An entire afternoon editing

From 12 noon until nearly 6pm(with 1/2 an hour off for lunch...I'm now up to chapter 8(of about 40). Close re reading seems to generate mini re writes of parts of sections of chapters and in the case of Chapter four almost an entire re write as I've introduced a different plot thread. Tonight we had turkey dinner for seven! - This was the perfect anti dote to the afternoon - social and lots of discussion about things like death, the nature of conciousness and metaphysics(yes we covered all of this and more). A relaxed and wondeful evening!
Bren Gosling

A week of editing in Aldeburgh

came back on the train on Friday night. Managed to fit in a couple of festival things and some walks too. Was roped into attending a dance class by my neighbour, which turned out to be an aerobics dance worksout. I felt naked without leggings! I left early.
Editing not going so fast as I thought it might. Some chapters dont need much tampering with but others- like the last one Ive been doing- need a whole rewrite. Ive introduced a different subplot thread. Even though the word count had actually drooped on this chapter, I hope it 's better. Emma, my mentor liked the idea.
Am cooking dinner for 7 friends tonight - thought a turkey would work - so will try to write once I've got the said bird in the oven!
Bren Gosling

Editing progresing !

I have now edited the prologue and first three chapters of my novel. It took me 7 hours over two evenings!I feel I am over another psychological hurdle!
Bren Gosling

Humbled

I have just finished interviewing a Kosovar Albanian guy who is the same age as my protagonist and came to Britain in 2000...although when I embarked on this project two years ago I interviewed by telephone another Kosovar Albanian and one year ago I interviewed an Albanian academic at University of London School of Eastern European and Slavonic Studies - nothing compared to bearing witness to the testimony of someone who'd lived through the Kosovan Conflict -talking about his terrible experiences whilst sat across from me at my own kitchen table. The interview was a humbling experience for me and so incredible to believe that such hardship and terrible things were taking place in Europe barely a decade ago. As a writer this was an great opportunity. I feel it has also come at an incredibly fortuitous time - at the point I am starting the editing of my completed manuscript. Now I have a very real sense of Almir, of what he lived through and what he had to do in order to survive. Much of the research I have already done is strengthened by this mornings interview. And I feel now inbided even more with a need to tell this story. I know, though Almir is a fictional contruction that all my story is plausible.

Tonight I cancelled dinner with a friend(I believe this is what's called writer's sacrifice)in order to attend a MeetUp Group of The London Writers Cafe nr Liverpol St. The topic is Editing and the speakers are editors from The Wordpress - so - again, this is perfect timing for where I am in the evolution of my novel.
Bren Gosling

Have read from start to finish my entire completed draft

Did ths over the long weekend, up at Aldeburgh. This was a good excersize. There are still flaws and repetitions but nothing too difficult to put right. The story reads well overall and to look at it in this way for the first time has been a morale booster for me. I was feeling very daunted about how to begin the rewrite. My next task is to re read everything and close mark up the changes.
Bren Gosling

Back after a complete 10 day break from writing

and I think I am rearing to go again. Will pick up a pen tomorrow and see!Have been to Stockholm, tangoing and then to Yorkshire(back today) where H and I spent our time eating cooked breakfasts and walking the Dales around Grassington. Finished reading the novel ' Beware of Pity' by Stephan Zweig...which..in the end I thought quite old fashioned with alot of irritating repetition(maybe its a bad translation from the german). Am trying to get stuck into 'So Many Ways to Begin' Jon Mc Gregors second acclaimed novel but again I am struggling with his style. Its beautifully written but the structure I find is irritating me and the plot (I am sure Ive already after just a few chapters, worked out the ending), seems rather pointless therefore. But I'll plough on.
Good news - one of the agents who expressed an interest in my novel has made contact again asking me how I am getting on. Encouraging!
Bren Gosling

Sometimes getting into the right head space takes a few days!

But I finally managed it today after much deliberating and wrote the very end of my novel.I read it aloud and its only 9 minutes but it took(aside from the last couple of weeks thinking about it constantly) three hours to draft - from notes started the other day which took me about the same amount of time! My next job is to go back to to the Epilogue and re write this to incorporate more back story relevant to the plot . Then I can print everything off and start again from the Prolugue and edit and fill in the gaps and make sure the plot threads add up.There are a few further scenes I will need to write still.
All my four especially selected readers - pre sending off to the agents - have agreed to read the complete manuscript in August- so I have to be disciplined over the next few weeks if I am going to meet this deadline . But it is possible. The hardest part I believe is done.
Off out to The Crypt in Clerkenwell tonight to tango off my angst!
Bren Gosling