Taking the high road
It has been a very busy month here at The Wee Writing Bureau as my novel takes shape. I completed my writing course and submitted the first 25000 words for feedback. Editing the first 12 chapters has been a steep learning curve and helped me understand the story so much more deeply. Zooming out and looking at the bigger picture has helped me develop the subplots further and I now have a chapter-by-chapter plot plan. For a writer who tends towards ‘pantsing’ that has been quite a turn round. I’m now around 60,ooo words in and can see the finish line. If I am honest I am not sure how I feel about that. The thought of typing the words ‘The End’ is exciting but also a little bit unsettling. Then the work really begins.
My husband and I have set up The Wee Writing Bureau as a business to publish my own books. Sometimes in life you just need the courage to leap and surrender it all to trust. That moment for me is right now. Having decided to self-publish I am now learning exactly what that entails (a lot) and deciding where I will need the services of other professionals. I already have an editor I know and trust in Sammy at Serpent and Sword Author Services. My goal is for the book to be as polished and professional as possible so I have also hired a cover designer and somebody to help me format the book. This is an investment, of both time and money, in a dream I have had since childhood. I had a magical moment when I saw the initial designs for the cover with my name on it.
We made time to visit the beautiful Argyll coast for a few days on the west of Scotland. Just the two of us. A much needed break.The image for the blog this week is a photo I took at Tighnabruaich looking out to the Isle of Bute. The place we both called home as children and where as adults we met. Looking at somewhere so familiar from a different point of view was a beautiful way to spend an hour. On the second day we visited the ancient sites at Kilmartin Glen - a truly special place. I now have the spark of inspiration for the second book. It is currently taking root in the back of my head waiting for me to finish my current work in progress.
As we approach the school holidays and I have more time to focus on Project Pearl I am beginning to wonder what life will be like on the other side of this. Can I make my living as a writer in the future perhaps? Or from growing a business connected to writing? Looking back on the last 6 months it is hard to believe how far I have come. I’m not the same person now. When I introduce myself I don’t tell people that I’m a mother, wife and Headteacher as the most interesting things about me. I tell them I’m a writer and I feel so proud of that.
