When I was whizzing around Center Parcs yesterday on a ‘Segway’ machine (fun!), little did I know that a decision had been made about a story I’d sent to ‘Take A Break’ back in October 2013.
When I got home and checked my emails, I found a message from the editor (in SPAM! Eek, imagine if I’d deleted it!) offering to buy the story.
Yes, I’ve finally done it! After all my whinging.. here and here – in April 2011, when I said I was officially ‘giving up’ trying to have a story accepted by TAB, I’ve broken my duck.
I know it’s not the Nobel Prize for Literature or even a novel contract but after all these years of trying, I am CHUFFED! The moral of the story is, never give up! And don’t underestimate the type of story that TAB might be interested in taking. I wouldn’t have thought the story they’ve accepted was really their ‘cup of tea’ but it just goes to show – you never can tell!
Divine Chocolate Poetry Competition c/d 30th April 2014
On a different note, Divine Chocolate are running their annual, free-to-enter, poetry competition and this time they’re asking you to imagine meeting a cocoa farmer from Ghana.
At first sight this looks/reads like a poetry competition for children and schools but read on and you’ll see that there is an adult category! The closing date is 30th April. The winners in each age group will receive a box of Divine chocolate, £30 in book tokens, Christian Aid T-Shirts, mugs and pens. Runners up will receive Divine goody bags and Christian Aid mugs and pens.
And finally, I haven’t forgotten about the writing competition I’ve promised to run, to celebrate reaching 400 followers. All will be revealed later this week…!
Blog About Writing 
Congratulations Helen!! Catherine
Catherine Elliott Kemp Sent via mobile
thanks Catherine!
Brilliant news, Helen! So glad you’ve finally cracked it. Congratulations!
Thanks Julie! now, when I talk to my class about submitting stories to TAB, I can do it with a little more confidence and know-how!!
Brilliant, Helen – join the TaB party… you are guest of honour!
Ah, thank you!! It might be just a ‘flash in the pan’ but in some ways that doesn’t matter. I have done it, finally – now I know how Andy Murray felt when he won the Wimbledon final!
Congratulations!
Well done chum, and you’re in WW, my fave place, and in Writing magazine. You’ll be on Grahame Norton’s show next…. Pleased for you. Now I have to do it as well:))))
Thanks, Susan. ooh, I’d love to be on Graham Norton’s show, actually (just not in that chair that he pulls the lever on!!). He’s so funny! thanks for your kind words! x
Congratulations, Helen! Good for you.
Congratulations, Helen and very well done! You deserve it. Good wishes KH
Congratulations for breaking your duck, and getting your story accepted in Take A Break… 🙂 No easy feat!
Well done!
Congratulations on breaking your duck, and the perseverance that made that possible! I look forward to hearing about the competition:-)
Fabulous to hear, Helen. Well done. This is really inspirational for a newbie like me trying to make my mark. Look forward to reading your story. When’s it out?
Well done Helen!
well done Helen, you must be thrilled!
Congrats on the story. Try, try, try again has really paid off. On the subject of segways, which I love, there is a farmer near us who has turned over a considerable chunk of his land to growing willows and he’s created a segway course amonst the trees. Now that’s really making the most of one’s resources.
Well done Helen, that’s great news and an inspiration to us people still trying.
Hurrah for Helen! Well done !!
Way to go Helen!! Really thrilled for you, what a fabulous feeling it must have been when you read your email…And it’s so good to know that persistence pays. I hope you celebrated suitably (bubbles?).
Have started following your blog, Helen (don’t know why I hadn’t before!) and saw the title. Very well done – I’ve also been trying TAB for years and have yet to break in. Will keep hoping (they have one at the moment). And you’re right about the type of stories – I’ve been reading the latest FF and it has such great variety.
Congratulations, Helen. I assume it will be in Fiction Feast?
I’ve also had problems with e-mails from TaB. Good job you checked it first.
Congrats! That’s such good news 🙂
Congratulations for your story acceptance! I love them Segways …
Woo-hoo, Helen! Congratulations on TAB story – shows you should NEVER give up. Also reminds me to check SPAM folder – thanks for that! Let us know when the story comes out.
Well done, Helen! Just goes to show that you can’t give up. Congrats!
I’m cheering with you! It’s a great feeling, isn’t it? And even better as it was a story you didn’t think stood much of a chance.
Congratulations! Just goes to show – we should never, ever, give up! All I ever find in my spam box are scammers posing as banks and paypal… – I’d much prefer to hear from TAB!!
Congratulations on TAB! If only I could do the same with WW – must be nearly 20 years of trying now!!
Congratulations! What wonderful news 🙂
I haven’t been here for a while so it was really nice to get such good news. You must be really pleased.
It’s amazing what ends up in Spam. So glad you checked what was in there!