Morale Boosters

It is always good to have the occasional confidence boost. During this past week such a psychological elevation has occurred no less than the proverbial three times. Minor events all, but they do help to raise the spirits.

First off was a letter from Writers’ News informing me that I was the winner of the Bookend Competition which appeared in the February issue of Writers’ News. Enclosed was my prize, a hardback copy of The Book of Life, A Compendium of the Best Autobiographical and Memoir Writing, edited by Eve Claxton.

Next was a letter from The Writers Bureau Ltd, announcing that I had won the quiz in the first edition of Latest Edition. Enclosed was a copy of the 2006 edition of the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market.

Finally, a letter to GP Magazine was accepted and duly published in the 10th March issue.

All this on top of earlier successes within January and February in respect to the acceptance of an article for Pulse magazine, a filler article and a book review for GP Magazine, an article for MQ Magazine, the awarding of a ‘highly commended’ for a poem in the Toowrite Poetry competition and the winning of a caption competition in Yorkshire Life (resulting in me being the proud possessor of an original watercolour painting by the artist, Les Packham). Such little successes do help to offset the other competition failures and rejection letters which also land on the doormat.

If only I could be sure whether they were simply tasters for what is yet to come! Oh well, nothing for it but to keep the fingers typing. Pass me another envelope, darling…