It snowed here on Monday. A rare event in the coastal city where I am in Korea! Even despair cannot resist the pristine whiteness and so it departed early that morning to go and build a snowman (after a morning cup of cocoa and a warm hat).
I have begun working on the additional early chapters in the book. The revised Chapter 1 has been completed and I am currently at work on Chapter 2. I am very pleased with the direction that the story has taken in recent weeks and, despite the additional work involved, I know that it as added some much needed background to the characters. It’s a great feeling when you know you’ve taken the right direction.
Unfortunately, due to an error on my notebook (Averatec 1000 series) I have been writing things by hand, which means that I’m going to have to type everything up when I eventually get things sorted. Actually, I prefer writing my material by hand as I tend to get more done. The only drawback is when I come to type it (I can do this reasonably fast these days) I end up editing as I go. This can slow the process down like you wouldn’t believe!
After completing these early revisions I will turn my attention to revising the final chapter. Someone once told me that when making a film or writing a book it is always important to do the beginning and the ending together. In film, this means the actors/actresses are still fresh and eager with the project so that the end of the film looks great (not sure if this is actually the case). Therefore, in writing, I tend to do the same. The enthusiasm that I have in beginning a project can wane during the process when work and everyday life interferes. That is not to say that the quality is any less important, just that I want to capture the energy that I have at the start. When it comes to editing the ending you can recharge yourself from what you wrote at the beginning of the project.
