HOW I CAME TO WRITE SECRET OF HEATHCOTE MANOR
The internet can be a great source of information. It's particularly useful when researching information for a novel. Back in 2015, I was browsing the web when I came across an article about an incident which occurred in 1648 during the Second English Civil War. As I read on, an idea for a story formed in my mind. Within a few days, I had written the first few chapters, but then I put the manuscript aside for the next four years. In 2019, I decided to apply for a review on Litopia's Pop-Up Submissions, and sent off a short blurb and the first 700 words. My submission was accepted and a recording was made. On the 13th of October 2019 my submission was one of five which featured on the programme. To my delight, it won. Encouraged by this success, I decided to finish writing the tale and submitted it to a handful of literary agents in 2021. It was the first agent I approached who ultimately offered representation. Whilst the manuscript was in fairly good shape, it was by no means
