Ye gods, but I'm actually into the last quarter of The Gifting edit. Sound those ruddy trumpets indeed. And I'm really pleased with the scene I rewrote at the end of Part 3 as well - it somehow makes far more sense now. It gave me that glorious feeling of yes when I finished it - which isn't something that happens often. Dammit. Still a long section to tackle now though, and I fear that the rewrite of Quarter 4 will be deep and painful. Nurse, the screens ...
I've also collected the copies of Thorn in the Flesh from the Goldenford office, so at least I have them ready for next week's launch. I must admit I'm now at that stage of worrying, beyond all argument, that the novel is hopeless - which is usually the stage I reach about a month or so after I've finished anything and the feeling stays around ... well ... forever really. Double dammit. Lurking in the background like an unwanted visitor who won't bloody well go home. Still, I'm told by other writers that this is fairly common, so I suppose I just have to go with it. Mind you, that said, I did have the courage (I rarely look at books I've written after they're published - I just can't bear it ...) to flick through Thorn earlier on just to see what was in it (no - don't laugh. I really don't know - selective memory syndrome, I suppose). And I think it might be okay - it made some kind of sense anyway, and I think the ending fits with who Kate is. The trouble is she's rather more subtle than I am, so I've worried more about the ending to her story than any other I've written. I also think she's a tricky, rather hard-to-know woman and - in a totally, totally different genre context - I begin to understand Jane Austen's comments on Emma: I think I may have written a woman no-one will much like.
Still, that's who Kate is and actually I rather admire her balls. If you see what I mean.
Anyway, I've also visited my sick friend this afternoon - very tired today but holding up, so I didn't stay as long as usual. The treatment starts tomorrow, and we're hoping for the best. I think booking a holiday later in the year will be good - it's important to have something nice to look forward to when you're well again. Or at any other time really.
Tonight, I'm planning further editing and then there's "Ashes to Ashes" later on. I must say I really do find Keeley Hawes very irritating. I think the show would be better without her. And I've just finished Jo Gambi's account of her mountain climbing expeditions with her cancer-survivor husband, Holding On. Inspirational stuff to be sure, but I'm not really a great fan of mountains or climbing or snow - so I appreciate I'm not the best reader for it. But it is well written, Jo's a lovely woman and if you're into extreme sports and the triumph of hope over adversity, then it could be the book for you!
Today's nice things:
1. A pleasing editing experience
2. Thinking about Thorn
3. TV.
Anne Brooke
Anne's website
Goldenford Publishers
2 comments:
re your e-mail - hope you've got it now as I changed the reply address to one of yours. I think your return address for e-mail is your husband's rather than yours that's why you had to go searching for my reply.
Got it, Jill, thank you! We've sorted the crisis - I think. And Thorn on its way to you today!
:))
A
xxx
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