The Plot Thickens

I haven’t written much on WordPress over the last couple of weeks, certainly not reviews. The truth is, I haven’t read much either (except for research).

Having reached a pivotal stage of my current novel, I’ve been in a fever of plotting, writing, sorting out timelines and all the other things that go with the novel-creation process.

I’m responding to a challenge: to write a modern romance. There’s no deadline, so I can take it easy. However, it’s not so easy to slow down once you get an idea into your head and just have to get it down on paper (or, in my case, a computer file double saved in back-up). Moreover, what makes this particular challenge more demanding is that I have to write the story from a female point of view.

Let’s talk about girls and boys for a minute! There are many life experiences in which, it seems to me, gender is irrelevant, experiences where male and female have much the same attitudes, feelings and abilities. For example, either may like/dislike ice cream, cats, dogs, jazz music or Italian pasta. But when it comes to relationships between men and women – emotions and sexuality – we are, to borrow a sporting term and cliché, in a whole new ball game.

And that’s the difficult part that shortens my days to other activities. Not only does the task require a lot of research – and that means serious reading – but also a lot of help, the sort of help I won’t find in Jane Austen or Charlotte Bronte. I’m reliant on wife, writers’ group and female friends for advice on those big issues that make the feminine POV so different from the masculine. These are matters that have to be approached with tact, sensitivity and humble enquiry. That too takes time.

I don’t know when my novel is going to see the light of day (assuming it ever will). However, the challenge remains, and I’m going to get on with it.

Apology over, I’ve taking a break from romance and will sit down shortly to write reviews on a couple of books I read some time ago.

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Postscriptum: I see from my emails this morning that several of my book reviews have now been published to Goodreads (transferred from Amazon’s old Shelfari platform where I set up a bookshelf ages ago). When I get an opportunity, I’ll have a look and edit in or out. Now I must get on with these new reviews!

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