Last week, we had the gardeners in. We moved into this house three months ago and, don’t get me wrong, the garden’s gorgeous but we struggled from not knowing what the heck was in it. For that reason, both me and my dad were dubious about touching anything and it rapidly became a bit of a jungle. I actually liked that part of it too, but it made getting to the patio a little difficult and the roses attacked my neck each time I tried. Not to mention the fact that, when the dog (14 year old Westie cross) went out, we sort of lost her. It was time to take control.
Several hours later and the gardeners had done a brilliant job. Although they’d taken some things further back than we’d expected, there were good reasons for it. Now the plants that grow out there will be growing on our terms. More importantly, I now know exactly what everything is out there. The roses are coiled perfectly around the patio and the pear tree is now the focal point of the right-hand side. I also learned we have bay leaves on tap in the back garden and marjoram in the front – if I can keep the dog away.
I can see clearly now, and I mean that in a literal manner. When we used to put the garden light on at night to try and catch sight of Rosie foraging underneath the plum tree, the light was sucked away by the leaves. Now we can see all the way down to the patio.
Novels need the same type of cultivation as gardens. In the first draft, I let something grow. Generally, I’ve got a vague idea of what it is, but it turns out to be a variation on a vague notion in the end. What I’m left with at the end of the first draft is the same sort of tangle to what the gardeners faced when they stepped through our gate. Where it goes from there depends on how bad the tangle is.
I’ve completed first drafts for 13 different novels so far in my writing life. None of them have been what you’d call neat. The first draft of But By Degrees, for instance, was essentially an extended session between Danni Morris and her therapist. Fine, and it could’ve worked, but it wasn’t the story I needed to tell. Only when I got to draft three did I feel things were beginning to meld together. That said, there were many aspects of the first draft that survived in one form or another. As a character, Danni remains fairly faithful to the angry and hurt young woman I first envisioned seven years ago. Equally, the relationship at the heart of the novel was there from the very beginning. I’m proud of the development and how long it took to cultivate But By Degrees into a novel I’m happy to share with the world.
It’s now nice to turn my garden shears to other projects. I’ll tell you more about them in the coming weeks, particularly the one I’ve decided will be released next.
Have a good week, folks.
