Missing book chapters are important.

… especially if they have been written by famous authors.

The Roald Dahl estate has revealed an unused chapter from a 1961 draft of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Roald Dahl's book, released in the US in 1964 and UK in 1967, has sold an estimated 50 million copies in the UK and is currently available in 59 languages.


The story of Charlie Bucket, a little boy with no money and a good heart, who dreams wistfully of being able to buy the candy like other children. Charlie enters into a magical world when he wins one of five 'Golden Tickets' to visit the mysterious chocolate factory. 

Dahl's classic children's novel marks its 50th anniversary in October.

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www.londontheatredirect.com

The unpublished section, which was published in full in Saturday's edition of The Guardian, takes two new children to the Vanilla Fudge Room. In the draft chapter there were as many as 10 golden tickets, and even more children.

According to the author of Inside Charlie's Chocolate Factory when she spoke to the BBC, Dahl wrote five forerunners of his story, four of which survive. Each draft evolves into something more purely joyful.

Just like writers of today, Roald Dahl learned his craft by trial and error. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory became one of Dahl's most popular novels and went on to spawn a sequel, Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator.

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Filmed in 1971 (as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and again in 2005, the book recently inspired a successful West End musical.

So far, my novels haven't gained fame and fortune in a similar way. I started the first draft of Still Rock Water in about 2005.

Here are some of my notes:

• Add more conflict with Gareth.
  


• Show her back problem before she leaves.
  


• Between page 41 & 54, add more tension.
  


• She should wish she knew about her past life early on.
  


• Go back to G. one more time.
  


• The ability and willingness to commit to love is positive.
  


• Push characters harder when they're angry.
  

I removed four of the earliest chapters before the final version and started with Liliha's first vision which happens when she first wears her inherited moonstone ring. Click on the sidebar to see Still Rock Water at Amazon.

Now, nearly twenty years on, I've published six books, with two more accepted. I go on learning by writing daily. For at least five years, I've participated with other writers at the free novels section of the Internet Writers Workshop.

By the way, I've kept CD copies of my missing chapters. Just in case.

The best advice I can give is to never stop learning—in your craft as well as in your life.

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