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Thursday 15 March 2012

The White Cuckoo

I have been reading my own book, 'The White Cuckoo' over the past couple of days. I haven't touched it for months.

Is it really narcissistic to say I love my own book? I really, really love it. I cried twice at the end just now. It feels like I have just given birth. It is a much different feeling to when I finished the first draft in May 2009. This is what I wrote at 5.55 am on Sunday, 3rd May 2009 (The Written Novel) Since then it has been lovingly redrafted five times and it is now a 6th draft. I can now close my eyes and 'imagine' its cover. In the foreground it is the colour of grass following a rain shower, verdant green, studded with tiny daisies. In the top left hand corner, the white cuckoo is almost hidden in the branches of a misty tree, bursting with pink blossom, watching Harry and Jessie as they walk away from the reader towards a five bar gate, barely discernible in the mist of early morning.

I can be all sentimental this morning. I will allow myself that luxury just for a few days, but I know that just like a newborn baby it will need to be nurtured and lovingly raised until it is a fresh faced toddler, ready to face the world and take its first wobbly steps on its own two feet.

The White Cuckoo was written in just the way every novel should be written. To anyone reading this who is facing writers' block or who can't make progress with their novel, for goodness sake don't worry about anything. Write cliches, adverbs and do everything wrong. Don't stress at this stage. Just get it down and enjoy the writing. It took me a month to write the first draft. All that is wrong can be easily mended afterwards.

There are lots of really special people who have believed in the Cuckoo. My wannabe friends, the two RNA readers, my friend Andy - who loved it despite being a bloke and my daughter, who still hasn't read it all the way through because she was beginning to get all emotional about it.

I do love being a writer and hopefully I can post some exciting news about 'The White Cuckoo' very soon on a brand new blog. This will be my last post on this blog, but I hope some of my old friends will join me, along with some new ones I have made along the way.

14 comments:

Karen said...

I recently re-read my first novel for the first time in over a year, and was surprised by how much I liked it - it made me laugh out loud in parts (where it was supposed to) - the opposite of yours! Like you, I can picture the cover of mine, and try to keep believing it WILL happen one day.

The White Cuckoo sounds fantastic, and I'm looking forward to hearing your exciting news :o)

Annieye said...

Thanks, Karen. Lovely to hear from you. How are you? How's the writing going? You did so well to get your book published. Have you had any luck finding a UK publisher for your book yet? I am out of the loop a bit, because I was spending too much time blogging and not enough writing.

Hopefully, you will be able to read The White Cuckoo in a few months' time ;-)

Teresa Ashby said...

This is a lovely post and I think it's great that you love The White Cuckoo so much. I have some stories that I am very fond of and why not? They are our babies after all.
Looking forward to hearing your good news :-) x

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I'm working on one of my books at the moment and am enjoying it so much, it's like visiting old friends.

I look forward to hearing your good news about The White Cuckoo and can't wait to see your cover for myself!

Karen said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Karen said...

I haven't found a publisher in the UK yet, sadly, and have started submitting my second novel to agents. I keep getting told it's a 'tough market' but I won't give up!

Can't wait to read yours :o)

DAB said...

Not sure if you'll remenber me? Been out of blogland for a wee while. Glad to read that The White Cuckoo will be taking flight soon m'dear. May it fly real high! ;-) Keep smiling TFx :-)

Art Fist said...

Really like your work. Would you like to submit some of your writing to showcase on <a href="http://www.artfist.org>artfist.org</a>?

- Jon

Annieye said...

TF - of course I remember you. I've been out of blogland too, but I'm going to have to jump in the deep end again, with nose pinched and eyes screwed shut because on Friday, I am going to sign a publishing contract! Yay!

Art Fist (Jon) - Oh my word. Not been asked to do this before. Does this mean I have 'arrived'?

DAB said...

Well done m'dear I'm really pleased for you :)))). Let's know your new blog address and I'll pop over to pester you! ;-) TFx

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