Starting the writing of my first novel

So it seems that after many failed attempts at blogging, part of intending to write your first novel and promote it means starting a blog even before I have gotten half way through writing it. I didn't really think of how much other work was going to be needed, and initially only started writing to stop me from suffering from cabin fever while doctors investigate why I collapse every so often. So what have a learned so far. Well firstly to make sure I had a decent software package to collate all my ideas and write in. I am slightly dyslexic and my grammar is atrocious, so the software also needed to be able to help with that. I knew starting it that I would need some sort of copy editor, and on benefits here, this meant that when I get to the stage I am happy to hand it over for a structure and copy edit that I am going to have to rely on friends and family to help. I also thought that by writing a fantasy storybook novel for children between the ages of 8 and 14 would mean not so much research needing to be sourced. How wrong have I been? Half my novel is set on a tall ship, so I am having to learn about sailing, crew positions, and their tasks, along with what a ship physically can and can't do on the water. This, in turn, has helped my come up with one of the devices to make the tension in the climax greater. It's a great learning curve having only ever written articles for magazines before. A completely new skill set is being learned. And a great source of inspiration for me to create new artwork has evolved.

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