The thrill of finishing another thriller by Tracy Darnton

I've just finished my latest YA thriller first draft which is currently being read by my trusted Beta readers. Hurray! It's the time in adult life closest to the end of exam season euphoria. 

My observations: 

I've ruminated here before about my lack of a writing routine and why can't I be more like Dan and Jeffrey. That was two years ago and I still haven't got one so I guess it's not going to happen. 

Writing books doesn't get any quicker for me. There are more calls on my time around events and promotion for the existing books. There is no magical time when you'll have an uninterrupted period of time to write because life/family/paid work gets in the way so you just have to get on with it when you can and not beat yourself up.

Writing books doesn't get easier - but I now trust the process and know I'll get there in the end.

I write standalones and put massive pressure on myself for each of my books to have a strong voice, page-turning plot and killer ending. Why do I do that?

I work best for the last 15,000 words when words flow and I have the whole arc of the book in my head. I need a clear head and 'a run' at the end. 

I'm very motivated by a small card where I tick off the word count. It has to be a pale blue index card. 

I found an accountability partner very helpful for getting it over the line. 

I still follow David Almond's advice to make it look like a book from an early stage. I build in new page chapter headings and white space to grow the page count until I'm into my stride. 

I manage the draft with Headings created in Word and the frequent use of square brackets for anything I need to check or add to later. 

I'm a 'tight' writer. Finished length of this one is 63,000 words and I expect about 5k to be added on edits. I don't overwrite and cut back. 

I've been reading Murakami's Novelist as a Vocation. And although I'm in no way comparing myself to such a writer, I take heart from these thoughts from him:

"It's not difficult to write a single novel. Even a very good novel, depending on who you are. It isn't easy to pull off, but it's not impossible. What's really hard is to keep on writing novels year after year. That's not something just anyone can do." (p.15)

And now I'm itching to crack on with the next one...

Tracy Darnton is the author of YA thrillers and picture books known for their twisty endings. She is having a celebratory cup of tea before cracking on with the next thriller. You can follow Tracy on Twitter or Instagram @TracyDarnton