Jane Wenham Jones
TALK IT OVER
I have recently retired after a long career managing a large team for a multinational company, and finally have time to begin writing my first novel. I know the format that I should be following in order to write it but my undisciplined side kicks in and gives me inspiration for different chapters at different times and certainly not in the sequence they will probably end up. I am used to aiming for excellence and not stopping until I can do no more. However, if I adopt my usual approach with my novel I know I shall be reluctant to make changes of significance that are so often demanded by editors for fear of it no longer being my novel. My quandary is whether to write my novel until I reach this point and then self-publish or write the story as fast as I can, trying to forget the excellence bit, and leave it to someone else to tell me what changes I should make, which I’d probably feel happier about making. As I am not as young as I once I was, should I spend endless months waiting for someone to give me their verdict or do I choose ‘instant’? I am not aiming for a lucrative contract, just the satisfaction of achieving my dream of writing a novel that someone else will genuinely enjoy. What is your advice?