1. Way, way, way back a long, long, long time ago, I
wrote about starting a new junior novel. I didn't think I would ever finish it, despite spending a wonderful few weeks watching the talented gymnasts at
Southside Districts Gymnastics Academy in January 2011, courtesy of the coach and owner, the marvellous Amanda Quigley. Well, thanks to some astute young readers (who loved it even without an ending) and other creative supporters, in January 2014 I finally finished the novel that I think will be called
Almost Good Enough, and next year it will be published with Penguin. I can't tell you what it took to finally get to this point: it has been a very, er, eventful few years in between, and I am extremely happy to have it across the line.
Moral of the story: Keep Going. Just Keep Going. In writing as in all other things.
PS I hope to be able to deliver more exciting writing news soon.
2. Recognition can be long coming. Witness these men:
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| My dad, waving at his wife, his daughters, his granddaughter. |
3. It's been 40 splendid years of these folk: my primary school best friend sent this to me from England today. Oh nostalgia!
