This is my first novel. It’s a work in progress and the progress of the work is diarised here.

Mid August 2023

I’ve decided to write a novel. I’ve jotted down a basic outline in a scruffy notepad while watching breakfast TV.

Late August 2023

Outline done, and I’ve broken ground and written the first chapters. I’ve constantly gone back and reedited while I’m writing – a newbie mistake.

Mid September 2023

I’ve got the first act in draft on MS Word. I’ve bought Scrivener and ported all the work across. It looks much better. I’ve got serious now, and I’m writing every day.

Early December 2023

First draft is finished. I’ve become obsessed with it. I’ve taken a break for a couple of weeks. In the gap I’ve created this blog and written a few posts.

Early January 2024

Second draft done. The story is in much better shape now. A lot of the work was done on long haul flights to and from the UK. Uncomfortable but surprisingly productive.

Mid January 2024

Third draft is underway. I’ve stopped being able to see any improvements in the work. I’m too close it it, so I need outside help. I’ve polished the first three chapters as much as I can and given it out to five beta readers. Softening emerges into the world – a big moment.

Alongside this emerging, I’ve attend my first class at Queensland Writer’s Centre and meet other writers for the first time. They look just like me – except they are nearly all female. So not like me really.

Late January 2024

I get feedback back from three beta readers. The good news is that I can write and the narrative holds together. That’s what I really wanted to check. Inevitably many changes are suggested, and some will take significant structural change. It’s all good. I finish the third draft early and start the fourth draft – it’s going to be a big one.

Mid February 2024

The fourth draft is completed. I’m going to take a break now before the fifth draft. I plan to write some more blog posts and enter a flash fiction competition. The writing palate is in need of refreshment.

Early March 2024

The break before the fifth draft only lasted a few days – itchy writing fingers got the better of me.

I’m now being mentored by Ally Blake, an established romance author of many years (and many novels) experience. She suggested that I concentrate on getting the opening right – good advice. I know the pacing is much too slow and my wife came up with an excellent idea for a rework to add in more vim and vigour. So, I’ve completely written the opening scenes and had to kill quite a few darlings in the process. It was the hardest rewrite I’ve done so far.

Opening 5000 is completed, and I’ve sent that through to Ally for comment and we’ll go from there.

Mid April 2024

I’ve hit the doubtful doldrums. I’ve removed a heap of scenes and added some others, in response to Ally’s feedback, which was great and on point. Unfortunately, I don’t like the resulting book and I’ve gone off it and I’ve stopped writing and I wonder if romance is the right genre for me and I wonder if I should even be writing.

I’ve started writing morning pages which are helping. 500+ stream of consciousness words. I’ve got faith that I will get back to the novel and that it will be finished. I’m not convinced anymore that it will be a typical romance now – but the love story will remain central and it does abide by romance genre conventions still.

Perhaps if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is still romantic fiction.