Category: A Novel Adventure

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I’m sixteen again

I feel like I’m sixteen again – and that’s not a good thing for me; at sixteen I was watching all my friends maturing ahead of me.

Knowing I was a late bloomer, as my mother used to call it, was of no comfort at all with my best friend getting everything at fourteen – her waistline, her breasts, her periods – while I still looked like an anxious, Amazonian eight-year-old at sixteen.

I learned then that it’s no good trying to rush things (stuffing bras comes to mind). It wasn’t going to happen until it happened.

Enter me – now!

I’m a long way from sixteen, but I find myself again watching from the sidelines as people around me grow, win publishing contracts and enjoy writing success.

I know my time to bosom – I mean blossom – will come (and padded bras are definitely NOT the answer this time either) but in the mean time I’m feeling…anxious.

The good news is that I know I have grown in many ways.

How do I know this? Because I no longer feel the urge to write mean comments on the toilet door about all the big-busted girls – LOL.

I’m seriously thrilled to pieces for anyone who achieves publishing success (it’s bloody hard to do) and I’m encouraged knowing that it does happens to lovely, everyday people — like me. I know this because I met one of those lovely people today in our newly-formed mid-north coast writers’ group. Karlene Lane has just secured a contract with Allen & Unwin and I’m really looking forward to sharing her journey.

As for me, I just have to be patient. It WILL happen.

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My lucky penny

It’s said: find a penny pick it up and all day long you’ll have good luck.
Well…my short story A Penny For Your Thoughts has won a place (out of 59 entries) in the RWA 2010 short story anthology – Little Gems – Topaz Edition (and I sooooo wanted to be bound between those beautiful covers, especially designed by Helen Katsinis.
And threre’s a short story about this short story.
After submitting five different short stories over the last couple of years – stories that I’d slaved over, re-writing dozens of times – it’s amazing that the winning story was an 11th hour idea.
I already had my entries organised. Then, just days before the Little Gems contest was due to close, I was out walking my dogs when I came up with the concept (yes, it was going to be a lost dog story at first, but changed when I couldn’t find a girl’s name that went with dog!)
So it became a story about a lost penny instead
Because I have a really short memory, I had to cut the walk short, dragging panting and confused dogs back by their leads at a zillion paces a second so I could pound it out on the keyboard while still fresh in my mind. That night I sent it off for a final check with my grammar gurus – Bootcamper Shayne and super CP, Rae (kia ora, Rae). (Gotta be a message in there about not stressing over the little stuiuff – just write!)
Anyway, what I call my ‘awe. that’s kinda cute’ story (and I actually didn’t think I did cute well) has me feeling very lucky to be in such great company with other placegetters.
Jennifer Kay
Dorothy Martin
Shona Husk

Cath Ryan
Lilian Begelhole

Helen Ellis
Cara Gabriel

Fiona Gregory

Alicia Hope

Sandra Linklater

Maggie Mundy

Shayne Sands

Bronwyn Stuart
My thanks to the generous group of people who coordinate and judge these awards. A huge task with fifty-nine entries this year. For more info see the RWA blog.  I’ll post a short extract next week