Achieving the New Voice runner-up spot for the Oxford Flash Fiction prize in November 2023, sure put a spring in my step last year.
I'm relatively new to story telling, so I was thrilled to get validation for my efforts, The Costa Blues. It’s a short story and I’ve included a recording on this page.
To be honest, I was chuffed just to make the short list. At 65, I write more from a position of dogged pursuit, than with hope of getting published. At least I did. But now feel liberated and confident enough to call myself a fiction writer.
Creative writing can be arduous and frustrating. But those of us who craft stories from our imagination persevere, because we love the process of manipulating words and ferrying readers to new experiences.
I wish all fiction writers the same for 2024 as for myself: perseverance, inspiration and most of all, success.