"There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit at a typewriter and bleed." - Ernest Hemingway.
Can you tell I'm up to my eyes in edits?
First, I have to say I'm lucky enough to have the best editor ever. She tells me what she likes - always a bonus - as well as what doesn't work. The edits I'm working on now for Silent Witness aren't too bad at all. That's probably because we discussed the synopsis in depth before I started writing.
That isn't to say there aren't stupid errors on my part though. I've already lost count of the times lovely editor has asked "Is this repetition deliberate?". It could have been but, um, no, it wasn't.
Another note asked "Are children at school in this part of the world in August?" That was the moment I hit myself with a rolled up newspaper. Hard. How stupid is that? Of course they're not. I usually check such things as school holidays and have often been annoyed to find that half-term falls at a damned inconvenient time for a particular story I'm writing, but I usually get the long summer holidays right.
I know how such things annoy readers too. I once read a book in which the heroine came out of the shower and wrapped a white towel around herself. She walked into the bedroom and then removed a red towel. I rolled my eyes and tutted at that but, without my eagle-eyed editor, I know I could easily do the same thing.
For once, I don't seem to have muddled minor characters' names. That's always a favourite of mine. If a minor character is mentioned three times, you can bet your life that their name will be different on at least one occasion. Having said that, when Nick read Silent Witness before it went to my editor, he did say "Who the hell is Tracy?". My reply? "Um, that will be Sonia."
Right, I'd better get back to the edits. I need to explain what children were doing at school during those long summer holidays.
Meanwhile, I'm at my other home today, Not Your Usual Suspects. I'm talking about things I wish I'd written. It would be good to see you there!