It’s been a busy summer and I haven’t posted a writing update for a while, so here’s what I’ve been up to…
Firstly, Pencil Tip Publishing have announced that Sarah Jane Smith: Roving Reporter II will be released in autumn this year, and will raise money for the British Columbia Cancer Foundation (BCCF). Keep an eye on their website! My Doctor Who short story features Sarah Jane, Harry and murderous seagulls in Blackpool. When the anthology is released I’ll talk a bit more about my writing process and the inspiration behind it.
In June, I sent in the final draft of a short story that will appear in an as-yet-mysterious anthology. Will say more when it’s announced!
I also sent in a pitch for a competition. It was unsuccessful, but a fun exercise to write an engaging synopsis and excerpt without creating the full story. Very proud of my unsuccessful thing, so maybe one day I can use it for another project.
In July, nearly every minute of my spare time went into a Pompeii-themed research project. It’ll be a few months until I hear if the pitch was successful, but I had tremendous fun working on it and getting really deep into the subject. I’m considering branching out into other non-fiction ventures in the future, because I loved it so much. I particularly enjoyed learning about hypocausts (Roman under-floor heating) and this month I have seen four hypocausts out in the wild. FOUR! Seriously, if you like hypocausts, go to Chester. They had three within a ten-minute walk of each other. I may rebrand as a hypocaust influencer.
Now that July is over, I’m going back to the novel. Hero’s readthrough notes are done, so my strategy for future drafts is to do strategic “combthroughs”, starting with the villain. I’m reading through all his scenes and focusing on his motives and dialogue – plus I’ve assigned myself a little reading list of novels with villainous protagonists. Currently I’m enjoying The Dark Lord’s Handbook by Paul Dale and Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard. I’ve found it’s helpful to imagine any writing project is a Dungeons and Dragons campaign: every “player” (character) is always doing something, even if they’re just observing the situation and having their own thoughts and goals.
August should be a quieter month, giving me time to work on Hero. I’ve almost completed my data analyst diploma – just in time for September, where I’ll be taking a 10-week online Latin course! It should be helpful for my Roman-themed novel, Storm (working title). I’d also like to read Pliny the Younger’s eyewitness account of Vesuvius erupting in the original Latin, plus a bit of Latin knowledge is great for making up fantasy-sounding words and places.
Lastly, I visited Leicester’s Jewry Wall Museum on its long-awaited reopening weekend (after a years-long refurbishment project – and much impatient checking of their social feeds!). It was great to see some local Roman history, including some beautifully-preserved mosaics and our very own hypocaust! And of course, I had to wear the appropriate t-shirt.
Thoughts?