I also found I had been shortlisted for the Doris Gooderson short story competition, run by Wrekin Writers.
I have entered more writing competitions than usual this year. In part this was because I wrote several pieces as homework for the writers' group which were too dark or strange for the magazines I submit to. Next year I plan to enter less competitions. It's lovely to win anything, or be shortlisted, but I have felt for some time that I should be focusing on a bigger project. I have a couple of novel ideas, but neither of those seems to be happening right now. So I have decided to see if I can put together the short story collection on a theme, which I've been contemplating since last year. It seems more manageable within my bitty work schedule.
With two recent short story sales to My Weekly, I shall not be giving up magazine writing though. I find it an excellent antidote to my workaday world.
On a different note, I saw Willy Russell's fabulous show Blood Brothers this week. You can not imagine how wonderful it was to see 'Tell Me It's Not True' performed so brilliantly, after my hours spent trying to learn even the most basic version on the piano! All the cast were great, but I must give a special mention to Niki Evans. Apparently she was an X Factor contestant a few years ago. She was absolutely outstanding as Mrs Johnstone, the woman who gives away one of her twins so she can afford to feed the rest of her family.
Finally, with dark nights and chilly temperatures, how would you like to win some lovely socks? Librarian, who blogs at From My Mental Library, has a mother with a talent for knitting. She sells some of her products via an Etsy shop. To win a free hand-knitted item from the range on sale, all you have to do is visit Librarian's blog and leave a comment on the 'Cold Season Giveaway' post. I love socks so much, I can barely close my sock drawer. Count me in!
22 comments:
Congratulations on the shortlisting and best of luck with your big project. (I'm intending to enter more competitions next year)
Congratulations, Joanne on your competition successes and story sales. Wonder if you've enjoyed that bottle of fizz yet.
Thanks for the socksy link - I'm off to take a look.
Ms Joanne Fox!! You are amazing!!! You have short stories all winning and getting short listed and all published in My Weekly and they're just all brilliant news!!! I do hope you get your anthology sorted and printed in paper (hint!!! Too many e-publishing going on! LOL) but oh I really hope you do write these novels too!!
Socks!!! One can never have too many socks!! Thank you for the link!! Take care
x
Patsy - good luck with the competitions.
Christine, hi, and good luck with the socks!
Thank you Old Kitty, and yes, an old-fashioned book with a decent publisher is the thing I've always wanted most.
Your good news nearly knocked my socks off. I better go win some new ones.
Congratulations, Joanne, on the marvellous writing success you've had. It's brilliant to hear that. I'm so pleased for you and it's well deserved.
Like you, I've decided to cut back on comps to concentrate on the other things and it feels good to have made that decision. It feels exciting in a different way.
I can't wait to read a collection and a novel written by you. Best of luck with the writing and well done again on a brilliant year.
Good luck with that Laraine!
Thanks Joanna. I've enjoyed doing competitions, and if I'm lucky enough to be placed or shortlisted then it reassures me that I am doing something right! But I can't keep doing that forever, and it's time to try other things. Exciting, as you say.
Very well done on all your success, Joanne! I still like entering some comps as well as writing fuller length - but I need that variety and it gives me some deadlines at least!
Oops - meant to say there's an award for you over on my blog!
Congratulations, Joanne!
I'm supposed to be entering more competitiions now, but I keep chickening out. :-)
Thank you Rosemary, I will pop over to yours just now.
Hayley, go for it! It's the bigger projects that scare me, which is why I've kept putting them off.
Congratulations with the comps, Joanne.
They do take up a lot of time though don't they? Like you I think I'll be cutting down after the latest batch and concentrating on other stuff. Problem is - some of them look so interesting.
Keith, I think you get a taste for competitions, and there are so many out there that it's hard to resist. I shall probably still do the occasional one, especially if it's a charity thing. But certainy not as many as this year!
Hi Joanne! Good for you for wanting to concentrate on something "bigger" in your writing career! I totally understand! And congrats on all your successes! I'm a sock lover, too, and will hop over for the giveaway!
Hi Becky, thanks for the support, as ever, and good luck with the socks!
Well done on your success! And Blood Brothers is my absolute favourite musical of all time - I've seen it twice.
Off to win the socks now.
Sally, it's a fantastic show isn't it. I would definitely watch it again.
Hi Joanne. Thank you for following my blog. Like you, I have made a decision to cut down on ompetitions - I realised they were costing me too much! I am concentrating on my magazine writing instead now.
Hi Wendy. Thanks for visiting and following. Competitions can be expensive if you're entering a lot, but then you only need one good win to make it worthwhile! Best of luck with your magazine writing.
Well done on the competitions! It adds a fun element to writing in my opinion, and even better if you're winning!
I'm another sock lover who can't get my drawer shut...
Belated congratulations - I can't believe I missed this post.
xx
Thank you Maria and Suzanne. I am very behind with blogging, but will catch up with everyone soon.
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