Stamina

By Publication Date, the next novel should be at least half written. That is a mantra that most writers will expect of themselves. I know many writers who have more than one thing on the go. Not me. But in the past I have tried to keep to that pattern. When you send a finished manuscript to a publisher for acceptance or rejection, it will take months before you get a reply and then, if acceptance is your lucky news, another much longer time before your piece of writing hits the bookshops.  So always have something on the go

Alas, at 87, I find my stamina is wearing a bit thin. Adapting Harbouring for radio has used up precious new-writing time. Is that simply a lazy excuse, or is it my body (brain?) telling me to stop? The thing is I still like writing. It is of course easier than exercising or cleaning the house or getting into the garden – all of which
I enjoy, but take an effort. What I am doing right now – sitting at the computer, tapping a few keys – is in my blood by now.

So … open the research books that are sitting on my desk and get cracking!