Today I finished the first draft of Heir Apparent, my fourth novel, and the second one featuring Joel Smith, retired CIA field operative, as the hero. Everytime I finish a new draft, I have a huge sense of accomplishment, and this time is no different.
I do sometimes have doubts about the quality of the work after weeks in the drafting process. There are a number of defects and issues I already know will need to be address with this work. And I'm sure a detailed read-through will reveal even more. Many more.
But that situation is not at all unusual. I started this particular draft on January 6th, and even discounting the nine days I was away in Ethiopia, that still means I spent 70 days piecing this relatively complex story together.
So I'm going to do what I usually do, and give Heir Apparent a rest for a minimum of a month while I move on to some other projects. I feel confident that after a few weeks worth of fermentation, it will read fairly well, and the editing task will seem less daunting.
