Final Draft Complete

An update has been a long time coming. I have finished the final draft of The Two Caminos, and it has gone to my editor for a complete copy review. I am happy with the book after some eleven edits, pairing it down to 86, 000 words. After some touch ups from the copy edit, it will go through a publishing process, and I am interested in seeing how it all ends up.

Mary Lou and I head back to walk the Camino again this May. My son and daughter in law will join us in Sarria for the last 115 kilometres. Can't wait.

Book Update

Thanks all for the queries on how the book is coming. I have finished my last series of edits and today the manuscript went to my editor for a full review. Sometime in May I will get a report back which will let me know where it stands.

Thirty Four Days

A picture a day.

Walking in Estrella

Now that I have some time on my hands, I will post a few pics and videos of the trip. This one is from Estrella, seven days into our walk.

Under Review

Yesterday I finished the fourth edit, cutting the manuscript down to 103,499 words and 295 pages. The editor says it should be in the 80,000 range, but I can't see doing that without leaving some key parts out.

I have put the document down for a few weeks while my writer friends review it. I highly value their opinions, and it will be nice to have some thoughts from the two of them.

In the meantime, here is a short clip of the summit before you head downhill towards Ponferrada. Our group took a few injuries on this leg.

Things Are Starting to Move Along

After spinning my wheels for a while, the past two weeks have been ones of great progress. The second draft is now complete, with all the missing pieces filled in. I have asked two good friends, both of whom are writers, to read the draft and provide me feedback in whatever way suits. They both accepted enthusiastically, and I will be sending them the document next week. I look forward to their input, they tell it the way they see it, which is why I asked them in the first place. I learned on the Camino that " to give, you have to be willing to receive." That is still not easy for me to do.

Had a conversation with a cousin of Mary Lou, who has published two books, with the best advice being " there is no hurry to publish." It was most helpful, giving me pause as to my original plan. After a bit of back track, I decided to focus on finishing the manuscript, and then worry about the editor and publishing. Then the universe kicked in, and on the weekend I attended The Word on the Street festival, sitting in on a presentation on how to get published in Canada. The advice was invaluable, and I connected with a number of individuals, groups and companies that will end up saving me a month or more of legwork. 

So, this is going to happen, though I am not sure if it will be out before or after Christmas. Before would be nice.

The Morning View From Orisson 

First Draft - Complete

It took quite a bit longer than I imagined, and was a lot more work than expected, but I have completed the first draft of The Two Caminos, and am about half way through the first edit. Should be finished with a second edit next month and will send it out to my editor, all 110,000 words of it.

I was worried memories would fade between the time of the walk and completion of the book, but that was not the case. In fact just the opposite. I remember  with greater clarity now than a year ago; locations, people and conversations. And with the research and reflections required to write this,  I am far more knowledgeable of both the Camino and what this walk meant to me.

Looking forward to getting this published in the coming months.