TONY SHILLITOE: WRITER
  • Home
  • Writer's Journey: A Blog
  • Writing
    • Fantasy Fiction >
      • Andrakis Trilogy
      • The Ashuak Chronicles
      • Dreaming in Amber Quartet
    • Teen Fiction >
      • Joy Ride
      • Caught in the Headlights
      • In My Father's Shadow
      • The Need
    • Historical Fiction >
      • Girlie
    • Anthologies and Magazines >
      • The Red Heart
    • Poetry
    • Other Works
    • Writer FAQs
  • Who Am I?
    • Writer
  • Contact

February 21, 2021

21/2/2021

0 Comments

 

A new hope (sorry George)

Where does time go? 2021 is rushing forward as if it is deliriously delighted to escape the embrace of its predecessor and we're hurtling through February into March. In January, I promised a fortnight break between posts - ummm make that six weeks then...

The writer in me was subsumed by the educator in recent weeks, but school is up and running, and students and teachers are settling into the familiar routines, so I can return to the projects in my 'other' life. I am working only four days a week this year, so Fridays will become a focussed writing day.

Currently, I returned to another edit of Girlie, the novel set in 1940s/50s South Australia based with some facsimilitude on my mother's teen to early twenties life. The purpose of the edit is to remove any glaring mistakes/typos and adjust expression. This novel is ready to submit, so I've started researching potential publishers. Last year, in haste, I submitted Girlie for consideration in a Writers' Week competition with a publishing contract on offer from Wakefield Press, but it didn't win. It was a long shot, considering I hadn't even shared the draft with beta readers at that stage. I was distracted by other projects thereafter. I will approach Wakefield Press again with the manuscript through the normal submission channels because it would be apt for the novel to be published by a South Australian company. If there's no luck there, I'll cast a wider net.
The second novel in The Last Wizard series, Chasse's Song, is finished, including second edit, and artist Kirsi Salonen has drafted an amazing cover design. I have an early draft of the cover and include it in this post only to demonstrate the artistic process. Kirsi is developing a fantastic image of Chasse's little brother, Jaysin, with wolves, a talent Jaysin will extend in the third book. I am astounded by how masterfully Kirsi works with light and can't wait to see the final piece.

​I'm predicting the edit of Girlie will be done before the next post, so I will move into the third book in The Last Wizard series. As posted in January, I started the third book - a tentative 2000 words so far - but I'm feeling the characters and the world emerging confidently. The tale moves ahead three more years, making Chasse and Tamesan young adults and Jaysin a 15yo emerging sorcerer. I'm keen to get into this one.

One less lunatic at the helm of world politics isn't enough by far, but 2021 has a sense of hope as vaccines emerge and some people's lives regain a semblance of normality. Let's see where the next phase in this writing journey goes.
Picture



0 Comments
    Picture

    Author

    Writing is my passion. Ideas, opinions, beliefs, experiences expressed through language - through words and images - pervade and create my life. Writing is my voice, my soul, my self. My dream is one day writing will sustain my life...

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    February 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    September 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Writer's Journey: A Blog
  • Writing
    • Fantasy Fiction >
      • Andrakis Trilogy
      • The Ashuak Chronicles
      • Dreaming in Amber Quartet
    • Teen Fiction >
      • Joy Ride
      • Caught in the Headlights
      • In My Father's Shadow
      • The Need
    • Historical Fiction >
      • Girlie
    • Anthologies and Magazines >
      • The Red Heart
    • Poetry
    • Other Works
    • Writer FAQs
  • Who Am I?
    • Writer
  • Contact