still here

Just a quick stop-gap post. More regular blogging will resume again soon, most likely in the next two or three days. June was a bit busy and that thing happened where I kept thinking 'I'll blog soon' but then life and other writing took priority. And I got a little bit ill with a throat infection and lost my voice for a few days, days when we had Mario's sister here and I could really have done with being able to communicate other than just nodding and/or frowning. I could whisper, but that made everything I said sound dramatic.

Writing-wise I've been working on the story that might make it to the Mslexia Children's Novel Competition if it's ready in time (Sept). Because I'm such a flighty writer, always working on a few things at once, realistically this might not happen. But I'm going to keep going with it, keep carving out the story of these characters in this place and see where it takes me.

Along with that I'm working on a few short stories and building a potential selection to send to The Scott Prize in October. And a few other things, a non-fiction idea, a comedy project. This sounds like I'm spreading myself too thin, but this is how I work. It makes seeing progress and productivity particularly difficult.

Excitingly we will have a guest with us next week in the form of Kerry Hudson who is stopping off here on Tuesday July 10th as part of her blog tour for the brilliant (I've just read it) novel 'Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice-Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma'. I will say some more words about this book soon, but right now I have to get ready for work, which is the other thing I've been doing.