Having been so focused for the last six months on getting my most recent books completed, edited and published, I’m suddenly hit by ‘the void’. OK, it’s my own fault for not spreading the work out to ensure I always had a blend of writing whilst editing whilst preparing for publication – but I didn’t. I’d targeted June latest for all three which resulted in three final drafts, followed by three lots of the other stuff. All now done.
Early May arrives and the volume of really new writing in the previous few weeks is actually pretty poor. [I like being hard on myself!]
Although that feels a little bit like a failure (even though it shouldn’t), in a way it turns out to be a good thing. A pause. A chance to take stock. A rather hackneyed ‘recharging of the batteries’…
The very cheering thing is that I found myself desperately keen to get writing again – and that I’ve started.
Very rough at this stage, but:
- “At Maunston Quay” – potentially a novel of about 120k words. I’ve already drafted 9k and have the whole planned out. Tentative due date would be May next year, depending on how much free time I have. [Loads right now, but I expect this to reduce.]
- “First-time Visions of Earth from Space” – a new collection of poetry that’s likely to be a traditional, ‘informal’ collection rather than anything with a particular theme. Maybe 10-12 pieces drafted thus far. Aiming for roughly the same timeframe as above, but this one could come in much earlier if I suddenly get a wiggle on…
I’m also thinking about a play (stage or radio), partly to do something different, partly as a test. It’s been years since I wrote a script of any pursuasion (and the last one was unadulterated rubbish, long since – deliberately – lost…). Nothing more than a vague notion at this stage.
But the novel things’s feeling pretty good just now. Maybe I’ll rattle off another few hundred words before lunch…
Ian Gouge - Writer 