Every spare moment these days I am editing: playing with words on the page, selecting phrases, deleting paragraphs, disentangling dialogue and aiming for the ultimate goal of a completed novel. In November 2016, while at a writing retreat I was invited to participate in a national contest called Pitch Week. I jumped in with an incomplete manuscript- still searching for an ending.
That was six months ago, and now I am fourteen days away from submitting the full manuscript. I’ve written two novels during NANOWRIMO (National Novel Writing Month) so how hard can it being to polish one up in the last two weeks of my deadline? I’m confident that I will be entering a compelling story that will resonate with others- and hopefully the judges. My readers have been thoughtful and precise in their comments. My family is gracious in accepting my complete focus on the book, and disregard for their well-being. As I race towards the final manuscript, every word counts.
Sarah Ward 