Half-yearly review

I have just been looking back at my goals for this year. Well, we are over half way through the year. Though success rate has been poor, in other respects I have achieved a great deal.

Number one on my list was to submit a novel to an Agent. I've achieved that one. No, I don't have a contract or even a near miss, just rejections, but at least I've started the process.

Second on the list was to write short stories. I thought this would be hard as I've written two extremes....75 words at one end and 80,000 at the other plus the odd 500 worder. However, I have ended up already writing more short stories than poems this year. I'm beginning to enjoy the process and I've started entering them into competitions and magazines.

Find new outlets for my flash fiction. While I have been successful getting published on Paragraph Planet, I wanted to widen my horizons. Again, I have entered a couple of competitions, but there is still much to do here.

The last on the list was about being tough on my poetry editing. While I have done very little in this area I have edited some poetry and written a few new ones. I've even begun submitting again.

I have a lot of work out there, stuff I'm waiting on, but there have been lots of rejections this year so far. However, I'm not going to be despondent because there is another half year to come, well almost.

Next month I am going to Swanwick Summer School for a week. I love the fact that you don't have to commit to workshops when you sign up and can make up your mind on the day! It looks terrific. The programme arrived at the weekend and I've been highlighting things I'd like to do. I'm particularly looking forward to the Crime Special on the Tuesday. I enjoy reading the genre these days, now I've found authors I really like, but to write it I think is the most difficult. I've dabbled in writing a few crime stories, never murder though, I feel I need to learn a lot more about it to make it sound authentic.  The Chairman of Swanwick Writers will be involved in the Crime Special. I bought his book a couple of years ago. Absolutely fascinating to read.

Anyway, I thought I'd mention Swanwick in case there is anyone reading this who is also going. If you are let me know. This will be a first for me and I'm really looking forward to it.

A new one for you

Leaf Writers' Magazine is a great read with articles, stories, poems, tips and ideas, competitions, writing activities, courses and adverts. I've just subscribed for the e-version (half the price of the hard copy) and am impressed. Do take a look. The current issue has an article on how to write a blog, an interview with a tutor from the Arvon Foundation and how to overcome writer's doubts.

Mslexia magazine also has some pretty good articles too. A couple caught my eye. The first is on Dreamwriting - including how to induce lucid dreaming (this is the time when you actually know you are dreaming - ever had that happen?  I have!).  In the past I've kept a dream diary and found it helpful in forming ideas for stories.  Worth a go.  The other article is entitled What rhymes with sesquipedalian? and asks does poetry have to rhyme? This also includes a  nice glossary box.

Their How to write a Bestseller page features The Long Song by Andrea Levy who's books I love. The Long Song is set in Jamaica during the period of the Baptist War of 1831 and the days after the abolition of slavery.  Levy writes in both the third person and directly to the reader in the voice of July, a slave, in the language of the time. July is taken from her mother at a young age by the widowed sister (Caroline) of the plantation owner and given the name of Marguerite. July is raped by freed slave, Nimrod, and gives birth to Thomas (who is then left on the doorstep of the Baptist Minister and brought up with his children).  After Caroline's brother dies Robert is employed to run the plantation. Caroline falls for him but he has his eye on July. He ends up marrying Caroline and July becomes his mistress. The story is being written by July and her son Thomas (with whom she is later reunited) is to publish it.  I found the book compelling reading and it touched many emotions. The characters were wholly believable.  It was dificult to say goodbye to July - I wanted more! It's a book that will stay with you for a long time. 

This is the third book of Andrea Levy's I've read (her 'biggy' was Small Island) and like the previous books I was totally drawn in by the characters.