Upcoming publication: Old Oak & The Maiden

Wow, two acceptances this month! I'm thrilled that Old Oak & The Maiden has been accepted for publication in Scheherezade's Bequest! This really is so exciting for me: when I began writing and attempting to get my stories published two years ago, one of the first submissions I made was to SB. It was, unsurprisingly, rejected. And now, to have a story accepted by them...it's something I can clearly measure my success against, you know?

I'm always disappointed that as someone who wants to use words to make a living, I never find the right ones to express myself properly when I'm overexcited!

Anyway...it will be published (in print!) in Spring 2013.

I posted an excerpt on a previous blog post, which you can read here if you're interested...

When real life has a well balanced plot

Everyone always says books and films are nothing like real life, because for one reason or another, they're not believable. Somehow my life has been the opposite: several situations I've experienced have been so unique, so random, so hilarious or so well-ordered that it just wouldn't seem credible, even in a book or a film! 

Today I had one of those moments. I went into university for the last time (in theory) to finalise details regarding my transfer, and the girl who helped me out was very familiar...she helped me with everything I needed, then said goodbye and wished me luck with the Open University. As I began cycling home, it dawned on me why I recognised her...

When I first came to visit the university 3 years ago, she was the student giving my group the tour.

When I joined the university last year, she registered me.

When I went to visit my academic advisor, she was in the queue to see him as well.

And now, I guess she graduated and stayed to work there.

She was the person to welcome me, and the person to say goodbye to me.

How strange, that the story of my time with Sussex has been balanced like a good plot by the presence of one person. If I ever doubt that I'm doing good in the world, making a difference or simply making the most of my time, it'll be worth remembering that making a mark can be a very subtle thing, something we might not even be aware of ourselves...

Upcoming publication: Goodnight, sweet lady

Remember the story I wrote that messed with my head, because I couldn't stop thinking in blank verse? Well I just found out that Goodnight, sweet lady has been accepted for publication in the upcoming issue of Mirror Dance, which is showcasing blends of poetry and prose! I'm so excited! 

And it couldn't have come at a better time - the motivational kick this kind of news provides is exactly what I need as I get to grips with all these changes in my life. I'm always amazed at how little set backs can knock you down gradually, almost without noticing, and then one piece of good news can shoot you straight back up. I wasn't even aware of how doubtful I was feeling about my writing, but now that I think about it, I was beginning to feel afraid precisely because I was committing to spend more time on it...and I was afraid of failing. 

I'm going to write as much as I can while I'm riding this wave - a surprise bout of confidence isn't something to waste!

'Nixie' by littletreesprout @ dA
(the picture is a clue to the other characters in the story...!)

Feature: My Brain Orgasm

Today I'd like to feature Jess Squires, a very good friend of mine, whose short book, My Brain Orgasm, has just been released in paperback after a successful stint as an e-book from Amazon.

This is my Amazon comment on the book:

This book is an honest and thought provoking read. I've never come across anything like 'real time psychosis' before, but it was gripping - it's not very long but it flows so naturally that I couldn't put it down.Unusually for a book it contains short hand elements (e.g. 'u' for 'you') and this adds to the real-time feeling and gives a sense that the author had so much to say, it just had to come out as quickly as possible.
What I did not expect was for it to be so beautiful. There is a feeling of euphoria and just pure happiness when the author arrives at her own conclusions and understandings about god and religion.
I think there's generally a lack of public awareness about mental health issues, its a bit of a hush-hush issue (in this country at least) and although there are people and organisations working to change perceptions, there is still a lot of stigma attached. That being said, it is works like this from brave people who are willing to share such a personal experience that will help.

She received her copy of the paperback today and it was so exhilarating to hold it and flick through - I felt so honoured to share that feeling of excitement with her.

If you're at all interested in mental health and want to read something truly unique, then please have a look at this book! For more books about mental health, Jess' publisher deals specifically with books about mental health, and by people who live with mental illness.

Red Riding Hood dances with the wolf

A bit of fairy tale fun on Strictly Come Dancing this week...

The judges mentioned beauty and the beast in their comments as well, and I'd never considered the two together, but I suppose there's a link in the sexual connotations with girl and animal?

Why the newest fairy tale magazine might reignite Britain's folk heritage

...Unsettling Wonder was officially launched at the beginning of the month - click the logo to explore the website!

If you follow any of the blogs I link to on my sidebar, then chances are this won't be news for you! But in case you missed the deluge of blog posts last week, here is a bit of information from the website:

Unsettling Wonder is about going back to...that troubling, entrancing glimpse into story. Childhood affords us the first glimpse, but it is by no means the last. And the oldest stories—the fairy tales we met in childhood, the folklore and folk traditions that gave rise to them—can still be woven together for telling today. We want embrace [sic] and celebrate, re-imagine and re-invent, our folk traditions, the wild and variegated scrapheap of story and theme and motif that lies open to the magpie gaze of the writer.

But why do I think Unsettling Wonder could 'reignite Britain's folk heritage'? 

After having a look around the site I was struck by a couple of things: firstly, of the five members of staff listed, four of them have strong links to Britain, particularly to Scotland. Secondly, in the 'about' section of the website, which provides a type of mission statement for the magazine, we can read that the magazine wants to tell the tales of 'Woods and princes, elves and fools, voyages and rolling cheeses, tricksters and righteous sages, kings dressed as beggars, stories told by thieves.' Rolling cheeses? Now, that's not something I've ever seen mentioned specifically before by a fairy tale magazine! Cheese rolling is an ancient - and possibly pagan - British tradition that is still celebrated today in the Cotswolds. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I have never heard of such an event happening elsewhere in the world.

Does the British folk and fairy tale need a renaissance?

Maybe. Maybe not. I think when most people think of the British fairy tale, chances are they'll be thinking of the works of Victorian writers who, for all their moralising, produced great works and great names that stay with us: Andrew Lang, Charles Kingsley, Christina Rossetti...What I personally love is the slightly blurred boundaries between folk tales and fairy tales that occur: Victorians wrote moral versions of familiar fairy tales, but also incorporated that moral tone into stories of fairies, sprites and all the other mischievous little folk whose legends litter our countryside. Kingsley's The Water-Babies is an example of this, yet it is still called a fairy tale.

And things seem to have been a bit quiet since then (although perhaps the passing of time will make it easier to see otherwise...) Fantasy is something that Britain has always done well, in short stories and novels, but I'm not aware of any rejuvenated fairy tales that have had much impact. American writers seem particularly good at producing the 'modern' fairy tale set in, say, a desert or a high school. But I haven't seen many British writers take the fairy tale in that direction - perhaps we are struggling to move on from the unique blend the Victorians produced for us? A lot of fairy tale magazines/ezines seem to be based in America and have American editors too.

I don't know. I'm just speculating, and I won't pretend I've spent hours and hours researching this - I am basing this purely on my own observations (so criticise me, agree with me, attack me - lets debate this!) But perhaps Unsettling Wonder will allow British writers to shake off the dust covering their tomes of folk and fairy tales, and re-explore a land left behind long ago, creating new footprints in the dust...

Let nature be your teacher

Ah, I feel the shift! The leaves have begun to change colour, the temperature has dropped, and the first crisp chills have started to hang in the morning air...

by IgnisFatuusll @ dA

I'm sure I say it every year, and with every change in season...but I feel as though I must carry on sharing this feeling, because it is just too uplifting and inspiring to contain! I want to be out connecting with nature and finding inspiration in the wild places! I want to find a way to capture all the feelings of autumn in words! I love the way everything is on fire, and yet it can be so cold...it's magical!
Each year my birthday becomes more and more entwined with celebrating the first day of autumn, as I can welcome in the new season along with a new year of my life. Perhaps that explains why autumn is my favourite season - I'm an autumn baby!

As I am struggling to express all my crazy nature-loving feelings, and as I am using far too many exclamation marks in proportion to the number of words on the page, I've included a poem by William Wordsworth who, as always, says it best...

THE TABLES TURNED

AN EVENING SCENE ON THE SAME SUBJECT

        UP! up! my Friend, and quit your books;
          Or surely you'll grow double:
          Up! up! my Friend, and clear your looks;
          Why all this toil and trouble?

          The sun, above the mountain's head,
          A freshening lustre mellow
          Through all the long green fields has spread,
          His first sweet evening yellow.

          Books! 'tis a dull and endless strife:
          Come, hear the woodland linnet,                             
          How sweet his music! on my life,
          There's more of wisdom in it.

          And hark! how blithe the throstle sings!
          He, too, is no mean preacher:
          Come forth into the light of things,
          Let Nature be your teacher.

          She has a world of ready wealth,
          Our minds and hearts to bless--
          Spontaneous wisdom breathed by health,
          Truth breathed by cheerfulness.                             

          One impulse from a vernal wood
          May teach you more of man,
          Of moral evil and of good,
          Than all the sages can.

          Sweet is the lore which Nature brings;
          Our meddling intellect
          Mis-shapes the beauteous forms of things:--
          We murder to dissect.

          Enough of Science and of Art;
          Close up those barren leaves;                               
          Come forth, and bring with you a heart
          That watches and receives.