Why have I included an image of me on Dartmoor beneath the moon? I’ve no idea, but here’s a quick overview of what I’ve been up to lately with my writing.
Medium – New cinema release reviews and film articles are ongoing.
Substack – The above new release film reviews are syndicated to Substack for all readers, but paid subscribers get all my other Medium film articles too. In addition, they are presently enjoying my dystopian sci-fi short story Sweet Dreams, part of my anthology Love and Other Punishments. Substack subscribers are also about to get access to my horror-thriller novel The Hobbford Giant, as it will be serialised as an exclusive on that platform. Watch this space.
Patreon – At this time of year, I prepare a full account of which of my annual September to August writing goals I’ve achieved. However, the main focus this month has been the ongoing work on the epic sequel to my as-yet unpublished dark fairy tale/horror story for children, The Faerie Gate. I’ve been working on this project since 2021 as a bit of a side project, slowly chipping away.
Dillon on Film – My weekly film podcast has now launched and can be heard on Spotify, Amazon, Apple, and various other platforms.
Other Novel News – I’ve also planning the second novel in the mystery thriller series I began earlier this year. On top of that, I’m polishing up the manuscript of a novel I wrote in early 2024, as I prepare to submit it to literary agents. In short, it’s an extremely busy time in the Dillon Empire.
That’s about it for now. I’ll update you again next month.
This month’s big news: I finally finished the first draft of my new supernatural mystery thriller novel. This is slightly later than originally projected, but the novel threw out a few unexpected branches despite being meticulously planned. The first draft weighs in at about 100,000 words, but there will be some cuts to the manuscript for various reasons.
I’ll make trims due to the usual rewriting and tightening. However, more importantly, this first draft includes the beginnings of a few plot threads intended for subsequent novels, as this story is the first in a series. These brought the bigger mystery behind the series to life and helped in the planning of subsequent novels, but I’ll remove them in the second draft as I don’t want to frustrate readers with too many questions and loose ends in book one. The central mystery of the first novel is complete and satisfying in and of itself, so I intend to minimise hints and clues of the bigger, overarching narrative to come. Incidentally, JK Rowling did a similar thing when she removed the explanation of Horcruxes from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and saved it for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince four books later.
Thanks to this slightly inflated and overembellished first draft, I already have solid outlines for books two and three, plus a book I intend to appear around the middle of the series and the final book. Because I’m not entirely sure how many novels this series will run to, I can’t say exactly where that middle book will appear at this point. However, once I have the other novels plotted out (each will be a standalone mystery), the bigger plan will continue to evolve, and eventually, I’ll settle on a final number for this series. It could be as many as twelve novels, and it is certainly the most ambitious writing project I’ve ever undertaken.
The plot remains strictly under wraps for now. However, an extended version of this update, featuring details of the lead characters, some of the folklore that inspired the supernatural tinges of this mystery thriller, and an exclusive title reveal, is available if you become a Patreon supporter at Free Citizen of the Dillon Empire level or higher. Click here for more information. In the meantime, I’m about to start work polishing up various short stories as well as the second draft of the novel I wrote this time last year. Watch this space.
A brief update on the new novel: I’m currently at about 91,000 words into the first draft. I’m well into the third act, and the book is taking shape nicely. I’m very excited about this novel. As you probably know if you’ve been following my updates, it is the first in a planned series of supernatural thrillers.
Of course, I had hoped to have the first draft finished by now, but it is taking longer than expected. I’ll get there, though. By the end of next month, without doubt. In the meantime, I’m still shopping A Thorn in Winter, a mystery thriller I wrote in 2023, around literary agents, hoping to spark some interest. If anything happens on that front, I’ll update you next month as well. In the meantime, I’d better get back to writing rather than keep spouting here. Bye for now.
What have I been up to lately? Well, besides the ongoing film articles and reviews that form a key part of my writing elsewhere, I’ve been hard at work on the first draft of my latest novel. It’s quite difficult to pen witty or interesting updates at this point in proceedings, since I’m naturally inclined to be tight-lipped about the plot, the title, and pretty much everything else. If you weren’t already aware, I can tell you this is a supernatural mystery thriller. It is also the first in what I hope will be a series, concerning the principal characters. However, each novel will be a standalone story in its own right.
I’m going to share more on this once the first draft is finished, but for now I’ll simply say this is probably the most ambitious long-term project I’ve undertaken as a writer, as there could be as many as twelve novels in this series. I’ve also penned a spin-off short story; a comedic mystery that contrasts the darker, scarier mystery of the novel. This short story is actually written by someone in the novel, so I’ve credited it to their character’s pseudonym. There will almost certainly be further short stories in this vein. Again, more on all that in due course.
As of today, I’ve written about 62,000 words (not counting the short story, which is about 9,000 words), and I estimate the final wordcount will be somewhere around the 90,000-word mark. I hope to have a first draft completed by the end of March, with the first round of initial revisions made by the end of April. I will then do what I always do and set the manuscript aside for a year, so I can review it with fresh eyes. In the meantime, I will work on other fiction projects.
That’s about it for now. Look out for further updates soon.
I’ve made a solid start to 2025 and am hard at work on the first draft of my next novel. What’s it called? What’s it about? I can’t give out any details at present, but I will say it is a supernaturally tinged mystery thriller and I’m very excited about it. That doesn’t really tell you anything, considering my genre mainstay, but if you want a few facts and figures, I can tell you I’m working on chapter eight, and I’m about 30,000 words into the manuscript. It’s also the first in a series that I have planned in rather minute detail. That said, each novel is a standalone story.
Other activities
Beyond that, I’m currently preparing A Thorn in Winter – the mystery novel I wrote in 2023 – to send to agents and publishers. I hope to have exciting news to share on that front soon, so watch this space.
I’ve also started serialising The Thistlewood Curse on Substack in weekly instalments. This is one of my earlier novels – another supernatural thriller – that has had tremendous response from those who have read it. I decided it would be fun to make it available this way as well. If you want to check it out on Substack, you can subscribe here (you’ll also get access to many of my other short stories, plus lots of film articles).
That’s it for now. I’d better get back to writing the new novel. Watch this space for further updates.
What have I been up to lately? Here’s a brief summary of my recent writing endeavours.
Short Story: 35 Chestnut Terrace
A young woman tries to exonerate her fiancé of a horrific murder, but is he innocent?
This mystery thriller whodunnit, inspired by a Sherlock Holmes short story I won’t mention (for fear of spoiling both my story and Arthur Conan Doyle’s) has just concluded on Substack and Medium, having been serialised in weekly parts every Thursday.
Check out part one of this suspenseful tale on Substack here. If you don’t subscribe to me on Substack, click here to do so (or upgrade your existing subscription for the appropriate access). Alternatively, part one can be read on Medium here (this is a “friend link” appetiser, so should bypass the paywall, though you’d need to subscribe to Medium to read the remaining parts on this platform).
New Short Story
I’ve just finished another new short story, but it has yet to be tested with beta-readers, so it is somewhat under wraps at present. I won’t reveal the title, but it’s a dystopian thriller, set a few decades in the future, involving an Oxford university student whose unusual dream makes him a target of cultists and sinister government agencies with dubious agendas. This is sci-fi, but it also blends elements of fantasy, and arguably horror. Although a bit of an odd tale, I enjoyed experimenting with it.
At present, this short story sits at a rather bloated 18,000 words, so more of a novella. I may hack it down a bit as I can think of at least one character and subplot I’d like to excise. But on the whole, I’m pleased with this. The premise fits nicely with some of my previous dystopian short stories, such as those I included in my dystopian anthology Love and Other Punishments.
Patreon
I’ve also recently updated my Patreon aims (click here for full details). How did I get on with the goals I posted last September? Check out this article here. Accountability is important on Patreon.
I started my Patreon page a couple of years ago. This has attracted a small but wonderful group of people who believe in my fiction writing endeavours, and financially support my ongoing quest for mainstream publication. They are hugely appreciated, and whilst they provide ample encouragement, I’m keen to grow this branch of the Dillon Empire.
Depending on giving levels, these lovely people are named Allies, Free Citizens, or Knights of the Dillon Empire. All giving levels get my awkward video updates, like this one (which I’ve made free to view). Then, at higher levels, there are insights into my writing process, interviews with my characters, exclusive deleted scenes or bonus material, advance peeks at covers and artwork, and previews of short stories, novellas, and novels. I’ve also finished serialising chapters from my current draft of mystery thriller The Balliol Conspiracy and have recently started another serial of a draft novel, dark fantasy tale The Deviant Prophet.
This post is a bit of a cheat, because it is little more than me updating you by saying I’ll soon be updating you. Updating you on what, you may ask? The novel I’ve almost finished writing. I mentioned this novel in my New Year’s Day post. It’s another gripping gothic mystery thriller with spooky, possibly supernatural undertones. I suspect it will be right up your street if you enjoyed my earlier novels such as The Birds Began to Sing,Phantom Audition, and so forth.
I typically spend the winter months writing novels. It distracts me from feeling depressed about the dismal, dark, dank weather, and gives me something to do in hibernation. Getting to a first draft by March (or thereabouts) also makes me feel as though I’ve achieved something significant early in the year. Of course, sometimes I go on to write additional novels. My most productive year to date was 2017, where I managed to pen Spectre of Springwell Forest, Echo and the White Howl, and a third, as-yet unpublished novel entitled A Statement of Disbelief.
Three points about the new novel: 1) No, I’m not going to tell you anything about the plot. At least, not yet. I will simply repeat what I said in my New Year post: “It is set in a fictional south-west England town and features a young journalist who gets drawn into a local mystery with links to her past.” 2) Progress wise, I’m on chapter 19, having written around 75,000 words. 3) I reckon I’ll have a first draft finished by the end of this month, with an estimated word count of around 85,000 – 90,000 words.
I had the idea for this novel in the middle of writing another early last year. The research, outlining, character profiles, and so forth were prepared during the summer and autumn, and I started writing the novel in earnest in January. Do I have a title yet? No, but I will by the time the first draft is finished. The experience of writing this novel has been smooth on the whole, though not without the occasional interruption from other voices in my head, demanding I start on the next story idea. And the next, and the next… Those voices are terribly unreasonable, though they can occasionally be cowed into temporary submission by telling them to form an orderly queue and shut up.
A couple of years ago, I posted an article with the same title, expounding on exactly where I was at with my novels, in their varying states of disrepair. Here’s a full update, sort-of divided by genre. Bear in mind one of these will be released very soon, almost certainly before the end of the year.
Fantasy
Ravenseed – This Dark Ages set fantasy novel is now on its third draft, having received largely positive feedback from various sources. It’s a brooding, melancholy tale of knights, sorcerers, and enchantment, simmering with love, lust, betrayal, and revenge. Alongside the Dark Ages story is a parallel framing story set in the present.
The Faerie Gate – My long-delayed, horror-story-for-children is now on its fourth draft. Originally written in 2015, it’s definitely the scariest novel I’ve written that is primarily aimed at children, and it really pushes the envelope in that respect. But this dark fairy tale is also a very compassionate story, about a young adolescent coming to terms with the separation of her parents. I’m also planning an epic sequel which may end up being more than one sequel, set in the same universe. The sequel(s) might be aimed at a more “young adult” readership. I’ll know more once I start writing this next year.
The Deviant Prophet – Another dark fairy tale, but this time for adults. Fantasy and reality clash in a disturbing tale of religious oppression, amid a vivid and surreal world parallel to our own. The initial inspiration for this came from a close friend’s extraordinary dreams. I finished a third draft earlier this year.
Goldeweed – This is an epic, three volume fantasy saga I have been shaping on and off for almost eighteen years. Set in a vast imagined realm on many different planes of reality, it details three love stories that play out against an apocalyptic backdrop at the end of an era. Currently longer than War and Peace, it’s a tale I have rewritten and tinkered with for some time, and I’m still not entirely happy with it.
Gothic Mystery Thriller/Horror
The White Nest – This novel is something of a culmination for me; a summing up of all the tropes, themes, and ideas I have explored in earlier gothic mystery novels. But although there is an element of Now-That’s-What-I-Call-a-Simon-Dillon-Gothic-Mystery about this novel, it is also radically different in two ways. Firstly, it features a male protagonist. Secondly, it is the most intensely personal novel I’ve written since Children of the Folded Valley. Yes, I know all writing is “personal”, but this one really jabbed raw nerves in an ultimately cathartic way, tapping into traumatic fears regarding siblings, parental fears, false guilt, and more. It is also something of a coming of age novel, despite the genre trappings. One more point: The White Nest refers to something sinister in the story, but it’s only a placeholder title. I’m keeping the real title secret for now.
Wormcutter – From something I wrote in 2020, to something I wrote in 2007 (from an idea I had researched on and off since 1996), this detective thriller/horror hybrid begins as an apparently open and shut murder investigation, then escalates into a humdinger of a conspiracy, involving the Freemasons and much more… until it ends up in the most disturbing territory I have ever explored in a novel (definitely 18 certificate stuff). Currently on its fourth draft, and due for another polish.
Miscellaneous
The Balliol Conspiracy – This somewhat old-fashioned, Hitchcockian romantic spy thriller is a conspiracy story of a different kind (much more PG territory, unlike Wormcutter), and proved a real change of pace for me when I wrote it. A strong, suspenseful central mystery results in an historic, fact-based treasure hunt, leading to a new lease of life for the bereaved protagonist. I don’t want to say too much more, except that yes, it does involve Balliol College in Oxford (see above picture). I also wanted to write a grown-up book that, for once, my mother would be able to read without having nightmares. Currently on its second draft, its actually grown on me quite a bit since I first wrote it, and my wife thinks I should attempt more stories of this kind. But I suspect it is a one-off. We’ll see.
Peaceful Quiet Lives – This dystopian tale imagines a bleak American future, satirising the worst fears of both sides in the so-called culture wars. At the same time, it is also a love story, featuring protagonists who fall foul of political extremists of all persuasions. This novel is currently on its fourth draft, and represents a real oddity for me, as it is quite unlike anything I’ve ever written. Like Children of the Folded Valleyand The White Nest, it is also a highly “personal” novel.
A Statement of Disbelief – Another satirical novel, this time set in the dubious world of Christian television fundraising. It’s only had one draft, but quite honestly, I’m not sure it will ever see the light of day. However, I will confess it was great fun to write.
Short Stories – It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve written quite a collection of short stories, mostly horror and science fiction (including one of novella length). I may publish a volume of these at some point.
To reiterate, one of the above will almost certainly be released before the end of the year. Can you guess which one? Watch this space for an imminent announcement.
Simon Dillon Books 
You must be logged in to post a comment.