The last chapter

When you write the last chapter of a book, there is a certain satisfaction, like no other chapter. This morning I completed the first draft of the last chapter, 682 words, written when nearly 30% of the book is done, but it means you know where you are going. The nagging feeling of being on a long dark road is brightened by a light at the end of it. 

I began the morning by editting chapter 1. There were images I wanted to include to make it feel more real, for there to be shape and substance.  It felt natural to be edutting the first chapter to moveon to writibg the last chapter. I like a rounded ending, where you are reminded of the beginning. It feels more complete. 

This week I have worked out the plot of my novel. For the last few months, i's been fun just writing and seeing where it takes me, but eventually you get to a point where you feel like you are blindly fumbling about. 

At my desk, with a shawl around my shoulders and a blanket on my knees, the words came from a few small images of the scene which popped into my head. There's a magic in finding a story, when it's unfurling, a snowball rolling down a mountain, gathering speed and momentum. 

The creativity doesn't always flow. So I've learnt to take breaks and accept that there are days when I won't write but that means all the ideas percolate and come pouring out later. In my downtime, cooking is my creative outlet. Lately, I've been finding bread is my therapy. 

I baked spelt bread yesterday. It was a variation on this recipe. I used 2 cups of plain flour instead of all spelt. I didn't have molasses and substitited it with golden syrup. I also decided 1 cup of skimmed milk plus 1 of water, sugar rather than maple syrup and sunflower oil would work best. Luckily I realised I would not need all of the suggested quantity of liquid since I was using a combination of plain and spelt flour. Using less spelt flour means it won't require as much liquid. It ended up being around 2 cups in total. The baking time was also less, at 50 minutes on a higher temperature of 200 degrees Celcius because my oven doesn't seem to do much at 180. 

I'm pleased with it and whilst it was still warm, I risked taking a slice to have with butter. Apparently you should let bread cool after coming out of the oven for the best results. 

Bread making is like novel writing. You hope that it will rise, it will be good in the end and you just give it a try. 

I find that a novel is all about trying - whether it's trying to get to the first 10,000 words, developing characters, figuring out the plot, having a go at the final chapter and hoping that the middle will not fall flat. 

After a long week of feeling tired with not enough time to write, what a relief to have a couple of hours to spend with my book. It is like a friend. I miss it. I want to know more about what is going on with it. It makes me laugh. It listens to me. I've found the end but it is not the end. 

Stephen King's suggestion to write for 2 hours a day is great if you can manage it. Today I managed to write 1.000 words to bring my total word count to 23,126. Best case scenario, a draft of 80,000 words could be done after 80 days. I know I can't write for 2 hours every day, but knowing that if I did push myself to try, a decent first draft might be possible in 3 months. Another 60,000 words, how gard can it be? It feels achievable. So far this story has legs. Let's see where it will take me. 

E.M Blake is the author of Dilly Dally Sally, a feel good rhyming duckling picture book set in East London's 200 year old canal. 

It's about putting a bit more joy, nature & positivity into the world. The ducklings inspired me and the photographs make me smile. 

Find out more at:

My Creative Everyday