Writing, Dissertation, and YALC!

It's been a while since I've updated anything writing wise on this blog. I had a couple of exciting things happen quite recently though (I hate writing about this, so I apologise. It's just kinda exciting).

The first was that one of my short stories, a YA story called 'If I Remember' was a runner up in a competition. I was delighted about that - especially as it was a YA story, and I want to go back and do more work on that sometime.

The next was that I have been shortlisted for another IdeasTap competition, this time one that is in association with the Norwich Writer's Centre. Being shortlisted means that I get to attend an exciting day long writing workshop in July. More here.

Otherwise, things are plodding on as usual.

I'm still writing for MuggleNet, something that I absolutely adore and it's so much fun. One of the best things that has happened to me -  in fact I can't believe that I've only been writing for them since last November. It feels like much longer than that. It's the best team to work for, and everyone's so lovely and of course getting to write about Harry Potter... it's a no brainer! Actually, internships are currently open if you're interested in writing for the site. Check them out here.

I just finished the first draft of a story I started back in April. I was delighted to finish, although I dragged out writing the last few chapters. I don't think that I was looking forward to actually leaving the world yet. But there's still lots of work to do - I wrote it by hand, so I've got to type it up (sort of a first edit really, and a great way to see where there are plot holes etc. I really like working that way. And you feel like you get to know the story again, in a different way).

I'm also still working on Treading Water, more edits, trying to get it as good as possible! This summer I'll mostly be working on my dissertation however, which is due in at the end of August. I'm nearly at the end of my course though, hurrah!

In other book-y news, there are so many AWESOME books out this summer that I can't wait to read. I think my most anticipated book is Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins, although I was super excited about The Silkworm coming out. Anything J.K. writes is golden.

And in a couple of weeks, it's YALC - the first YA con in the UK. I can't wait! It's going to be fantastic, with so many amazing authors there, as well as lots of lovely friends. I can't wait! Who's going? Maybe I'll see you there!

Jam.

No doubt if you follow me on twitter you will have seen my excitement and retweeting regarding a short story anthology entitled Jam. The anthology is one of two that has resulted from a competition run by IdeasTap and Mardibooks.... and one of my stories appears in it, hence my excitement and disbelief! Being published has always been a dream of mine and so to have a story in an ebook anthology that is actually on amazon and people can buy it and everything is amazing. Unbelievable. It would be an understatement to say I am excited about this! It's crazy to see my name up there on amazon and it's very surreal, but amazing. (Also just discovered if you search my name on amazon it comes up. AMAZING! As does another book which I definitely did not write, ha!)

Here's a paragraph about the book on their website, which can be found here along with a press release  about both Jam and Toast, the other anthology of winning entries, and all that exciting stuff:

Jam - An anthology of modern short fiction recounting the quirkiness of the everyday.

The 16 stories in Jam cover a wide variety of extreme human emotions where the trivial takes on exaggerated proportions and obsessive crimes and revolutionary thoughts push and compromise relationships and legacies.
Contributors: Ed Ballard, Eleanor Bennett, Jonathan Brown, Gavin Bryce, Constantine, Keith Dumble, Véronique Falconer, Anna Forsyth, Evan Guilford-Blake, Lorna Irvine, DJ Mac, Helen Raven, Sophie Reid, Fionn Shiner, Elly Strigner and Simon Thompson.

And you go can go buy both the anthologies here!