What do you do after you publish one novel? Well of course you work on publishing the next completed novel.
Last Clichès:
Get my teeth into (something)- Work energetically at something, come to grips with it. The image of sinking one’s teeth into something is probably much older, the expression comes from the early 20th Century. See Dorothy Sayer’s Gaudy Night (1935).
Hit or miss- Random, haphazard. This term probably comes from shooting or throwing at some kind of target. It was transferred early on to making an attempt of any kind, knowing that a person might succeed or fail. Used since the 16th century. See Shakespeare (Troilus and Cressida). It later appeared in several collections of proverbs.
On the dot- Exactly on time. The dot in question is the minutes indication on the face of a clock or watch. This term used since about 1900. Rex Stout used it to describe his compulsively punctual detective, Nero Wolfe. See Champagne for One (1958).
Can’t see beyond the end of my nose- Unable to grasp anything but the immediate problem or events, shortsighted. Term = a 16th century French proverb cited by several English writers. Later used in a fable, The Fox and the Goat by La Fontaine, and in Alexander Pope’s Essay on Man (1734).
On an even keel- Well balanced, in stable condition. The keel is the bottom of a boat hull, extending along its full length and forming its backbone. A boat is said to be on an even keel when it rides flat in the water, without tilting to either side. The image was used in human affairs in the mid-19th century.
So, how many did you find this time?
I’ve been going to my thriller critique group and after I published Night Terror, I immediately started in with the group on my next novel, working title Vanity Killed. I’m down to the last 4 chapters and as soon as I finish correcting what the critique group had issues with, I will reach into my bag of tricks and read one more time, then send to my editor. Why to an editor? Because, truth to tell, without someone editing your work, it just doesn’t come out professional. We get so close to our work, that we miss little things. After the editor, I will spit and polish my work. While the piece is at the editors, I will look through tons of photos online and find something for my book designer to work with.
Of course, while all of the above is happening, I will be working on the next novel and having it critiqued with my group.
And that is what you do after you publish your novel.
Keep writing,
Julie
