Michelle's corner

How, I don't know, but I came out of a busy weekend with another 5,000 words added to Genie. Sometimes, things just flow, I guess. Also, during the working week, although I'm not writing much, ideas and dialogue churns around in my mind and it has the chance to mature.

I reckon that there's a solid core of truth in walking away from a writers block.

One more alpha's feedback has to be merged in to the book, and then it needs to be gone through once more, for additional description. Then a sanity check, and then I begin the process of spelling, grammar and those sorts of things, before handing it to an editor to straighten out. With luck, I'll have that done before the end of August... but either way, the first half of September is written off already.

I might seek someone to beta read before handing it to the editor. An extra pair of eyes to spot logic problems and plot holes won't hurt. To that point, I think it will be the best part of a year from conception to editing. But I'll also have to find an artist to create the cover. As Check Mate hasn't even sold a hundred copies in a year, that means I'll have to stick to a tight budget, because this probably won't sell either. Vanity projects come at a cost and, as such, can't have endless supplies of cash to fund them.

But to now be in the closing, more mechanical stages, becomes a little easier as the imagination has done its job. Which is a relief.