Well there’s good news and then there’s not so good news I suppose.

On the plus side I have a number of creative writing projects on the go and a very busy writing month ahead. At the end of this month there is the annual Scottish Association of Writers Conference and this will be my third time attending. I come away with a huge buzz and buckets of inspiration, and it’s just fantastic to be in a room full of people that share the same interest. I have entered a couple of the competitions again so fingers crossed that I can repeat last year’s success……

Then the following week I have booked a place up at Moniack Mohr near Inverness for ‘Writing Practice: with the team from the University of Dundee’. I can’t wait! A whole week to devote to writing without any distractions – a bit of an indulgence I know, but I think I deserve it! 🙂  This is billed as an ‘intensive package of practical workshops, discussion, seminars and one on one tutorials’. Think I may need a lie down with a cold cloth when I get back! I am lucky enough to have met Eddie Small and Lindsay Macgregor when they have adjudicated at our writing group in the past, so I already know that it’s going to be very worthwhile.

Speaking of adjudications, my own adjudication of the flash fiction went well last week and it was definitely a valuable exercise on my part. The feedback was positive and, after hours of deliberation, I am pretty confident that I got the placings right in the end.

On the not so plus side however, this is the first month since starting the blog where there have been no entries for the mini writing competition. As such I feel it is time to take stock and re-evaluate this side of the blog as, sadly, things do seem to have stalled a little recently. I will therefore be taking a break from the official monthly writing prompts, although I would still be happy to post on behalf of other writers and to share work from all the lovely contacts I have made through this process, as I still strongly believe in the spirit of co-operation and mutual support between the online writing community. I will also continue to post any useful writing tips I come across and any other valuable advice.

In the meantime I would like to say a big thank you to all those contributors to my monthly writing prompts over the past (almost) two years and I look forward to continuing our on-going online relationships through other avenues for the time being. Wishing you all the very best in your own writing/creative exploits and I will enjoy reading your blogs as usual.