Finally, it’s done. I have been writing the draft of my third novel for the past five weeks, and it’s finally complete. In some respect, writing the draft is the easy part of the process; or at least, it’s the quickest. Most of the fiction I’ve written is messy and nonsensical before I get round to editing it, and this novel was no exception. The last few days, I have been typing like a demon in an attempt to finish the manuscript before the end of the week. I managed to meet my goal, but the hard work has only just begun.
I’m now in the position where I have three novels to edit at once. Concurrently, I’m working through a final line edit of my upcoming debut, The Black Rook, touching up my second novel, Like Pigs, and now I have the new novel to contend with, which is currently working-titled Human Zoo.
I’m raring to get started on the first edit run of Human Zoo, but I also recognise that I need to step back and take some time away from it. The story needs a fresh pair of eyes, and I need a rest from the dark subject matter. As much as I love writing dark fiction, it often takes its toll on me, causing me to dwell in the aura of negativity that I conjured by writing it.
As I turn my attention to the (hopefully) final edit of The Black Rook, which is fantasy, I realise it’ll be a welcome distraction from the dystopian genre I have immersed myself in for the last few months.
Davey Cobb 