First Draft to Proof: The Language of Bees (4)

Laurie King|February 12, 2009|

These are pages four and five of the final draft of The Language of Bees. My first drafts tend to be brief, with sections that are skeletal, as I feel my way through the plot and the situation. The rewrite for a 350 page first draft, for example, tends to end up at around 450 pages. (Click on each image to enlarge.)

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10 Comments

  1. CC on February 12, 2009 at 8:13 am

    When will the audio book come out

    Reply
  2. Gail on February 12, 2009 at 9:41 am

    I am loving getting a glimpse of your process Laurie. Thank you so much. Although having this end just as I want it so desperately to continue feels a bit like torture. Do the Geneva Conventions cover this?

    Reply
  3. Bett Norris on February 12, 2009 at 11:30 am

    How I long to reach this stage with my novel! Seeing these final draft pages make me twitch with urgency. I’m not there yet. For now, I am trying to keep the editor in my head shut up so the writer can proceed swiftly, blithely, supremely unemcumbered by the burden of editing. Still feels like slogging instead.

    Reply
  4. Mary Clemens on February 12, 2009 at 3:52 pm

    The wait until the Language of the Bees is published will now seem interminable. Thanks for the sneak peek. It’s wonderful.

    Reply
  5. Laurie King on February 13, 2009 at 8:13 am

    I think the audio should be out very near the pub date. Recorded Books is pretty good about that–unless I screw up and fail to tell them I have a book coming out….

    Reply
  6. Merrily on February 13, 2009 at 12:01 pm

    Oh..this is just…I can’t stand it! But glommed on to the pages like a Starved Thing, and so good of you to show us how you work. Merrily

    Reply
  7. Edith Schmidt on February 13, 2009 at 5:35 pm

    Love it love it just can’t wait! love the idea of showing the draft! I can’t wait for the audio love to be able to follow when I am out and doing errands!

    Reply
  8. Chris on February 17, 2009 at 1:45 am

    I’m waiting – just sneaked a look at page one, chapter one, but no – I have to wait for the real item in all it’s glory! I’ll be later than all you guys, too, by the time my copy arrives from the US…!

    Chris
    (Note to all good UK publishers – hello out there…?)

    Reply
  9. wendy meenenga on February 17, 2009 at 7:33 am

    I run three mystery book clubs here in Germany and after reading and discussing all the other books in the Mary Russel series, we’re eagerly awaiting “The Language of Bees”!

    Reply
  10. Katherine on March 11, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    My husband and I love your Mary Russel series although sometimes I think he thinks they’re the Sherlock Holmes series 🙂 I checked Recorded Books and they’re charging $113.00 for the audio version. Ouch! I guess it will have to wait for awhile 🙁

    Reply

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