A Writers's year

Last year was busy on the writing front.  The year started with me attending the annual Dunford Novelists' weekend in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England.  it's a hard work weekend, but I've been for several years so it's also a meet up with old writing friends,

February saw me being an honorary Dame on a panel of Deadly Dames at Purbeck Literary Festival.  It was a lovely day, and a fun afternoon with more writing friends.  And I got to sell a book too.

In May I travelled up to London to listen to the Women in Science Fiction panel at Blackwell's Bookshop on Charing Cross Road.  Those women were mainstream published authors, and they were all saying how hard it is for women in the SF genre.  That was a light-bulb moment for me.  The problem wasn't my writing, it was the  lack of acceptance of women's stories.  In June I went on a writers' retreat with fellow Pentangle Press authors Carol Westron and Chris Hammacott.  July saw me publishing Panthera : Death Song, my second Panthera book.

August saw me setting out my stall at the Meet the Authors event at Selsey Festival.  But the big event of August was the World Science Fiction Convention, Loncon 3.  I spoke on a panel, had my work critiqued by other SF writers, was fabulously entertained by the huge Worldcon Philharmonic Orchestra, and watched the Hugo award for Best Novel go to a woman, Anne Leckie.

September saw me teaming up with Carol Westrol and Chris Hammacott to deliver a workshop on self publishing.  In September I also became Chairwoman of Havant and District Writers' Circle, with Carol Westron as the Secretary.  My involvement in the Circle goes back 30 years, and It was good to return and revitalise it for a new batch of eager writers.

October brought the Havant Literary Festival, for which I delivered a workshop on Writing Science Fiction.  I also attended the Dunford Novelists' manuscript reading day and got great feedback on chapter one of my rewritten novel Jade.  In November Pentangle Press went on a second retreat.

December saw me at Catherine King's book launch.  Afternoon tea, and great gossip with writer friends.  I went to the RNA Christmas lunch with Eileen Robertson and Carol Westron.  I also celebrated Christmas with a meal with Pentangle Press and writer friends Richard and Helen Salsbury.

Until I wrote this review I didn't realise I'd achieved so much this year.  Here's hoping that next year will be as productive, and as much fun.  Now it's on to reading through the final draft of Panthera : Death Plain, for publication before Easter.