Hello again from Burgess Towers.
Welcome to the (slightly late) newsletter for March.
I mentioned last month that I was awaiting editorial feedback on the first draft of Carrie Tyler Book 2. It arrived. A lot of it! This month has largely consisted of restructuring, rewriting, sobbing, rethinking and all kinds of other re stuff. It’s time consuming, but I love it. It’s the process that turns the rough ideas and half thought through flights of fantasy into a cohesive and satisfying story. That’s the plan, anyway.
At some point in the next month, I’ll turn it over to ‘she with the red pen’, and we go through the process again. (Hopefully, with a lot less red pen and sobbing.)
While I’m waiting for the manuscript to wing its way back to me, thoughts inevitably turn to the next project. That will almost certainly involve book five in The Fifth Series. Before I can even think about a plot, I have an issue, and I’m hoping you clever people can help.
f you’re a subscriber to this newsletter, the chances are you’ve read The Fifth Tweet. It was set, for various reasons, in 2016. Each book has moved us on a year. Book 4, The Fifth Door finishes towards the end of 2019 with Frankie wondering what 2020 would bring. I think we all remember how the next couple of years went!
My initial thought is that a largely light-hearted series may be a little awkward tackling the traumatic events of the pandemic. I know Frankie and company have dealt with some sadness in the stories, but two or three years of lockdowns may be a bit much!
I appear to have a few options:
- Plough on with a story in 2020 with all that entails
- Skip a few years and bring the story up to date
- Make book 5 a novella, and cover just a few weeks of the pandemic
- I would love to hear your thoughts. If you have a preference, please reply to this email.
What have I been reading? |
My book recommendation for this month is the first in a series of time travel books — 1980 A Year In The Life Of Keith Diamond by Jason Ayres. It’s a fun, entertaining read with lots of memories of my youth!.
Whatever you’re reading, have a great month
Roy
‘The author has a terrific voice and that rare knack of authenticity in his storytelling’’
