This afternoon I went to the February Interim Meet of the Cambridge NaNoWriMo team, which was a fun chance to catch up - though we only talked and did no writing at all (d'oh!). However someone mentioned NaNoEdMo, which I had quite forgotten about, and so I've signed up :)

So much editing needed, so little time...

After doing the first four 2YN assignments, I have changed my mind about the story I want to write. I was going to do a light-hearted historical fantasy set in 18th-century Bristol/Bath, but now that I'm reading "Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrell", I feel that would just be setting myself up for comparison with Susanna Clarke - and there's no doubt I'd come away the loser :(

Instead I've begun a new project, set in the same world as "Powderkeg Walk" but around 2000 years previously. This gives me the opportunity to use some of my sandalpunk material from an abandoned project, as well as some fantastical elements that don't really fit into the "Secret Theatre" setting as it currently stands. I'll have to redo my 2YN assignments, but this is my last opportunity to change, so I'm seizing it with both hands!

As well as NaNoEdMo, I've signed up for the Year-Long Edit Marathon at Forward Motion, because it's going to take a lot longer than a month to lick my rough draft into shape! The target I've set is 250,000 words, because although my novel is only going to be about 120k, it's going to take two full passes (rewrite plus polishing) to get it into submittable condition, plus I'm cutting at least 8000 words (!!) from my NaNo draft.

I got my first email feedback today from someone who wanted to leave a comment on my blog. I have (with some trepidation) turned commenting on, and am waiting for the deluge of spam...

Addendum: commenting is turned off on older entries, to reduce the chance of spammers finding me via Google. I will be installing further anti-spam measures in due course :)