About me

The idea for The Sphinx Scrolls novel came to me one drunken evening staying with friends in the south of France. I'd been reading some esoteric historical books about evidence of civilisations that died out so many thousands of years ago that their existence became legendary. Tackling a story that encompassed the untold history of the planet was quite a challenge, and it took a while to develop it into a workable plot for a thriller.

That was 14 years ago, and I still haven't finished it. OK, I wrote 166,000 words and had 'finished' the story by 2003, but a good novel needs a lot of redrafting to tie up loose ends and make it a gripping read, and that requires concentration over a long period. The demands of my 'day job' as a publisher didn't give me an opportunity to take a long enough break from the stresses and demands of business, although I did manage to write about 40 non fiction books during those years and even went through the fascinating process of turning the novel into a screenplay.

Now, with the approach of the Age of Aquarius and all the associated hype about Mayan prophesy (which is an integral part of the plot), I think this is the year that I have to finish the book. I've written books on the subject of being a writer and getting published, and I'm known for repeatedly making the point that the difference between published and unpublished writers is the number of drafts produced. Too many unpublished writers finish a first draft and think it's publishable. Published writers know that a first draft is like the bare bricks of a house: you wouldn't expect someone to enjoy living in it until the plumbing and electrics are in, the walls are plastered and painted, and the carpets and curtains are fitted. Redrafting a book can take longer than writing the first draft.

I set up this blog so that writers can follow my progress as I redraft this novel time and again. Each sweep through the book will focus on different aspects of its structure, language, dialogue, characterisation, historical accuracy, readability, pace, plot twists. I won't give away the whole story, but I'll let out enough hints about the plot so that anyone can follow the project in a meaningful way.

My target is to complete the work in 90 days. I will be working more or less full time on the novel during this time, culminating in a trip to Brazil where I'll complete the final drafts.

I'll be happy to answer questions from fellow writers about my writing processes, and might even post a few pages from the novel on the blog for people to comment upon.

Stewart