Skeleton Architecture

I seem to be thinking in iambic pentameter at the moment. I have a poem to write, which must be in well-formed iambic pentameter, and I want it to be perfect, so I'm practicing, although I'm not sure if that's making me better, or just giving me more reason to think I'm rubbish! Anyway, the metre in this one is not right - not enough stresses despite the right number of syllables, but I like it anyway, so I'm sharing it with you lovely people. I wrote it about one of our favourite little acts of kindness, although you might call it littering! The Pennies You know when something is 99p and that pointless penny enters your purse? That penny that must cost more to just be! That penny that makes holes in pockets worse? I save all those pennies up in a box: the ones from coffee, the ones from our tea, the ones from buying emergency socks; all of the pennies that find ways to me. I save them up, then take out a handful to pop in pockets and give to the k...

Yesterday I travelled away by myself for the first time in eleven years! I enjoyed sitting on various trains, secure in the knowledge that the kids were having lots of fun. My lovely mother in law even sent me photos. She knows what I'm like. I arrived in Ilkley and met my mum,  wandering back to her house along familiar streets. Once there she stuck the kettle on, and I called my husband to let him know I had arrived safely. Only we didn't discuss my journey. He had got in from a nice day out with the kids to find Katsuma very unwell. It seemed that he'd thrown another blood clot, and I talked K through how to check, and where I had secreted the supply of cat morphine for just this situation. After that I drank tea with my mum while K took Katsuma to the vet for the last time.  He was a fantastic cat, and I wish he could have stayed longer, but at least we got to love him for a while.  Here's my hope for him now...  Hope I ho...

So the other day I had a poem accepted, but I couldn't yet say where, and now I can! It's in the new magazine 404 Ink, which has now named me along with a host of other "brilliant new writers ". It's so exciting being in at the beginning with an interesting project like this, I'm feeling rather lucky and can't wait to see it in November. You can pre-order, find out more about 404 Ink, and get links to their Patreon page (and also top tips for using Patreon if you're interested), here . I've also been lucky enough to have a poem accepted for a forthcoming edition of Allegro Magazine, which I'll let you know about when it comes out, and I've got two poems coming out in Forward Poetry anthologies, and one in a local writer's group anthology later this year. I'm hoping to add to these little fledgelings flying the nest with more poems getting accepted in more places, so I'm submitting them all over the place. Keep your finger...

Hello all I'm loving October so far, pleasant weather, and I'm getting lots of ideas, and getting the hang of the wobbly days (talking about the good stuff really does help to remember it's there, and there's been lots of good stuff of late. This month I will be going away by myself for the first time since I had Mr 11, and I cannot wait! I'll be going to Ilkley Literature Festival, and taking part in the Open Mic (come and support me, buy your tickets here ), which I'm choosing to see as exciting...  Anyway, I've not taken part in The Prompt in what feels like ages, so I'm putting that to rights today with a poem about playing games in the mirror. It starts off with the statement that I can see myself in the mirror now my hair is brown, and I can! It's great! While my hair was green I seemed to be forever checking if my hair was alright, when I looked at my face it was only to make sure it went with my hair, which sounds ridiculous, but I...

I'm in between books at the moment. My Rose book is going out to potential agents (and I know I should expect rejection, but it's nice when they get back to you and you can turn it around and get it out somewhere else, and what if no-one likes it because it's rubbish? I know I've read plenty of rubbish books in my time, so some-one will surely take it anyway? What if it's not rubbish, but no-one wants it anyway?)... BREATHE! And I'm refusing to start rewriting Chaptershill until November, because I have already invested too much effort, time, and LOVE into it to start over (and it needs a start over) without quite deciding what to do. Is the reason why I can't think of another book like the one I'm thinking of writing because it's a terrible idea? Should I attempt to write it as a TV series? Who would want that anyway? If only I could draw I could render it as a series of graphic novels, which would be wonderful. Anyway... In between that I a...