They say that all good things must come to an end. So it is with the writing of my latest novel. A sad moment, but also one to be embraced and celebrated, and one sure to provide more than just a slight sense of relief for this author who was beginning to wonder if this day would ever come …
For those two people who have been following this short series of musings (see my previous blogs This Writer’s Life – Parte the First and This Writer’s Life – Parte the Second), the ride is finally over (I think I just heard another sigh of relief). Yesterday, I put down my pen, climbed to my feet, and donned a thick, dusty overcoat. Stepping out out into the chill light of day, I was struck by the oddest, strangest, and downright peculiar sensation (and, unusually, it had nothing to do with my friend Justin). It was the feeling of not being couped up indoors with little more than my thoughts and scribbles for company. Anyone following my posts on social media will know that 2023 was not a wonderful year for me. My life was blighted by illness. Struggling with a relentless assault of vertiginous migraines, I was forced to spend my evenings, nights, and weekends in bed. The only respite was my day job, the only source of inspiration was the radio, and the only company I enjoyed was my better half’s (if you discount my friend Justin trying to cheer me up by sticking a purple parsnip under the door and shouting, “We’ve come for your soul!”). My life was horribly constrained. I saw little of anyone. I rarely left the house.
It was during this period of isolation that I worked on my latest novel In Its Wake. The third in an ongoing series of books entitled The Covenant (a series of books that can be read as a series of books or individually as standalone books, just for the record!), In Its Wake’s birth has been a tricky one. Certainly, those who have read my previous two blogs covering the writing of this latest opus will know just how difficult and how complicated its inception has been (and how these complications were not just due to my unwellness). Having been subjected to my usual rigour, In Its Wake had been planned in detail and was ready to write when I realised that it was not the novel I wanted to write. My heart wasn’t in it. Realising the worst, I set about scrapping most of the story and starting over. I also decided to start writing In Its Wake without the usual exacting set of notes – an attempt to emulate my writing heroes, including the late, great James Herbert. Suffice to say, it quickly became apparent that I am no panzer. I am a dyed-in-the-wool plotter.
As a result of my lack of planning, I subjected myself to a great many more headaches (of the metaphorical kind this time) than I might have needed to. A stream of ideas bombarded me during the writing process, mingling with my constantly shifting sensibilities, and wrestling with the needs and desires of my evolving characters. The result was yours truly caught up in a maelstrom of his own making. As aspects of the story changed, and I came up with new and better ideas, I was forced to continually move backwards and forwards through In Its Wake, implementing those changes and reworking what I had written. It was like writing and rewriting at the same time. Anyone would think I was a masochist.
If all this sounds like a pathetic case of me feeling sorry for myself (the wailing of a would-be-artist, arms flailing, tears flowing, and the odd woe is me), then I can assure you that nothing is further from the truth. I have always wondered how those who do not write cope with everything that life throws at them. If the past twelve months has taught me anything, it is that this notion is truer than I had previously thought. Without my writing, and all the problems and frustrations that being a writer brings, I don’t think I would have managed half as well in the face of my previously mentioned poor health. As the also late, great Donald Cammel once said, “I am alive and well,” and, in my case, in possession of a newly written book. In Its Wake will be a dark suspenseful story, an exciting thriller, and a great read. Writing is hard, but the result is worth it.
So, quo vadis? Or where are you going for those of you who do not know Latin (all writers of dark fiction are, of course, conversant in Latin – how else could we summon the demons who aid us in our work?). Well, there remains much more work to be done on In Its Wake. More rewriting, of course, and then editing, copyediting, proofing, revising, and designing. And don’t get me started on the writing of the cover blurb – surely, every writer’s worst nightmare! But the end is in sight, as is the beginning. Having finished the draft version of In Its Wake, I am now giving myself a month off … during which time I will start preparing, developing, planning, researching, and plotting my next book. No rest for the wicked, as my demons are always telling me!
The first two books of The Covenant, Amongst Demons and We Hide in the Shadows, are available now. The third book in the series, In Its Wake, will be available to purchase soon. All the available books in the series are free on Kindle Unlimited.