21/08/2011 by admin.

Yup, still heavy on the editing.  It is an odd time, because there is a sense of anticipation building in which the feeling of having finished will be a palpable relief.  And yet, I know this is a false sense as the editing will need quite a few iterations to make sure my arguments are clear and my thinking unambiguous.  But still, it feels like the build-up to Christmas when there is an excited part of you that is still the child.

Add to all this, I am at the point of changing my career and you will understand why it is all getting a bit tense.  Hehe, not long to go… technically!

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14/08/2011 by admin.

Yep, definitely the difficult part.  I am trying to edit *as* I write the final chapter, which is good in that it should tie in more closely, but presents difficulties in that it isn’t immediately clear how it will read.  I am not altogether worried as I knew beforehand that this would be a period of rewriting and heavy editing, and have prepared for it.  But, as with every new chapter, there is a short period in which finding the ‘direction’ and ‘flavour’ of the chapter takes time.

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05/08/2011 by admin.

I now have 50,000 words on paper and no, they are not “I am a fish” repeated twelve and a half thousand times!  Although this is entirely an artificial target, as there is a substantial amount of editing to be done, it is an emotional milestone in that I feel as though I have finally achieved my target.  The truth, of course, is that ‘editing’ is more than merely adjusting typeface or syntax.  In some cases it will mean just that and in others it means adding or deleting whole passages, as I read and reread chapters, looking for cohesion and construction of the argument(s).

Anyhoo, it still stands as big day for me; without wanting to sound too pretentious, this is a major milestone in my life as it represents more than just a wordcount on a word-processor.  I have always wanted to write and have never had the courage.  Now I know it is a job like any other; enjoyable, certainly, but with its own ebb and flow, difficulties and pleasures.  In that sense, I have realised that I could write if I chose to.  It has given me access to something I hadn’t known I could do.

Still quite a long way to go though.  I am realistic in understanding that this is merely an emotional milestone - not an actual one.  I have the editing of the first four chapters to do, then I can get on with writing up the final chapter.  Although the final chapter will be quite short, the importance of ensuring it says what it needs to cannot be over-stressed.  Because of that, I need to be entirely happy with the first chapters before I start.  Onwards and upward then!

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