A writing year in review

Blimey is that 2012 all done with already? And what a year with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and 2 sets of Olympics to cheer about. Hopefully you've had plenty to cheer about in your writing too. The Indoor Writer looks back on her writing year highlights as she starts to set out some new goals for 2013 (more in a later post):

Firsts:
April - a day out at the London Book Fair to pitch my children's novel to a publisher. Pitch was unsuccessful but a great experience (more here about surviving my day at the fair).
May - my first ever sale to a magazine. Short story sold to Fiction Feast (and published in November).
Sep - joined a local poetry group, meeting once a month, and I've started writing poetry again.
Oct - first sale to The People's Friend (my mum pretty chuffed about this).
Dec - converted a short story into a one act play. This has inspired me to consider writing a longer play and possibly a screenplay.

Wins:
April - Won a bursary place at West Country Writers' Annual Literary Weekend - a real treat and met some lovely writers. More here.
June - Steyning Festival Short Story Competition. This is the biggest win to date and I had a fabulous day with Handsome Hubby at Wiston House for prize giving ceremony and lunch. Also got to meet Simon Brett and Elly Griffiths! More on this here.
August - Won a free week plus accommodation to Swanwick Writers' Summer School. A fabulous experience, again met some great writers and some new friends. Here's a write up of the event.
Nov - Won ChocLit Summer Short Story Competition. A great prize and a tin of choccies too!

There were plenty of rejections, inevitably, but thankfully balanced by a steady sprinkle of good news. And I'm very grateful for those sprinkles as they are just what a writer needs to keep believing that somebody out there likes what you write. And that's all you can wish for...

Wishing you all a Happy New Year and much success in your writing goals for 2013!