Update November 2014

It's been a while, so I thought I had better update the blog a bit. There's a lot to cover, so I am bound to leave some things out.

This year, so far, has been a funny old year. I have had moments of intense activity creatively, and weeks of not quite inactivity but certainly slower weeks. I am not entering as many competitions as I used to and I do sort of miss that - not the cometitions per se, but the push that they sometimes give you.  I came third in 'The Short Story' competition with a piece that is unremittingly dark - 'Keepin The Numbers Down'; and I was second in 'Cease Cows' hallow/hallowed flash fiction competition with another bleak piece - 'Not Finding Our Hallowed Mam'. Both of these pieces were written from a child's eye view. Anyway, 'Cease Cows' have already posted my piece online and 'The Short Story' will do the same later in the month.

I have pieces is new places, and pieces in familiar places. 'Pushing Out The Boat', a really nicely produced print magazine, has me in their currently available publication. And an old piece of mine has found its way into the online magazine, 'Far Off Places' - the 'Under the Bed' edition. Really, I should send more of my stuff out into the world.

I am keeping up with my personal challenge, which I know I have not said much about yet, but I will when the challenge has been fully met.

I have just been invited to talk at a writers' group this month and will be doing a reading at the launch of another venture. So, on top of the day job (which, by the way, is quite different since August and demanding in a new way), I am keeping busy in a writerly way. 

Also, the novel, which feels stalled a little, has just had feedback and there's a whole heap of stuff `I need to attend to in it… which is what I knew and what I hoped to be shown. That will require a substantial block of time when my head is clear. I hear writers talking about fav places they go to as a retreat so they can fully focus on the work… that sounds mighty attractive as a way to tackle this project… which I still have faith in… but when?

The other novels, the ones that have been written and sit on the back burner, are also still begging for my attention. I'd quite like to give some time to them in the 2014.

Yes, so a funny old year. But there it is, so far.