Writing my second book.

 

I prefer to write in long-hand at first. The resultant sheets are then edited 2 or 3 times, or discarded altogether, before typing out into a Word document. That's when the more exacting editing begins, and probably sees me printing off some pages so I can walk about the lounge reading them out loud, seeing how the grammar flows.

Writing

 

I think I may have completed the second part of my intended novel, after much pausing and thinking over recent weeks. I like working in long hand at the start. Editing follows, firstly as I type, then many subsequent times as I read it.

I still have no idea about the title, and there are some place names I need to sort out. Every time I make a name up I discover on Google it's a real place. Also, in spite of blue skies today, I am so cold that motivation is hard.

 All text and photos copyright ian gordon craig.

Activity Wall.

 

 

My "activity wall". Last October I returned to my intended novel with a little more organisation in mind. I have six chapters almost finished. That would represent the first and second sections of the book. (The 1940s & 1950s). As each chapter is presented as a series of events, rather than a simple story line with start and end points, it has been a little tricky including all the parts I want included, in the correct order. I keep getting stuck on chapters 5 and 6. Or perhaps it’s the space between them that’s in need of more content.

It would be fair to say I have been going ’round in circles over this, to the extent that my "activity wall" would best be named "inactivity".

 All text and photographs copyright ian gordon craig.

Writing through October.

 I have spent the past couple of months preparing for self-publishing an eBook of my poems.

I think the earliest piece comes from the late-80s, but all the rest certainly from 2007 – 2020. However, everything chosen has been re-edited and improved. A lot of my writing used to be basic, stream of conscious stuff that I put on Blogger or sometimes even set to music. Those original posts provided just a starting point to now edit, embellish, or indeed mix together to make new works.

Today, after reading various self-publishing guide lines, I reached that point where all are now “ready to go”.

All text & Photographs copyright ian gordon craig.

46 poems.

 I set myself a target and a deadline, and I made it.

47 poems was the idea. (The number 47 has a family history). I had a lot of writing to sift through, much of it was intended for song lyrics, or basic "stream of conscious" pieces from old blogs. It all needed a lot of editing and re-writing. It became 46 poems. (One was rather too vitriolic).

Break now to do some sketching for a while before getting my head around e-book self publishing.

All text & images copyright ian gordon craig.

Illustrations.

 I have re-worked these two "intended illustrations" for “my intended novel”. Having kept the individual scans, I only had to drop them all into Photoshop, and clean them up a little so as to be clearer for possible Kindle publishing. Truth be told, I think I am extending the "intended project" too far. The chapters would be enough.

All text, pros, poetry & artwork, copyright Ian Gordon Craig.