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30 Apr 2012 by in Zena Shapter | 2 comments

Second Novel Update

For April, us Write Anything writers have to post updates about our writing project progress.

Well, my goal for 2012 is to set my second novel free. My first novel is ‘out there’, seeking a good home. But in January I decided I wanted to have a second novel ready to show my future publisher when they decide they love and can’t live without me.

So how’s it going?

Well, there were/are some challenges in my way. But I’m pleased to say that, four months into the year, I am managing them … well, at least some of them:

  1. Earning money (I freelance as an editor): Yay, word of mouth has spread, and now that both kids are at Big School I’m back editing and earning again. So – tick – done!
  2. Online presence maintenance: Semi-tick. I’ve continued to blog once a fortnight, but my Facebook and Twitter presence has stepped down a notch (lack of broadband while moving house has had something to do with that) which I don’t like. On the plus side, I’m blogging here now too, so that’s got to count for something!
  3. Short story writing: Three stories done and soon to be sent off to their respective anthology matches. So – tick – done!
  4. School drop offs / pick ups: Walking to and from school still involves a big chunk of my day. It keeps me fit, but takes up at least two hours a day. I’m working on reducing that. No tick.
  5. Finding a balance between writing, earning and being a parent. This is not so good either. We’re renovating our bathroom at the moment, and that means four weeks of hellish mess and disruption. Fingers crossed that everything stays on schedule and we’re done asap. At the moment, the kids aren’t happy and it’s a struggle to find that balance. No tick.

So what about my novel? I had already written five chapters. What am I up to now?

Well, it was well worth waiting until after I’d finished reading my science book before getting back into my novel. Mainly because now that I’ve read that book, I’ve thought up the best additional layer for my character. In fact, I consider myself incredibly lucky that I stopped writing to (move house and) read it, because now I can weave that extra layer in as I start to write again.

So, have I started writing my novel again?

You betcha! I’ve finished re-reading and editing the first five chapters and I’m on chapter six!

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Zena Shapter is a British-Australian fiction writer and published author. She has won multiple awards for her short stories; leads the widely attended Northern Beaches Writers' Group; and blogs about contemporary book culture (at http://www.zenashapter.com/blog/). She also has a BA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Birmingham, England; is the author of a rather clever legal volume published by CCH Australia (on intellectual property, ha ha!); has had her writing studied at university; and has a brilliant debut novel just waiting to be published. Read more about Zena on her website (at zenashapter.com), or find her on your preferred form of social media.

2 Responses to “Second Novel Update”

  1. merrifield v says:
    Apr 30, 2012 at 5:29 pm

    go zena go! but dont forget the children and hubby, and o! and there is us ha ha !!

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