Jo Cotterill

Last time I wrote, I was in the dumps. And to be honest, the days and week or so that followed were HARD WORK. A not-very-enjoyable part of being a writer. I started the manuscript again, the one that wasn’t working. And it was SLUDGY. Very, very hard going, and kind of BORING. I BORED myself and started to wonder if this story was really one I wanted to tell any more?

But I kept going, and now I have about 10,000 words down. AND what’s more, my agent LIKES it 🙂 It is SUCH a relief! It’s still first-drafty still, obviously, but the structure is working better. Which just goes to show that you really don’t have to be inspired or even in the zone to produce good writing. There are times on EVERY book that the author hates every moment, has to scrabble around for every word and sentence, alongside the bits that just seem to flow out of your fingers without conscious thought. But the weird thing is that afterwards, when you have a complete manuscript, you really wouldn’t know which bits were hard and which easy. You can’t pick out the paragraphs that made you weep with frustration, because somehow it’s all become one entity.

I’ve also started writing a new book for Barrington Stoke, to sit alongside TAKE TWO and THREE’S A CROWD. Have had trouble with a title for this one, I can tell you! Good old Facebook for allowing me to pick the brains of lots of other people and their ideas.

I’ve started a short story for an Early Reader book today too. I had an idea six years ago for a series that never got off the ground, but my daughter is now reading books to herself and I suddenly remember this story idea and wondered if it would work for an early reader book. So I’m having a go at that too.

Of course, there are still hours in the writing day where I stare glumly at the screen and wonder why I can’t get my brain to work properly. But I’m feeling more positive about the whole thing again, which is always nice 🙂

AND I’ve had another gorgeous review for Looking at the Stars which has made me very happy!

“Cotterill carefully contrasts the stark reality of struggling to survive day-to-day, with a sense of hope and wonderment via Amina’s stories – a wonderful angle that truly makes Looking at the Stars standout.”

Isn’t that nice?