PIGEON'S PORT is in the making...

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For today's post I'm excited to say that work has started on the follow-up to my debut novella, Black Water Valley. This new one is going to be called Pigeon's Port. 

Actually, I've just told a lie because work started on Pigeon's Port in around October 2022, but because I didn't do as much background work as I should have, I had to take a break and do more pre-writing work. 

What is pre-writing work? For me, it's doing character profiles and plot points. Two important things which I'll get into in a small bit of detail for today's post. 

With character profiles, what I like to do is write a profile for each key character that's going to play a role. I'll write down their age, maybe a basic description, their likes and dislikes and also their motives for the duration of the project I'm working on. 

And then for the plot points, I usually write down 10 major plot points which need to happen over the duration of the project. If it exceeds ten, I don't worry because I can edit them later on and I can also edit where things need to happen, but remember that it's good to follow the rules, but it's also good to break them. If it feels right and you like it, keep it in. 

So, that's a basic insight to what I do in preparation to writing a project. In this case, a novella and I think it's essential to do, otherwise you'll hit the wall, like I did in October 2022 when I just didn't know what else was to come. Freewriting with no plan is fine, but when there should always be a solid plan when writing a novella, play or other similar pieces so now that I have my layout I'm very happy to continue on with my project. 

I don't want to put a time frame on it, but if I keep snailing away and do my hour a day, and if this new project has ten standard chapters, I think I'd be able to get a chapter a week and a first draft finished in just under three months. Watch this space. 

I'd also like to take this opportunity to mention that my first novella Black Water Valley, is available to download for free on kindle for all of today - the link can be found in my very first post. 

Thanks and see you again next Friday. 

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