I have a list of things to complete on the novel, and when I’ve completed it- I’ll actually have a complete, bona fide, gap-free first draft. (To be honest, certain sections are approaching third and fourth draft, but at least the whole thing will be kind of together). It’ll be a horrible mess full of errors, inconsistencies, and a whole selection of stuff that needs to be expanded, rewritten or just taken out behind the shed and shot, but it’ll be a version that’s actually finished. I then move officially from the world of writing to the world of rewriting, which- considering how I’ve spent the last five years as a journalist- is a world I’m a little more confidant with. If I can get past the ‘thinking stuff up’ stage without making my head explode, then I can usually manage the rewriting stage.

I’m making progress, and I’m doing well. Once I get it done, there will be a break, and there will be wine.

Not much else to report, except that on a visit to the nearby village, it took me a couple of looks in the newsagent to realise that the latest new glossy magazine for women is actually called “Happy”, and not “Harpy” as I initially read it.

Hey ho…