Friday 15 August 2008

Here I go again


Back into the thick of the novel, thrashing out the latest round of revisions, helped hugely by the detailed guidance from the agent. I'm cutting, but also creating. I have an idea for how to tackle the need for deeper layers of motivation and meaning, and I'm going through the ms making notes of the places where I can run the new threads. I'm excited about it, in spite of the challenge posed by the new material. In other news, I'm about to submit a crime short story for the 2009 Fish Knife, thanks to some expert help with the chronology (thanks, V!). My first go at this contest, so it'll be something to see if I get anywhere. I doubt it, first crack out of the box, but it's a foothold in those hills.

4 comments:

Douglas Bruton said...

Nothing to do with the number of cracks at it, Sarah. My first shot last year, never even having considered crime before... and see what happened.

You are way ahead, so am expecting good things from you.

best of luck with it.

Always

D

Sarah Hilary said...

Wow, D, the angel story was your first bid at crime? That's brilliant - such a good story! Thanks for the kind words about my writing.

Anonymous said...

We're ALL expecting good things from you!

Mind you, if an agent or editor asked me to put in more layers of meaning and motivation I honestly don't know where I'd start...crumbs that is a hard one!

Look forward to hearing how you'll tackle it!

Sarah Hilary said...

Thanks, MG. Well, it's not my heroine's motivation or meaning - she's happy with that (and with the major relationships going on there). It's the motivation and meaning behind the crime(s). Getting at that from the pov of a heroine who is neither a psychologist nor a detective, is tricky. But I think I've found a strategy to make it work.