. I drove down on the 23rd August into blisteringly hot weather. After about 12 hours I reached the house, via the local Super U to pick up some food and drink, and the temperature was still in the high 30's.

Mum and Dave's place is in central France, in the middle of a rural district. It's picturesque and quiet, apart from the odd tractor trundling by. The silence is uncanny. Nothing, no sound at all. After the first day I realised that this was not true. There were no artificial sounds, just the glorious sound of nature. 

The view from the back porch is stunning - vast open skies that seem to go on forever. If I can't get inspired to work here it will be because I'm simply overwhelmed by the stunning beauty of the place.

I soon found a routine. I rise early for breakfast and a walk around the village before it gets too hot (it reached 42 degrees yesterday) and then back to start writing. I tried writing outside but it soon became too hot, even in the shade. The house has thick stone walls and tile floors which keeps the temperature at bay. I found a nice spot at the front, propped the front and rear doors opened and cracked on. Meats and salad for lunch, then back on it. In the early evening, once the temperatures fall again, it's time for another walk around the village and through the woods. Fabulous. I cook something simple for dinner and then sit outside with a bottle of frightening cheap (but excellent) red wine, jotting down notes for the next day's writing session. The night skies are just as awesome. Vast, black and covered in stars I've not seen the like of since I was a kid.

I think I could get used to this...

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The Editorial Assessment

With the first draft completed, I turned to the business of getting the book published. I'd done a lot research about the best route to go, but with the rise in the number of writers generally, finding a publisher was not going to be an easy task.

Who Wants To Be An Indie Author?

Lynda and Tim O'Rourke

A few weeks back, my daughter Rachel mentioned that her friend, Joe, had a father who was a local independent author, Tim O'Rourke. Joe kindly offered his father's services to me, through Rachel, should I need any advice about self-publishing. Are you kidding? Of course I'd like to meet him.

First 'Friendly' Review...

My good friend, Charles Ricketts, agreed to read The Pink Herring and give me some critical feedback. I've known Chaz for over 30 years and we share a love of reading, particularly science fiction. He has pointed so many great books my way over the years:

The Elusive MacGuffin

With The Pink Herring now away at the editors, I started work on the next Shaun Young book today - working title The Elusive MacGuffin. It is set some six months after The Pink Herring and begins with an elderly man arriving on steam train at Sheringham station, the end of the line. 

First Draft Completed!

Celebration!

Cheers! It's taken just under 3 months to complete the first draft of The Pink Herring and I'm quietly impressed with the words per writing day average I've managed. The word count for the book stands at 100,176, so a reasonable size and I've managed no less than 66 versions, saving each new edition as I finish the working day.

Time To Get Writing...

I have just returned from an excellent skiing holiday with Babs and our two good friends John and Maddy Clavey. They are still there, in fact, having decided to spend the entire season in the beautiful Les Saisies, France. John works in the mornings and skis in the afternoon - perfect.