Some time ago, I was feeling a bit fed up and frustrated with writing (it happens to all authors) and I really needed to write something just for fun. Something that would never be published or ever see the light of day, something I didn’t have to try to get right because no one but me would read it.
For some reason my mind went to this.
Odin’s Hunt, or the Hunt of Arawn of the Otherworld as we’d say in Wales. I wasn’t interested in Odin, though, but the hunting hounds. Particularly, the youngest and newest hound in the pack, who couldn’t quite keep up.
I wrote until my fingers ached and then I felt better.
That would have been the end, except that a couple of months later I was talking to my agent about new ideas, and just as in Cinderella when the Prince asks ‘Don’t you have any other daughters?’ I replied ‘Well, I have this one other thing, but you really wouldn’t want to see it, it’s far too untidy.’
And, just as in Cinderella, it was love at first sight.
So I set to work, tidying the chapters, inventing extra characters, writing the dreaded outline (outlines are my least favourite thing because I’m terrible at deciding what will happen in a story until I’m actually writing it.)
While I was doing this, a few friends suggested I should apply for a Literature Wales bursary. I almost didn’t, but I’m glad they persuaded me into it because…
In even better news, Storm Hound has sold to Macmillan and will be coming out in 2019.
I am so excited. Storm Hound began as something just for me and now I’ll get to share it with you. I really can’t wait!
In the meantime, I have Unwise Magic to look forward to in June. I’ll be leaking bits and pieces over the next few months so keep a look out.
This is so wonderfully encouraging. How did you come across this painting? I love how the ideas kept coming and the potential that your agent saw in it, and how you got that bursey too. This really is such a fabulous story and I wish you the very best with it! 🙂
Hi Martin and thank you! Sorry for the very late reply (holiday and a nasty cold have made me very slow!) I came across the painting when I was looking for an image to go with this story and it’s exactly what I had in my head when I was writing that first scene. My agent is perfectly brilliant. I’m very lucky to have her, and I’m thrilled to have the support of Literature Wales on this new book. I can’t wait to share more details of it.