Feeling better and launched new blog ...

Am glad to report that I'm feeling much better now having finally (some 9 months down the line) had the all clear about something that came up during a routine scan on my thyroid, and sent me into a blind panic.

Being me, and it being my big five-oh next year, I am, of course, just waiting for the next thing to jump up and bite me, but - in the meantime (due, I suspect, to finally feeling that there may be a future afer all!) - I've taken a long hard look at my writing, and devised a sort of plan for how to go forwards.

The rewritten story is still with the mag that requested it, but - apart from waiting to hear what happens with that - I've decided that I was probably trying to run before I could walk, in aiming at the challenging, and highly competitive Womag market.

Apart from anything else, when I had my health probs, taking a longish book out of the library looked over-optimistic, and the (understandable) months of waiting for Womag verdicts suddenly seemed a poor use of what may have turned out to be precious time ....

So, I decided to do more Competition writing, and to get critiques, where possible, as well, so that every story I submitted would give me an opportunity to learn from my mistakes, as opposed to simply receiving a rejection slip, as is the case with the magazines.

This has proved much more rewarding, as there's a faster turn around, on most competitions, and there's always an outside chance of publication as a result of success ...

And I've learnt a huge amount, e.g. from 2 consecutive stories, sent to Writers Forum comp, both of which sadly only achieved Highly Commended, but with such detailed and insightful critiques, that I could see exactly why I 'missed the boat' as regards being placed, and could endeavour to rectify things for next time.

In the interests of learning, and practise, I've also become a distance member of a local writing club (because 'local' - in my case - is around 20 miles each way), and I've been following the excellent Tutorials on Sally Zigmond's Elephant In The Writing Room blog. As a result of these two things, I've had a story published in Dawn (the Writing Group Literary Magazine), and Sally very kindly published my story For The Love of Moo, on her blog, following my submitting it to her, as part of a writing exercise.

So, I now have a sort of strategy for continuing to write the type of stories I want to write, and, instead of feeling demoralised about them not fitting the Womag mould, I'm taking each one as a learning opportunity - and loving it.

It does raise the question, though, of 'if not Womag, then what?' because, whilst I'm happy to follow the above strategy, as a purely personal exercise, I do wonder what real publishing opportunities there are for non-Womag stories?

Because of ongoing probs with this blog (like it disappearing from time to time, or coming up with strange things on it) I've decided to launch a new blog, to pose the Womag question, and others, in the hope of maybe sparking some discussion, on alternative markets, say, and competitions. Anything really that may help all us aspiring writers to find a niche for our work.

The new blog address is http://jottingsfromthewritingpad.blogspot.com/ and it contains liks to some blogs I follow, as well as to my writing club web site.

I'd be delighted if anyone would like to join me there, and I'd also like to say a big thank you, again, to everyone who took the time and trouble to reply to my meagre postings on the Cadno blog, which really was a huge boost when I was ill :-)

Blog Hijack Scare

Am ashamed to say I haven't been on the blog for weeks. Many thanks to L'Aussie, and earlier posters, for all their comments. Still not altogether better, healthwise, and sadly I've been neglecting a lot of things, as a result, including my blog. Scary moment when trying to find it again (because of complete mental block, with the address), as had to resort to googling Cadno Blog, only to find that it appeared to have been kidnapped by someone in Sweden, I think.

All was well, though, as it turned out my blog isn't called Cadno Blog, at least, not exactly, and said swedish lady was rightfully occupying her own blog, not mine, which turned up safe and well, when I clicked on a link to me in Womag Writers.

It's hard to credit, really, that I make my living building web sites - as this blogging thing is seriously beyond me :-)

Still writing, and sending things off and getting them back again. Have been asked, though, for a rewrite, by one magazine. Consulted Della Galton's invaluable book, which said grab such a request with both hands. I therefore did, and the rewritten story's gone back again to the magazine - with the obligatory SAE in case they still can't use it

Well, it's been good to be out in blog land again. Hope everyone else out there is well, and getting lots of good results from their writing :-)

Am going to write down my blog address now, and keep it safe.

Unwell but writing is a help

Haven't been on my blog very much due to being unwell. Some ghastly virus, I hope. Always worry that it's something more.

Have some good days and some bad. Am relatively OK today. Partner has been doing so much with the animals, and cooking etc., as well as running our business, single handed, including launching bis-zone.com. He deserves a pat on the back - but I haven't the energy even to reach up and administer one (he's 6ft 5, so it'd mean being on tip toes, and I might keel over ...) Have been a bit down about how much work I'm not doing, then it hit me - I can still write, even on the sofa with my lap-top on my - er - lap, which I guess is the whole point of it (I've never actually tried to work the thing like this before, and the heat was a bit of a surprise. Thought my temp had gone up again for a minute, but it's an unlikely area for a fever ... at least, it is at my age ...)

Have managed to write a couple of stories, of dubious merit, but at least Roger can see I'm trying to be productive, in return for all he's having to do whilst I'm laid up.

It's raining hard,now, and I've got to get back from the caravan where our office, and my proper (online) computer is, to the house where I can only work on the off-line thigh-scorcher. Perhaps I shouldn't have ventured down here but it's been good to get out, and have a browse around the web. Great new posts today on the Womagblog - a real tonic.

Thanks to everyone who's come to my blog - still can't work out how people get to me but it's lovely that they do!

Am going to do my 50 yard commute home, now, through the driving rain, across a muddy farmyard - at least the traffic is never a problem on my journeys to and from the office - if I see even a single car it'll mean someone's seriously lost, and on the point of calling out the Mountain Rescue :-)

Blog Breakthrough

I think this is how I add to my blog. Try it anyway...
Am having a hard time deciding where to send my stories, (i.e. which magazines would like to look after them for a few months, then send them back). Bought some magazines, and read all the stories in them, but one was My Weekly, which is now apparently 'closed', for the 'foreseeable future' to persons like myself. This is a shame as one of my stories might have liked a spell with them ... (it enjoyed its recent sojourn at Womans Weekly, I think)
Have also been trying to work out whether stories currently entered in competitions can also be sent to magazines ... Can't find an answer to that, anywhere (but, then again, I couldn't find my own blog, again, all day today, so maybe it's me ...)
Went on the excellent Womagwriter blog again, and am coming to the conclusion that most people on it are proper writers, i.e. they regularly sell stories. Hope they don't mind my blundering around on it, looking at the info etc., which is all very useful and inspiring stuff.
Have to go and do the ponies, now, so no way I'm going to post anything off today (not with 10 mile drive to post office, as well).
Need to leave blog now - which is a shame as only just found it again ....
I wonder what will happen when I push the button ...? Hope it doesn't go somewhere it shouldn't ...

http://womagwriter.blogspot.com/

I'm trying to post something on the above URL - but I think I may be confusing a blog with a forum? I just want to say how useful the URL is, to me, as I'm new to writing and new to blogging (although, sadly, old to life). I've sent some stories to magazines, and also entered a competition, which I won, to my great surprise. I've had some rejections, all saying my stories weren't right for the markets I chose. An abject lesson in the importance of research, if ever there was one.... I've been snowed in for 2 weeks, and unable to get out to buy magazines, but - as soon as I can - I'm going to apply myself properly to putting my feet up and reading them all .... In the meantime, the Womagwriter blog has been a real inspiration, and I wanted to say thank you for it to all concerned. I just wish I could get my head round the blogging principal, so that I could enjoy it more (e.g. I saw a passing reference to somewhere to send manuscripts, for critique - but I lost it again ...) I'm going to Publish this in a minute and see where it ends up. I'm sure that - to everyone else - this is as easy as falling off a blog - but I'm genuinely in the dark ....