...particularly anyone who's still relatively green (I've only just managed to admit that my first novel was and is virtually unworkable, and the liberation of being able to walk away from it and start something new is AMAZING):

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml;jsessionid=0KVRDREMWWEJ5QFIQMGCFFWAVCBQUIV0?xml=/arts/2006/12/15/bonovel15.xml

Ah, good old NIAY.
Where would we be without LD
She's carrying on into 2007 you know.
Yipee.

Agh. I would love to know what this is about, but unfortunately have been genetically programmed not to read anything with the word Telegraph in it. I would love to have the chance to be a Tory, but seriously, I was brought up by left-wing dictators.

What's galling is that we know our present writing is much better than the last, but will probably look back at it in years to come and realize how much work it needed

Casey

Saph - your Dad's Chairman Mao?

Agh. I would love to know what this is about, but unfortunately have been genetically programmed not to read anything with the word Telegraph in it. I would love to have the chance to be a Tory, but seriously, I was brought up by left-wing dictators.

I wouldn't worry, it's not contageous. The message boards are a zoo, run by the monkeys who are having a year off from writing Shakespeare and with minimal input from the literary lions...

- sincere apologies to any fellow inmates who are reading this: tongue firmly in cheek here.

New to this site, but the article made sense (not everything in the Torygraph necessarily reflects, or is even able to reflect, the editorial perspective).

I've written and junked five novels over the past few years, learning something each time. I know the one I've recently completed is a big improvement on the earlier stuff, but it still may not be quite good enough. Have been getting much more respectful rejection letters from agents, however (one even read the whole thing and pronounced it - paraphrase - 'really quite good but not quite good enough'.

The next one, naturally, will be a masterpiece...

The point, I suppose, is that it's a long and arduous journey - but also an amazing voyage of discovery inside one's own mind. I believe (or would like to believe) that given the basic writing skills, an ability to learn from mistakes and listen to criticism, and one or two fresh idea, persistence will eventually pay off. But nothing less than superhuman persistence is required!

Thank you MF, that really is a useful piece. Very cheering to know that some of the stuff that doesn't work out might still be part of the process.

I also have an aversion to the Telegraph, but my aversion to the Mail is even stronger...even though, um, I have written for it on occasion. Hangs head in shame and skulks off....