Even braver newer world

Bloody hell, I can’t make my mind up.
I spent a month turning Ghost in the Machine into a novella (at a plot level) and kind of burnt out with it – I was really busy with work at the time and was a bit frazzled.
I never quite got Devil in the Detail finished or published – it’s definitely a sequel and to turn it into a prequel would mean adding a load of exposition and world-building.
Anyway, I was out with my copper mate for some drinks just before Christmas (we were at uni together, it’s not like I’ve latched on to him). He was surprised that I had given up on it as he’d enjoyed the previous draft. It’s easy to see the failings in your work – lack of credible baddie, too long – and hard to recognise the good things. He said its realistic – DCs do the graft, it’s bloody hard to get promoted – and the plot was unique and original.
Enthused, I’ve taken a look at where I’d got to. The novel was actually more complete than I thought – 55k – and the novella had a good solid villain and tight ending. I’ve managed to weld the two together reasonably easily – its amazing how little you have to change in terms of word count to change a lot in terms of plot.
Got 15 scenes to write of which five are redrafts then a couple of proofs and then publish it.
Excited.
— Ed