I was only seven years old during the infamous Winter of Discontent in 1978, so I don’t remember it. However, it’s difficult to imagine it being any crappier than the winter we’ve just been through. I’m not a religious man but I’ll gladly pray we never have another one like it.
Thankfully, there’s a touch of spring in the air, and the easing of the third lockdown is within touching distance – an ideal time to provide a quick update on where I am with my writing projects.
As I said in my December update, I’m hoping to complete two novels in 2021. I’m now 85% through the first of those novels and aiming to complete the first draft next month (April). The working title for that novel is Waiting in The Sky and if you’re interested, the details are here (link opens in new tab).
Once I’m happy with the manuscript, I’m intending to pitch it to a number of literary agents in the hope of securing a publishing deal. This will be my first real effort to work with a mainstream publisher and I’ll post further updates on social media as I go through the process – you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
If I haven’t secured representation or a deal by mid-June, it’s my intention to publish Waiting in The Sky myself. Life is too short to keep a novel locked on my hard drive for months on end.
Then, probably in July, I aim to make a start on another novel which I’ll publish myself (possibly around October). That novel will be called Clem and it’ll be set in 1971. No prizes for guessing it’ll feature a certain denim-clad character. If you’ve no idea who Clement is, he features in four of my novels beginning with Who Sent Clement?
As with all plans, there might be some deviation from what I’m hoping to achieve in 2021, not least because I might not find a literary agent willing to take me on. But, as we’re nearly a quarter through the year, I thought you might like to know where I’m currently at.
That’s about it for now. As always, my sincere thanks for all your support and I really hope you enjoy the sunniest of times over the coming months … by God, we all deserve some sunshine.
Best wishes
Keith
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