T-shirts & Posters from http://bostin.bigcartel.com/
But today, after a late start, Him Indoors has gone to the tip and then to Tesco’s (ah, the glamour) and on his return we will be taking the dog for a walk in the sunshine (!) and then, while he settles down to watch the rugby (PLEASE let Scotland win. He has vowed to shave off his horrible beardy-growth if they do), I will plough on with Part 3 of my serial for People’s Friend, which is taking forever.. but is nearly there (just in case editor Shirley Blair is reading this..!).
And breathe…
In writing news (she says, remembering that this blog is not called ‘what-I-do-at-weekends’), last week I sold my first story of 2016 (I know, it’s pathetic. The coffers are definitely empty), to The Weekly News. (Sshh, but this was a story that I first wrote in 2010! Six years, a couple of rejections and some serious tweaking later, I’ve finally found a home for it).
I also have a story ‘under consideration’ in Australia! I’m pretty sure they will buy it, they just wanted to double-check that it hadn’t, in the meantime, been sold to anyone else (which it hasn’t).
Last Friday I did a two-hour workshop for Alvechurch Library writers’ group, which was fun, partly because I wasn’t being paid (it was a favour for a friend) so the pressure was off to deliver ‘value-for-money’, plus I could use some of my old tried-and-tested exercises, which I knew would go down well, because they always do. It was nice to be teaching again, without the aggro and hassle of preparation and marking and wondering if anyone was going to turn up…!
And finally, I got a phone call last week to say I’d won a Valentine’s poetry competition! My prize is a ‘romantic night’ at snazzy boutique hotel ‘The Cube’ in Birmingham and dinner at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant. (Hmm, who shall I take with me?).
They’re apparently going to publish my poem on their website so I’d better not put it on here until they do. Suffice to say, it’s a bit silly and as they were looking for a ‘Brummy Bard’ I put lots of references to the Second City in it, including the word ‘bostin’ – which means ‘great’ in Brummie-lingo, in case you didn’t know!
Hope you’re having a great weekend too and the sun is shining wherever you are! Bye for now from me and Hyacinth!
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I went to uni in Birmingham then stayed there for 18 bostin’ years! I got a fright on my first day when the bus driver called me ‘Bab’. How did he know my name? Later found out why and calmed down!
Forgot to say, great news on the Valentine poem win! And good luck for the Aussie sale.
Ah, yes, ‘Bab’! I love that, actually. Haven’t heard anyone say it for a long time though…!
Great post! Well done you, on your poetry win, all sounds good to me.
Ooh, well done on the Valentine poem – I’m rubbish at poetry (well actually I’ve never tried it. Din’t worry about the serial taking a while. Both of mine were five-parters and the time between writing the first instalment and seeing it published was a year – it’s a slow old process (although as yours was a competition win it might be quicker.) Has your husband’s beardy thing gone?
Thanks, Wendy. I can’t believe how long it’s taking me – but perhaps the next one (?!) will be quicker! Yes, the horrible beard has GONE! He went upstairs, without a word, when Scotland won and came back down all smooth-faced again. Much better!
Congratulations on the win. I hope you enjoy the romance.
Well done on the first sale of the year. I got a rejection from People’s Friend yesterday, telling my story was too far- fetched – which is annoying because it was based on something that actualy happened. Back to the drawing board. Tara-a-bit.
Commiserations, Julia. I suppose it’s that old adage ‘truth is stranger than fiction’! Could you revamp it for TAB, perhaps? They seem to quite like ‘far fetched’, in my experience! (or at least, are a little more open to it! Good luck with it. And yes, tara-a-bit, bab!
That’s not a bad start to the writing year, Helen – well done on those successes!