Starting Again

I've finally reached the editing stage with Tattooing Angels. I did a first draft, which was basically a brain splurge - the words just poured out onto my netbook. I printed it off and re-typed the whole thing trying to expand on characters and plot so that it was an actual book. Now I'm at the technical edit where I have to look at everything and make it a hundred percent better. It won't be the last edit but hopefully it will be the major one.

One of my bad habits is that when I'm editing I just start adding bits. I don't take a lot away but I start adding paragraphs and then expanding on this which can err dangerously towards repetition. I'm trying to knock that out of myself. If I see a lame paragraph or a part that doesn't quite live up to expectations then its going!!!! I am a harsh critic of my own work - or I will be with a little practice.

I'm reading a book on writing young adult novels at the moment. It's actually a brilliant book called : Writing Great Books For Young Adults by Regina Brooks. I do highly recommend it. What I'd say is its good if you have a first draft and you're ready to start seriously getting it ready for submission but you have to open minded, editing can mean complete rewrites, it can me axing bits that you personally love and it can make you doubt the greatness of your work. In the end though (I'm hoping) it will lead to a polished manuscript that will be hard to refuse.

My sister has finished her University course for the Summer, enviably coming away with A's in all her modules and being on course for a First (fingers crossed) when she graduates next year. I find that my sister makes me really proud. She's my big sister and she's always been someone that I've found impossibly endearing. She's one of those people who rarely lies, never bitches or says anything bad about anyone and doubts her brilliance. She's like this little doll that you just want to put somewhere safe but she's bloody brilliant at nearly everything she turns her hand to (apart from cooking -which of course she'd argue with). So over the SUmmer and because I'm working part-time I've promised to entertain her with exciting happenings so here are my plans:

a) York for the weekend (which was last weekend). We stayed at the Royal George and ate a three course meal and drank way too much.

b) Cinema to watch X-men on Friday

c) Chester Zoo (date to be confirmed). I got a camera for my birthday and am dying to try it out as I am hoping to design an inspiration board of pictures.

d) Sweeney Todd at the Octagon. If you go and see it check out the posters by Bolton University students and look for my sisters. It's a really hot male torso with a tattoo on the arm.

e) Pride & Prejudice at Dunham Massey - an outdoor play with picnic

f) Ireland to visit our friend Erin for a long weekend.

g) Fingers crossed the Moscow Circus at Tatton Park!!!!

h) A couple of dog shows because Darcy is going to explode onto the Dog Scene

i) more to come.

Okay I'm getting back to editing. My boss is away for a week so I'm in charge!!! Which basically means drinking a lot of coffee, designing a lot of marketing materials on Powerpoint and generally coming up with ideas to attract clients.