The past two and a half years have seen some major upheavals in my life and a glance at my website might suggest I’ve stopped writing. While I haven’t had any new publications in a while, writing is still a major part of my life. The writing itself has become a bit sporadic – I’m not one of those writers who can write whatever the circumstances.
Recognising this, I’ve invested in myself as a writer in other ways. We moved from London to the beautiful North East of England in late 2023 and I’ve been busy finding my ‘people’. Writing communities are the most welcoming of places and I’ve been attending workshops, performing at spoken-word nights, and networking at events like the wonderful Newcastle Writing Conference. Spotting a gap in provision for ‘almost there’ writers, I’ve started a writing group in Newcastle for experienced writers who are honing their craft and/or looking to break into the industry, in whatever way that means for them.
Lastly, I’m now one of the resident judges for the NYC Midnight creative writing competitions, which is a privilege and a pleasure. Winning the NYC Midnight Flash Fiction Challenge in 2009 was my first breakthrough in writing and set me off on this wonderful journey into the writing life. At the moment, that writing life looks a bit different, but in striking to nourish that part of my life without actually doing much writing, I’ve found opportunities and paths I might have otherwise missed.