Goodbye, 'Freelance Market News'

Many of my fellow writers will be sad to learn that Freelance Market News is to cease publication. Over the years, this newsletter has served me well, giving me lots of leads for markets and offering a free-to-enter competition each month that I have been lucky enough to win several times. Actually, I won its last competition with a 200-word FF called, appropriately, 'The Last Race'. I've also had a few how-to articles published in FMN and recently took advantage of its appraisal service.

My remaining subscription is being transferred to the Association of Freelance Writers, part of The Writers Bureau, but I shall miss the monthly FMN.

Is that the time?

I shouldn't really by taking time out to post today because I'm very busy. The much anticipated proofreading job has arrived and needs attending to NOW, if not sooner. However, I'm going a bit cross-eyed, so I thought I'd have a short break from wielding my red pen.

I've had an unusually high number of visitors to my blog today, which I suspect might be because I have an article in the new issue of Freelance Market News. If you're one of my new callers, welcome! I had three new ladies turn up at yoga yesterday, too. I'm always very impressed when someone takes on something new at this time of year, when most of us are winding down - or wishing we could. January and September are usually my busiest months, when people are either putting New Year resolutions into action or are filling their free time when the school term starts.

It's very useful having two strands to my working life, because when one is a bit slow I can put more energy into the other. I was going to say 'two strings to my bow', but that's a cliche (forgive the lack of accent). I once worked with a man who liked to say he had to bows to his arrow. Mind you, he was also fond of pushing the green light.

Finally, for no other reason than that it's is so gloomy outside, here is a photo of a blue sky on a summer's day.

Sunny Cromer

What a difference a week makes

Friends, I'm so much happier today than I was last Friday, not withstanding that I've had to pay out £100 to get my wing mirror fixed after a bit of a prang. Still, could have been so much worse.

So let's get on with Celebrating the Small Things.

• The company that owed me £250 has paid up!
• I have a reader's letter coming up in the New Year in a gardening mag.
• I think I've sold an article (won't say what, in case it all goes belly up).
• I also have an article in Freelance Market News this month.
• Number One Son is safely moved into his new home.
• I had a lovely birthday. Thanks to family and friends for a great day - and check out these funky flowers:

Free flowers!

Celebrate the small things with us.

The free flowers are some sweetpeas that have mysteriously appeared in my garden. Not sure if the birds brought the seeds in or whether they are remnants of some long-forgotten plants, but I'm enjoying the blooms.

Also celebrating Jane Austen being the image on the new £10 note.

And a small win for me in a flash fiction competition run by Freelance Market News.

And, finally, the appearance of a flower on our waterlily.

Book reviews

I went down to W H Smith this morning to buy a copy of Take A Break's Fiction Feast because my book review is published in this issue, alongside a photograph of me.

I really must get a new picture taken. Someone asked me for one on Monday to go on their website. It's a place where I teach yoga and they wanted it for the 'Meet the team' page. Then someone else wanted one yesterday (see below).

I look better from behind!

I have a handful of stock photos: the mugshot that's in TAB was taken to accompany my profile on the One & Other website when I did my hour on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square, so I look younger than I am in real life. Another shows me sitting in the lotus posture, and is the one I use on yoga-related occasions. A third is a shot of me on a climbing wall taken at a clever angle that makes it look as though I'm really high up.

I hate having my photo taken. Good job I'm not famous.

The other person who wanted my photo was Angela Cox at Freelance Market News. She emailed me to say I'd won a competition to write a book review, which was gratifying. But am I seeing a pattern here? Am I better at writing about other people's writing than I am at writing my own?

Modest success

The latest issue of Freelance Market News has arrived and I'm pleased to see that my modest contribution to 'Drop us a line' has been chosen as Star Letter. £10 coming my way, thank you very much. Thus inspired, I've just dashed off a quick entry to the limerick competition from January's issue, on the theme of celebrity.
Fingers crossed!