It is good to have a novel on the go. Writing one I mean as well as reading one.
And having just published my latest, Open Links, I have a few ideas for my next book but nothing concrete and I have no plans to start typing and tinkering away my up the mountain that a new book always is.
But the other night in my local Tesco, I bumped in to an old friend and editor of my previous books. I mentioned Open Links (which she hadn’t yet read) but she remembered my other books very fondly and asked me if I had plans for any more.
Immediately, I started to flap.
‘Er, kinda, sort of, you know, in good time…’
But whilst we were on my stuff, I asked her which of my books she preferred?
An indulgent question perhaps but I have good reason because Dave Gorman once explained to me that my books are too divergent – some being aimed at female readers and others at men. (this was unbeknownst to me. I just come up with a story and get on with it).
But what Dave said has always bothered me, so my friend being very bright and literary and someone who knows my books so well – you can see the reason for my question and her answer blew me away.
Metallic Paint, she said.
I was stunned. What? Metallic what? Not Only in America, or The Ripple Effect or A Man’s Life or How tom holland eclipsed his dad?
Nope – none of these – Metallic Paint. ‘Love that novel. Really funny.’
You have no idea how exciting this is me because Metallic Paint is a novel that I wrote many years ago but never submitted to publishers. It’s just a manuscript kicking around that I have practically forgotten about.
But if it is ‘really funny’ then I could dust it down and publish now of course.
This is great news and Every Little Helps.
Because I only went in to Tesco to get some milk – and I have come out with a brand new novel.
And who knows? Metallic Paint might be the breakthrough novel by DH – and to think that it was under his nose all these years and had he not popped in for some milk…