So the disaster that was the lost chapters fuelled my resolve to plan, plan and plan again to get the novel in good shape to be written and submitted...... That was the theory, but in practice I became so bogged down with the wretched thing that I put it away, closed the folder and left it collecting dust under the bed.  I've just begun to re-visit it mainly due to my having booked myself in for a 10 minute face time slot at February's Get Writing 2012 event.  I'd been struggling with writing the novel in third person and trying to successfully get across the character's emotions and ideals so with an unexpected day off from work last Tuesday I re-wrote it in first person.  I think it works, better than before - there's no time to change my mind now.  My first 5 pages have to be submitted in less than two weeks .............. oh yes and I'm also working on a new young teen novel that I'm booked to pitch in a 3 minute slot.  Glutten for punishment or just plain daft?