2014 January – The Review

A fabulous start to the New Year – it is hard to believe that January is already over!

Here is a brief review of what happened, I will update the Write Year page to start tracking 2014 too!

JANUARY

• Blogging

The blog gained 34 followers, currently 609 (it was 605 at the end of January though). I appreciate all of the follows and for those of you who take an interest in the blog. I talk to myself enough in reality, without starting it virtually as well! 😉

• Projects

I took up two writing projects this month;

Jo Bell’s 52 – which you can join up for and/or dip into throughout the year. Many people I know have now taken up the challenge based on the great things they have heard.

Fancy writing 48 poems this year? Get involved HERE

And over on Write Our way Home I participated in Mindful Stones, for January. Gathering stones of thoughts every day for a month. HERE

• Submissions

I made 3 submissions;

Writing Magazine Poetry Competition

Popshots Magazine Journey Poems (rejected)

Button Tapper Haiku for Cat Lovers.

• Writing

I have produced lots of new poems this month, the folder is filling up well. I missed deadlines for any prose writing, although I did edit a flash for The Worcester Litfest Book Launch, where I read my Flash Fiction, despite not being in the book. It was put together before I started writing again. I shall look out for this competition again this year.

• Performing Poetry

I have really slammed the circuit this month – still missed a few due to clashing dates or tiredness. (I have already taken my foot off the pedal a little in February – as I need time to write and submit work, plus I don’t want to burn out.) 10 this month + events.

Poetry for Lunch – Birmingham

NY Open Mic with Uncharacteristic Largesse – Shrewsbury

Buzzwords – Cheltenham

Speakeasy Worcester (where I was referred to as a ‘mini-headliner’! Been gushing off that one ever since!)

Mouth & Music – Kidderminster

Poetry for Lunch – Birmingham

The Poetry Lounge in The Sitting Room – Ludlow

Unity in the Community – Wednesbury

Drummonds 42 – Worcester

KAF Creatives Re-Launch -Kidderminster

• Events

Stanza Poetry Society Meeting.

Book Launch – Flash Fiction Anthology – where I was lucky enough to perform a new 300 word Flash fiction.

• A Writing Life

Successful application and meeting for Assistant Writer’s job, starting in February.

I have met more wonderful people and I feel blessed. Moving in the right direction!

Faber Poetry Diary 2014 – Making my wishlist for next year already!

Faber Poetry Diary 2014 – Blue.

This year part of my organisation includes an A5 desk diary, in which I make a note of all writing world functions, book launches, open mics, events, competition deadlines etc. It has already got a bit scribbly, I tried the same idea last year but lost the diary when I packed to move house. (I only bought a pocket diary last year- already I am learning!)

I find this is a very simple way of organising writing deadlines and everything gets colour coded on top of that. Last year I used action plan sheets (on PC) and found that often I needed the information to hand on paper, without logging on and searching through files. The diary is doing the same job as an action plan but more efficiently.

Anyway I love this website – http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com  where this fabulous diary is sold.

Poetry and appointments, what could be better?

Drummonds 42 – 10th Event of the Month

It was a great evening, inspiring and there was a certain buzz in the air. I really needed to surround myself with creative people after the mission of getting through several hard days of work!

I had written a set of poetry especially for the darker side of this event and when I came to look for them a few days earlier – I found that they were lost – I still haven’t come across them, I know I will eventually and when I do that will be another ready-made set. Instead I looked to what I had that was suitable in my folder and found 3 people wouldn’t have heard – including one I wrote when I was 15 that was published.

Instead I shared a couple of recent poems and a VERY old one, written when I was 15 and published the same year. It went down well.