Friday 14 January 2011

A Writerly Roller Coaster


For me, writing’s a bit of a roller-coaster ride – much like life really.

On the up, just after saying I'd sold 11 short stories in 2010 – That’s Life! bought one, making 12 sales for 2010 - who'd have thought it? (And on the subject of Australia, I would like to add here that my thoughts are with my lovely relatives in Brisbane and everyone affected by the floods – keep safe all!)

On the down, on Monday I received three short story rejections in one day, making it a total of five rejections for 2011 already. I hope I’m not setting a trend.

On the up, a lovely agent who showed an interest in my novel last year has agreed to look at my chapters again.

On the down – I can’t get to see stories I’ve sold to That’s Life! Australia. So, just in case there’s anyone out there with a scanner and back copies, I’m sending out a HUGE plea on behalf of myself and lovely fellow womag writer, Susan Wright. We both have stories in the Summer edition of That’s Life! Fiction Feast (out November 29th 2010), I have a story in the weekly magazine issue 41, 2010. Susan’s in issue 9, 2011, and I’m in issue 8 and issue 13, 2011, plus Susan’s in their Autumn edition (out February 2011). If anyone out there has any of these copies and would be prepared to scan our stories for us we would be eternally grateful. Alternatively, we would both be prepared to do a magazine swap or something similar. (My email is on my profile if you can help us at all) I don’t know about you, but seeing our stories in print is definitely the best bit.

Ooh, and I’d best end on the up,. I know it’s not writing, as such, but I’ve just sent off my third assignment for this year’s Open University course. I’m studying Approaching Literature and finding it, shall we say, challenging. But I keep telling myself I’m half way through my fifth year and almost there.

Okay, I'm off to compare William Wordsworth’s The Prelude with William Blake’s 'The Schoolboy'. Gawd, cup of tea first though, methinks.

Keep well all!