Two game-changing things happened this month...
1) I turned 30.
2) I became a Dad!
It was an awesome, busy month! Amazingly, I did manage to fit in some writing activities amidst the many nappies.
I attended my usual Birmingham Writers’ Group meeting at the start of the month. This was my last meeting as a twentysomething and a non-parent, which felt quite significant. The group discussed my short story about a fugitive robot in Tsukiji fish market and the comments were very positive. Less than 24 hours later, I was holding my baby boy!
I turned 30 the following week. I celebrated with a pint of The Sheriff, which I hope was inspired by my novel. I also received a fantastic birthday present from my friend Donald - he composed a theme tune for The Curse of Besti Bori!
During my birthday weekend, I attended the book launch for Beelzebelle, the fifth in the comic fantasy Clovenhoof series. The launch was a lot of fun and the book is brilliant. You can read my Beelzebelle review to find out more.
Looking ahead, I don’t know what my 30s will hold. A lot of parenting, naturally, but what will it mean for my writing?
My 20s will always be the decade when I became a writer and, eventually, an author. This is mostly thanks to the Birmingham Writers’ Group, Book To The Future and NaNoWriMo. I turned 30 having self-published two novels and a short story collection. I also have a tidy author platform, a social media presence and the headline slot in the collaborative novel Circ.
However, staring into a brand new decade is a daunting prospect. What sort of writer will I be when I turn 40? Will I have an agent? Will I have a traditional publisher? Will I be able to write full-time? Or will I have given up entirely?
Anyway, my son is calling. Time to get back to those nappies!
1) I turned 30.
2) I became a Dad!
It was an awesome, busy month! Amazingly, I did manage to fit in some writing activities amidst the many nappies.
I attended my usual Birmingham Writers’ Group meeting at the start of the month. This was my last meeting as a twentysomething and a non-parent, which felt quite significant. The group discussed my short story about a fugitive robot in Tsukiji fish market and the comments were very positive. Less than 24 hours later, I was holding my baby boy!
I turned 30 the following week. I celebrated with a pint of The Sheriff, which I hope was inspired by my novel. I also received a fantastic birthday present from my friend Donald - he composed a theme tune for The Curse of Besti Bori!
During my birthday weekend, I attended the book launch for Beelzebelle, the fifth in the comic fantasy Clovenhoof series. The launch was a lot of fun and the book is brilliant. You can read my Beelzebelle review to find out more.
Looking ahead, I don’t know what my 30s will hold. A lot of parenting, naturally, but what will it mean for my writing?
My 20s will always be the decade when I became a writer and, eventually, an author. This is mostly thanks to the Birmingham Writers’ Group, Book To The Future and NaNoWriMo. I turned 30 having self-published two novels and a short story collection. I also have a tidy author platform, a social media presence and the headline slot in the collaborative novel Circ.
However, staring into a brand new decade is a daunting prospect. What sort of writer will I be when I turn 40? Will I have an agent? Will I have a traditional publisher? Will I be able to write full-time? Or will I have given up entirely?
Anyway, my son is calling. Time to get back to those nappies!