1. I want a tight, simple story. A single fable-like thread running through the manuscript. To this end I will safely amputate all lumpy, lost and limp limbs of narrative which might be dragged their tentacles.

2. I want a believable fully formed world-concept. Currently the MS feels like the world is just a painted back-drop to a kids school play. The taboos and concepts which impact on the story directly are not fully formed or explained while other, less direct but still fun, concepts are given lavish attentions. I believe whole  scenes will need to be dropped in from high above, and generous detail cut from other, less important, concepts.

3. Inside my world, I want a tangible, fragile, “real” human relationship which is “of”  my world. It feels like the world moves around them. This central nugget of humanity is about escape, wish-fulfillment and as such should feel detached and hidden like a secret bunker full of beautiful, personal, quiet nonsense. The reader should always be aware of the concrete shell and the growing pressures of the world outside.

4. Style. I want style. I have style, not here, but over there - look - in that brick of Manuscript. I attempt to bring solid story-telling, bashing out the plot, and reconcile it with the occasional slip into a stylistic flourish of near-stream-of-consciousness-modernist-wankery. I’m sorry, I can’t help it, but I promise to cut out the wankiest wank and make sure that the “solid storytelling” is sharp, tight and to-the-point.

With these few goals I should be able to chisel out a novel I am happy to put in a draw and forget about while I write something good.