BTS002: How I’m Revising My Murder Mystery Novella
Happy Monday, Writers!
I’m going to keep this episode short and sweet and just stick to all things writing and book related. But, I will point out that I’m super happy with my current productivity levels since I shared my October Goals. Hopefully, I’ll be able to continue this new trend with my productivity.
Immunity Revisions
This week I dived into Immunity revisions and found myself obsessing over the science of immunity. In the novel, a drug is created that supports the immune systems of cancer survivors. As I ploughed through my revisions, I got to a scene which takes place in a lab. It was at this point that I found myself obsessing over the path to creating pharmaceuticals, the types of scientists who create them and where they work. When you work in a lab, there is a directory, that points you towards different, sections. For instance, in a pathology lab, you will see Haematology (all things blood), immunology, microbiology. I distinctly remember a tour of a pathology lab on my first day on the job, and the smell has stayed with me ever since. This super glamorous smell is the result of bacteria growing in Petri dishes. This where your samples end up. Just in case you were wondering.
So yes, I found myself obsessing over the labelling of laboratory sections (cancer immunotherapy, immunotherapy, or immunology). I was pacing around the apartment, reading lots of articles, checking out LinkedIn profiles of scientists, watching videos about pharmaceuticals. After far too long, I decided to move forward with the revision phase and come back to this section. At a later stage, I’ll do more research and make a final decision about these elements. It’s more important for me to move forward with revising Immunity than obsessing over a detail in the story. I want to meet the publication deadline I set for myself.
A Revision Tip
So, if you’re like me and you’re in revision, and you feel like you’re spending way too long, or you’re stuck revising a scene; then make a note and move on, then come back to the scene at a later date. If you’ve reached a stage where you’ve discovered that you need to do more research, make a note to do more research. After this, go on to revise the next scene. I also recommend acting as if the scene is perfect as you revise the remaining scenes. After you’ve revised the draft come back to the scene and do the research, then make corrections.
Book Impulse Buy
I purchased the hardback edition of Dan Brown’s latest release, Origin for a measly £10.00 which is ridiculous. Hardbacks are very expensive to print which makes me wonder how anyone is making money with this purchase. I’ve looked into the costs of printing hardback, and through IngramSpark, it’s quite expensive, and you need to price the book at £25 to £30 to make a one or two-pound profit, and that’s with the 40 percent discount for retailers.
Foyles and the Joys of Vlogging
On Saturday, it was bookshop day, and Roland and I went to the Foyles along Charing Cross Road in London. We did some book buying. But, I managed to Vlog this trip. Getting permission to Vlog wasn’t as easy as it sounds. I spoke to one sales assistant who had no idea what Vlogging was, and said no. I ended up asking another staff member, who permitted me. In the process of asking, I ended up starting an argument between the staff member and another guy who was standing nearby listening in to the conversation. I spend the remainder of the trip Vlogging and avoiding the guy. I will do a book haul at some point, and post it on my YouTube Channel, Indie Authorpreneur TV within the next two weeks.
I hope you have a great week and happy writing!
Thank you for listening, reading, commenting and sharing with such enthusiasm.
Your coach,
Amelia xx
I’m Amelia. When I’m not hosting the Authorpreneur Podcast™️ and the Book Nerd Podcasts, I write Mystery Novels under the pen name A. D. Hay. And, I’m the author of Suspicion, the Lawn, and the Candidate.
On this blog, I help new writers to finish their first draft, prepare their manuscripts for professional editing, and when they get stuck in the first draft phase or are confused about the revision process.
Right now, I’m editing and preparing my soon to be published mystery novels, Suspicion, Duplicity, 24 Hours, and Immunity for publication.
