Bad For Good underway

I started writing the follow up to When She Was Bad in July. The working title in the first few weeks was When She Was Good, but I soon changed it to Bad For Good, the title of an overblown Jim Steinman/Meatloaf song from the early eighties that’s a nice play on words and repeats the theme of Claire turning ‘bad’ from the first book.
The early attempts at re-entering the world of Claire and Barclay proved frustrating - I just couldn’t get Claire’s voice right in my head. The opening chapter in particular was poor - it felt forced and wasn’t as compelling or breathless as I wanted it. The more I worked on it the worse it got. It was a pretty infuriating time and it took weeks to write the opening couple of chapters as whole passages stumbled along with bad writing, cliches and pointless, rambling dialogue.
Then I stopped completely. An uncomfortable pain had developed in my right arm that turned out to be tennis elbow. Ouch. Very ouch. And my physio told me to lay off the typing for a month, which was hugely frustrating as I was finally finding some rhythm with the story. Barely fifty pages written, and most of those destined for the bin.
The enforced break though proved a blessing - not only did it allow me to work on characters and plot rather than submerge myself in the words (which were proving so difficult) but I also took a more philosophical approach to the first draft: it doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact it doesn’t even need to be good. It just needs to tell the story, however clumsily, and everything can be fixed in the subsequent draft.
By the time I was back on the laptop in September I was in a far better state of mind and, without the pressure of ‘getting it right first time’ the words actually started to come easier. My elbow still needs support but it’s fine for typing and the story’s now flowing nicely. I’m even smiling as I write most days, which is the best feeling in the world.
It’s early October and I’m around half way through the first draft - 26k words, 12 chapters finished, which will equate to around 120 pages in the paperback edition (the first draft I deliberately run shorter than subsequent ones).
I’m now pleased with what’s down to date. The early chapters I will rewrite but the work I’ve done over the last few weeks has felt good. All being well it now looks like I’ll get the first draft tidied away before December which is very pleasing.

A quick update on the first draft of Bad For Good

Update on the follow up to When She Was Bad:
It’s going well, somedays very well. I’ve been undertaking some location research with Mrs B. and enjoyed a day’s instruction on the shooting range with my good friend Alan Ward (most definitely not Wardy from the first book!) where I learned enough stuff about guns and ammo to keep me awake most nights. Did you know a sniper can kill from over a mile away? And do you have any idea what a bullet does when it enters the body?? Bloody hell.
Anyway, the writing of the first draft of Bad For Good continues. Of course I have days when the words just flow and some days when I can’t string a sentence together, but overall progress is good. Today (October 18th) I’ve just finished for the day and I have 185 pages done, around two thirds of the way through and I’m just starting the climactic third act. The first draft is very rough and unpolished, just me working out the story, but it feels good with some nice twists and turns. The new characters are coming together nicely and most of the old crew are back, like old friends. Or enemies.
It feels already like an improvement of the first book but we’ll see.
Thanks again for your interest and support with my writing - it means the world to me.
Neil

November 2nd update on Bad For Good

A superb day’s writing today. I’m really pleased with Chapter 20 (working title: Pretty Green) which has just flowed more naturally and quicker than any other this time around. It twists and turns and pulls the whole of the second book together and felt immensely satisfying to write.
Just a few more chapters on the first draft to go now - I’m up to page 220 and flying.
Current mood: pretty darn good