Can we take these silly hats off now? Paw Patrol is on telly!

It’s been a long time, I know! If you’re wondering, I’ve been busy on a new course I’m following via Jericho Writers. The Ultimate Novel Writing Course to be precise. It is quite demanding of my time. We aim to complete a novel in a year and each month we have at least two group Zoom calls and weekly homework assignments. Peer assessment is an important part of the course as well as sending 3000 words to your tutor each month. I am really enjoying it and the support and encouragement from my tutor and peers is invaluable in the otherwise solitary art of writing fiction!

Despite the recent Covid restrictions it’s been a much better year for me personally than ‘20. Regarding my writing I’ve had some successes as well. Not being one to blow my own trumpet, I have been encouraged to share these successes with you by my tutor on the UNWC, Helen Cox.

Firsts this Year

I performed a Zoom reading of my story, A Pocket for Secrets’ for an audience of English Majors in New York. And the editor and owner of NewLit Salon Press, Brian Centrone nominated me for the Pushcart Prize. I got a sizeable payment for my reading so it was worth staying up till 2:30 am! You can purchase the anthology, Dress You Up, here or alternatively get in touch with me for a hard copy.

In the UK I was runner-up in Mslexia flash fiction contest with story, ‘The Half-seeing Horse.’ (The title is a nod to Annie Proulx and The Half-skinned Steer) The HsH piece is included in the anthology, Best Women’s Short Fiction 2021. E-book costs 6 pounds via the link.

Best Women’s Short Fiction 2021 contains 12 flash fictions and 12 short stories from women writers around the world. These stories were shortlisted for the 2021 Mslexia Short Story and Flash Fiction competitions.

‘I can honestly say I have never read a stronger set of submissions.’ – A L Kennedy 

‘I marvelled at the language, detail and implication used to create such strong and emotionally resonant stories.’ – Jude Higgins

Featuring: Neleigh Olson, Brid Cummings, Moira Dalgetty, Amanda Hildebrandt, P R Woods, Carole Burns, L J M Wadsworth, Lyndsey Croal, Sarah Klenbort, Ruby Bosanquet, Nera Hart, Christina Sweeney-Baird, Marissa Hoffmann, Corrine Leith, Nafisa Muhtadi, Letty Butler, Jules C Anemone, Susan Carey, Karen Ashe, Hazel Osmond, Alyson Porter, Stephanie Ryan, Ruth LeFaive, Stephanie Donowho

Story written in Dutch to be published!

Hoor de Dieren (Listen to the Animals) will be published in hyper-local magazine, Lentse Lucht, in their pre-Christmas issue. A story inspired by a folk tale which my mum told me about how at midnight on Christmas Eve farm animals have the gift of speech.
I have translated other tales from English to Dutch but this is my first one written directly in Dutch.

Another new development is going on behind the scenes. I will blog more about in my next post in 2022! This song made famous by Mary Poppins may give you a clue…