2015 WORD COUNT =
659 words
Happy New Year to you all!!!
Welcome back to another year of writer ups and downs. Last
year was a slower start than I would have liked but I’m always one for big
plans so let’s see where I’m headed over the next twelve months (subject to
change J).
This time last year the blog didn’t exist and I wasn’t taking
my writing very seriously. In just eleven months I have been taken in by a
fabulous group of writers, written a fair few words and had four of my stories
included in a fantastic anthology.
Of course it hasn’t been all happy happy, joy joy. My own
compilation died by the road side and I never got past the first draft of my
novella, TATTOO.
What this has taught me is that I need to treat my projects
like a pregnancy.
When my wife first told me we were having a child I just
wanted to run through the streets telling everyone I could find. But it was too
early, she said. So we waited. Even after the doctor’s visit and hearing the
heartbeat I still wasn’t given the go ahead. It wasn’t until I had that
precious scan photo in hand that my wife signalled the green light.
I think I was a little too new, a little too eager with my
projects last year and I started talking about them before they’d had much time
to breathe. Therefore, although I have a big plan for the next twelve months, I’ll
keep my blogging to what is relevant, to what is immediate and close to being
presentable.
WORK IN PROGRESS
I’ve mentioned it a lot over the last few months but now it’s
time to get down to the nitty-gritty.
My main project at the moment is FALLEN SWORDS which is coming along nicely. I threw together 50,000
words of it last November and am now chopping and tidying that draft into
something ready for the world to see.
My plan since the off has been to release it fortnightly.
From early February I will be posting a new bite sized ‘episode’ here on the
blog every two weeks (day still to be decided). I already have the rough
version of what I call ‘Season One’ done as well as plans for seasons two
through five. If it does well then that’s me covered for a few years.
FLESHING OUT
You may remember that last April I entered SFX magazines ‘Writing
Dead’ competition. The aim was to write a 1500 word zombie short to be judged
by author Darren Shan.
My piece, CONDOLENCE, didn’t make
the short list but I am particularly proud of it. You can check it out yourself
on Wattpad.
The great news is I get another stab at it. I’ve started
working on a piece titled HUMBUG.
Darren is once again judging the final five and as before it’s 1500 words. As
an extra challenge, this time the story must include a zombie dressed as Santa and
Christmas lights as a prop.
If you’re interested then head on over to SFX magazine’s site for more details. The
deadline is February 3rd with the results printed in issue 260 of
the mag which hits shelves at the beginning of April.
BEST START
For the final part of this post I was going to mention my aim
to continue with the various Flash Fiction entries. My sole aim was to make
2015 the year I got a win.
Unfortunately I’m unable to do that because . . . two days
ago I got that win!!!
To say I was over the moon would be an understatement. I am
so chuffed to bits to finally get the win that I’ve been chasing since May last
year. I think my wife was a little fed up as I went on and on about it Monday night
A big thank you to Amy Wood who judged this weekend’s entries.
I’m glad she liked it and I hope she gets her wish that the story one day unfurls
its wings to become a novel. I’d say it’s quite possible now as the story means
a big deal to me as my first win and won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
If you fancy having a quick read then head over to The Angry
Hourglass where it’s up as this weeks ‘HumpDay
Quickie’.
SIGN OFF
So that’s that then. I’m looking forward to my first full
year of taking writing seriously now that my freshman year is out of the way. They’ll
be the release of my episodic project, competitions, more Flash Fiction,
NaNoWriMo and much, much more. Hope you guys stick around to see where I’m at
come New Years Eve 2015.
See you in seven.
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