A work in progress...23

The writing is still going well, I bring the laptop to work everyday and beaver away on the train. I've decided to set the story in the present and use the bombings in London as one of the main catalysts which leads to the mental breakdown of my main character, Nat. I was in the capital for the first attacks, so have first hand knowledge of the situation. I'm trying to write about in an abstract way, see it through the character's eyes, rather than write it as a journalist. This is proving difficult, because I want to write it as a news feature rather than in a creative, literary way. I'm trying to be realistic and give the reader a sense of the horror, but what's at stake for me and the character is the psychological impact it has. I'm going into unchartered waters, but the early results are promising. It just takes time. I scrutinise every word of every sentence to try and not make it read like a news report.

I'm up to about 60,00 words, a lot still needs editing, but I feel the foundations are going up and are strong. I work on the book every single day, I feel as though I'm neglecting family, and to an extent friends, but I have to keep going. I have been close to giving up on it on several occasions; but I have to write, whether it's good or crap; I write because it's the beauty of writing that I like most of all.

I am reading the House of Leaves by Mark Z Danielewski. An awesome book, and a debut novel, it makes my attempt look like a magazine feature. But it's inspiring all the same. It's highly complex structure shows what can be achieved with the printed word and I am trying to weave similar subplots in my novel, but in a different style.