Let's Try That Again...
Hello Everyone, I hope you're all well and, even though the state of the world could arguably be described as chaotic, you're finding reasons to smile at least a few times a day. It's been a very strange time here at chez Turner with stress appearing from the most unexpected places but, as I'm typing this to you, obviously I've survived this far.
As is often the case, it has all been a little overwhelming with multiple things happening at once, all of which needed equal attention but, at last, it does feel as if some level of control as finally returned. It's my own fault, I started a number of projects at the beginning of the year, not really knowing what the results might be and..well, now I'm finding out!
As I'm waiting for decisions from others regarding some of the work, I cannot say too much, but what I can say, is I have a new book coming out very soon. It's a very different genre for me which has been challenging, despite what some people may think, just because you can write in one style does not automatically mean, you can do them all. Every genre not only has its unique nuances but also, as this story is set in 1950's England, there was considerable research needed to make sure it was authentic to the period. I was recently asked to read another author's work in progress, despite being set in Ancient Greece, one of the characters had an iPhone which was incredibly jarring and, in truth, put me off the rest of the story. Now, it's very easy to do, we take so much for granted, being able to call anyone in any part of the world, use Google to check a fact etc that including those in a piece of work, seems almost natural. I have done it myself in the past, had people travelling distances that would have been impossible at the time- thankfully I noticed before publication.
Editing a story is a very laborious task, aside from checking basic grammar, you do have to be very mindful of your character's language, are they using colloquial terms that are familiar now but wouldn't have been heard then? If there are real places mentioned, did they exist in that time period? To be honest, the editing takes almost as long as writing the book!
While I work through this latest story, it did strike me, if I could go back through my own life, what would I edit? Which parts would I change? How would I rephrase something, so it sounded better? It's a slippery slope, as I realised there were so many times, I wish I could go back and change but obviously, unlike a book, it's simply not possible to rewrite those lines. Revisiting the past can often be a joyful and genuinely magical journey, as your mind can suddenly be filled with a whole photograph album of the highlights of your life. It's amazing just how much detail you can remember, right down to how you felt at the time. As all things in life, there are those unhappy times there too, the occasions when you said something out of hurt or temper, that given the chance, you'd take back in a heartbeat. But worst of all, at least for me, looking back does bring into sharp focus, the fact your current life is missing so many of those who were once so vital to your existence. Some might have passed whereas others? They somehow got 'lost' along the way. If I could edit my life, I'd definitely go back and hold on to them tighter and not take their presence for granted quite so much.
I have to admit, I have not led a blameless life, certain decisions I made are more than enough to make me visibly wince now but hopefully, I still have time to put some of those mistakes right. As for those who have gone, my drive now is to make them proud of me, to live up to the potential they believed I had. As someone who struggles to maintain self-belief, the idea of trying to prove them right, is really the force that keeps me, not only writing, but pushing forward in life as a whole.
We cannot rewrite the past, but we can learn from it, I believe that, and it has been my focus for at least the last few years. Beating myself up (not literally) over past mistakes achieves nothing, but working to not make them again? That has to be a worthwhile endeavour.
Well, with all that said, it seems a good place to end today's post, please stay very safe, thank you again for all the support, I never forget how incredibly blessed I am to have such wonderful people who wish me the best.
As always, until the next time...
Take very good care
