My six month old puppy had surgery two days ago and requires constant babysitting. He wants to run, jump and play, as they do, but is under strict rest for two weeks until the stitches are removed. Easier said than done. Just now he spilled a hot cup of tea on himself and my desk, ruining a few hours of work and probably causing himself some discomfort – though he only seemed to notice for a couple of seconds. But I’m not upset, or even mildly annoyed. Puppies are puppies, and besides, I have backups of everything. I also have an uncanny ability for redrafting from scratch, and often the second product is even better than the first. In my university days, when technology was far less reliable, I’d lose thousands of words on the computer and have to rewrite an entire essay from my scribbled notes, and mostly memory. But when I did, I always got good marks. I guess the key is to know your subject. This is why I’m a slow starter – I want to know as much about a subject as I can before committing to a word count. The more you know, the more confidence you’ll have in your project. The more confidence you have, the more credible you will be with your readers. There’s nothing worse than a sloppily researched piece – whether it is a narrative, a short story or an entire novel. Even the most fantastic fiction requires a lot of research.
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