I’ve finished the Operation Angus manuscript

I started writing the manuscript for Operation Angus on March 27. With the Corona Virus cancelling every book-related event in my busy calendar since mid-March, I suddenly had much more writing time on my hands than I’ve ever had before. So I decided to seize the opportunity and commit all of that suddenly “found time” to writing. So 44 days and 90,627 words later on May 10, I wrote the words “The End” to close out the manuscript. It’s the fastest manuscript I’ve ever written, by a long shot. Of course, I spent about a year planning, mapping, and outlining the story and characters, yielding a 60-page bullet-point, chapter-by-chapter outline, so I could then write the manuscript in a sprint.

Since finishing it about a week ago, I’ve managed to go through the entire manuscript for the first of several passes at editing and polishing. This resulted in some trimming and some adding. Much to my editor’s chagrin, I’m more of an adder than a trimmer. But it does feel good to have taken this major step forward on the new novel. It’s not due out until next year, so I’m ahead of schedule. Now, a few trusted beta-readers are having a look at it, which might lead to some more editing. There remains lots to do. After I send it to my editor at McClelland & Stewart, the real editing begins. But for now, I’m happy.