Edits, editors and editing

Did I say edits were submitted? EDITS WERE SUBMITTED! On Monday 26 September, no less. Five days before deadline, in fact. Yes, I’m that good… And you know what, they haven’t been read and responded to yet!

Seriously, I know it doesn’t happen that fast, but it’s teeth-gnashingly hard to be patient all the same. Are they good? Average? Mediocre? Am I one of those rare writers who gets her editorial letter and proceeds to make the book worse? Time will tell.

While waiting with as much patience as would fit through the eye of a needle newly squashed by a steam roller, I have begun work on the sequel – let’s call it book 2 for now as that is, in fact, what it is. I’m 8,200 words in, which isn’t a lot, but I spent a couple of days going back through my outline and working out what I’d buggered up timeline-wise by changing things in Godblind.

It’s … more difficult than I remember, writing new words in a new story, albeit one that follows on from a story I know in minute detail. The sense of urgency I had during the edits is much less, but still lingering in the back of my head. I do, after all, have just less than nine months to send in, not a first draft, but a book, one that is as good as I can make it without professional input. Meaning ideally I need to have the first, scratchy, bloated, flowery draft done in six months to give me three more to refine, revise, rewrite. That’s … not very long.

Hi Anna, what you doing for Christmas? Writing.

Hi Anna, what you doing for New Year’s? Writing.

Hi Anna, what you – WRITING!

But you know what? This is exactly what I signed up for. This is what I dreamt of, what I’ve always wanted to do. Bit late to complain now. As long as the words keep coming, however sluggish, however painful, I have nothing to complain about. I’m an author, damnit.

Currently watching: Killjoys season 2, Hunters season 1 (I’d quite like to be Dutch in Killjoys when I grow up, please)

Currently reading: The Vagrant, Pete Newman (BUY THIS BOOK)

Currently listening: The Last Hero, Alter Bridge (EXCELLENT)