Diary

This isn't the most detailed diary you'll ever read, because I'm devoting most of what little writing time I have to "Colin goes to Zobeland". However, I record any major thoughts and events here, just to provide a timeline and a bit of an insight into the development of the novel.

Time for a synopsis?

1st May, 2008

Phew. After a couple of weeks of failing to write anything other than sporadic plot notes, I hit the radical idea of writing a synopsis. I suppose I might have benefited from this a year or so ago, but I didn't want to stop the 'stream of consciousness' approach to writing, which seemed to work so well earlier. However, since the stream appeared to have dried up, at least temporarily, what did I have to lose? Anyway, this evening I've dashed off the next three chapters worth of plot ideas in a sort of overview stream of consciousness. Once again, my hostelry of choice in Shrewsbury provided the right ambience and I'm a step closer to another big addition to the working draft. Hopefully, I'll be uploading a new version to this site within the next week or so.

White Shield is in

10th April, 2008

I've just received permission from those nice people at Molson Coors to use references to their brand, Worthington's White Shield, in CGTZ. Thanks guys! Although not vital to the plot, I feel White Shield has become part of the fabric of the story, certainly for Colin and Tonto, so I'm delighted to get the official go-ahead.

WI is WEL

27th March, 2008

I've never been completely happy with Wildebeest Instruments, abbreviated to WI, as the name of Dave Wilde's company. I've now renamed it Wildebeest Electronics Limited, with the acronym WEL. I think this reads a bit better.

Dave Wilde's daughters

9th March, 2008

It came to me that Dave Wilde probably should have a family and I started jotting down ideas. This quickly developed into three daughters, at least one of whom I think will feature in the story in some key way.

Tonto's mother

2nd March, 2008

At last, after too much work and not enough writing, I've managed to finish chapter 3, write a bit more on Frog and start some detail of other characters. Today, I came up with quite a lot of stuff about Tonto's mum (or 'mom' for Stateside readers), all inspired by a briefly overheard fragment of conversation at the local swimming baths. I love it when a tiny germ of an idea develops so rapidly I find it difficult to type - or scribble, as was the case today - fast enough to keep up with my flow of thought.

Leap year day and a diary page correction

29th February, 2008

Thanks to the people who've pointed out that the 'Tonto gets a name' entry of 12th July 2007 should come before the 'Zobeland.com goes live' entry of 6th August 2007. I'm not sure how I managed to get them mixed up, but it's fixed now.

More Zobelanders

22nd January, 2008

I've rearranged chapters 2 and 3 to make way for a new section involving Zobelanders. I think this, combined with a soon to be completed chapter 3 is worth uploading as a new draft. I'll see what I can do this week.

Frog is on the way

14th January, 2008

I've written loads of stuff on Colin's friend, Frog, and am ready to join them all together to make chapter 4. I really like Frog and I've been so caught up with writing about him that I've neglected the end of chapter 3, which I must complete, hopefully this week. I'd really like to get a new draft, up to the end of chapter 4 uploaded by the end of February at the latest.

A new year and a new download

2nd January, 2008

I managed to find some time over the holiday period to consolidate all my jottings and notes of the last few weeks into an updated draft. This is now available for download.

New character & chapter titles

17th December, 2007

I've come up with a new character, who I'm really pleased with and think will feature quite quite a lot in the story. I've also decided to combine chapter one with chapter two and give all chapters titles. The current working titles for chapters one to four are:

1. Two unusual things.
2. A Nurklander's guide to Zobeland.
3. Tonto's revelation.
4. Frog.

More writing on the horizon - at last

7th December, 2007

This week has been all work, with no time for writing at all, although I have managed the usual collection of scribbled ideas on bits of paper. Next week I'm working away all week, so I'm hoping to spend a few productive evenings in the pub - from a writing perspective that is - although I may enjoy the odd pint or two.

Insomniac writing session

23rd November, 2007

Woke up at 4 a.m. with loads of ideas buzzing round my head. Gave up trying to sleep after an hour, got up and wrote them all down. Loads of useful stuff on Zobelanders and the history of the link between Colin's world and Zobeland. Chapter 4's coming on well; I can't wait to get it finished and uploaded to the web site.

A proper web site at last

9th November, 2007

Replaced the basic Zobeland page with a CGTZ site, with several pages, including this one.

Colin spills the beans with Tonto

1st October, 2007

Another pub writing session. Colin decides to tell Tonto about Zobeland.

Registered AlexAnnesty.com

26th September, 2007

A new domain pointing to the web site.

Zobeland High Council makes an appearance

24th September, 2007

Back in the pub in Shrewsbury. Dashed off a page of A4 as fast as I could scribble. The whole piece came out as a stream of consciousness and I'm really pleased with it. I've found out a bit more about Zobelanders as a result. Also added a page introducing Tonto's 'weirdo'.

A bit of a reshuffle

8th September, 2007

Chapter 3 has pinched some pages from chapter 4 and earlier sections have had a bit of a re-write, following several read-throughs.

Chapter 4 under way

15th August, 2007

Working away in Shrewsbury. Hand wrote nine pages of A4 in the pub, completing chapter three and making major inroads into chapter four. I wish I'd had the laptop with me; I'm not looking forward to typing that lot up.

The Shack takes shape

12th August, 2007

Created plans for the WI shack, to help me visualise the layout and produce consistent descriptions.

Zobeland.com goes live!

6th August, 2007

Finally, I've come up with some basic zobeland.com branding and produced a basic web site. It's still not much more than a holding page though.

Tonto gets a name!

12th July, 2007

After having the working name of 'Bostick' for over four years, Tonto is now 'Tonto'.

Draft 3: CGTZ reborn!

27th February, 2007

After just over two years of no writing, other than the occasional jotted note, I'm starting to get some time in the evenings, as a result of having to work away every now and then. Created a new draft and got stuck in.

Registered domains for the CGTZ web site

4th February, 2005

Registered zobeland.com and the-zobe.com and created a basic holding page, stating that the novel "Colin goes to Zobeland" was coming soon. I suppose it is soon, geologically speaking.

Draft 2 created

14th March, 2004

Changed the draft one order around a little, incorporated a lot of jotted notes and added more to chapter two.

Work starts

Mid 2003 - still trying to establish the exact date.

After several failed attempts to write novels by planning them in advance, I sat down at the laptop and started typing. I had decided that I wouldn't allow myself to be limited by the merely feasible and the sparrow arrived half-way down page one.