Editing in the Garden

Warm enough to work in the garden. Hooray!

My big task today has been to respond to the line-edit for THE WOMAN WHO DREW BUILDINGS. The sunshine filtering through the old trees and the sound of the twittering birds - only slightly muffled by the distant traffic - helps this quite challenging work to flow.

As I work through the manuscript I feel pleased that now, emerging, is tht text that will be 'it' between covers. And now I feel pleased. It's looking good. For a moment I think that - with the sunshine streaming through the green, and the tea and toast delivered by B at half time - 'Nobody except you or I, love, knows what goes into these books' - how could I fail? How could it not go well?

Done now! And this great lump of work is ready to be sent to Celine Kelly, of Headline, who so efficiently drives my manuscripts through the system.

Now I only have three books to think of: Sandie Shaw.... - just out in her paperback livery; Knives, my short story collection; and At The Villa Estella - just embarked upon and to be written in the Languedoc in May and June. (I think...)


Then, at four thirty, I flee from of my garden down the High Street as far as No 1 Market Place - the new bar I'm just in love with - to meet and drink coffee with my buddy Avril (avriljoy.com). We talk about the launch in Wednesday, at Bishop Auckland Town Hall, of my short story collection KNIVES.


We will launch KNIVES in the in the art gallery at Bishop Auckland Town Hall with a public conversation between Avril and me, about why my stories - whatever their up-front narrative - focus on people on the edge, people confined, and people running away to a new life. (Of course, it could be about me running away to France for eight weeks, but the stories have a much older history than that).

I was so reassured by our conversation that I now know that the public conversation with Avril on Wednesday will be interesting, entertaining, and fun. And then, if all else fails, there is the glass of wine and the nibbles. Anton always makes an effort...

But we did take a bit of time out to discuss: linen trousers, Ryanair's measurements for onboard luggage, essential cosmetics, medication and other frou frous to take to France. To be honest, we just gloated a bit... Then we had a glass of wine.

We hope to generate a good gathering of friends, new friends, old buddies and acquaintances who are interested in writing, to our event. I see - to my great delight - some of our friends from the prison will be there.

I'll tell you about it....

Wendy
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