So, I’m finished.
I did it. I hope you all get to join me in the winners lounge soon. It’s great in here. Rushdie just bombed into the pool of mojito and Hemingway is BBQing swordfish. Come on in!

It isn’t an easy thing to do. I’m very fortunate in that there are nearly two hours a day when I am sat with nothing to do, on my way into and out of London for work. That’s how I found the time but I think a lot of people could find that time if they really wanted to do it. People do amazing things.

I’ve got the first review back already. I sent the first draft to my friend Stacy last night and she’s already declared it a triumph which is very sweet of her. I wanted to get a female perspective on the female perspective I used in the book and she seems to think it works. I’m not really sure what to do with it now. There was a much quicker turnaround than I am used to. It took me nine months to write the first draft of my first novel and it took me three weeks to write my second.
I was saying to Kate the other day that it feels as though the first one taught me a lot of things and that now I know how I work best, and how I form a story and everything else. I can’t wait to get started on the next couple of things.

I have a list of ten acoustic tracks that I would love to record and make available as a download in the same way I did for GMTM and I have unfinished scripts that I am hoping I can tackle before Christmas and then maybe in the new year start on another book, or three. I’ve been sitting on a trilogy of books for five years, it might be time to write them.

Must continue redrafting though. Zut alors.

Word count: 47,298.
Recommended word count: 35,007.
Proposed word count: 50,000.

Something very odd has happened. I’ve run out of words. I’ve run out of story. I’ve finished short of the word count. I’m dashing back through to add bits in, basically doing a preliminary redraft which means that it’ll be in a better state for its first reading than estimated. This is good right?
I’m planning on it being done today. I’m ready to start the next thing. Romeo done

Word count: 42,300.
Recommended word count: 33,340.
Proposed word count: 46,666.

I’m already behind on my wild plan to finish this thing tomorrow. I was lucky to get two thousand words done yesterday morning on the train in but unlucky to just make the train and therefore not get a seat. The important thing to remember is DON’T PANIC as Douglas Adams once wrote. I still have a week if I don’t manage that. A sweet week of extension.

Word count: 40,203.
Proposed word count: 43,333
Recommended word count: 31,673.

So I’m going to try and finish this sucker on Wednesday. That means splitting the last ten thousand words over three days. This morning is going quite well, I fell into a pocket of writing where I just slammed through two thousand words inside of a train ride. I’m getting the hang of this ‘writing as a chick’ lark. I just tried writing about giving birth and then realised I had gone too far.
The end is in sight though. What ridiculous task shall I set myself next?
Record a Christmas album?

Word count: 39,073.
Recommended word count: 28,339.
Proposed word count: 42,000.

So I didn’t meet my proposed word count yesterday. Still going to try and write beyond that today.
I say I’m going to write. I’m sat on the sofa watching a documentary on Woody Allen. This is much more interesting.
I’ve fallen out with my writing and need to apologise and make up pretty sharpish. I don’t know how I’ll do that.
Ahhhhhhhhhh!

Word count: 37,403.
Recommended word count: 27,672.
Proposed word count: 40,000.

Morning.
Did some excellent work yesterday. Finally managed to finish chapter eight which is going to be the longest of them all. I originally planned to write ten chapters but its looking like I’m going to do eleven including the closer/ explanation/ emotional roller coaster.
I’m now in unmanned territory. I’m writing about things that I don’t know. My characters are in a city/ country/ continent that I’ve never visited and I’m sort of having to wing it. The story is still onboard though. That’s the thing I have in my favour.
I also probably made a faux pas in choosing to set my novel in a time before iPhones because ordinarily that would solve everything for me. Oh woe. On we go.
X

Word count: 37,403.
Recommended word count: 27,672.
Proposed word count: 40,000.

Morning.
Did some excellent work yesterday. Finally managed to finish chapter eight which is going to be the longest of them all. I originally planned to write ten chapters but its looking like I’m going to do eleven including the closer/ explanation/ emotional roller coaster.
I’m now in unmanned territory. I’m writing about things that I don’t know. My characters are in a city/ country/ continent that I’ve never visited and I’m sort of having to wing it. The story is still onboard though. That’s the thing I have in my favour.
I also probably made a faux paid in choosing to set my novel in a time before iPhones because ordinarily that would solve everything for me. Oh woe. On we go.
X

Word count: 34,572.
Recommended word count: 25,005.
Proposed word count: 36,000.

We are now halfway through the month. As my good friend Sam pointed out to me last night I could write two novels in the month. I’m good but I’m not that good. I was saying to Ali last night that it is good to work with the pressure on. I’ve told so many people that I’m doing this that there is no way I would dare lose face by not achieving it.
The fact of the matter is that Visions Of Violet will not be exactly 50,000 words long. I can already see that I’m going over. The chapter I’m working on is already over the proposed word count I devised per chapter, and I’ve decided to add in an extra chapter anyway.
I did see that one of my ‘writing buddies’ on the site has 60k already. Well done to them but please, go get some air.

Last night I went to see some friends perform improvised comedy. It was brilliant. It’s amazing to see how they can form jokes and ideas out of nothing. It’s something I don’t really give enough respect to when we are working together.

Right. Must write. Must win. Bye.

Word count: 31,540
Recommended word count: 23,338
Proposed word count: 34,000

Yesterday was an excellent day for writing. Managed to get about three thousand words out of the way and the whole thing is running much smoother now. I can almost see the finish line.

This is only a short post because there’s a guy sitting opposite me who is desperate to find out what speed typing a novel sounds like.

Peace & love.