Editing The Dream - Part Four

I really don't have much to say at the moment. This is just more of a quick vent because I'm really frustrated with the second edit. It was going well bu I'm fearful that the last quarter of the story is running off the rails a little. I am struggling with the "reuniting" of the two lovers - one of whom has been reinarnated into the body of someone else. I am trying to make it a really lovely and tender piece of writing but it seems to clunk along and I find myself consistently thinking that this all sounds like bullshit. It culminates in a significant plot reveal that has huge ramifications for the two lovers but I am fearful that it doesn't sound convincing either. I mean I am dealing with reincarnation as a subtext so a certain amount of disbelief has to be suspended anyway. But when you're endeavouring to anchor your story in a fairly real setting, making it sound convincing becomes extremely important.

Am I making any sense?

Probably not, but I know what I mean...

I'll talk to you later.

Editing The Dream - Part Three

I haven't had much to say about the manuscript these past couple of weeks, however I have been pre occupied with other, more substantial events in my life so the project has taken a back seat. I refer of course to the birth of my daughter last Monday (9/11/09 for you readers in the States). We welcomed Lucy Audrey Rose into the world at about a quarter to four in the afternoon and obviously we were quite blown away by the significance of the occasion. The past week has been taken up by getting used to the new baby, the new dynamic that our family now possesses and finding a level in our lives that will allow us to continue moving forward.

I spent a few hours whilst my serioso was resting and recuperating working on more edits to what will become the third draft of the novel. It has mainly been an exercise in tightening up the grammatical errors that carried over from draft two as well as expanding some key scenes which I felt were needed in order to lend some further gravitas to the narrative. One scene I am particularly happy with is an expansion on Andy DeVries battle with himself in order to overcome his drug addiction. I realized through the second reading that he simply walks away from a life of drug addiction without really suffering because of it. Having done some further research into this so called "drying out" I have included a description of Andy's own withdrawl from the substance that threatens to take a hold of him.

As it stands now, I am about two thirds of the way through this second edit. I have had some feedback from some wonderful people who volunteered to have a read through it and I am bouyed by their opinions.

I have successfully neutered a great deal of repetition from the original manuscript and have simplified the tome of the narrative. (I think that's how one describes it).

I emailed Michelle Halket from ireadiwrite publishing a couple of weeks ago to sound her out about the submission guidelines to her publishing portal http://www.ireadiwrite.com and I have to say I am really excited about the possibilities this portal throws up in terms of getting the novel out there, first as an eBook. I have also had some talks with some close friends of mine who operate in the local printing industry down under who have contacts in the print on demand industry. The possibility of a short run printing of my novel is definitely an option I am considering.

For now, the art of the write goes on. Check out my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/deanfromaustralia where you'll find some images of our new baby.

I'll be updating you all again real soon here.

DFA.

Dreams Of A Love Indestructible - Draft Two Complete.

I write this, having just completed a two week long edit of my draft manuscript. It was an arduous task, re-examining grammar and punctuation, removing what seemed to be copious amounts of repetition and tightening up the story line significantly. I also expanded some of the characters roles which added an extra cohesiveness to the plot.

So now I have, what I think is a significantly better manuscript, but I know that there is a long way to go. What I need now is for volunteers who would be willing to look over my manuscript and offer me some constructive (or even destructive) criticism on my work.

What works? What doesn't work? Does it work at all?

If you are at all interested, please get in touch with me via email - banistersmind@internode.on.net and I'll arrange for a .pdf to be emailed to you. It's 205 pages long, about 80,000 words long. To give you an idea of what it's about - here's a synopsis...

Dreams Of A Love Indestructible is a story about a young man whose spirit refuses to die.

Denny Banister had it all – a successful university degree, a love for the guitar and a passion for Sonya – his soul mate whom he wishes to marry. Tragically, Denny is struck down with inoperable cancer and he is destined to die.

At the moment of his death in an Australian hospice, however, Denny's spirit passes from his destroyed body and into the body of a drug addicted young man - who lies in a trauma room, clinging to life on the other side of the world.

Andy DeVries stands on a precipice. He lives life on a razor's edge, dealing in drugs and moving through a dangerous underworld of criminals and con artists. He is alienated from his father and he stands to lose the only thing that matters to him - a place at a prestigious Conservatory for classical guitar in Chicago. For Andy has a love of the guitar as fierce as Denny's once was.

Having been snatched from a near fatal overdose Andy is suddenly plagued by dreams of another life - a life he has never known but it is as familiar to him as his own memories. He dreams of a love he has never known yet he knows this love intuitively. Having been given a chance at redemption Andy begins to change.

Something has been awakened in him - a spirit of a once proud man. And as Soneya grieves for her lost love Andy begins a quest to find her - knowing her only by the dream...the dream of a love indestructible...


Please do consider participating in helping me. I hope to self publish the novel in early 2010 and am excited to see it on a book shelf.

Thank you in advance,

Dean from Australia.