Last year I had a successful run of submissions resulting in two prizes and a paid publication: We Three Kings (WestWords Living Stories Competition), Cutting Through (Blacktown Mayoral Creative Writing Prize) and The Diving Tower (The School Magazine)
This year has had similar success: an acceptance for a multidisciplnary exhibition (unpaid), The Flight of the Jellyfish (Mounted ARI Luft Exhibition – October 2023) and a Highly Commended for a children’s short story competition, A Shoebox of Silkworms (About Kids Books Short Story Prize).
There was some lovely feedback from the judges: This is a gentle story that is well written. It cleverly parallels the changing stages of a silkworm, to the changes about to be experienced by young girls as they move from primary to high school. The technical aspects of the story are handled well and made easy to understand, except in one case, where the word ‘mandibles’ was used without explanation.
Which also goes to show I have a lot to learn about writing for children.
I was also asked to present a series of creative writing workshops for WestWords as part of their Living Stories Competition, The Other City.
About Kids Books Short Story Prize – you can read the winning entries HERE
What does all this mean?
It may not be the accolades or monetary success of last year but it is proof of creative life, having written stories, polished them and submitted them (I have two stories out in the world at the moment). These are the little wins.
The latter half of this year will be devoted to the completion of The JAR Story with Rus and Jodi. This will be a big win when it is released. I need to get writing.
A Fullness in Brevity - Adam Byatt 