Getting close to the end of my current novel

[miriam_e]

I've been writing my latest novel, Breathe, for too many years. I got the idea for it back in 2015, while I was writing my short novel, Shirlocke, but it really took me a year or more to get started. The story seemed fairly straightforward, but it turned out to require a lot more research than I expected... so, combined with my usual distracted and procrastinating nature, here we are 4 years later and I'm finally approaching the end. It will be my biggest novel yet. It's set here in Australia, and tells an uplifting story of a lesbian couple who survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

Here is the cover I created:



I know it's odd to be talking about this before I've actually finished, but I'm prompted by the exciting feeling that it is finally, after all this time, approaching completion. One of the first things I knew, when I originally came up with the story idea, was how I wanted it to end, but it bothered me that my ending might be too unsatisfying. Well, yesterday I realised how to tie the whole thing up in a satisfying way, while leaving it open and still being able to use my original ending. Nice!

I really hope after all this time this book is not a huge pile of steaming crap. It worries me when I think of all those books and movies where people have spent an enormous amount of time, devoting tremendous effort, resources, and money to creating something they think is great, but which can be genuinely awful. Somehow creators are often blind to the faults of their creations. I honestly don't know whether my works are good or terrible. (Given the lack of feedback, I fear it may be the latter.) However, given that the task I've set myself is to become a better writer by writing at least 12 novels, this one will put me just over the halfway mark. It is another big step on the journey.

That journey needs to speed up, because I fear that I'm likely to inherit my Mum's susceptibility to Alzheimer's. She has it and both her sisters died of it. I'm next in line. If I'm to complete my task I'd better get a hurry on... especially since I also want to start narrating my stories and illustrate some, and create an artificial intelligence similar to that in my short story Grave Words.

Too much to do; too little time.

I'd better get back to writing.

Comments

[greylock]

an uplifting story of a lesbian couple who survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

There's a lot going on there. How does humanity survive? It also sounds a little like one of John Wyndham' books, and I guess that was the aim? If so, yay!

Here is the cover I created:

It's a serviceable cover! if you want some criticism (or if you don't): There's something off about the white text. I can't tell you why, but I've been around graphics and design long enough to know.

I'd also recommend not putting your name in grey. Or if you do, bump up the font (looks like it's half the title, I'd look to 60-70% of the title - I think it'll balance better).

That journey needs to speed up, because I fear that I'm likely to inherit my Mum's susceptibility to Alzheimer's

Well, fuck.

[miriam_e]

Two years later and I finally notice your reply. Sorry about the giant delay. I don't seem to visit DW much anymore. I need to change that. I spend far too much time on facebook. I definitely need to change that.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions. I'm not much of a designer. Maybe the thickness of the font in the white text was what felt off.

How does humanity survive?

Ah... :) You'll have to read it to find out. It's free, like all my stories.
http://miriam-english.org/stories/books/Breathe/index.html

If you do read it, please leave me a comment on my page. (I've now added links that let people leave comments.) Or leave a comment here...

[greylock]

Eh. DW is pretty dead these days. It's largely me talking to myself.
(Which is a lot like my actual life! LOL!)

I'm not a designer at all, but I knew my way around InDesign, Quark and the like once.
I think you're right about the thickness of the white.

I have opened it in a tab, but I don't tend to read online, so I can't promise I will actually read it.

[greylock]

I forgot to add, I am pretty sure at some point, somewhere online, I saw you mentioned in the context of being a SF writer, and I thought "I wonder if that is the same Miriam?".

But what are the chances?
(It is possible, but unlikely, I dreamt it)

[miriam_e]

Apologies again for the waaaay too late reply.

You don't need to read my stories online (though you can) they can be read offline. For each of my novels I make an epub available. That's an ebook format. My favorite ebook reader is Moon+ reader. It is free and very configurable. It lets me read ebooks on my phone.

I'm not sure if Moon+ reader is available for Apple phones. I use Android. But surely there will be a free epub reader for iPhones.

I should collect my short stories and plays into a couple of volumes and make them available as ebooks too.