Almost Being Lara….

So the corrections went very well and I was able to post back the manuscript (hopefully for the last time) to New York today! Hurrah!!

But not before I spotted a flaw much bigger than a misplaced hyphen. A tiny hole in the plot that, ‘if you blink you’d miss it’ but nevertheless, was potentially bothersome. So, after a quick call to my Mum in Nigeria (where half the book is set) she was able to put me straight on a few things which I then included in the final manuscript. It was only a few lines but an important few lines ….

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Rebellion as a Writer (err…. kind of)

So this weekend is all about editing ‘Being Lara’ which ordinarily would be fine… but let me tell you- I am soooo into my new ‘fantasy’ novel (yes, let’s call it that because it’s kinda part fantasy, part sci fi) and basically correcting my new ‘about to be published novel’ takes me away from my new, new one.

Confused?

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Breaking News…

…erm, I’ve decided to ‘bin’ the 50 or so THOUSAND words already written on a novel I am working on.

Why?

Because I have decided to write the novel I have wanted to write for about 14 years.

I can’t say too much about it, but it’s ‘the one’.

And I am in love again – you know… thinking about ‘it’ every day; upon waking up, when I’m cooking. I have butterflies in my tummy when I hear its name… Okay you get the drift.

This is the novel I have to write.

So I begin…

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Steve Jobs

‎”When I get my first publishing contract, the first thing I’ll do is buy an Apple computer! It’s the only computer that legitimises me as a writer – oh and Carrie from SATC has one!!!”

It took a while and the models kept changing as my journey to becoming a published author continued… 2 years, 3 years… (you know the rest). But as soon as I signed that first contract with Harper Collins in 2007, I had my flat screen iMac delivered. And last December, I opened up a a box that contained my shiny new MacBook Air laptop!  

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The Writing Fairy

So my new neighbour says; ‘Lola, I have a parcel for you…’

     Now, such sentences can at times, produce a sort of child- like excitement from within. Perhaps wondering if it’s a bunch of flowers, item of clothing or just anything with my name on it.
I wasn’t disappointed, however, because it just happened to be my COPY EDITED MANUSCRIPT – all the way from New York City!! (alas, minus a magnolia cupcake).  Looking through it, I can see the Copy Editor has done a good and thorough job. Here are some examples of the very Englishy words that were flagged up; 

Marks & Spencer

Cashmilon (if you don’t know what that is, see above!)

Entwhistle Way, Essex

Coldharbour Lane

Cul-de-sac

Felt- tip

So as my novel becomes Americanized, I realise I have a lot of work to do this weekend… And just as London seems to be in a midst of an ‘Indian Summer’ (It’s soooo sunny outside and this weekend is scheduled to be well… sunny and warm) the question becomes; will I be tempted to go out and leave my manuscript to the mercy of the ‘writing fairy?’ 

No.  

Okay, maybe a bit. But I’m on a deadline and I’m disciplined (sometimes).

That’s the thing about being a writer, one has to be disciplined. 

I want a cupcake.

 

 

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Almost there…

The copy edits for Being Lara… are on the way over to the UK from the US of A!!

As my editor explained, the ‘corrections;’ are basically to ‘Americanize’ the writings.  

Hurry, hurry, hurry!!

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