Nothing can really prepare you for writing a novel. I can’t think of anything else that takes you on such a roller coaster of emotions. Literally within the same week there can be elation and a complete sense of failure. All the advice I gathered said the same thing. Just write and don’t look up, keep on tapping away. Of course, having good people around you helps but you can’t beat just sitting there and putting the miles in.

So, the Whisper of Stars is finished and safely in the hands of my editor, Steve Parolini. Steve helped me revise and shape the story, spotting some obvious areas where I had smoothed over some difficult subject matter. Lazy? Me? The next steps are for Steve to improve it. I then have a copy proofer lined up to ensure it’s ready to go out into the world.

So, while they do their magic I have started working on the sequel. Ian, who helped me plot out the first, is on-board and we are mapping out the central storyline and a number of sub-plots. It’s exciting to think that in a year or so ‘Whisper’ will have a follow-up. I’ve mapped out a plan for the year which includes some short stories too. Looking back it is nearly a year since my board looked like this. It’s kind of good to know there is a method in the madness..