Editing is that stage where you have a big lump of a story, one grotesquely malformed and freakishly repulsive, and it’s time to whittle away the imperfections and smooth out the edges. Depending on how well you write that first draft, this part of the process can just be as protracted as conceiving the book. That said, I pretty much edit as I go. It slows the writing down a little, but the first draft is as near to the final product as I can get it. Incidentally, I also hate sitting down and having to write a fresh chapter. Cold starting sucks the life out of me, so I sometimes hold back on finishing one chapter until the next writing session. The novel I’m working on in these photos is the final Tom Nolan book in my detective horror thriller series. Unlike a standalone book, I need to revisit previous editions to make sure everything tallies up. That, added with the general grammatical vacuuming, and this is taking a tad longer than usual. So much so, I lost track of time yesterday and my son came in asking if I was ready to play Cluedo.
What did I do?
I downed tools. Regardless of what I’m doing, or how frustrating it is, or even how desperate I am to get it finished, I make time for others. Work will always be there. That’s not to say family will.
Craig Wallwork 