<p><span style="font-size: small;">I don't suppose any writer should begin a piece with the words 'I can't begin to describe' but I'm really tempted. When I opened the adjudication of the 'Strangers' competition yesterday, I had no expectations. I don't in general write poetry. I have tried three or four non-rhyming poems since I joined writelink and none of them have done anything. So, maybe the only way was up.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">The short list came up on the screen&nbsp;and I felt a warm glow start because my title was on it. I scrolled down to find out who the winners behind Shaw's lovely poem were and there was my title again. Warm glow suffuses entire writer. Double-check and the judge's description is indeed about my poem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">When I sold my first short story, the only person at home was my elder son, then aged two. To his delight, I danced him round the kitchen, sat him on a worktop and fed him smarties. He was here yesterday too. At 5' 11" dancing him round the kitchen and sitting him on the worktop were out. i didn't have any smarties. He was very pleased for me, however, and that added to the glow. I do feel for writers whose folks don't share the joys.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Have you lost the plot here, Anne?</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">Well, I had lost the plot of the novel I'm writing. After lunch I went back to it and wrote through the words already on the page until the hero's motivation and how he would achieve that aim pushed through the rubbish already on the screen. So there's more to thank writelink for than the chance to enter comps and the judge for her excellent choices. I'd got my confidence back and with it my vision for the novel. Writing is a lonely business and a little affirmation here and there goes a long way.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: small;">New folk should give the comps a go. They're anonymous. You're under no obligation to reveal you wrote whatever. Should a couple of votes appear on your submissions, there might well be the warm glow of satisfaction/pride/sheer joy I experienced yesterday. It fires the engines.</span></p>

<p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Lurkdom has its attractions but they can become addictive. I decided a few weeks ago that I didn't have anything new to say on the writing front and, as I don't tend to write this blog up as a 'life or diary' one, I went silent. I've been checking in of course and with that maddening character trait rather enjoying the view from my eyrie.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">So what's happened in my writing life to prompt abseiling off the ledge?</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Well, I did comment on Asafaira's blog that I was going to try short fillers and letters in a constructive effort to earn some instant cash. Three months later and I can report two successes. One of &pound;20 and one of &pound;5. Maybe I should save on postage...</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">The positive side of all that is a pile of magazines I don't usually buy and a list of objectives for the moments, all too frequent at present, when the novella has stuck. Freelance journos may be in despair though, if you count up the pages and pages of mags that seem to be written by reader contributions and photos of their kids or pets.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have, however, got a couple of minor competition successes to report. I won the EWC General Article comp with a piece I tried in&nbsp;a writelink challenge comp where it sank without trace. All judging is subjective - I know. I also earned 3rd prize in&nbsp;the Falkirk&nbsp;Tryst&nbsp;Conference short story comp. That piece started off in our Twilight Twosomes where it was mentioned in despatches (sp?).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have had a play shortlisted in a national competition and I wait the results of final judging on that. You can't help, alas,&nbsp;as there's no voting or anything but please send me postive vibes and prepare to commiserate if it doesn't get any further.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">By the way, don't we usually get more than the top three mentioned when a writelink challenge is judged? I would have been interested to know a bit more about the judge's short list for the Tears and Fears comp - particularly as I entered it and am not a practised poet. More insight would have been useful.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;">Very much looking forward to the new challenge format.&nbsp;I seem to rely on it a bit for inspiration and work to craft and edit for onwards use.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></p>

<p>Oh the pleasure of sitting with a book of historical fact accessibly written by an expert.</p> <p>I know, I need to be disciplined about this but after noting the writer's details, ISBN, Publisher etc, I'm truly lost. It is just so easy to read the next chapter which contains nothing of use to my WIP but is also beautifully written and full of gems that might come in useful.</p> <p>I did start the research for the next Novella with a mental list of 'things I need to know' to add colour to my fiction and that has been of miniscule help. The inner nag does keep asking but which house was the one you wanted them to visit? When was the New Town started? On the plus side, I am better informed about my city today than I was three weeks ago when the first Novella went off to the crit service.</p> <p>As distraction - do I need anything else to distract me - I've written an entry for Creative Ink's (Jan Moran Neil) 'dear john, dear anyone' competition. As it doesn't close until 31st July, I've got lots of time to polish. The entry fees will support the British Heart foundation and Hearts and Souls. I incline towards circulatory and diabetic charities as those illnesses freckle the family history just like our red hair freckles our skins. How's that for a purple prose post?</p> <p>Also at the back of the mind are the new challenges. I've mentioned before how helpful I find them when lacking inspiration - those what can I write?moments. I'm so glad they're back.</p>