Target Reached!

It was the online short story course early last year that showed me how to break out into different genres, and that has been the root of what's happened since.

My climb up the greasy pole began with some short stories being accepted for several anthologies. Then last summer I began collecting together some of my short stories from earlier months and writing more - mainly dark stories and flash fiction - and put together a collection. While this was in progress, I entered two stories for the open competition held by the Winchester Writers' Conference 2013. A writing pal from Southampton Writing Buddies won first prize with a terrific piece full of colour and some quite understated violence, and we were all delighted. Then, to my surprise, I had my two stories back with kind critiques, one marked 'third place' and one 'commended'. 

After that I set about finishing and self-publishing the collection as Bottles and Pots* (ebook and paperback) and this has sold reasonably well and received five-star reviews. At the same time I converted my ebook novel for children of 8-10 years, Millie the Detective and the Diamond Ring**, to a paperback, and that has done well too, again with five-star reviews. Millie mark 2 is in progress. I arranged book-signings in various places locally, which was great fun, and judged a children's book-themed cake competition. Currently awaiting entries from Southampton Writers' Circle for an article competition which I'm to judge and award the trophy - I have twice been to their meetings to talk on the subject.

Now to targets. Last year I set myself the goal of being listed or placed in a writing competition by Christmas, and both of those were sorted, including two second places for limericks. By this summer I had ambitions to actually win a competition, and I recently heard that my short story had won first prize in a comp set by Writers' News, a magazine which I've read since the year dot but haven't entered many comps. The story is dark in its way but with some lightness and, I hope, a laugh or two. It's about a funeral, the wake and the will!

The only target that can follow these is to be listed or placed in one of the big competitions - Bath Short Story Award (just entered) followed by Bristol (April) and Bridport (May). Just have to be sure to up my game for these as they have big prizes and large numbers of entries. But faint heart never won fair writing competition, so I'm giving them my best shot.

*   Link to Bottles and Pots is http://ow.ly/pioGZ
** Millie the Detective is at http://ow.ly/pFOy8
My website is at http://www.jacpye.com

Apologies for Crowing ...

... because I'm on a bit of a high at the moment.


After being away from writing for ages until a couple of years ago, I'm back in the fray. Wanted to share my position.


The current issue of Writers' News has my short piece about World Book Night, as I may have mentioned ... The latest Writers' Forum has printed my letter (though with an error - I wrote 'hoist by my own petard' and they altered it to 'hoisted', which is embarrassing). It means, hopefully, a coveted moleskine notebook. The next issue of Sainsbury's magazine is expected to include a letter from me, too.


Article-wise, Fond Memories of the WAAF will be included in a national mag's 'special', and one of Bauer's mags has commissioned an article on sleep for a July issue.


I'm currently reading a self-published book I was sent for review; it is full of errors and inconsistencies, but I was advised to 'tell it like it is' in the review.


Southampton's famous theatre company, The Maskers, has set a competition locally for a 10-minute play, with a very particular brief. They hosted a meeting for writers on the 19th April, which included their members doing a read-through of the play which is to inspire the competition entries. I am aiming to have a good go at this, especially as my previous 10-minuter did well in Southampton Writing Buddies' anthology competition and will appear in the anthology in due course.


Since I am positively fizzing with writing stuff, I'll stop and get back to it. Thanks for reading!

Retreats Into Shell ...

Somewhat quiet on the writing front at present; giving more time to reading. When I last blogged, our cat Minnie was in strange mood, very picky with food, making a racket all night for attention. For months if not years we have been unable to get a full night's sleep, but did everything we could to make Minnie comfortable. Now, however, after several really difficult weeks we have had to say goodbye. Hard to get used to a quiet, empty house after 18 years, and I'm keeping my head down until I'm out of the mope zone.

Even so, I've just had a very short piece accepted for Members News in Writers' News magazine, and also a letter for Sainsbury's magazine. The Southern Daily Echo printed my letter bleating about being nearly mown down by cyclists on the pavements of The Avenue - I just want them to call out 'bike coming' if they are rushing up behind pedestrians. Haven't had the mental energy for rewriting my Millie the Detective book, but plan to attend a local talk by a children's author and her publisher.

If anyone wants to start a campaign, how about 'save the semi-colon'? I've always found it to be appropriate in writing fluent text, but think I'm in a minority.

More blogging in due course when things settle. Thanks for reading this.