The Literary Sofa
Second Novel
First Draft – Hitting the Target
On 26 May I began the first draft of a new novel, aiming to complete it by Christmas. Coincidentally, exactly six months later, I’ll reach my target of 80,000 words today. I am slightly cheating because it’s not quite finished (another week will do it) but I’m so close that I’m already feeling the relief and … Continue reading
My First Year as an Agented Writer
A year ago, after a radical re-write of my first novel, I found myself in the midst of something I never thought would happen – having previously failed to get anywhere, my book and I had finally succeeded in attracting the interest of several literary agents. I’ve been thinking back to that fevered, exhilarating time … Continue reading
First person, first draft – The Story of a Second Novel
I haven’t posted anything about my writing since the new year, but many of you know my current project is to write the first draft of my second novel in six months, finishing by the end of 2014. It’s a self-imposed deadline, because I have something to prove. I’m very grateful to have the support of … Continue reading
Guest Author – Lloyd Shepherd on The Difference between Writing a First and Second Novel
It’s always fun when writers I know in the real world join me on the Literary Sofa. Enter today’s guest Lloyd Shepherd, author of The English Monster, the novel that made me rethink my attitude to historical fiction when I reviewed it on publication. UPDATE: Lloyd’s second novel The Poisoned Island is now out (February 2013) … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 