Finally I get to tell you that my thirty year old idea has been fleshed out from a rough plot on a side of A5 to a finished first draft of around 180,000 words. With some scenes still to write and hefty revisions to make, the word count will fluctuate, of course, but I expect it will be a fair bit slimmer. And I say “around” 180K because I only have 120K typed. The rest is handwritten on 120 sides of A4, so could be anywhere between 60K and 75K because, like everything else I do, this blog included, the size of my writing is inconstant.

My girl has had a lot to deal with this year, so I’m letting her chill for a while. It’ll give her time to learn the languages she’s so keen on before I start stalking her again. I’m sure her family could do with a break from all the excitement too. So tonight I raise my cider-filled glass to honour the Penhaligons. This last year would’ve been shockingly uneventful without you. For letting me into your lives and allowing me to tell your story, I salute you.