Time to round 2024 off with an end-of-year newsletter and progress report.

I feel like I say it every year. It has been a bit of a rollercoaster year where writing is concerned. One that did not go to plan at all, as you’ll appreciate from the following post. But I want to assure you all that, at the time of writing this blog, I am back on the proverbial horse. Whether temporary or a bit longer-lasting, I can’t say. Let’s just manifest positive vibes and hope it comes to something!

Silhouettes

For those who need a reminder or who are visiting us for the first time, Silhouettes is my first-ever short story and poetry collection. A project I decided to push up the schedule while other projects took a lot longer to come to fruition (see below). Since I checked in in November, I have sent the draft of Silhouettes to three beta readers, with a mind to get their feedback in January.

In the meantime, it’s typical but I can’t stop thinking of other short stories that I’d like to add to it! I won’t add to it, but I will continue to write short pieces. In fact, just this evening, I finished the first draft of a new crime piece I hope to enter into contests in 2025!

Anyway, I’ve been planning and strategising like a mad person for the next few months of Silhouettes‘ gestation. I hope (hope being the operative word) that I can release this anthology in Summer 2025. As always, I’ll let you know more once I know — in this case, it’s all dependant on what the feedback is (and whether it arrives on time!)

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic

As most of you know, You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic (or just Chopin for short) is my third full-length novel. A historical piece concerning the staff at a hotel in Berlin during World War II. And a notorious labour of love where my work is concerned. When 2024 began, I had it in mind to have this story re-drafted, edited several times and sent out to beta readers by now. Alas, my mental health has done a serious number on me this year, and I am not much further on from when I was when I finished the book this time last year!

But, we move forward, and I have every intention of resuming the edits on Chopin in the new year. I have a clearer image of what I want it to look like and, more importantly, what it was about the story that was getting me down!

If you’re interested in reading my existing work, find out more information on my Books page.

The Dale Hurst Writing Show

I have been very touched by how many people have told me not to cancel my podcast, The Dale Hurst Writing Show. That was the plan I settled on — that next year’s season would be its last. However, there have been one or two developments that have led me to reconsider. Nothing is set in stone at this point — I am still weighing up the pros and cons. But it could be that next year’s season is not the final season… maybe just the final season for a while.

This year, the podcast grew in more ways than one, not least because I got to take it to Bournemouth Writing Festival in the spring. We’re now about to finish Season 4 with our usual Christmas Reunion special come season finale. This time around, I was glad to invite screenwriter Ryan Avery, marketer Dan Buckley from Ocean View Marketing, and composer Jordan Pace, as well as newcomer, film producer Mariia Brega to the show. Don’t forget to subscribe if you want to keep up to date with the latest episodes. Find the show on Spotify.

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It has been yet another busy, stressful, eventful month. All the same, where are we up to on our writing?

With Christmas growing ever closer, I’ve been reuniting with loads of family and old friends, all of whom ask some variation of the question, “How are things going?” I usually answer, “Yeah… good… very busy!” Lots of time and energy have been invested between my day job and my creative written projects. Making plenty of progress on all fronts, I might add. But I’d also be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to a nice break over the Christmas period!

You Can Hear Chopin from the Attic

First bit of news… I am so very near the end of this draft! I wish I could say ONE CHAPTER LEFT, but it’s more like one and a half. Still, the plan is to knuckle down and work solidly on it over the next couple of weeks (around festive socials) and get it done before Christmas. Again, with a mind to enjoy the aforesaid break.

These final few chapters have taken unforeseen directions. Simply because I thought the planned version was either not believable, too pedestrian or not exciting enough, or a combination thereof. I won’t go into specifics in case I either spoil something or the chapters in question don’t make it into the final book. But I felt that to follow the plan in this instance would’ve been a wasted opportunity to create some potential suspense and/or thrill for the reader. However, as I may have mentioned in an earlier progress report, there’s a chance I could change the ending of this book altogether!

It would be a shame not to follow this course, because I’ve just introduced the final supporting character into the story. I only really ever had her appearance in my mind, but never her personality. I never planned to turn her into an impatient, no-nonsense landlady. And so far, she’s been fun to write. I’m going to enjoy seeing how she develops in this last chapter. I’ve also taken the chance to throw in an in-joke for some friends with whom I went to Berlin a few years ago. It’d be a shame to cut all this out.

The Dale Hurst Writing Show

Another season is almost over. Based on the listening figures over the last few months, I wasn’t sure it was worth returning the podcast for a Season 4. However, I evidently saved the best episodes for last. Episodes 8 and 9 of this series, featuring screenwriter Ryan Avery and composer Jordan Pace, have eclipsed the others by quite some distance. What that tells me about my format and my choice of guests, I’m yet to analyse. But it has rekindled my belief that the podcast is worth doing. I’ve been chatting with former guests lately while producing a Christmas special. All of them have said, “Look forward to coming on again”. So the demand is evidently there.

The future of this podcast has kept me busy these last few weeks. Not to go into too much detail yet, but there’s a potential festival collaboration in the works. And otherwise, where else can it go? Other than a fourth season? A little tour of some sort? Something to think about I guess!

Like last year, The Dale Hurst Writing Show‘s season finale will feature the return of previous guests. This year, the line-up consists of novelist Alex Colvin, screenwriter Daniel Riccio, videographer Jamie Webb, and actor-playwright Conor Ó’Cuinn and director Tazy Harrison-Moore.

Plans for next project

When I finish the first draft of You Can Hear Chopin, I obviously plan to work through the story; editing, cutting, recreating, etc. And while that’s going to take up a good portion of my time, I’m still weighing up what my next major project will be. I plan to go through my first novel, The Berylford Scandals: Lust & Liberty, editing the layout and format to make it more financially sound as a paperback book (off the back of Amazon’s printing price increases earlier in the year).

But what follows after that? I still haven’t decided. If anything the list keeps growing! I recently had verbal endorsement for restarting work on a sitcom set in a retirement home. Or it could be a short film of as-yet-undecided plot and content. And then again, I could flesh out an idea for a hardboiled crime or noir thriller I’ve toyed with for quite a while. Once You Can Hear Chopin is in a bit better shape, maybe I could put that up for a vote on my social channels…

What would you like me to work on next? Let me know in the comments or on my socials. Like my Facebook page and Follow me on Instagram and get in touch.