Editing in Progress

I haven’t posted much about my writing lately — the truth is, I’m actually pretty private about my work while it’s in progress! That’s part of the reason for the avoidance; the other is that I don’t want to bore people with what may seem like an extraordinarily long process. (It certainly feels that way to me, some days!). Anyway, I thought it was a good time to give you a little update on where things are currently at.

If you’re following my books, either here or on social media, you may remember that I’ve been writing a novel about wolves on the Sibley peninsula, titled Silver: Tale of a Wolf. I write longhand first, in notebooks, and type later. So, I completed my first handwritten draft of the novel back in 2020, and then spent much of 2021 typing it onto my computer, editing as I went. Early in 2022, I started sharing it with some family and friends, and then did another edit to incorporate their comments.

In the fall of 2022, I began to educate myself about the traditional publishing process. As you likely know, my Campfire Stories books were both self-published, so the traditional publishing route was virtually unknown to me, except for bits and pieces I’ve gleaned from listening to other authors. So, I’ve been trying to get up to speed on publishers’ requirements for submissions, pros and cons of finding an agent, and more. Still a lot to learn, but I’m getting there!

At the same time, I wanted to have someone with some first-hand experience studying wolves to review the wolf behaviour and ecology in my novel. I contacted a friend from my university days, and realized as I prepared to send her the draft, in sections, that I really needed to do one more thorough self-editing of the novel (with a critical eye) before sending it to her, and particularly to agents/publishers!

So that’s where I’m at with writing, at the moment! Re-editing the last of four sections of my novel, and preparing to send it out into the world, to find a publishing home! Wish me good luck!

Shannon