AUTHOR DRAFTS & EDITS

Lots of discussion lately on other blogs and forums about how authors / novelists write. Several drafts? Several edits? just the one of both? or somewhere in between?

I remember being stunned to discover that Jeffrey Archer does up to 12 drafts. Now I enjoy his books, but..........
However, we all seem to be different in our approach. I'd love to be able to do a quick rough draft and then go back to the beginning and polish but I can't. Almost compulsively I have to edit each chapter as I go, I simply can't move on until its done.
The upside of that is that when I type THE END it is the end and I email it immediately.
Swings and roundabouts I guess.

Anyway else intending to head off to New York with the brilliant exchange rate? I'm not into designer shopping (a size zero may just nestle comfortably around one calf) but I do love the outlet malls. Luckily HB does as well and our record is two days in Sawgrass Mills, that huge emporium of everything that is inland from Fort Lauderdale; however the Mall in St Augustine came a close second. I don't spend a lot of money, I'm more into trinkets, but it is such great therapy.

The Skiffing Boys are training hard. Well, hardish. Two of them have discovered that a rowing machine in the gym bears little resemblance to a real rowing boat so a nice big skiff on the Thames is really going to be a challenge. This is going to be a 'live-aboard' boat though I guess the odd night in a B&B will prove too much of a temptation. Or the comfort of a tent on the riverbank? hope the weather holds for them. I am a little in awe as I would sooner stick hot needles in my eyes.

My latest offering, PAST CHANCES, is published in hardback on May 2nd and on May 3rd I'll be speaking at Southend library, times etc to follow.
Check the book info out at www.amazon.co.uk Bernardine Kennedy (n.b. the spelling of Bernardine; female of Bernard) I'll successfully put a proper link in one day!

Also in May, on the 19th, a new book by author JANE WENHAM-JONES is published. It's called 'Wannabe a Writer?'; the title is self-explanatory and it's packed with info including a contribution from moi. Check it out at www.wannabeawriter.moonfruit.com

I'm working hard today so I'm now going back to it while my brain is in the correct mode!