Today I’m back to writing again, as opposed to editing. Amy Green book 4 – set in Dublin and New York – with the current working title of Big Apple Adventures. But I also like Manhattan Mayhem. We shall see. The editorial, sales and marketing team play a big part in the final choice – which I like as it’s good to have a second (third and fourth) opinion. Writers tend to be good at writing, not marketing – which is as it should be.

I’m off to a great start – nearly 3,000 words today – although some of those words were originally to be in book 3 – but it just got too darned big to squeeze all the different plot strands in.

But of course it’s never as easy as that – The Loving Kind page proofs are also sitting on my desk waiting to be checked – which I’ll get to in a few minutes – just taking a wee break! I’m 183 pages in and I can’t wait to finally sign the book off. I keep spotting things I’d like to change – repetition, dialogue that could be sharper – but it’s too late now – my copyediting team wouldn’t thank me for writing tweaks at this late stage of the game.

I have four books coming out next year which means I’m at different production stages with each of them – but I have to keep writing the next book. I can’t afford to wait for edits to come back – I have to keep going.

Is it stressful, all this editing, rewriting and pressure – it can be. But it sure beats commuting for three hours every day, snapping at the kids in the evening ’cause I’m over tired, having to ask for days off or holidays, and so many other things. The ironic thing is I take less holidays now than I used to take when I was working as a bookseller – I love writing so much I even work on my holidays – Ben has to physically stop me most of the time!

Writing is a funny old job, but I do love it. The best bit – sitting at my desk, on my own, lost in the world of my own creating. At the moment being 13 again – while writing Amy Green – is just so much fun! And I hope one day, if it’s also your dream, that you get to experience a writing life too.

Yours in writing, SarahX