Donna Maree Hanson, Author, Phd in Creative Writing

I realised today that I haven’t updated this blog since January and that is very naughty of me. I have no real excuse, except I’ve been writing and also caught in the river of my life.

I revised the manuscript I drafted at the writers’ retreat in January. It feels very weird to have something almost fit to read in less that 8 weeks. The MS, tentatively titled, The Ruby Heart, is out with beta readers at the moment. I think the story is a meld of Victorian romance, steam punk and gothic horror. I will get an idea from my readers if it works together or not. I’ll have to be patient to find out. It is now almost 87,000 words. I’m hoping for about 90,000 as the final count.

I have drafted a short story,which needs to be edited and then sent off. I have had a few short story rejections, though nice rejections.

I have a couple of stories coming out and will blog the covers etc.

My other excuse for not blogging. Work–I’ve been busy. Study–I have commenced a graduate certificate in Professional Writing (editing), which means writing days are now study days and I have assignments and nasty text books to read.
I’m also slush reading at the moment, which is great fun and so interesting and instructive. It goes nicely with the study at the moment. I am currently studying Introduction to Editing.

I am also beta reading an MS for someone else. If I did not have a headache today I would have finished it off. It is a ripping read and I think I’m almost done.

I have been reading books to but at present. I have almost finished the collection of Victorian Vampire tales and I also have my nose into the Return of Sherlock Holmes.