A couple of weeks ago I gave the first draft of my new book to three trusted friends to read and comment on and now the jury's back. They liked it. They think it works. Yeah! There were some criticisms, of course, which is what I asked for. Now I have to consider whether or not I agree with them. Sometimes when I ask people to criticise my writing I think OK, you're right, it's a fair cop. Sometimes I think No, I'm not changing that, that's exactly how I want it.
I always knew I needed to rewrite the beginning, but I'm trying to be disciplined, which means putting the book away on the shelf for a while and then I can go back to it with a fresh eye. In the meantime I am thinking about it, and reading about technique, and looking at how other writers handle beginnings.
Sally Howe is supposed to be rewriting her first novel - Fast Work - but is making slow progress, by the sound of it. If you ask me she'd get along much better if she concentrated on that instead of being distracted by her patchwork quilt and her constant blogging.
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