Persistence is key

Undeterred by rejection, West Yorkshire member, Shirley Heaton, continued to explore new avenues for her work and was eventually rewarded with an offer of publication.

A relative latecomer to writing, Shirley has been a subscriber for over six years and started to write fiction when she reduced her work hours.

She joined a local, like-minded writers’ group in Baildon where, although a natural storyteller, she quickly realised that she must pick up the ‘nuts and bolts of the craft’.

After spending a summer residential week with tutor and novelist Anita Burgh who, she says, ‘gave me inspiration’, Shirley embarked on a Writers’ News short story writing course with Christine Franklin.

Shirley joined the Romantic Novelists Association’s new writers’ scheme and where she received several ‘useful and constructive critiques’ on her novels from the team of readers.

Since then she has written two historical novels. The first Fine Feathers, a post-Second World War romance, was given a full read by Orion and Off the Edge an 18th century novel which was about the first fleet to Australia.

Subsequently she wrote two romances for Mills & Boon neither of which were accepted and when new publisher Heartline started out she sent the same novels to them.

‘Unfortunately,’ she says, ‘the company did not survive and my optimism turned to disappointment. However, determined to continue she decided to submit a shorter novel as ‘I would have less to lose if it was rejected’.

The ploy paid off. On arriving home from a trip to Australia she found amongst the usual mail a letter from publishers DC Thomson. Her novel Chance Encounter had been accepted for publication in their My Weekly Story Library.

Shirley has since completed a third book which she has high hopes for. ‘I enjoy writing for my own pleasure,’ she says. ‘To be accepted by a publisher is a bonus.’

As she steps on to the first rung of the ladder, Shirley is once more optimistic and advises others to ‘never to give up’.