Plot development

Stephanie Cowell ( http://writinghistoricalnovels.com/2013/07/22/plot-development-when-writing-a-novel-by-stephanie-cowell/) remarks that she cannot follow the plot development of her story when she reads it on computer, but has to print it out and read it that way in order to see the plot pointers properly. I think I'm maybe the same way inclined. There is a miserly side to me that hates to print out a whole novel because of the printing costs - yet I know I'm niggling over nothing. It doesn't matter what it costs - it needs doing, and I'd spend the same amount or more on a bottle of wine or a new blouse without a second thought. Odd how some things cause a hitch in the gallop!

But yes, to get back to the point - I've just had a couple of critiques returned that point out where I had duplicated lines and phrases, even who sentences. This is careless of me, and it has happened because I merged several versions of a chapter into one. I think I mentioned a day or two ago that I had got muddled among my versions - well, that was one result of the merger.

A second  result was that I actually saved the chapter twice into the main ms of my story. For a few minutes I thought I was imagining things, but no, that's what I'd done. This sort of clerical error makes it imperative to print out and read in paper form. But I can still honestly say that I'm enjoying polishing my story. it is so much easier than actually writing, and if you have any inclination to wield the red pen of correction, then go for it!

In direct contrast to the pic above, I took Tim for his first walk in town today. Head constantly swivelling, nose working overtime, all those people to see, cars and buses to watch, pushchairs to avoid. A whole new world for him. He's now fast asleep beneath my desk. Worn out, poor boy.