I’ve spent the last couple of months plotting and planning my new book. It had a much more twisty, turning plot than any of my previous ones, so there was lots of prep to do before I started writing. I now have 22k words (yay!), but they are all going in the bin (sob!).
Why? Well, after a chat with both editor and agent, we’ve decided the story needs more of a hook. Now, by hook I don’t mean a marketing-type thingy or a trope; I just mean a story hook – you know, when an idea grabs you right from the get-go and and you just have to read the book to find out what happens next.
So, it’s back to the drawing board. I’m keeping my heroine, Ruth (although her name may change) and I’m keeping her current situation (she’s keeping a secret that CANNOT get out), but her backstory, what the actual secret is and pretty much everything else is going to change. It makes me feel a bit sick that three month’s work is going down the drain, but it’s not really. Sometimes you have to write the book the wrong way to know how to write it the right way.
Wish me luck! Next week I’m back at the plotting and planning stage – which is tough when you’ve only got a ghost of a new idea.