Banquo's Son - book two

I've finally found a bit of traction. My senior students have all but disappeared off on study leave giving me some breathing space from their anxious tutorials. Just three times 25 kids less a day makes a HUGE difference to the emotion tank. This means, by the time I get home (and after I've been domestic goddess - Vanda, I join you) I actually have enough head space to go back to the 11th Century and deal with the subterfuge and nasty happenings in Scotland.

I got a bit stuck because I couldn't seem to get the damn boy outta the castle. The girl was on her way on her adventures (no, not telling what type) but I needed to kick some serious butt to get Fleance on the move. What he doesn't know but what I'll tell you is: I've got some really nasty surprises in store for him. Heh Heh. A boy's gotta really grow into a man if he's to be a manly man and, what I'm starting to feel again is the exposure to this world which I dip my feet into.

The more I'm there, the more I see and understand. Unlike this time last year, I have oh, one extra month up my sleeve but also the pressure of the deadline.

I want what I've learned from writing the first of this trilogy (in terms of skill and quality of writing) to be cranked up for the second. I want people to say: OMG this is even better than the first book. Really, really, want this.

At this stage, it is still Fleance who drives the narrative and Rosie is there and, as I've posted recently, Rachel. But, lurking in the background is a dark figure. A nasty piece of knitting. Someone who has the potential to do a great evil. Mwahhhh hahah.

Banquo's Son still on best seller's list

Number four shared with Witi Ihimaera Trowenna Sea this week but the Christmas advertising is now in full swing with television and print promos via Whitcoulls. Got lots of excited txts from students, friends and family last night as the ads came on. Haven't seen it yet.

Today, two people came up to me at school to say how much they loved reading the book: One was 13 years old; the other was 49 years old. I think it says a lot about the story that it can appeal to such a wide range of ages.

Straddling two books

So, my head is almost 100% into Book Two (Bloodlines). I'm tweaking and shaping and creating the first few chapters until I'm ready to move on as I try to get inside the head of a new character. She's not new to the trilogy: Rachel is a key player in Banquo's Son but now I'm intending to spend as much time with her in this book as I did with Duncan in the first book. It's fun. I'm in the honeymoon/first flush of love stage with this book.

Then, a number of times a day, I receive wonderfully excited emails from people who have or are read/ing Banquo's Son. There appears to be a need to 'discuss' the ending and the choices Fleance makes; to work through, I guess, the joy and sorrow the ending brings. I want to tell everyone what happens to everyone but I can't. I have to hold that information in so that the reader discovers it for themselves.

And, of course, daily, the kids where I teach react to the book.
Today, for example:
8:30 Mrs Roxborogh, I finished the book! And, not happy.
But did you like it. Did you cry?
Yes. But how could you. How could you do that?

Interval: I've bought another book to give as a gift. Can you sign it please.
This is the third one, isn't it?
Yes, but what a perfect gift.

3:30 Same student as 8:30: You tricked me. I was worried and Mum said what's the matter and I said no it's okay and then you went and did that!

6pm, local supermarket: I finished the book.
Her mother: Now I can read it.
Me, to student: so are you a Rachel or a Rosie fan.
Cue: discussion as to the merits of both

Then there are the reviews or interviews which come in every few days like this one from the very impressive(according to this English teacher)blog called 'We love YA'Go here to read the interview about Banquo's Son.

This weekend past has shown me what I really need when I am writing seriously: quiet - for myself (ie no tv or radio or dogs or phones or kids) and for the family (I tend to talk aloud a lot). So, this afternoon, after school, I pushed open the door to the sleep out (my study) and surveyed the mess. This is not a representative photo. This was taken earlier in the year. Anyway, what confronted me, after a long, dark and cold winter, was a mess where papers and books and bills and bits and pieces had been dumped.

Right, I said, pushing up my sleeves. Time to sort you lot out. And sort out I did. What a wonderful feeling. A few more touches and I will be back writing in my special writing space and the family can do as they want. So dear reader, this will be my view for the next months:

What I've been doing this weekend

I am applying for a writer's award.

This is hard because you have to:

a) tell the judges how wonderful you are (and we all know that NZers are terrible at self-promotion)

and b) provide no more than ten pages of writing.

Arrghhh. What I've written is serious SFD stuff but I've spent the last two days trying to take the SFD to a higher level so as to impress the judges. Actually, that was kinda fun. Nothing like a deadline to MAKE YOU WRITE.

Don't know if it will help but ya gotta be in to win.

This award will mean so much so fingers crossed.