Finally the First Draft

Three years ago today, on April 11, 2020 the writing team of Jay Watson and Kyle Wiltshire finished the first draft of their debut novel The Dead Rock Stars. What they initially thought would take 6-9 months, ended up taking the pair nearly two years to complete. Writing is a process. It does not always happen as fast as authors would like. 

There have been challenges and roadblocks for Jay and Kyle along the way as well, not to mention a global pandemic. However, they took advantage of being homebound during those months to write and meet via Zoom and work out the final details of their book.

The time at home also afforded the Jay and Kyle opportunity to research and study some of the people featured in their story, namely Elvis Presley and John Lennon. 

Jay and Kyle employed the use of their friends to create a “Dead Rock Stars Book Club.” These friends would read completed chapters and offer feedback and encouragement. They were extremely helpful, pointing out factual errors and identifying plot points that were confusing. They also encouraged Jay and Kyle to keep going, to hone their story, and bring it to completion.

Members of the book club assisted Jay and Kyle in correctly using terminology and vernacular for late 90s/early 2000s technology, which is vital to the plot of their story. This group of friends has been invaluable, helping the authors complete their first draft. 

In the months leading up to completion of the first draft, on two occasions, Jay and Kyle nearly signed with a literary agent. For multiple reasons they did not end up completing the deals, but would be open to literary representation in the future.  

Now the creative duo will keep editing their manuscript and look for others to come alongside them to bring the work to a final state of completion. Their end goal is to find someone who will publish The Dead Rock Stars, and help Jay and Kyle make their dreams of becoming published authors a reality.