There’s been a lot going on in my writing life recently so I reckoned a bit of an authorly round-up was due.

As mentioned in a previous post, I’m a member of the Edinburgh Writers’ Club and as such I’m eligible to enter their annual competitions. In that previous post I reported that I came second in the General Article competition. The adjudicator of that competition was Anne Hamilton who edits the online magazine Lothian Life, and the stipulation for entries to the competition was that they should be of interest to readers of the magazine. And I’m delighted to say that my article – all about my personal reflections on some of Edinburgh’s many parks – was recently published in the magazine and you can read it here http://www.lothianlife.co.uk/2017/03/park-life/

Then last weekend I attended the annual conference of the Scottish Association of Writers (SAW). I always enjoy this event and this most recent one was no exception. It’s great to meet with other writers and authors at various stages in their writing careers and to have the chance to share experiences with them. It’s also great to have a chance to network with agents and other publishing professionals.

The keynote speaker on the Saturday night was comedian and actress Helen Lederer and she gave an entertaining, funny and engaging speech after Saturday night’s gala dinner. There was an excellent selection of writing workshops on offer throughout the weekend. I particularly enjoyed one on self-editing given by author Michael J Malone and another one on writing for older children and young adults led by author Keith Gray.

I also enjoyed further success with my entries to the SAW conference competitions. Competition entries are submitted and adjudicated prior to the event, and the announcements of the results are made at the conference. I came third in the General Short Story competition judged by author Regi Claire, and I came second in the Women’s Short Story competition judged by author Kirstin Zhang. The feedback I received from both judges was helpful and constructive and certainly boosted my confidence in my writing.

And apart from competition entries, what else have I been doing at the writing desk? The answer is not as much as I would like. The reason being the desk, along with all my other worldly goods is in storage. We’re in the process of moving house and are temporarily lodging with family. Before the move I was tantalisingly close to finishing my next novel, but there’s been little time or space to write recently. However, the end is in sight – both for the book and for this transition phase. We get the keys for our new house at the end of April and after getting moved in, I’ll be able to reinstate my full writing schedule. In the meantime though, I‘ll be finding some time and space to fire up the laptop and press on with getting Settlement finished, redrafted, and ready for my editor.

Onwards and upwards!