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2021 Update: Draft three, the creek of ideas and development

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2021 Update: Draft three, the creek of ideas and development

A Better Crown now has several very diligent and very enthusiastic beta readers rifling through it. With their feedback, and another round of editing on my part; the third, and hopefully, final draft is well underway. Earthguard is in place, the plotline is rigid, the characters are set. A few edges need to be softened and a few corners rounded, but then it should all be done.

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Finishing draft two, feedback and planning a book sequel

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Finishing draft two, feedback and planning a book sequel

I have no idea if I’m happy with the book all I know is that if you’ve worked on something for that long, after a while it’s almost impossible to see it through someone else’s eyes. I’ve written enough copy in my life to know that at least.

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The Costa Coffee Short Story Awards, more editing and mapping your fantasy world

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The Costa Coffee Short Story Awards, more editing and mapping your fantasy world

From here on out it should be plain sailing (he says furiously touching wood) because the rest of my first draft was written over the last year. The quality of writing is better, the narrative is clearer, it’s fresher in my mind and fewer edits or rewrites are required.

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Finally getting published, editing your fantasy WIP and doubting your own work

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Finally getting published, editing your fantasy WIP and doubting your own work

When it comes to fantasy you are never going to reinvent the wheel and if you do it’s going to be a very ugly, rather unappealing wheel. You can only recraft and recreate small sections of that wheel to come out with something appealing, while keeping the doubts at bay.

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Editing your WIP: Making it look like you knew what you were doing all along

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Editing your WIP: Making it look like you knew what you were doing all along

I’ve just kept one piece advice in my head, one mantra that I fixate on and has become the focal point of my editing. It’s something I heard Neil Gaiman say about editing: “the second draft is about making it look like you knew what you were doing all along.” It’s those few words that are getting me through right now.