First read through is done

Just a quick post before I jump into to bed.

Finished reading through the "1st draft" yesterday. I say "1st draft" because I had constantly re-read and edited the novel as I wrote it. But this was the first time I had sat down and read it from start to finish (over the period of a week or so).

The experience was pleasant. I found myself reading chapters and parts of the story without knowing what was coming next. Leaving the novel for 4-6 weeks to 'bake' is definitely a good thing. I found plenty of spelling mistakes, a few plot holes and two chapters which will require a massive overhaul/rewrite due to poor structure and weak dialogue.

However, on the whole, I enjoyed the book (shameless pat on the back). I could read and digest it easily, and hope prospective agents/publishers/readers will be able to as well.

I marked all of the mistakes and corrections with a red biro and made extra notes in a note pad. I’ve now started implementing the corrections on my laptop, as I do so I highlight the red scribbles with a pink highlighter, so I know I have made the correction (I imagine I may overlook some of them otherwise). As I make these corrections I’m also reading the book again and not just jumping from one error to the next. I think it's important to read it all again in order to see the corrections in context with the story.

When all is done I will reprint and reread the book again. I may find more errors and spelling mistakes, but hopefully not. I'll give the book to a few people for some final feedback, and then I'll start agent hunting.

Well, I'll actually start writing letters of interest to agents this weekend asking if they would be interested in a sample/few chapters. I'll have to create a short and medium sized synopsis of the novel, which I look forward to as well.

A lot of work still to be done; but it's all new to me and an adventure I look forward to repeating with my second novel (which I aim to start by November 2011).

P.S. my laptop just turned off (ran out of battery). I plugged it in, fearful that I'd lost this blog post, but it just allowed me to carry on where I left off. I love this little thing.

Even if it did stop working a few days after I finished my novel!!!

More soon, off to bed!!

P.S. more details of the novel coming soon (title and plot). I feel more comfortable keeping the title and subject matter close to my chest right now, even if nobody is reading this!!!