All at sea

On Saturday, P&O's newest ferry, Spirit of France arrived in Dover. Here's a picture of me parking her up.*

We're always told to write what we know, so it seems a good plan to know as much stuff as possible. Any minute now I might find a competition for a story set on the bridge of a ferry and this research will be put to good use. If I make it a short crossing, I might fit it into this competition or maybe I could write about people travelling home for the holidays and submit the story here?

*Actually, despite my having a dayglow jacket complete with P&O logo and adopting my most reassuring smile, they didn't let me do that. Weird, eh?

My blog (amongst many others) has been nominated for an award. Do vote for all your favourites - multiple voting is allowed and there are some very worthy nominees.

In case you're wondering if you should vote for me, remember that I post links for publication opportunities, and short story competitions and poetry competitions and help with your writing and book giveaways and of course, regular chances to win a kindle or something to read on one.

Contrarian

On the wall by my desk I have a whiteboard. On the board are important notes held on with magnets, a few souvenirs and suggestions for Wednesday's Word of the Week. Gary added 'contrarian'. I couldn't find it in any of our dictionaries.

Eventually I was able to confirm his definition is correct. A contrarian is a person who argues against the views of the majority.

As I said, he's completely forgiven me for yesterday's roundabout thing and won't be seeking any seaspray and cold wind based revenge this weekend. Whilst I'm indulging in fantasy, how about winning $500 in this competition?

Playing about

I had another photography lesson today - how to show speed by blurring the action. Poor Gary was very dizzy by the time I got the hang of it!

For a different type of play, click here. You need to complete a scene in 600 words. The prize package is impressive and includes an Experience Day with the Complete RSC, the complete works of William Shakespeare, a paper weight, and tickets to The Heresy of Love at The Swan Theatre, Stratford upon Avon.

A Dog's Life

Want to get your paws on $500? (Not to be Spitz at - Chihuahua earn so much from one tail?) Then have a go at this competition. (Maker sure you saver the details so you can Retreiver them later or I'll Setter you down and Boxer your ears*)

May the luck of St Bernard be with you for this one! (Hope I don't Borzoi you with my Terrier puns?)

*Try to imagine that in an Italian accent.



Here's a picture of my dog. (Yes, he's imaginary. I'm not so barking I hadn't noticed.)

How sweet

Oscar has awarded me the Irresistibly Sweet Blog Award (he probably made that decision before reading my last post) Oscar blogs about writing, especially writing about Westerns.

I'm supposed to tell you 7 things you might not already know about me. 
1. My favourite flowers are snowdrops (that's true in January - next month it'll be aconites and crocus)
2. My favourite food is ... pretty much anything without anchovies and avocado.
3. I'm getting married this year (come on, there might be a few people who didn't already know that)
4. All my writing is done on a laptop (click here to win yourself one)
5. I'm totally rubbish at absolutely all sport (if you're sporty, or can write as though you are, try this)
6. I like going on holiday (OK, that one's no surprise, but it does give an excuse to mention this)
7. Nothing I write ever seems to come out the length I expect it to.

I also have to pass this award along to deserving recipients who, if they accept, are asked to link back here, tell us 7 things and pass the blog along to others. My nominations are -

Diane Fordham   Della Galton  Teresa Ashby  Maggie May  Petra McQueen  Linda Grimes

Frances Garrood  Grace Galton  Suzy Jones  Rosemary Gemmell and JJ Cocker oh dear, that's already more than I was supposed to pick and there are still so many other blogs that deserve this award.

Exposition, baby!

Word of the week is exposition. This noun variously means; a careful setting out of the facts, an exhibition or a section of music where the main themes are presented. Seems a useful thing for a writer, although maybe it shouldn't be as noticeable as Basil in the Austen Powers' films.

Here's a groovy poetry competition for you to enter. Yeah! This one looks smashing - maybe you could do both at once?

Fancy getting your hands on a  small battery powered object that'll give you hours of pleasure? (Oooh, behave!) And here's something a bit bigger!

On a more serious note, I have a mission for you. Write a story for narrative nipple - a cause I'm sure Austin would approve of.

You want more? Well OK, but if you carry on like that, I'll have to spank you!

So far so good

I'm having a pretty good writing year so far. The policy I implemented towards the end of last year, of actually having a go at the competitions and opportunities I blog about, is paying off. I've had a couple of acceptances, including one with Take A break, written a fair few new works and signed up for interesting events.

I also  have a story published here. They're still open to submissions (as are Waterhouse Review where this story was first published)

Here's a chance to win a rather weird looking book, here's a short story competition with a £15,000 prize and here's one for poetry (there are several other writing competitions on the site, but I think they're for members only)

Want an agent?

If you do, then 'all' you need do is win this competition. Diane Banks will the represent you for a year. A great prize and I'd love to enter, but it's only open to unpublished writers.

Darn.

I'll try and console myself with the thought it's nearly spring.