I’ve recently had a couple of flash fiction pieces and a poem accepted for publication.  I’m also working on some new and inspiring projects, so it must be time for a Writing Update!  Firstly, I was delighted to have a winter poem accepted for the popular blog: ‘And Other Poems’, run by Josephine Corcoran.  I’ve been retweeting links to poems on this blog for ages.  I’m a regular reader and a big fan, so it’s a great feeling to see my work up there, alongside poetry that I admire.

Walk into winter, with my poem: \’Shiver\’Vainsang / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

I’m also pleased for the poem, that sounds funny doesn’t it?  As if it has a personality!  It’s certainly been on a journey, refusing to be moulded for such a long time, but its ‘soothsaying wind’ and parallels between extreme weather and a possessive love affair were crying out to be heard.  So, as I say, I’m glad it’s out there.  You can read ‘Shiver’ here.

‘After the Heat’ is a piece of flash fiction I wrote following the July heatwave.  The memory of  my blood heating up and my heart thumping as I sat on the sofa was still very fresh.  I wove these feelings into a story about running away, the end of a relationship and the way nostalgia can influence us into taking backward steps.  The piece was published in Number Eleven Magazine and you can read it here.

‘Old and Free’ may be familiar to some of you.  I entered it for the International Flash Fiction Competition: ‘Flash Mob 2013’ and the piece was selected for the final 15!  The organisers of the competition kindly got in touch, directing entrants to a new page on the ‘Flash Mob 2013’ website called ‘What Next’.  Here, they provided a list of magazines and journals, who are happy to accept pieces that have been published on your own blog.  I tried Metazen and they accepted the piece, publishing it last Friday.  Have a read here.

In other news, I had a wonderful weekend, teaching my ‘Start Write’ workshop at Garter Lane Arts Centre, Waterford.  It was an all girl group and everyone was very positive.  I’d sneaked some poetry exercises into the class and I wondered how they would be received.  So many people tell me ‘Oh, I don’t get poetry, I can’t write it at all.’  But the ladies produced some fine poems, surprising themselves along the way, so it was an enlightening and inspiring experience.  I’m looking forward to doing it all again, at Clonmel Craft Studio this Saturday, with a new group and some fresh writing!

Now, at the top of the post, I promised to tell you about my latest projects didn’t I?  Well, my novel is progressing and I have to say, although I have written novels in the past, I’ve never felt this excited about an idea!  I think it’s because I didn’t chase it, the idea seeped into my consciousness.  I’m not writing this to make money or to be popular.  I’m writing it because it asked to be written and I want to tell the characters’ stories.

And, just as I thought December was looking very quiet, I noticed the Waterford Arts Office were looking for people to help with programming for Winterval.  ‘What about a Poetry Reading on a winter theme, ‘ I thought to myself.  What indeed?  Well, the idea has been welcomed, although I’ve been asked to add a bit of Christmas flavour to the mix.  So far, I’ve found two of my own poems that reference Christmas, and I’m also working on a new one.  I won’t be reading on my own though, I’m currently rounding up some fellow poets to join me.  I don’t have the final line up confirmed yet. I’ll let you know when I do!  The reading is set to take place on the 23rd December, 5.30 pm, at Greyfriars Municipal Art Gallery, Waterford.  It’s going to be so much fun!