The end is in sight – or is it?

It’s been a crazy month. I finished the first draft of Shadow of the Sphinx about six weeks ago. It should have been a cause for celebration – another milestone reached – but it’s left me pulling out my hair. As a pantser writer, I often end up changing my mind about the direction of the novel and need to shift scenes around. However, I’d changed my mind so many times in this book, I had no idea which way was up or down. I put it to one side for a couple of weeks but when I tried reading it through again, I was so confused not knowing if I was repeating the same information or not. My trusty record of each scene as it’s written was no help.

I mentioned it to my ‘alpha-reader’ (not sure if there is such a thing but if you can have beta-readers, why not an alpha-reader?) who said send it to me. In the usual course of events, I’d have been through the scriptat least four times – once for plot, another for character then setting, pace and tension etc.

It meant that I could forget all about it for a bit and spent a pleasant couple of weeks reading. I had three or four really gripping books, I had difficulty putting down. My original plan was to put together a PowerPoint presentation for my next cruise speaker gig in December when I’ll be off to the Baltic. I shall be talking about famous writers and as one of our ports is Copenhagen, I decided to give a lecture on Hans Christian Andersen. I managed to drag myself away from reading to eventually complete my presentation. Time is rushing past and I still have one more talk to prepare. It takes a good 40 hours plus to do the research, find the illustrations for 70 odd slides and write the wording. Though I have made a start on – Nordic Noir and Stieg Larsson – I can’t afford to put it at the bottom of my to-do list.

I have had a few thoughts about the front cover of the new book. I like this though I may end up having to change it. A week or so ago my script came back, and I did start working on it. My earlier hopes of publishing Shadow of the Sphinx before the end of the year are now firmly dashed. Other things need to take priority. I have another talk to give to a local Probus Group on Agatha Christie and there’s a book fair in a couple of weeeks which I need to sort out, getting books ordered, bookmarks printed etc.

Do let me know what you think of the cover in the comments box below.