It's been a busy week in the Sherratt office. I've been working flat out on the draft of the next Allie Shenton book, and I finally think I've wrestled it into submission.
It's been quite a challenge. You remember me saying I had banked up some words from a previous book I'd started? Well, I used most of these for characters in the book, mainly because I knew them as I'd written so much about them. But the background stories often didn't fit so even with so many words - I think I salvaged about 30,000 of 55,000 words - most of them had to be edited out as new ones were added. It's hard because the book doesn't seem to grow for a while.
But, now I am at 50,000 words of a decent plot and can start on the editing, adding layers of description, emotion and grit, and polishing what I have up to a reasonable amount of words for a book.
The good news is, with so many of you telling me how much you've enjoyed Broken Promises, my new Allie Shenton book, it's spurred me on, and I anticipate this one coming out round about the end of May this. year. I will put it on pre-order as soon as I feel comfortable with it, probably mid April, and I will share details as and when I can before that.
For now, I thought I'd leave you with some first draft howlers. These are things I spot myself. I can blame some of them on typing to fast but not others!
I left my favourite one until last. Do let me know which one was yours one is in the comments below!
She stretched out in her bed, her smile as wide as the gap from her feet to the top of her fingertips.
It was a greasy food joint but with a little less grease than normal.
She wrapped her scary around her neck.
The blade had sliced through a vital archery.
If it was Carlton Stewart, she couldn’t wait to rock him up.
‘I want to see if you’re oaky.’
He’d been put behind bards for a minimum of twenty years.
She would keep an eye on the news, goggling him every now and then to see when he got out.
‘I’d sit on the wall and have a biggie.’
‘It’s abysmal isn’t it?’ he said, asking his head.
After an hour with Scott, the consultation came over to them.
It was a moment before Carlton took her in his arms, but the moment he didn’t she realised that she should have been honest with him.
Nicky stood up and Kit reached for her hang again.
Isn’t this job tame for you after major creams?
Allie wilted for him to sit back again.
‘I’m sorry,’ Allie told her before turning back to try on elastic’s time.
Allie held his start before dropping her eyes to her notepad.
‘But he’s nearly killed you! What if he wants to finish off the kob?’
We need to stock together, you and me.’
Mary, seventy-two with no children, and a useless son and grandson.
‘Going somewhere?’ Kenny said, his voice not holding a single happy note.
It was high time they got themselves out of the whole they’d landed themselves in.
He placed his hadn’t against her cheek.
And my favourite? She slapped her hand on his thing.
Thank goodness I do more than one draft!
