Second Draft

Following on from the previous post, the other area that needs to be worked on in the second draft of No Time To Stand And Stare is that of the minor characters. At present, they are somewhat flat and dull, have no clear storyline of their own or definite purpose even being in the book. This is where we need to shape that up.

So, what I’m going to do here, before I begin the second draft, is list the minor characters and consider both their personal story and their impact on the novel. The aim being … Read More

Writing The Second Draft

So, having got all the clay dug up and roughly shaped into the lump that is the first draft of No Time To Stand And Stay, it’s now time to start shaping the pot that will eventually become the finished novel. And that begins here, with the second draft.

Before I jump in and start ripping it all to pieces, which usually means I end up going over and over the first two chapters, there are two ‘overview’ tasks that need to be done.

Firstly, I need to consider the Main Character Plot Lines. … Read More

Before I start work on to the second draft, it’s worth mentioning one last thing about book covers. And that thing is THUMBNAILS.

Specifically, the importance of the cover title being legible when it is displayed on Amazon as in the following mock-up:

As you can see (if you click on this image to open it full-size) both the title and author name are perfectly legible and clear. Not only that, but it’s even just readable in the mini-thumbnail beneath. Kind of.

For now, I’m happy with that cover, so now it’s time for draft two!… Read More

And here it is – the draft cover image for No Time To Stand And Stare.

So far, the feedback I’ve had from people tends to be along the lines of, “What’s with the brick man?”

My attempt with this design is to communicate the sense of a peaceful day in countryside, where a man is standing, staring across a field, yet at the same time the city is ever present in the background…

Any comments or suggestions you have would be great…… Read More