I've deliberately left the Shed for a while but a few people (yes, real ones, over a coffee) have asked me what I'm up to. Once I hit my funding target I concentrated on the manuscript and my wonderful editor, Liz Garner, and I have had a couple of meetings to discuss the story. I am in awe of her ability to keep all the plotlines in her head and know where they emerge in the novel; so that when she suggests tweaking something on p6 she reminds me what has to change on p104 and p320. How does she do that? And the really clever thing is that she also knows what's missing. Yesterday I got to a bit where Liz suggested a short scene that should be inserted. It rang a bell and I went back to the first draft ... and there it was! It needs tidying of course but the essence was there. Uncanny.
I'm also beginning to look at illustrators to do the chapter headings and cover. Early next year I'll post here some options and hope to get your views. Here's an example from Chris Malbon at DebutArt that first caught my eye.
Apart from the edit I'm teaching a short Playwriting course and the Saturday StoryMakers for eight year olds is back by popular demand (as well as my own). I was inspired at a writers' conference. I've been Vesta Tilley in a play about taking London buses to the Somme and we're going on tour with it locally, appropriately enough. We've re-entered the pub quiz (with even less success but the chips are well up to standard).
I wish all my supporters a very happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year: which will include publication of The Book of Bera! It's so exciting! And please do share this with anyone you think will enjoy the book.