News Round-up, 2019

I apologise in advance for the self-indulgence of this post – read on at your own risk. It’s traditional as the year draws to a close to look back on the last 12 months and review what has happened. This is my 2019 reflection.

My writing

Not as much has been achieved as I would have liked, although I can boast eight appearances on Paragraph Planet, eighteen letters in various magazines including The Lady, Readers’ Digest and several gardening magazines, one fiction story in Yours (albeit a reprint), one shout-out in Mslexia’s littlems newsletter, two news reports in Writers’ Forum as well as a small competition win there.

The item of which I am most proud was the A-Z article on ‘Building Characters‘ which was published in the April edition of Writers’ Forum.

Library work

I have continued my volunteer work at Jesmond Library, including writing their weekly blog post, was a co-judge for their Creative Writing Competition in March and gave a talk about blogging at the General Meeting in October.

Buoyed up by the practical experience I gained at Jesmond Library, in February I returned to the world of paid employment and now work two evenings a week as a Library Aide in Newcastle University’s Medical School, a job I really enjoy.

Fellow writers

I visited the fabulous Solus Or in June, the home and writing retreat of Mike and Helen Walters. Their hospitality is second to none and the views from my writing desk were stunning.

I met the lovely Patsy Collins (custodian of the invaluable Womagwriter Blog) in July while she and Gary were driving through the north-east during one of their campervan jaunts. It is wonderful to meet people and discover they really are as nice in real life as their online persona led you to believe.

In August I attended Swanwick for the third time. This year I shared my writing in the Prose and Poetry Open Mic events and had an acting part in Page to Stage. Being involved really enhanced my Swanwick experience.

This autumn Newcastle played host to the ALCS AGM so I went along to support their foray to the northern region. Over lunch I chatted to Joanne Harris (Chocolat) about the scandal of rights-grabbing by certain magazines.

Reflection

2019. All in all this has been a busy and fun year which, although it has produced only a little writing income, has seen me go back into paid employment but above all has given me a lot of pleasure and inspiration.

2020. Who knows what the future holds? None of us has 20-20 vision (see what I did there?). I will state my intention is to write and to submit more than I have. And if I can end the year with the same level of contentment and good health as I have now, then 2020 will be a very good year indeed.

Wishing a happy, successful and peaceful New Year to all.