There comes a point with every novel I write where I’m convinced that I should just give up on this one. And guess where I am now?
This time I’m dealing with it by:
- reminding myself that this always happens;
- reminding myself that I’m doing better than I did with the first one, which I went so far as to give up on at least three times;
- setting myself wacky challenges (The Song of Songs mentions 21 types of plants and 15 species of animals. See how many you can include.)
- printing the whole lot off and scribbling on it.
This last has been by far the most effective. I’ve added a few lines, and I’ve improved some existing ones. More importantly, I’ve been able to see where the gaps are, and I have a reasonable idea of what I need to write next, and a better idea of what the overall structure needs to be.
The next sticking place after this one, if I remember correctly, is the one where I become convinced that all my friends will read it and hate me. Which will mean it’s nearly done.
Kathleen Jowitt 