Marching into March
OK, it is now May. I started this post in March, but before I knew it, May was upon me - and April must have made a brief appearance somewhere between. Anyway, this is how it was:
Not to be confused with the UK Publisher The Chicken House, Hen and Ink describes itself as a 'literary studio with pluck'. For one day only - 5th March - they had open house. Writers could submit a short pitch and the first chapter of a Middle Grade book. I have never ventured across the pond with offerings of my writing, but having read only good things about Hen and Ink, I decided to try my luck with my latest unpublished children's book.
Last month I mentioned Readers Favorite, a review site who awarded two of my children's books 5* seals. Early this month, I received a third award, this time for Martha and Mitch.
Martha is humble and unspoilt, despite living a life of utter luxury at Lottery Lodge with her (mostly absent) father and stepmother Penelope.
Mitch lives at the boys’ orphanage, a dilapidated mansion run by Ariadne Scattypants.
Neither child has any idea about the life the other is leading.
Between Lottery Lodge and the orphanage is a dense wood and it is here that a band of wild boys live. Mitch finds himself at their mercy, but somehow manages to scrabble his way out of the woods, emerging at Martha’s wonderful home.
However, here, too, things are taking a sinister turn.
Suitable for readers of 8-12
As a regular contributor to CafeLit, I hear about submission requests. In the past, I have had many 100-worders published, but this month, for the first time, I sent a longer story.
On 9th March, 'Lucky Jim' appeared on the blogspot.
It is one of the stories from my collection Peace and Disquiet.
I also did an Author Interview with Gill James, editor and publisher, who heads up CafeLit.
It's always interesting to hear about writers' journeys, I think. I hope you enjoy reading about mine.
On the evening of Friday 9th, just before my weekend visitors arrived, I wrote a 3000-word story for the BBC Short Story Competition. I had left it so late as I hadn't thought myself eligible. I re-read the entry requirements and realised I was. Entrants had to have a record of recognised publication. The entry form probably took as long as the story to complete! As proof of magazine publication, you need an ISSN number, which is similar to an ISBN. You need to look this up. I also had to give precise details of dates of publication. In some instances, I only had the Issue number of a magazine and the words 'Spring edition' or 'Winter Edition'. I was able to find an email sent by the editor of one where the phrase 'will go into print on Monday' were included. I was able to work out the date from that. Another, I had to guess!
The image for this month's Visual Verse was comic - a pair of wind-up dentures clamping down on a stick. I wrote a frivolous ditty and it was published. You can read it here. It also appears on the 'Fun Times' tab.
A bit later in the month, I received another Readers' Favorite award - this time for Charlie Chumpkins
Imagine Sam's shock when he discovers that a tiny, old-fashioned gentleman – Charlie Chumpkins – has been living under his bed for some time – and imagine, too, the problem of keeping his little friend a secret. Enjoy the big adventures of miniature Charlie as he gets himself caught up in calamity after calamity…
I also had a lovely review for Charlie Chumpkins from Parents in Touch:
CHARLIE CHUMPKINS BY HELEN LAYCOCK
Initially, Sam is just an ordinary boy, enjoying the normal events in life that make up childhood... but they are given a magical twist when he discovers, beneath his bed, a tiny, old-fashioned gentleman, Charlie Chumpkins. Sam has to keep Charlie a secret but that proves to be quite a challenge as one mishap after another occurs as Charlie becomes an integral part of Sam's life. The story is excellently told, the characters are well-written and the accounts of Sam's daily life full of humour yet grounded in reality. Charlie adds a fascinating dimension to Sam's life which lifts it from the ordinary and makes for a great read.
It was a busy month...
I entered the Micro-Fiction category of the National Flash Fiction Competition with three pieces (it was free to enter);
I subbed 'A Friend Like Andy' to four agents;
I entered the Harper's Bazaar short story competition where the theme was 'The Looking Glass'.
Also, having recently entered a competition for a short story for children, the organisers - Kickback Media - asked for my profile and for a bit more about my story idea.
