What a Mess And Why I Love it

It might look like a cluttered mess of pink Post‑It notes covered in handwritten Licorice Allsorts, but for me it marks the end of a rigorous first read‑through of the first draft of The Catalina. And right now, I’m a mix of excitement, a little overwhelm, some frustration, and a sense of achievement dappled with humble pride.

Without the Cut Shape Polish course I’m doing with the Australian Writers’ Centre, I know I would have wandered off on detours—editing line by line, rewriting scenes the moment they revealed themselves as needing work. The trouble with that approach, as I can see clearly now, is that it’s like trying to complete a jigsaw puzzle without all the pieces. You can force a few sections together, but the full picture never emerges.

It sounded perfectly clear in my head when I wrote that jigsaw metaphor, but reading it back… well, I hope it makes sense to you.

I’m excited because finishing this first read‑through means I’m getting closer to the writing phase of the second draft. I’m excited because I can now see what needs to be cut, shaped and polished. And I’m excited because I can already sense how much stronger The Catalina can become—characters a little more real and flawed, protagonists more confronting, scenes more vivid with action and drama, all sprinkled with Aussie humour, banter and bush ingenuity.

I’m a little overwhelmed by just how much work lies ahead before the manuscript is ready for publishers. But even as I type this, I can’t help smiling. I’m genuinely looking forward to the creative process of discovering what I’ll write next. I might think I know where a scene is heading or what a character will do, but once I start typing, twists and turns appear that I never expect. That’s the magic—especially when I’m the one writing it.

That’s the joy of creative writing, and of building a fiction novel from the ground up.

I’m also a little frustrated, knowing there’s more research and fact‑checking ahead. Even though the story is fiction, the historical elements need to be accurate and believable. At times that can be a delicate dance.

But finishing this first read‑through has given me a genuine sense of achievement—and yes, a touch of pride.

It might sound like I’m bragging, but I’m not.

Reaching “The End” of a 120,000‑word historical fiction manuscript feels a bit like finishing my first thirty‑six‑kilometre training run before the Sydney Olympic Trial Marathon in 2000. Without all that training, there’s no way I would have finished the marathon. (Okay… now I’m bragging haha).

And without the cutting, shaping and polishing ahead of me now, there’s no way I’ll finish a second draft worth sharing.

So, the manuscript goes aside for the moment. It’s time to return to the AWC course and find out what comes next in preparing for draft two.

And when I discover what that is, I’ll share it with you next week.

Until then, my very best to you.

If you’d like to follow my writing journey, you can find me on my Facebook Author Page.