It’s a long, muddy, foggy road… the writing of a novel!
While I’ve been writing Purple Road, I’ve been trying to ‘better’ myself at the writing game.
I’m not sure if you know my history, but I wrote Red Dust on a whim. I had an idea and I wrote it down. I didn’t and still don’t, have any formal qualifications, when it comes to writing.
I wrote a book that I would like to read and I still write like that.
But my parents taught me to always do the best job possible. That’s why I’m trying to improve on what I’ve done before. To help in this, I’ve had some wonderful conversations with like-minded people; Angela Slater , Kim Wilkins, Nicole Alexander, my editor, (whom is my rock), Siobhan, my dearest friend ever, Carolyn and my newest dear friend (who is about to have her book published with Random House) Margareta… the list goes on.
What I have discovered with this novel, is that it has three layers.
The first one is the setting – the farm, the trucks, the small country town.
The second is the plot – I know you would think this would be first, but in this case, it’s second, although it’s very important.
The third, is the characters, the emotions.
So when you think about all these together, how to interweave them all, how mesh them all together, well, that’s the interesting thing. I guess we’ll see how in pans out, when you all read Purple Roads, but I’m trying my best to put the best book out there.
Matt, Anna, Sam, Kate, Jimmy, Greg, Lacey, Ian, Laura and Peter are also helping!
Tonight is a *headdesk* night. It’s too hard, things aren’t working. But that could also be because I lost five chapters, today – don’t ask, I don’t know how, why where or to who. It’s probably best I don’t! S’okay. tomorrow I’ll front up again – that’s what writing is all about and I love it!
*Photo taken by Anne-Marie Ladegaard
OMG I was expecting some kind of confessional about how you aren’t writing it anymore or something. Don’t freak me out!
5 chapters. Eeek. I won’t ask. Thanks for the insight. So interesting to know how people write. Whatever you did the first time worked. xxx
Sorry about your five chapters Fleur, but maybe it’s opening up an opportunity for something even greater than before (always look on the brightside so they say, hard sometimes though!)
I like how you’ve clarified the three layers, and the importance of setting. It becomes a character in itself.
Big hugs over the lost chapters! Ugh, that’s one of the worst things, but you kept going! That’s the important part.
Yeah, loosing work is such a shock, let alone pain. Sorry to hear. As for the Purple road, it’s divine. Purple is my fav colour. I have purple everywhere. Well almost, admist the greens and oranges there is auberchine, eggplantie colours. lol
Looking forward to reading Purple Roads. 🙂
FIVE chapters! Grrr! I feel for you.
“I wrote a book that I would like to read and I still write like that.”
That’s my philosophy too, Fleur! Can’t wait to read Purple Roads!
Fleur, just write! Forget about formal qualifications. One of my characters says this: “to dissect something you love, simply to understand why you love it, makes you not love it so much any more. Too many rules, too much control. To control is to limit.’ So just write.