As our period of lockdown in NI is extended for another few weeks, one good thing – for me – is a sense that we are getting there.

Many people say they can’t read or write at the minute, can’t summon the head space and maybe physical space, and are having difficulties with their concentration. That hasn’t been a problem for me.

I began writing as a carer who was suddenly unable to work, and I loved getting out of the house, meeting new people. Writing was work I gave myself, and I did have a couple of weeks at the start of the pandemic when I couldn’t concentrate, but then I realised it just felt like summer at home, when the kids are off school and I don’t have much freedom. Being an autism mum, there are lots of routines to follow, etc.

So, I decided to write a first draft of a novel, which I did in April. Now I am doing the second draft, but really I should be editing PROBLEMS WITH GIRLS (DI Sloane book 2) which will be released in November.

(FYI – THE SLEEPING SEASON is on offer for Kindle at the moment, and on Kindle Unlimited too.)

I am having trouble sticking to that schedule but I’m happy to be inspired, and if one project is going well I’ll lead with that.

Another project on the horizon is an anthology of short Christmas stories which I am co-editing with Claire Savage.

Submissions are now open for writers living in Northern Ireland, and we want to cover genres like: crime fiction, ghost stories, gothic, sci-fi…

Anyway, there is no point reiterating what is already on the Sesheta website. So, if you’re interested in sending us something for this exciting venture, please read the guidelines. See link below.

https://seshetawords.wordpress.com/

We are delighted to have been awarded funding from Arts Council NI for the anthology to pay our contributors. So important, especially now.

And, hopefully it is a bit of escapism, to push ourselves into the Christmas spirit right now, into a time when Covid-19 is (hopefully) not so all-consuming.

I would like to add more to this post, and clean it up, add more images. But like a lot of people, I am homeschooling and need to hand over my laptop now. So if this is a mess of typos – forgive me.

Keep well. Keep writing!