More Competition Perks

As you all, no doubt know, and are probably sick of hearing, my novel was shortlisted for the Mslexia prize, and, with that accolade comes a series of opportunities.

I’m a great one for opportunities; I’m forever telling people to strike while the iron’s hot. It’s words exactly like those, spilling enthusiastically from my mouth that resulted in my lovely nephew signing up to climb Everest; he’s off in a couple of weeks, as a matter of fact. 

I’m a great one for enthusing, so, when the lovely people at Mslexia, in conjunction with the lovely people at New Writing North, invited me to a networking party in London this summer to introduce me, and a number of other writers, to a bevy of agents and editors, I was thrilled.

I now have an agent, of course, but being a runner-up for the Mslexia enthused me into setting up a little network with the other writers on that shortlist, and starting a community blog, called “The Full Nine Yarns”, with them; just one more example of me grabbing the bull by the horns, I suppose.

I do not know these women well, and have not met any of them, although I have exchanged e-mails with them, and have friended some on FaceBook, too, so this networking party seemed like the perfect opportunity for us all to get together in one place.

Before attending the networking party, I must first travel to Newcastle for a seminar. Newcastle is a beautiful city, and I haven’t been for ages. I have friends in Durham, whom I owe a visit, and, I get to sit in a seminar and learn something, which might just stand me in good stead in life as well as at networking parties. 

I’m going to take a good, long look at my schedule and do my best to fit this in, because opportunity doesn’t knock as often as it might, and just for once, I feel like I’m being offered something really worthwhile, on a plate. I’m being given the best chance of exploiting the toe-hold that being shortlisted for the Mslexia has given me on the ladder to becoming a published writer, and I plan to take it.