More Reasons To Cross Fingers

Constructive day, today.  I sent off a short story to the Mslexia Women's Short Story Competition.  I have sent it by snail mail so hopefully it will get there by the 24th January, 2011.

The top prize is £2000 plus a weeks writing retreat.  Admittedly, I would be just as chuffed if I come in the runners up position and won £100.  I very much doubt I've sent in the winning story. 

It's actually my favourite short story I've written so far, though.  I've changed it into first person.  It's called Coffee's On Me.  My favourite line from it is:

He’d obviously seen much more horrifying things in his time in the army than non-matching underwear.

Then, I decided to enter the Candis blogger competition  advertised by Simon Whaley on Twitter.  I delved around for an example, they wanted a 200 word description on an event, dramatic incident or a memory in our family's life.  Took it from my blog actually, because my mind was not going to generate 200 words that quickly! I wrote about Kamikaze Kieran. So hopefully I've done that okay.  Another reason to have fingers crossed.

So now what do I do?  I'm starting to think I should pick up my coursework again.  At least read the module.  But I do have Sophie and Adam chattering away inside my head.  And I need to make them mad for each other, but utterly denying it.

I have another short story (Love Will Find You) that I am in the process of tweaking, and will send off to People's Friend as I think it's got the 'ahhh' factor at the end, it's a young romance, but nothing too strong.  Just a few words to tweak.

I haven't picked up another book to read yet, though I've decided it will be A Touch of Dead by Charlaine Harris.  I've got two pocket novels I want to read (will they count to my book total?) - for research purposes! Plus, I need to catch up with some magazines.  Having bought the latest Sainsbury's Magazine, I'm thinking I need to send a letter off to them, like yesterday.

So that's me, and all things writery.  Busy, busy, busy ...