Writing Successes...
Getting work out there...
It's not easy getting your first work accepted. I always say it took five years to reach the start line when my first short story was published. It is, like anything else, a skill that needs to be honed and developed. But without fail, the writers who make it are the ones who refused give up. So keep at it!
Below is a list of my successes: proof that tenacity and the desire to be better, is the key to success! It's not just me showing off! Honest! Or maybe just a bit ;)
Always believe....
Short listed in the Readerjack.com short story competition 2008 with In Shadow
Short story Jigsaw published in Bridge House Publishing's first short story collection, Making Changes, published November 2008 (before I worked for them!)
Short Story The Red Queen published in In The Shadow of the Red Queen, Bridge House Publishing, May 2009
Short Story Before the Cock Crows published in Disasters and Miracles, Bridge House Publishing, June 2009
Short listed in Mslexia short story competition, January 2010, with story Email to God
WINNER of the Daily Post Short Story Competition with my story Coming Home in January 2010 (Read here)
Short story Folding Paper included in 100 Stories for Haiti with writers from all over the world – profits to the Haiti Earthquake appeal, March 2010
Short story I Am Wolf published in Gentle Footprints, Bridge House Publishing, June 2010
WINNER of the Sunpenny Publishing Short Story Competition 2010
Short listed in the Aeon International Short Story Award 2010 short story Mirror Image made the final 24.
Two short stories, Living By Numbers and Stepping into Silence, published in collection by American Indie press Rattlesnake Valley Publishing, 2010
Short story Graffiti was a runner-up in the Chapter One Promotions 2010
Short Story Competition published in anthology Graft
Short story, Lines in the Sand, published in Twelve Days anthology, Bridge House Publishing, January 2011
Highly commended in the Frome Festival Short Story Competition, July 2011
Runner-up with story, Snapshots, in the Fine Line Short Story Competition July 2011—story published November 2011 in Even Birds Are Chained to the Sky
Short story for young adults Things That Go Blog in the Night published in the Bridge House Publishing Devils, Demons and Werewolves collection, October 2011
Short story Fallen in the Bridge House Publishing Voices of Angels Collection, November 2011
Long listed in the Fish Short Story Prize, March 2011 with short story, Snapshots
Short listed in the Mslexia Short Story Competition, March 2011 with story Looking for Graceland
Short listed in the Fish Short Story Prize in March 2012 with Rush Hour
...in your dreams
Short story The Theory Of Circles published in Unthanks Books Unthology 3, nominated for the prestigious US Pushcart Prize 2013 by the publisher,
November 2012 Short story When The Wind Changes in Chuffled Buff Books, You, Me & a Bit of We anthology, November 2012
WINNER of the Bath Short Story Award 2013 with short story Learning to Fly published in Winner's Anthology 2014
Short listed in the Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2013 with short story Chutney
Short story Rush Hour published in Lakeview Literary journal, August 2013
Novel While No One Was Watching published by Parthian Books in November 2013
Flash fiction The Answer published in The Best of CafeLit 3. November 2014
Short story Open Windows published in Unthank Books Unthology 7 Spring, 2015
Short Story Sick Note published in The Best of CafeLit 4 December 2015
Short story Rats in the Attic short listed in Carried in Waves Short Story Competition, recorded for radio in 2016
Short Story We Went There long listed in the Fish Short Story Prize, 2016
Short Story Thinking in Circles awarded runner-up in Book-A- Break competition, published in collection, March 2017
Short Story We Went There awarded third place in Leicester Writes Short Story Prize, published in collection, May 2017
Short Story Where Energy Goes awarded runner-up in Limnisa Writing Competition, May 2017
Short Story Graffiti published in Tales from the Upper Room, Bridge House Publishing, November 2017
Long Short Story Boarding House published in Citizens of Nowhere, Bridge House Publishing, December, 2017
Short story Paper Chains second place in Leicester Writes Short Story Prize, published in collection, May 2018
Short Story Four Minutes in April winner of City Writes Short Story Competition, December 2018
Short Story Collection Because Sometimes Something Extraordinary Happens published by Bridge House Publishing, June 2019
Short Story Finding Lunar Harper shortlisted in the Short Fiction University of Essex Short Story Prize, May 2020
Short Story Looking for Graceland published in The Best of CafeLit 9 by Bridge House publishing, November, 2020