Reflection is always valuable, but the end of the year provides the perfect excuse to pause and reflect on one’s achievements and mess-ups with a view to planning for the year ahead. My husband calls it ‘scheming and dreaming’ and it’s one of my favourite things to do.
First, though, a look back on 2018. It’s been a good year for me writing-wise. Although the first half of the year didn’t yield many publishing credits the pieces that were accepted I was incredibly proud of, and it felt great to be part of the publications: Bonnie’s Crew – a fundraising poetry anthology edited by the amazing Kate Garrett – and Café Stories: The Dinesh Allirajah Prize for Short Fiction 2018. Dinesh sounds to have been an incredible man and I’m ever so grateful to Comma Press for introducing me to his writing.
In the last half of the year I also achieved some ‘firsts’: having a poem being published in Prole (which I’ve tried to get into a fair few times) as well as receiving my first pro payment for a speculative fiction story (‘The Green Man’ in Reckoning). Two other firsts were writing some science fiction poetry and seeing it published in Multiverse, as well as having my short story ‘ATU334 the Wise’ be featured in a podcast created by Shoreline of Infinity. There’s something very special about hearing a great narrator read your story (and knowing that other people are actually listening to it!). An article about small press publishing in Mslexia was another wonderful first. Publication in Atrium, I Am Not A Silent Poet and Zoomorphic (with a strange short fiction piece about jellyfish which I thought no one would ever publish) were also highlights.
Having my essay ‘The Darkness Within, The Darkness Without’ win the short non-fiction category in the 2018 Nottingham Writers’ Studio Awards was pretty special too, and it made me brave enough to think that just maybe I could write more non-fiction about fairy tales. So off I went to offer an essay on one of my favourite fairy tales – ‘Bluebeard’ – to Luna Press Publishing for their Evolution of Evil in Fantasy and Science Fiction collection. I have to admit that I found the 3000+ word essay a real challenge as I haven’t written in an academic style for a LONG time. And in the course of writing the essay I wrote a ‘Bluebeard’-inspired short story (about 3000 words long) which I had super fun writing. The story took me a couple of hours over the course of a couple of days to write. The essay took me an hour or two every day for almost 6 weeks. A reminder to myself: fiction is easier to write than academic prose!
Amidst all this short story writing and academic writing (as well as all the work I do for my press) was the creation of a novella and the start of a non-fiction book. Now, the novella is finished but my editor-extraordinaire husband says it needs rewriting (he’s right, it does) and that perhaps I could explore some of the themes in more detail (I can, and I want to). But it does rather mean that the novella would then turn into a novel, which is something that I can’t commit to right now. The non-fiction book is interesting too…. Because at the last moment I decided to enter it into a prize thingy. Then it turned out to have been shortlisted (with some agent interest in it). I found out about it one Friday evening in the middle of cooking burgers for our dinner. I almost burnt the burgers whilst busy doing an impression of Galadriel from Lord of the Rings when offered the one ring by Frodo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OVYatF4sFM
Me: (Addressing the astonished cat.) “You offer me your interest freely. I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this. (Arms slowly being raised while my hair floats about my face majestically.) In place of a dark lord/career author you would have a queen of prose! Not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn, treacherous as the sea. Stronger than the foundations of the Earth. All shall love my books and despair!”
The cat fled, terrified, and thankfully I passed the test, calmed down a bit and rescued the burgers from setting on fire. Phew! The upshot of all this craziness is that the agent is still interested in the book but she needs to see a lot more of it. So, in 2019 I really need to get my non-fiction hat back on and to get typing! (Though the first thing I’ll have to do in January is my tax return. Damn it…!)
Lastly, taking part in #100DaysofWriting was a big help – I don’t think I would’ve written quite as much if it wasn’t for the incentive to write something every day, hence ensuring that each writing project trundled that bit further along to completion.
What are your plans for 2019? I’d love to hear about them. And if you leave a comment below I’ll enter you in my (somewhat belated) 6 year blogging anniversary giveaway in which I’m giving away these 3 goodies. 🙂
The giveaway will run until midnight GMT on Sunday 27th January 2019 and I’ll announce the winners shortly afterwards. (This offer is open to anyone living in any country, but if someone outside the UK does win, a contribution toward postage would be appreciated.)
Whatever your plans for the year ahead I wish you a very happy, healthy and creative 2019!
So many great achievements! I’m so keen to hear more about the non-fiction book, will you do a post about it soon? 🙂
Thanks so much! I feel kind of shy writing about something that mostly exists in my head, but as soon as I have more words down on the page I will definitely write about the non-fiction project. 🙂 How are things going with you and your novel…?
Wow! I don’t know how you find all the time for your writing and drawing nevermind the publishing!?! After reflecting on last year I’ve realised how tough it was with several challenges knocking me off course a bit. So this year I’m just hoping to get my writing practice back a bit. I’ve had several ideas floating round in my head but I haven’t committed to them yet….I need to be brave and put pen to paper again finally.
Oh do be brave, Alice! I really enjoy reading your blog and hope you can find a way back in to the writing once again. All the best! p.s. I think I only manage to do what I do because I don’t watch telly…
All that writing, alongside being such a talented editor and generous friend of writers.
Every best wish for 2019
Thanks so much, Angi!
I’m the kind of geek that is bothered that the picture with your story wasn’t actually of a Chironex fleckeri, even though the species is right there in the title. Even as I understand that it was probably harder to find a rights-free photo of that than a man of war.
You have sharp eyes! And geeks totally rock. Thanks for the comment. 😀
I plan to get back into writing this year – I have a list of stories to work on, as well as the novel and videos, once I can calm down at the day job from March/April onwards.
I wish there was a video of you Galadrieling.
Glad to hear that you’ll be getting back into writing this year – ace! I wish there was a video of me Galdrieling too. I’ll have to get the cat to capture it on camera. 😉
My greatest plan is for better health. On the printing front, I’m looking st Indian Folktales and deciding which I want to rewrite and/or add to. The next one I will actually write about is the tale of Wapsi and Pinicon.
Planning for better health is a great thing to do. All the best with it. And the folktales sound really interesting. 😀
Just wanted to say thank you to all those who commented and entered the giveaway. 😀 My son pulled the winning name out of the hat, and it was: Michael. Yay! (I’ll email soon to arrange getting the goodies to you, Michael.) And as my daughter didn’t want to be left out, she pulled a ‘second prize’ out of the hat, and that’s Caroline. I’ll email you, Caroline, and send you a little ‘something’. Cheers all! xxx
Congratulations to the winners!