Called it Jo, after Eve's cuddly #hedgehog and wrote a little #poem about it.
Friday, 26 May 2023
Jo, a poem
Had a little visitor to the garden last night, aiding me hunting slugs and snails hell-bent on scoffing all the seedlings I'd planted out that day.
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
What the hell are calendars for then?
Here is a picture of May in my calendar for the year, made by my lovely soon-to-be Sister in law.
Note the crazy out of context picture collage, the doctor scrawl entries of coffee, covid jabs, and half-term holidays; also the upcoming 24th wedding anniversary to my husband ❤️
What's missing? Well, this morning I spent a frustrating 90mins discovering my calendar had failed to note 12 writing competition deadlines that I had managed to completely miss this year. There are few - if any - free or subsidised competitions for novella length pieces, so to have missed a sizable number for 2023 is rather upsetting.
It got me thinking: perhaps, the point in having a #literaryagent isn't just to get your work published, but to become a carer of sorts to the writer
Rather than changing catheters and administering medication, it's to remind the writer that they need to submit by ... and get their head working for the first quarter of the year. Every year!
Anyway, can't be helped now, just need to do better from this moment on.
Wednesday, 26 April 2023
#MSMakesMe
Today is a new day, and another chance to do my #MSMakesMe answer for @mssocietyuk over on Instagram (@tiddleboo); this time without trying to upload too-long videos! I thought I'd share it here, too.
My answer is in two parts, as we all have bad days and
good days. First, the bad:
#MSMakesMe feel like I’m permanently wearing a heavy, wet,
uncomfortable Winter coat, one that skims the ground, is in a dark
colour, and has started to whiff a bit. That sort of coat.
Even when Spring comes, and the sun shines, I still
find myself wearing that bloody coat, having it weigh me down, making me
stagger as though the Winter wind is buffeting me. That’s my fatigue, that’s
part of how it feels.
The good answer, though, is really good:
#MSMakesMe Serendipitous!
Serendipitous roughly means having something good
occur out of an unlikely act; the act being MS. For those who don’t know, I’m a
writer. I write short fiction, sometimes very short fiction, because that’s
what my MS ravaged brain allows me to do now. Last year was a success, 34
pieces of work I submitted to competitions and journals were published. Hurray!
Last May I had my delayed graduation ceremony with the
Open University for my Master’s in Creative Writing. At the time I sent the OU
my story, the story of my studying with health issues. Well, last week, the
Open University in Wales published a student story about me on their website 'The
OU gave me my confidence back': Beck's experience of studying with MS | Open
University in Wales , to show others who may be wondering if
they could study with MS that they certainly could. That there is help
available, that they won’t be the first (or last) to have trod that path.
Then, this week, Wales Online published an advert/article
about me How
The Open University enabled mum with MS to regain her confidence - Wales Online ,
based on that student story.
And, this Thursday, The Western Mail newspaper will be
running that self-same article about little old me!
Now, perhaps nothing will come of this exposure, but
perhaps something will. And, without that whiffy old wet, Winter coat that is
MS, I wouldn’t have had that exposure.
So, this week, #MSMakesMe Serendipitous😊
Monday, 24 April 2023
Wonder if I'll Make Page 3?
When I was a child, if you’d asked me what I wanted to
be when I grew up, I’d have said an artist. Or a writer. Or an astronaut. Or a
vet. Or a sound engineer. Once, in French class, I lied and said I wanted to be
a photojournaliste, because I couldn’t remember how to say any of the
others. I don’t recall ever wanting to be a Page 3 girl, though.
Please don’t misunderstand me; I never viewed those
girls as victims, or as imbeciles; so far as little me could see they were
beautiful women displaying their beautiful bodies in the newspaper every day,
bringing a smile to all with their pert boobies, and views on that day’s
breaking news.
Linda Lusardi became an actress and a bona fide
national treasure.
And Kathy Lloyd, to little me, was like a Disney
princess come to life. She was, and to me always will be, the most beautiful of
them all.
But I still never wanted to be on page 3. Until April
17th of this year…
Little old me got picked out of many, many wonderful
folk, to be featured by the Open University in Wales as one of their disabled
student stories. I am on their website: 'The
OU gave me my confidence back': Beck's experience of studying with MS | Open
University in Wales there for all to read who may be wanting to study, but
think they won’t be able to hack it. They will. Still not harbouring any desire
to be on page 3 though. But then…
But there are no pages! Get to the point!! About right? Well, from today, my story is also featured in Wales Online!!! https://www.walesonline.co.uk/special-features/how-open-university-enabled-mum-26575414
Which, technically, is a newspaper. Yes, it’s online (clue in the name), so,
technically, it won’t have any pages, but the first thing that popped into my
mind when I was told I’d be featured in it was, ‘Ooh!, Wonder if I’ll make page
3?’ (The second being a long list of incendiary opinions of politicians, celebrities, and AI.)
Which is surely proof that you don’t have
to have one iota of common sense to get a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing 😊
P.S, I'm in the Western Mail print paper this Thursday 27th April, so, you know which page I'll be turning to first...
***
Update: Thursday, 27th April
Page 18! So, if you cover up the 1, and half of the 8...
Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Rub Sticks Together
I've spent the best part of 17 years trying to pass myself off as able-bodied, while cursing the lack of visible role models who would have made those years so much easier. Irony?
'You must be the change you wish to see in the world' commonly gets attributed to Mahatma Gadhi, though that's often debated. Irrelevant, the sentiment remains true.
Cut a path through the brambles, so another can walk easier behind, rub sticks together to light their way, and always be grateful that you achieve what you set out to, no matter how many obstacles you had to battle through.
https://www.open.ac.uk/wales/en/news/ou-gave-me-my-confidence-back-becks-experience-studying-ms
Thursday, 30 March 2023
State of the Union
In the words of Ringo Starr, 'Forgive the lateness of my reply.'
First post since last May! Appalling, but there we are. Still not in possession of Bernard's watch, so no time-travelling here. Anyway, on to the purpose of this post...
SOTU
I don’t have a great deal in common with the 46th
president of the United States of America; not withstanding a worrying
regularity to muck up my words, and fall up steps. But we share something of
not: being relatively late delivering our State of the Union address.
On February 7th of this year, old rubbish-nicknames
himself, Joe Biden (check out some of the nicknames previous POTUSes had – The
Last Cocked Hat, anyone? – here List
of nicknames of presidents of the United States - Wikipedia ) addressed
congress, touching on topics like the economy, news, achievements, and where to
improve. Like a school parent’s evening, only without having to look at three
A4 books of your child’s work on The Ocean, India, and The Victorians.
All well and good, but not as mind-blowing (perhaps a slight
exaggeration…) as my very first SOTU, delivered on the last-but-one day of the
first quarter of 2023. I’m intending to focus on my writing here, so it’s as
much a mystery to me as it will be to you what turns up.
2022 stats:
85 pieces of work submitted in total (61 to competitions, 24
to journals, writing sites, calls for submission, etc)
34 pieces published/ to be published in 2023 (21 from
competitions, 13 from other sources)
So… roughly a 29% success rate (just shy of 18% from
competitions, 11% from other sources). Which is good.
However… 22 of those published pieces belong to a: a writing
group that I no longer belong to, and, b: a journal which ceased publishing
last year, which comes to almost 75% of my “Hey, I like your style, sister!”
success platforms. Which is a little worrying. Isn’t it?
Well, maybe.
But… a big bit of the SOTU is to looking to the future, and,
in the words of FDR in 1941 (Jan 6th, eager beaver!) have ‘freedom
from fear.’
What fears? Well, look at those 85 submissions, what do they
have in common? A total and utter dearth of agents or publishers. Not one
bloody piece did I dare send.
2023 is almost ¼ through, but ¾ remain for that to be
addressed. Even if the outcome is 0% success, I will have done it anyway, and
nothing is ever as hard the second time around, is it, Amtrak Joe (terrible nickname)?
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
Updated May 15th 2023! You Aren't a Proper Writer, Then?
Fatboy Slim had a song, "Praise You" https://youtu.be/ruAi4VBoBSM (1998/99), with a video by Spike Jonze that always brings on happy-tears. The song features a sample of Camille Yarbrough performing her song, "Take Yo' Praise" https://youtu.be/sGQbtyctPmE (1975). The lyrics - in case you had forgotten them - go:
"We've come a long, long way together,
Through the hard times and the good,
I have to celebrate you, baby,
I have to praise you like I should."
And, it's pretty damn easy to praise and celebrate others, isn't it? Just takes a little courage and good manners. Praising your own triumphs though? celebrating what you've done? Waaaaaay harder!
I thought I'd compile a list of all my writing wins, and celebrate myself here. I was pleasantly surprised there were so many, and all available online either to read for free (though a donation to one of the sites (Makarelle) would be appreciated) or to buy, outright. The purpose of this post isn't to boast, but just to say to myself that I'm doing good! It isn't necessary to write a novel to be a proper writer (short-form writing is just as hard, and fulfilling, thank you very much), it's just necessary to keep on writing well. That's it. So, here's my list of output from the last year, well done me!
Creative Pieces:
Makarelle Independent Literary and Creative Arts Journal @makarelle1
Issue 1: Spring 21 “Coming Unravelled” Makarelle Spring 2021
"Coming Unravelled" (flippingbook.com)
Those Who Can
Issue 2: Summer 21 “Tattoo” Makarelle Summer 2021:
'Tattoo' (flippingbook.com)
Happy Birthday
The Ballad of Dove and Nate
Issue 3: Autumn 21 “Twisted Tales” Makarelle Autumn 2021:
'Twisted Tales' (flippingbook.com)
The Mirror at Midnight
Issue 4: Winter 21/22 “Love is Love” Makarelle Winter
2021/22: 'Love is Love' (flippingbook.com)
I’ll Still Bring Flowers
Issue 5: Spring 22 “Landmarks” Makarelle Spring 2022:
'Landmarks' (flippingbook.com)
Beside Myself with Glee
Successio Eirian
Via Amazon.co.uk
Makarelle Anthology One
ISBN 979-8499762516 Anthology
ONE: Amazon.co.uk: Makarelle: 9798499762516: Books £8.00
Those Who Can
Happy Birthday
The Ballad of Dove and Nate
The Mirror at Midnight
Red-eyes
The Brightlingsea Harpy
Words From Wonderland: Edited by R. E. Loten, and J. M. Langan ISBN 9781915970060 https://www.amazon.co.uk/Words-Wonderland-Twenty-Club/dp/1915970067
Alicia and Stevie
Breaking the Spell
Sometimes Even Tina
Which Way I Ought to Go from Here
Via Drakethebookshop.co.uk @drakethebookshop
Crossing the Tees: 5th Short Story
Anthology ISBN 978-1914170270 Crossing
The Tees – 5th Short Story Anthology – 26-27 Silver Street, Stockton on Tees
(drakethebookshop.co.uk) £10.00
'Lexi’s Cone of Love'
Crossing the Tees: 6th
Short Story Anthology ISBN 978-1914170393 Crossing the Tees Short Story Anthology – “The most magical
little bookshop . . . a little piece of heaven in what can be a crazy world.”
(drakethebookshop.co.uk)
£10.00
‘Curiouser and Curiouser’
New Welsh Review @newwelshreview
New Welsh Writing Awards 22: Rheidol Prize for Prose with
a Welsh Theme or Setting (Highly Commended) 2022
Shortlist - Rheidol Prize for Prose with a Welsh Theme or Setting - New Welsh
Review
Blinks and Shards
MS Society blog @mssocietyuk
“In Praise of Valentine’s Day and Being Kind to
Yourself” In
praise of Valentine’s Day and being kind to yourself | Multiple Sclerosis
Society UK (mssociety.org.uk)
“What Mothering Sunday Means to Me” What
Mothering Sunday means to me | Multiple Sclerosis Society UK (mssociety.org.uk)
Fairlight Books
Fairlight Books - Literary Fiction and
Short Story Publisher
Number
Six Is a Half-broken Mind 'Number
Six is a Half-Broken Mind' by Beck Collett | Fairlight Books
Factual Pieces/ Special Features:
The Open University in Wales
“The OU gave me my confidence back': Beck's
experience of studying with MS’ 'The
OU gave me my confidence back': Beck's experience of studying with MS | Open
University in Wales
WalesOnline
‘How The Open University enabled mum with MS to regain her
confidence’ How
The Open University enabled mum with MS to regain her confidence - Wales Online
Western Mail
‘How
The Open University enabled mum with MS to regain her confidence’ (27 April 2023) p. 18
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Book 2 of 2024 read...
Book two of 2024 read, and, bloody hell, that was shattering ☹️ I thought I had a pretty good idea what had gone on with @britne...
-
Wow! What a frustrating week it’s been for my writerly-self. No success of any kind has to be found, even though I’ve sniffed around for i... -
I wrote a little story this morning, all about my literary offerings from 2021. To date, thirty-three have been sent out to competitions, j... -
Book two of 2024 read, and, bloody hell, that was shattering ☹️ I thought I had a pretty good idea what had gone on with @britne...
