Week 48 - Battle Weary

Looking at the calendar this morning, I had one of those moments when the sheer enormity of your situation really hits home.

It’s now less than one calendar month until the end of my year-long novel writing journey. In less than four weeks it will all be over...but will I have a completed novel?

I know one thing for sure, it’s going to be close.

Throughout the past year, Kate Mosse’s 52 tips for writers has been a frequent source of inspiration and this week she has done it again. Her tip 48 is on “Fine Tuning” http://www.mosselabyrinth.co.uk/advice/48.asp and that’s exactly what I am doing. Having read through my novel again I am about to embark on the final draft - essentially small corrections and hopefully a little bit of polish.

For anyone who has made it this far - this close to the end - her words really resonate. There is definitely a little bit of battle fatigue setting in; energy levels can seem at an all time low and the thought of re-reading that particular scene again makes you want to desert and run for the hills.

But that would to be snatching defeat from the jaws of victory on a level of which the English cricket team would be proud.

I think - I hope - that I have left enough time to work through the final draft.

Sheer force of will is what’s required, along with a lot of hard work and probably too much caffeine.

Maybe then I will be able to avoid a batting collapse and make it through the worsening light to stumps.

With just four blogs to go, it won’t be long until we have the answer.