Just finished my entry for the Kenneth Grahame Society Wind in the Willows story competition (details at http://www.abctales.com/forum/2008/02/11/kenneth-grahame-society-short-story-competition ) which was a lot of fun. It’s quite strange trying to write a sequel like that – by the time you finish you’re so immersed in the characters and the new plot that it’s hard to believe it’s not actually part of the original. Let’s hope the judges agree!
I heard today that I’m a runner-up in the Txt.lit competition for June. Not sure how much more credit I’ve got to use up on the old phone but maybe there’s enough for one more stab at the top spot! Also heard last night that Sotto Voce have taken one of my poems, ‘The Unbalancing Act’, for their inaugural Fall issue, which is brilliant. The birds are pecking up breadcrumbs on the patio just by the window and the sun is shining too… what more could a girl ask for?
July 18, 2008 at 12:46 pm
Good luck! (I just ran into your blog while Googling the competition to check the closing date – had a panic on thinking I’d missed the deadline, as some sites are mistakenly saying “31st June”, which of course doesn’t exist). My wife and I just sent off entries; it’s a fascinating brief, especially as there’d be a lot of copyright complications normally. What did you go for: straight sequel or countertext? Clare went for a sequel with a climate change theme; I did a post-apocalyptic countertext.
July 18, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Wow, both of yours sound great. I went for a straight sequel one year on from the original. Best of luck to both of you. I’m hoping the book comes off as it’ll be so interesting to read all the different takes on such a classic.
July 18, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Yes; I can’t quite decide whether it’ll be a massively popular competition (advertised in Writers’ News, free, and all) or so niche that they won’t have enough to fill a book. Anywhow, definite fun.