Last night I reached the final chapter in the first editing pass of ‘Bonds’ (my latest novel). Thirty-three chapters, 94,000 words and a handful of characters that this time last year didn’t exist.

A first edit for me is used to correct typos, grammar, and in particular tense. I have a tendency to flip from past to present tense and back again while doing my initial draft and during the first edit I have to correct all of that. Sometimes deciding what tense a story uses is the biggest challenge. Present tense gives an immediacy and can help build tension though, it has its restrictions, whereas past tense can give more freedom and allows a thorough narrative. However, past tense can remove some of the tension of a scene as its being viewed from a perspective where everything has already happened. This can dull the cutting edge of a story, especially if its told from a first person point of view. I’ve struggled a little with this on this project.

I’m hoping to finish this first edit today and I already know what needs added (we may end up with 35 chapters), enhanced, and perhaps dumped during the next edit. If I can stick to a strict schedule (which I’m not good at) then the second edit will be done by the middle of February.

By then I’m also hopeful that I will be more advanced in the skills of advertising and marketing, something I’ve never really done with my novels and short stories until now. This part of being a writer seems almost more work than creating and writing the stories.

Any advice or sure-fire tricks on that part of the process is gratefully received. And remember if you want to be involved as a beta reader then please get in touch (see my previous blog for details).