That’s a wrap!

I’ve been working on this, my debut novel, for close to four years. Writing the first draft took me a few months, maybe five or six., and that was the easy part. I then had to get down to the nitty-gritty of the craft. I had to hit the books and learn as I went, figuring out the basics of novel writing. So, I burned the midnight oil, and figure out what creating a plot meant, or what the heck was a red herring. Fortunately for me, I was able to translate my knowledge and experience as a paintress to writing. Basically, many art forms have similar underlying truths, elements like structure, rythm, and even the play of of light versus dark.
Developing characters was like adding details to a portrait or landscape, inserting texture and colours where needed. I approached this novel like I use to do with paintings. This helped t a point, but I still had to navigate my way through this , new to me, craft.
Reading and absorbing what I could from books on writing took time, and so many drafts that I lost count. I received help from critique partners, the kind mentoring of established authors , and a developmental editor. That’s not even touching on the numerous friends to read through my early drafts and sahred their thoughts with me. So, yes, after three and a half years, and tons of editing and polishing this book, I’m calling it a wrap.
Here is what I have come to understand about writing. Writing is rewriting, revising, writing again and again. The art of a well written book, in my eyes, is knowing that beyond talent, hard work is what matters.
THE RAINBOW KILLER, a MARY DUBOIS THRILLER is complete at over eighty-three thousand words and three hundred and thirty-three pages. The second book is already in progress, and I dare say, should take less time now that I’m armed with a little more experience.