Milestone City

05/08/2011 by admin.

I now have 50,000 words on paper and no, they are not “I am a fish” repeated twelve and a half thousand times!  Although this is entirely an artificial target, as there is a substantial amount of editing to be done, it is an emotional milestone in that I feel as though I have finally achieved my target.  The truth, of course, is that ‘editing’ is more than merely adjusting typeface or syntax.  In some cases it will mean just that and in others it means adding or deleting whole passages, as I read and reread chapters, looking for cohesion and construction of the argument(s).

Anyhoo, it still stands as big day for me; without wanting to sound too pretentious, this is a major milestone in my life as it represents more than just a wordcount on a word-processor.  I have always wanted to write and have never had the courage.  Now I know it is a job like any other; enjoyable, certainly, but with its own ebb and flow, difficulties and pleasures.  In that sense, I have realised that I could write if I chose to.  It has given me access to something I hadn’t known I could do.

Still quite a long way to go though.  I am realistic in understanding that this is merely an emotional milestone - not an actual one.  I have the editing of the first four chapters to do, then I can get on with writing up the final chapter.  Although the final chapter will be quite short, the importance of ensuring it says what it needs to cannot be over-stressed.  Because of that, I need to be entirely happy with the first chapters before I start.  Onwards and upward then!

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