sent from: London, UK. destination: San Francisco, California, USA

We’re almost halfway into BANANOWRIMO, I’ve written 18,000 words, which is not bad. I write for a couple of hours when I first wake up, around 7am. The story I’m writing will top out around 25,000 words, a very short novel at best. And it would require at least 2 more rewrites before it’s something I’d be willing to have other people read. I started writing 20 years ago, but it never got traction. I did what many people do – I wrote it in my head, saw it was lacking, and didn’t even try. I should have persisted – the work of putting pen to paper longhand is a revelatory one. The basic idea I started with is the same, but it has filled out in ways I could never have anticipated. I don’t know what ‘real’ writers do, but I suspect much of it is just the pure industry of getting the words down; blocking out the many distractions and just doing the damn thing, rain or shine. Once it’s done there’s probably a shapeless lump that needs re-working over and over. Then at some point, you declare it done, and move on to the next thing. Perspiration.