A good writing weekend

While I was away catching up with friends in Durham last weekend I received good news about a couple of short stories I'd entered in writing competitions. The winners of The Sunday Post's annual writing competition were announced last Sunday. For the second year in a row one of my stories made it to the final ten.

I'm enjoying reading the winning stories and looking forward to seeing 'Sugar Lumps' in print in the coming weeks. It was a delight and honour to be a finalist again and lovely to receive my certificate and book token prize in the post. 

On Monday the World History Encyclopedia fiction prize published their longlist.

I was excited to see my short story 'Court Games' about Mary, Queen of Scots included in this longlist. Fingers crossed for the next stage in the competition...

I may not have done any writing last weekend, but there was plenty of inspiration in our visit to Beamish museum for when I do sit down to write again.

The best of days

Bright autumn sunshine and blue skies were an indicator there was a good day ahead yesterday as we made our way to the Seamus Heaney centre at Queen's University, Belfast.  

It was a different venue for our SCBWI Belfast social get together in the morning. Over tea, coffee and biscuits we caught up on news.

It was good to see new faces as well as welcoming back people we'd met at previous get togethers. We had a varied range of writers working on picture books, MG and YA books as well as editors and translators, all willingly sharing experience in their area.

After lunch we we held a picture book workshop, led by New York Times best selling author, Ann Whitford Paul. I've been working on the planning of this event with Ann for a while, so it was great to be part of the workshop.

We all benefitted from Ann's vast experience and her expert and insightful teaching as well as the discussion and practical writing exercises. 

When I agreed to take up the volunteer SCBWI Regional Adviser role for Ireland, almost three years ago, I had a vision for building our children's writing community.  Thanks to connections I'd previously made, hard work, persistence, planning and new connections I've cultivated over the last three years, yesterday was the best of days for our kidlit community. We were all buzzing after a great day. Here's to many more!

Don't cry over spilled tea

Last night we had a productive SCBWI Ireland Picture This, Write Now session. Armed with seasonal prompts, participants drew and wrote in this creative space for almost an hour and a half, creating something new and special.

It was all going well until I spilled my mug of lemon and ginger tea over my notebook! Thankfully all was not lost. My inky words weren't washed out and I was able to keep writing, spurred on by prompts that kept me interested in the storyline. It's a very rough first draft that I will revisit in time.

Back at Coney with writing pals we used creative prompts on Saturday and I wrote a new piece of flash fiction. Again, it's a very rough draft, but it's something to edit, rather than a tea stained blank page.

It was good to get back to writing and to write something new. We had lots of news to catch up on over coffee and apple and cinnamon muffins. Thankfully no tea or coffee was spilled then...

Ten years of BookWeekNI

This week is BookWeekNI's tenth anniversary. There's usually an exciting programme of events and this year it was excellent.

I celebrated by going to a couple of events in our local libraries. On Monday evening in Ballyhackamore library local writers shared poetry, short stories and excerpts from their novels to a packed room. Louise Nealon also read from her new novel to be published next year, which sounds tremendous. Can't wait to get a copy when it comes out next year.

The second event I attended was on Thursday evening in Carrickfergus library. Crime writer Elly Griffiths was in conversation with LibrariesNI blogger and podcaster Jillian.

Elly talked about her writing career, her writing process and inspiration.

Afterwards it was lovely to meet Elly and get a copy of her novel (hastily purchased from The Secret Bookshelf team who were there) signed by her. 

In line with the Sunday Times pledge to read at least ten minutes a day for the next six weeks, I can report I'm loving 'The Frozen People' so much, it's definitely much more than ten minutes every day I've been reading.

Which week is it?

At this time of year, there are always so many bookish events taking place, it's sometimes difficult remembering which week it is. 

Last Saturday was Bookshop Day when we're encouraged to support our local bookshops. I love this illustration by Ashwin Chacko, supporting the event.

I celebrated by popping in to my local bookshop, The Secret Bookshelf, to pick up a few lovely books, including Sheena Wilkinson's new children’s novel, 'True Friends at Fernside', the Faber poetry diary for next year (so gorgeous) and Rebecca Brownlie's 'Abandoned Ireland' book. I'd recently watched a television programme about her work and am fascinated by her photography. I also managed to be one of the lucky customers to receive a goodie bag.

I also received a report on my work in progress from a very special beta reader. More editing required!

Yesterday was the start of Irish Book Week. I celebrated by popping back to The Secret Bookshelf to pick up the book I'd hoped to buy last week, but due to its popularity I had to place an order. It seems a very fitting book to mark Irish Book Week. I'll enjoy dipping in to it over the coming weeks.

Tomorrow is the start of BookWeekNI - a celebration across libraries with lots of interesting author and bookish events taking place. Not sure when I'm going to get time for some writing -  I'm booked up!

Showing Up to Write

With stormy autumn weather and darker evenings well and truly here, it's been good to take shelter and get back to indoor activities, although it's also been good to be outside enjoying the season after the weekend's gales.

At the weekend I was back at Coney with writing friends, catching up on news over coffee and apple and cinnamon muffins. Later we made plans and did a writing exercise composing some fun poems, in recognition of National Poetry Day which had fallen during the week.

Later I managed to get outside for a spot of reading in the garden in the late afternoon sunshine.

Last night we kicked off the winter 'Picture This, Write Now' SCBWI sessions. While I resent the darker evenings drawing in, I took this opportunity to make space for some writing and was pleased that at the end of the session I'd completed the first draft of a new short story.

It will need a bit more work, but it's something to return to and develop, which wouldn't exist if I hadn't shown up to write.

Falling down Rabbit Holes

I love historical fiction - both reading it and writing it. While I enjoy the research, often, I'm too easily distracted by fascinating facts and end up spending more time researching when I should be writing. It was good to get away for a short break in Scotland last week, and while I didn't get much time to write, as always there were plenty of other book-related opportunities.

In Aberfeldy we visited the Watermill bookshop, cafe and gallery. Packed with interesting books I could have spent hours and a small fortune in this gorgeous shop.

But I chose just one book. And I read it during the break, benefitting from enjoying former Makar, Kathleen Jamie's poems and prose in the place where many of the pieces had been written. 

On a visit to the current 'Glass' exhibition in Perth Art Gallery, I enjoyed seeing and reading about the various glass manufacturers in the city but was most fascinated by these Victorian magic lantern slides of Alice in Wonderland. 

The White Rabbit sitting on the High Street caused me to smile each time I passed him, while also reminding me of imminent writing deadlines.

While I was away I got some updates on exciting projects I've been involved in - more news on these coming soon.....

Celebrating Roald Dahl Day

It was Roald Dahl Day yesterday  - a celebration on what would have been his birthday, remembering one of our greatest children's authors.

It was a very appropriate day to gather in a bookshop cafe in Belfast with other children's writers.

We caught up on news, welcomed new people to our SCBWI meet up and heard about the exciting projects they are working on. It's so encouraging and inspiring to hear progress being made, book launches planned and see this supportive kidlit community thriving.

We are very fortunate that round our table we have several published and award winning writers who willingly support other writers who are at earlier stages in their writing careers through these informal chats. 

Earlier in the week I hosted our SCBWI Ireland zoom session with Gill Books. Our members across Ireland picked up tips to help in their creative journeys.

Now after these two inspiring SCBWI events with our creative community I'm feeling excited to revisit some of my work.

Do the things that make you happy

This morning saw an exciting stage in a project I've been working on for a few months. Instead of pens, pencils, paper and a laptop, the car boot was filled with a menagerie.

I headed into Belfast to take part in filming a couple of children's stories I've written in Ulster Scots for an enchanting project. The stars of the stories accompanied me and at first they seemed a bit camera shy.

But they soon lost their inhibitions, so much so that when I left to come home, they were asked to stay on 😃

It was a fun morning, working with a professional team and seeing what goes on behind the scenes. New connections were made and new skills developed. As I sat drinking a coffee before we started filming it felt like these posters on the wall were the instructions for my day ahead.

And today, I really did! 😀

Minding our Language

I've just returned from our annual writing retreat. While the weather may not have been as kind to us as usual, it was perfect writing weather. 

With a gale blowing outside and incessant rain pounding the windows, we were quite content to concentrate working on our writing in good company and with delicious food.

There was the best of craic from our chats and being creatives and lovers of words we all excelled in the board game 'Mind Your Language' - educational, informative and very entertaining. It's a while since I've laughed so hard my sides were sore.

We celebrated successes and good news together -  A couple of us had poems included in the 'Measure' anthology which was launched over the weekend at the Seamus Heaney homeplace but as it coincided with our retreat we missed the event.

Our retreat is an opportunity to relax, reset, refresh and review - what we've been working on and what we'll work on in the coming months. We shared pieces we'd been working on, reminisced and made plans.

When the sun broke through we enjoyed beach walks. And now as we head into autumn and schools return, it felt like it was the start of a new writing term and we left reinvigorated for our writing. 

Writing on the Walls

Over this last holiday weekend of the summer, I walked the walls of the Maiden City. Always on the lookout for writing facts and inspiration, I was not disappointed. There was so much history and information to absorb on every turn, and not just that within living memory.

It was great to see so many local writers commemorated by Ulster History Circle Blue Plaques in the relatively small surrounding area.

Amidst so much history in this small city, I marvelled at the recently restored Guildhall, spending a long time examining the beautiful stained glass windows.

Every window tells a story and I was quite taken with the window presented by the Worshipful Company of Scriveners, one of the London livery companies that is part of the Honorable Irish Society, which had a key role in the city.

Their crest and coat of arms include a pen, ink, and a book and their motto is, 'Scribite Scientes' - 'Write, Learned Ones' with the pen, ink and scroll represented beatifully in the window. Quite fitting inspiration.

Book Lovers Day(s)

Yesterday was celebrated as Book Lovers Day (to me that should really be every day) but with 9th August falling at the weekend, it meant there was a little bit more time to enjoy book related activities. With the main focus encouraging people to take some time out to read, I managed to get a few hours in the garden relaxing and reading.

I also took time to love books I've contributed to and work on new book related projects. I celebrated having some of my work published in 'Yarns', the Ulster Scots Agency's anthology. It was an honour to be asked to take part in BBC Radio Ulster's Kintra programme celebrating this publication. Tonight the programme we recorded last week aired. 

We had fun gathering round the table, chatting about the opportunities 'Yarns' provides, talking about our Ulster Scots influences and reading our work. 'Yarns' has been a great encouragement to new writers in Ulster-Scots, while also building a supportive writing community.  

And as well as working on my submission for the next call out, I've had fun working on another writing project. Further news on that in the coming weeks, but in the meantime here's the latest writing-related work in progress......

Bletherin about Books

Earlier this week I took part in a fun project. I'd been asked to participate in the recording of a special BBC Radio Ulster Kintra programme celebrating the Ulster Scots Agency's 'Yarns' publication.

On Thursday evening we gathered round a big dining room table for a blether about our writing and 'Yarns'.

I have two poems included in the fourth edition of 'Yarns'. It was an honour to be asked to participate in this special Kintra programme and great to see behind the scenes and appreciate all the production work involved in an episode of Kintra. I'm looking forward to hearing the programme when it airs in a few weeks' time.

More blethering took place yesterday seated round another big dining table when I was back at Coney with writing pals. With mugs of tea and coffee and my rhubarb and ginger muffins, we caught up on news - what we're working on, what we've been doing since we last met, writing workshops we've attended  - made plans and did some research and some writing.

And we were so busy blethering, we didn't notice the sun had come out - 'Ye cannae beat a cup of tea an a guid wee blether'.

Summer Writing

It was good to get back to Coney Island yesterday.  The subtle scent of summer roses greeted us instead of the usual salty, seaweedy air when we arrived.

After catching up on everyone's news over coffee and chocanana muffins we all looked through some old books and found a few exquisite sparks to get us writing.

Later we shared what we'd been working on. It was good to start writing something new that may develop. Since then I've fallen down several rabbit holes of further research.

More summer roses were the backdrop to garden reading as I enjoyed the good weather and took time to read a book I'd recently picked up at the Macbeth exhibition in Perth museum.

More reading and even more rabbit holes...