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YOUR MSLEXIA MSLEXIA YOUR MSLEXIA letters, posts, emails, tweets WIN A FEW, LOSE A FEW I’ve been shortlisted for the last three years in your Short Story Competition. This encouragement is really important to me, as I have a rather odd writing voice. I thought you’d like to know that I went on to win the Ink Tears Flash Fiction competition and have just won second prize in the Bridport Prize. The story I sent you this year was broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 from the Bath Festival of Literature. Thank you. Kerry Hood, Bristol Thrilled that my novel manuscript is on the Mslexia prize longlist. Also, yesterday I accidentally set pumpkin alight. The fates are fickle. Jane Healey via Twitter £1,000 TO SPEND... A £1,000 donation to support poetry! I’d suggest a ‘Poem on a Postcard’ to supplement other poetry spaces in Mslexia, with a payment of £50. Katherine Gallagher, N London What about a competition for a course, mentoring from a well-known poet, or a festival pass and accommodation? Joanne Barrett, N London DEAR DIARY I just sent a Mslexia diary as a birthday present to a young woman friend who is starting out as a writer. Here is her response: ‘Thank you so much. My beautiful Mslexia Writer’s Diary arrived today. It sent quite a tingle down my spine when I opened it. Now I just have to get on with being a woman writer!’ Zoe Fairbairns, S London AGE-DEFYING Francesca Armour-Chelu reports that she attended an open day for the UEA Creative Writing MA and was told ‘they mainly took people no older than 30’. This simply isn’t the case. The average age of our students is precisely 30 and we encourage applicants of this age and older. Half our students come from overseas, two thirds are female. Several students this year are in their 40s or 50s. Andrew Cowan, Director of Creative Writing, UEA GRATING EXPECTATIONS Caroline Sanderson’s complaint about people she’s just met expecting her to be a novelist struck a real chord. No one I meet understands what ‘popular reference’ is. What they’ll say when I tell them I’ve branched out into ‘narrative travel with recipes’ is anyone’s guess. Caroline Taggart, London Yay for Caroline Sanderson. I’m a nonfiction author too and I’ve always been uncomfortable with the term. I wouldn’t call myself a non-man. My first book has been struggling to get traditional media coverage. ‘A memoir by a non-famous person, by a woman, on women’s issues and mental health? You must Be mad... Oh hold on...’ But I’m getting a nice buzz on Facebook. Thanks Caroline. Jen Wight, Sydney, Australia ▶Womencartooniststhroughtheages 1989ANN MCCARTHY ‘visual puns meticulously drawn in detailed pen work’ Letter: PO Box 656, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1PZ Email: postbag@ mslexia.co.uk Message: facebook.com/ mslexia Tweet: twitter.com/ mslexia Comment: mslexia. co.uk/blog or follow the links from www.mslexia. co.uk Rant When the bailiffs come (alone or in packs, to ask for our DVD-players) the bank charge waits. When the funeral, the wedding, you nodding your head and smiling at people you don’t remember, with just enough money for a sandwich at Victoria. Then. Then the bank charge will strike. And when grandmothers hit children and fathers extinguish cigarettes in duck-ponds, yes, remember, they’ve had a bank charge too. ALICE ASH, Brighton Rave Top of my bucket list: stand-up comedy. Not watching; performing. I’ve banged on about it for years and finally a friend signed me up to a course for my 80th birthday. Over six weeks I fluctuated between debilitating insecurity and intense euphoria. I’ve found making people laugh is one of the most rewarding and cathartic experiences. It’s exposing yourself and it’s terrifying. Everyone should give it a try. EDITH TUNNOCK, Gloucestershire ◀ Send your Rants or Raves to submissions@ mslexia.co.uk 4 Dec/Jan/Feb 2013/14 NEW YORKER, 27 NOVEMBER 1989, CARTOONBANK.COM PROCRASTINATION Was browsing through Mslexia when I paused and wondered whether I was procrastinating? Then I read Lesley Thomson’s ‘When it went horribly wrong’, and with a shiver of horror sent my almost-finished novel scuttling through cyberspace to my husband – and I knew how useful my browsing had been. Judy Deveson, Milton Keynes Been standing in the hall for 10 minutes still in my coat, leaning on the hall table reading. Why? Cos Mslexia was on the doormat. Anna Sayburn via Twitter My rule is to write from 11.00, so when I came in an hour ago from walking the dogs I was already late. But I just had to try on a new t-shirt (perfect). Then I made coffee (obviously), took a few pictures of the dogs asleep on the garden bench, made more coffee, made toast, took Mslexia out of its plastic wrapping and sniffed the paper. I’ll add Marmite to the toast, knock back the coffee and then, honestly, I’ll knuckle down. Colette Hill, Bridport Mslexia’s little ms newsletter is a treasure trove! Has stopped me writing for 30 mins now, but worth it… Kat Dawes via Twitter TRUE GIFT When experiencing trauma, the ability to express our inmost thoughts and distress is a gift. Unburdening ourselves, understanding our feelings, and writing them out can be
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MSLEXIA YOUR MSLEXIA from the mslexia blog Cooking the books Laura’s cooking a book (seriously), Rachel’s playing romance Top Trumps, Sarah’s crowdfunding a children’s picture book, and Rebecca’s back to rhapsodise about the smell of fresh print. To join in, visit www.mslexia. co.uk/blog ...when I was about 17, I attempted to write a Mills & Boon novel. Why? I wasn’t exactly interested in romantic fiction, the sum total of my background reading being Bridget Jones’ Diary and five Mills & Boon romances. I wasn’t all that interested in writing either. But my auntie mentioned that Mills & Boon writers can earn up to £30,000 per book and my eyes lit up with pound signs… Rachel ...I just wanted to drop you a line as I’m the Editor of our commercial mass-market romantic fiction list here at Mills & Boon, and I’d be happy to chat about what we look for in single title romantic fiction (the kind of romantic chick lit books you’d see in your local bookshop)... Anna Baggaley, Mills & Boon ...We could only afford to pay our very talented illustrator Katie Green a small advance, but we needed her to work on the book full-time so it would be ready for Christmas. So we launched a crowd-funding campaign, and found 94 followers who invested in Katie and the book, in return for the book, gifts, and regular and utterly fascinating updates...
 Sarah I cook in a tiny kitchen with a wood stove, a slow cooker and two electric hot plates. That means I need a clear workspace, because any clutter will hold me up. While I clear and arrange my tools, I think about how I want my creation to take form. I check my cupboards to see what ingredients I have, if I have enough of everything and, of course, enough time. The same goes for writing... Laura ...In book three I’m sailing down the Aegean in a xebec with my historical character Kelley, while in the contemporary strand Felix is finally starting to understand what being a revenant really means. Much as I loved my old job as a psychologist, making people up is so much fun... Rebecca For the story, I’ve taken a title from a random title generator: The Women of Tragic Hearts. I want it to be about a restaurant owner and her recentlysurfaced old friend, who cook a meal together and how the evening changes their lives... Laura One tweet = 140 characters including spaces. You don’t have to be on Twitter to send your week to submissions@ mslexia.co.uk A WEEK OF TWEETS Monday The sun is out after two weeks of rain. Looking forward to #TheArtofHealing poetry course with #WarsanShire. Tuesday Just re-read the #Mslexia winning poem by #AngelaReadman – startling images and unusual diction. A land-sea interface. Wednesday 9-y-o told me over breakfast that he is studying performance poetry over the next few weeks – what a great school. Thursday Woke with head full of cold. Feel stymied after last night’s progress with #SimonArmitage-inspired metaphor poem. Bare bones are there tho. Friday Put on winter coat today – awful smell from pocket, timidly put hand inside only to discover pkt of something that might once have been Oreos. Saturday When does it feel good to get a rejection? When it’s the shortlist e-mail for the #Bridport – top 100 out of 7700. Congrats all. Sunday Still can’t believe Bridport shortlist. Feel more inspired than ever. Back on track with metaphor poem. ELISABETH SENNITT CLOUGH is a poet and mother of three young children. Her poems have been published in the UK and the US. She is working on her first collection, titled At or Below Sea Level. therapeutic and revelatory. Whether or not it fits into narrowly prescribed ideas of what should be published is secondary. The value is in the act and process. Don’t diss yourself Camilla! What you have to say is valid and worthwhile. Rosemary Orme, Cornwall LITTLEMS Sorry to be dumb but do I automatically get little ms if I subscribe to Mslexia? And can we have a porcupine vid every time please? Pat Borthwick, York Yes, our little ms supplement is part of your subscription and is FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. (There will be a much-truncated version for civilians soon, just to give ’em a wee sniff of what they’re missing.) DT Please no more cute animals. I’ve eradicated them from my Facebook page using judicious pruning of ‘friends’, and have no wish to see them in emails about writing. Linda Joy, Llandysul, Wales I’ve subscribed to Mslexia for years and found it very motivating and stimulating, but it’s easy to push it aside because the day job has to take precedence. Then this wonderful nugget of little ms with its smart format drops into my iPad as I’m sitting in the French sunshine, and I know all of a sudden that it’s time to get back to my writing. Nicola Gadsby, Cheltenham I don’t like online reading and yet... you have prompted me to order my Diary (done), directed me to various other snippets (done and read) and reminded me that I have a haiku to finish and send. Keep sending these and I could be converted! Lyn Greenwood, Henley-on-Thames NEXT GUEST BLOGS Be our guest We commission a new blogger each month. For details, visit www.mslexia. co.uk/submit ■ ALISON CLAYTON-SMITH has recently found the time (and confidence) to begin her novel, following a diagnosis of fibromyalgia, a chronic condition resulting in exhaustion and pain. From December, Alison will blog about the challenges of writing with this condition, and about ecopsychology, the relationship between humans and the natural world. ■ HANNAH CUNDALE is addicted to social media, like many of us (see our survey results!). But how productive could we be if we didn’t use Facebook or Twitter? From January, Hannah will find out for us, by going cold turkey on social media and devoting all of the time she saves to her writing. Let’s see how far she gets. ■ JACKIE DINNIS is researching her family tree, specifically the branches relating to her paternal godparents. From February she’ll be blogging about what she discovers, how she builds up a picture of their lives, and attempts to publish her findings in ancestry magazines. She’ll also show how this kind of research can provide foundations for fiction and memoir. Dec/Jan/Feb 2013/14 5

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YOUR MSLEXIA MSLEXIA

YOUR MSLEXIA

letters, posts, emails, tweets

WIN A FEW, LOSE A FEW I’ve been shortlisted for the last three years in your Short Story Competition. This encouragement is really important to me, as I have a rather odd writing voice. I thought you’d like to know that I went on to win the Ink Tears Flash Fiction competition and have just won second prize in the Bridport Prize. The story I sent you this year was broadcast live on BBC Radio 4 from the Bath Festival of Literature. Thank you. Kerry Hood, Bristol

Thrilled that my novel manuscript is on the Mslexia prize longlist. Also, yesterday I accidentally set pumpkin alight. The fates are fickle. Jane Healey via Twitter £1,000 TO SPEND... A £1,000 donation to support poetry! I’d suggest a ‘Poem on a Postcard’ to supplement other poetry spaces in Mslexia, with a payment of £50. Katherine Gallagher, N London

What about a competition for a course, mentoring from a well-known poet, or a festival pass and accommodation? Joanne Barrett, N London

DEAR DIARY I just sent a Mslexia diary as a birthday present to a young woman friend who is starting out as a writer. Here is her response: ‘Thank you so much. My beautiful Mslexia Writer’s Diary arrived today. It sent quite a tingle down my spine when I opened it. Now I just have to get on with being a woman writer!’ Zoe Fairbairns, S London

AGE-DEFYING Francesca Armour-Chelu reports that she attended an open day for the UEA Creative Writing MA and was told ‘they mainly took people no older than 30’. This simply isn’t the case. The average age of our students is precisely 30 and we encourage applicants of this age and older. Half our students come from overseas, two thirds are female. Several students this year are in their 40s or 50s. Andrew Cowan, Director of Creative Writing, UEA

GRATING EXPECTATIONS Caroline Sanderson’s complaint about people she’s just met expecting her to be a novelist struck a real chord. No one I meet understands what ‘popular reference’ is. What they’ll say when I tell them I’ve branched out into ‘narrative travel with recipes’ is anyone’s guess. Caroline Taggart, London

Yay for Caroline Sanderson. I’m a nonfiction author too and I’ve always been uncomfortable with the term. I wouldn’t call myself a non-man. My first book has been struggling to get traditional media coverage. ‘A memoir by a non-famous person, by a woman, on women’s issues and mental health? You must Be mad... Oh hold on...’ But I’m getting a nice buzz on Facebook. Thanks Caroline. Jen Wight, Sydney, Australia

▶Womencartooniststhroughtheages 1989ANN MCCARTHY ‘visual puns meticulously drawn in detailed pen work’

Letter: PO Box 656, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE99 1PZ Email: postbag@ mslexia.co.uk Message: facebook.com/ mslexia Tweet: twitter.com/ mslexia Comment: mslexia. co.uk/blog or follow the links from www.mslexia. co.uk

Rant When the bailiffs come (alone or in packs, to ask for our DVD-players) the bank charge waits. When the funeral, the wedding, you nodding your head and smiling at people you don’t remember, with just enough money for a sandwich at Victoria. Then. Then the bank charge will strike. And when grandmothers hit children and fathers extinguish cigarettes in duck-ponds, yes, remember, they’ve had a bank charge too. ALICE ASH, Brighton

Rave Top of my bucket list: stand-up comedy. Not watching; performing. I’ve banged on about it for years and finally a friend signed me up to a course for my 80th birthday. Over six weeks I fluctuated between debilitating insecurity and intense euphoria. I’ve found making people laugh is one of the most rewarding and cathartic experiences. It’s exposing yourself and it’s terrifying. Everyone should give it a try. EDITH TUNNOCK, Gloucestershire

◀ Send your Rants or Raves to submissions@ mslexia.co.uk

4 Dec/Jan/Feb 2013/14

NEW YORKER, 27 NOVEMBER 1989, CARTOONBANK.COM

PROCRASTINATION Was browsing through Mslexia when I paused and wondered whether I was procrastinating? Then I read Lesley Thomson’s ‘When it went horribly wrong’, and with a shiver of horror sent my almost-finished novel scuttling through cyberspace to my husband – and I knew how useful my browsing had been. Judy Deveson, Milton Keynes

Been standing in the hall for 10 minutes still in my coat, leaning on the hall table reading. Why? Cos Mslexia was on the doormat. Anna Sayburn via Twitter

My rule is to write from 11.00, so when I came in an hour ago from walking the dogs I was already late. But I just had to try on a new t-shirt (perfect). Then I made coffee (obviously), took a few pictures of the dogs asleep on the garden bench, made more coffee, made toast, took Mslexia out of its plastic wrapping and sniffed the paper. I’ll add Marmite to the toast, knock back the coffee and then, honestly, I’ll knuckle down. Colette Hill, Bridport Mslexia’s little ms newsletter is a treasure trove! Has stopped me writing for 30 mins now, but worth it… Kat Dawes via Twitter

TRUE GIFT When experiencing trauma, the ability to express our inmost thoughts and distress is a gift. Unburdening ourselves, understanding our feelings, and writing them out can be

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