World of Libby

The world of Libby has rather fallen by the wayside this week, after sending off the latest manuscript to my editor, from whom, ominously, I haven't yet heard a word.

I had such a bad time with it (what I put myself through!) that I actually felt ill for two days after I'd got rid of it. It taught me a lesson, though. This next one will be planned down to the last detail instead of just ploughing into the mist as I usually do.

There has been some discussion about the pros and cons of planning and not planning among authors in Facebook groups. Many, like me, have a vague idea and just charge off willy nilly. Others have a detailed plan, write and rewrite. I never have time to do that, as I have a tighter schedule than many, and another thing is that I have enforced deadlines because I'm traditionally published. Talking about that, some self published authors, of which there are many these days, argue that they are under just as much pressure, but they haven't got a publisher's schedule to fit into, they can publish when they're ready, which takes the pressure right off. I know, however, that I couldn't do that. I'd never finish the damn thing - I need someone behind me cracking the whip.

So I've already started research for the next one, assuming Dear Ed doesn't throw the Glovemaker's Son back at me saying Never More.

I have been to a lovely old bookshop run by two wonderful ladies in an alleyway in an old market town, to an equally lovely village where I got stuck in the high street in opposition with a bus, I have been ruthlessly questioning the owner of said village's website and I've been picking my son's brains. He was the one who came up with the vague idea in the first place, as he often does, so he can't complain.

Meanwhile, in order to try and make sure you all receive this blog/newsletter every time, I am going to try to import this into Wordpress. It can be done, I'm told. I think it will mean everyone signing up again, but I know that Wordpress sign-ups work - I have several - and when I was away on retreat my friend who runs one of my favourites, promised to give me a hand if I wanted to change. So I'm going to try.

And in a week's time I'm going back to my favourite village in Turkey for two weeks with some old friends before diving into rewriting the panto script  and then carrying on with the new book. I confidently expect to spend a large part of my holiday on rewrites of the Glovemaker's Son. Heigh-ho.

Update to Murder and The Glovemaker's Son

I finally finished the book and sent it off at five past six yesterday evening, in time to get ready to go to daughter number two's annual gig in her home town. She and her duo partner have just finished three months doing cabaret on a cruise ship around Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and other exotic places. Not quite like a Whitstable pub! But they pulled a crowd, as usual, and the landlord was delighted because he took an awful lot over the bar. Today, it's lunch with the kids for elder son's birthday and a party tonight. With a lot of the same people as last night.

So, as long as my dear editor Greg can knock the mss into shape, with luck and a following wind I'm hoping it will come out as scheduled in August. It's been a real struggle this one, and as always, I think it's terrible, but editor, publisher and kids all tell me I say the same every time, so I'll just keep my fingers crossed that you all like it, and most importantly, understand it, because to be frank, by the end I'm not sure I did.

Meanwhile, after giving myself the weekend off, I have to get down to rewriting/updating next season's panto script for distribution to interested parties by about July. And thinking about all kinds of production matters, most of which have already been taken care of by my Production Designer, but there are essential matters like songs, the choice of which is crucial, especially as so far I have no idea who will be singing them.

Then, allowing for my holiday at the end of May beginning of June, I shall launch into Libby 20 - or 22 if you count the Christmas shorts. No timeline for that so far, or, indeed title, although there is a vague story idea, thanks to my assistant (!) Miles, whose birthday it is today. His friends think I should be paying him for his ideas...