Preparing for power. And for publication.

Where it all started

Baildon Moor. Not strictly speaking where it all started of course. I was born in a nursing home on the edge of Saltaire, but Baildon Moor formed the backdrop to my early years and remains significant. It is also the backdrop to the early years of two of the characters in my forthcoming novel, Blessed Assurance, which will be out in the summer so I’ve been thinking about how important places like this can be. One of the questions asked by the cover design team is whether there are places of significance for the characters. The answer is yes, several. Baildon Moor, Goring seafront, the North Downs, the riverside at Kingston, Ranmore. Too much choice, if anything. I wait to see what the designers make of this, and all the other information with which I’ve bombarded them.

Preparing

Cover design is only the beginning of a process. I’ve edits to face, marketing to think about, decisions on price and more. An awful lot of emails to write. I’m tempted to say it’s more work than writing the book but it wouldn’t be true. That took five years. Hopefully the next one will come more quickly. Then again, progress was slow in part because I was busy writing and producing plays. Do I want to give that up? No. Which brings me on to Preparing for Power. My latest play. Still in embryo. A political comedy/farce which is being a joy to write. I’m making inroads into Act 2 at the moment so will have to face the denouement before long. Once I’ve worked it  out. Then it’s onto the next novel.

So, I’m back to the blog. Expect progress reports. I can’t promise to avoid Trump and Brexit every time but I’ll try.