18th June 2024.
I had forgotten how hard it was to write. The first drafts of the new book - A Remembrance of Death were quickly written. The book was started in April 2022 and the first draft completed in January 2023 - not bad for 93,000 words! However, as Ernest Hemingway allegedly said, "The first draft of anything is shit.” A first review was completed in July 2023 (113,000 words) and a second review in September 2023. The next review was completed in November and then there were comments from a developmental editor, and a further edit. The book was then sent to a 'beta reader', which resulted in a further review and edit and now the novel stands at 119,000 words. It's nearly finished (I hope) although before publishing it will need to be reviewed by a copy editor. As Hemingway again said, “The hard part about writing a novel is finishing it.”
'A Remembrance of Death' will be different to 'Of All Faiths & None' as the period of time that it spans is nearly 40 years. The characters grow-up and get old and change during their lifetimes. None of us were the same at 60 as we were at 20. Our hopes and aspirations change and this makes it difficult for a writer to ensure that a character who is 20 years of age at the start of the novel, is the same person who ends the novel; and if a character changes through the novel then that change is understood by the reader.
I am hoping that 'A Remembrance of Death' will be of interest to lots of reader as it looks at the Nuremberg trials and the mistreatment of Kikuyu during the Mau Mau uprising. Do keep an eye out for the book in the autumn!
If you have not read it already, please pick up copy of 'Of All Faiths & None'. It's just £8.99 for a printed copy and £2,99 on kindle and makes a great summer read - https://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Faiths-None-Andrew-Tweeddale/dp/1739612205
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