After The Flood

While waiting - probably in vain - to see whether any agents are interested in Long Division, I've got beyond the planning stage of my third novel, After The Flood. The first chapter has finally begun. I'm only about halfway through it so far, but I'm already at the exciting stage of getting to know the characters who will be in my thoughts day and night for the next few months. There's one character in particular I'm really enjoying writing so far, which is a great pity, as they'll be dead soon. Oh well.

I have two main protagonists in this novel, who will feature in alternating chapters. The most interesting challenge from my perspective as a writer, although hopefully not the for the reader, is that their individual stories are set two centuries apart. It will be the resonances between their timelines that actually unlock the true story of After The Flood.

Here's a sneak peek of the opening paragraph of the first draft - although I'm sure I'll rewrite it a few times before I'm happy, as it feels a bit cumbersome at present:

Carole Cantor was twenty-five years old. The day that validated her years of hard work and dedication had finally dawned. She’d mapped out her life to guide her to this moment, waiting to start her research at Tethys Corporation, the mecca for any technologist. Entwined next to her in the auditorium was Kumi Kumar, the man she loved. What could be more perfect? It was just a pity that the world was about to end.

Spoiler: it doesn't. That would have made the story a little too short - but the implications of why it doesn't end will echo down the centuries.

That's about all the news for now. I'm all ready to self-publish Long Division around the end of November if I don't get any bites from agents by then. It's a work I'm proud of and would love it to get a wider audience, one way or another. Don't forget you can see a preview of the first three chapters here.