Novel #1: Lost

I'm going to a writers retreat in the Autumn and I had set my self a target of finishing the first draft of my current novel by then. I wanted to use the five days of silence and isolation to redraft the book.

I'd started the year with 61000 words of the novel, so figured that I would need to write 40000 words over eight months to get it finished. This appeared to be a very achievable target.

Unfortunately, the facts tell a different story. I've taken a very stop/start approach to the writing and this means that since January I have only added 1000 words.  I made plenty of excuses - too busy, too much change in my life, don't feel like writing today etc. It was all bullshit. In reality, I'd lost heart and lost my way.

It took a conversation with a fellow author to make me realise, or accept, what the real problem was. I'd lost my connection with the main character of the novel. I didn't like him and feared that readers would feel the same.
He gave me the most sensible advice he could. Just finish it. Stop worrying about it and get on with it. Just type, put words on the page, get to the end, then decide.

So I will.  

Starting Again

So, the more observant of you will have noticed that all of the original blog content is gone. 

I felt that it was time to start again. The original blog had no real identity and was just a random collection of thoughts, observations, videos and photos.

Having considered what I wanted to do with the site, I realised that what I wanted was for Blacknotebook to have a more coherent approach, so will now just be focussing on one aspect of my life - writing. 

Blog Refresh

I am having a bit of makeover here, so please bear with me.