It's friday! Time for the weekly good news thread. What's your good news from the week? Big or small, personal or professional, even a tiny light in the darkness for you.
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I’m not religious but this year I’m planning on embracing a secular version of Candlemas: candles and food and companionship. Things are pretty grim for most of us this year, and I feel like a light in the darkness will help.
Went to the V&A for the first time in ages and saw the Mughals exhibition. Really cool! Got to spend time with a lovely friend AND have Salvadorian food. A handful of very good hours to balance the … other hours.
Finally got a referral to the chronic fatigue clinic.
End of a big project is in sight at work.
And I finally (after six and eighteen months) got the labels printed for my daughter's last two birthday CDs (design pictured from a copy I gave to her cousins for Christmas).
I reached my grant target of teaching 500 kids about the fallacy of fast fashion and how to sew a button this week. I'm going to stretch my target and fit in an extra 200 kids over the next 4 weeks. 😊
It has been such a brilliant project. It's not just the skills I'm teaching but I feel like I can help, even a tiny bit, with the pressures kids feel to have the latest thing and be someone they don't feel is them. This sounds cringingly naff but it's such a privilege.
My fiancée and I finally decided what we’re going to do when obligations to parents and kids fade away and we are free to set our own direction - we’re going to create a writers retreat in Slovenia! We can’t wait - lots of time looking at properties online and daydreaming 😊
We started to get the floor level built on our new house after months of mucking around in mud and concrete and started work building the timber frame supports for deck and roof.
I took part in a fantastic writing workshop put on by @elspells13.bsky.social , I came away so re- energised and inspired. It felt brilliant to actually take time for myself to work on my writing.
I've nearly finished the first edit & read-through of my first novel and it's not shit! In fact, I think it's quite good. That's made me happy & relieved! Bx
A journo contacted me in 2023 about my search for the woman who married my father (probs in early 1960s), and wrote a feature article about searching for family. I was hopeful it would find my other family. But nada, until this week
When I was contacted by his wife’s granddaughter (two more sisters!), and their story totally checks out, I could not have imagined this day would come
Been there. It takes time to come to grips with it. People tend to not think as parents and grands as having lived life with all it's complexity. And not everyone will be thrilled. Wishing you luck.
I’ve got a two-fer this week: I hit 35K with the rough draft of The New Thing (pictured), AND yesterday I showed up to a session with a student, ready to read Day 10 of Loki’s Guide to Taking the Blame, and the kid had finished the book on his own! A triumphant first! 🥰
First, I love the gif. Second, I love the thread. Third: Someone I adore and respect said this week that they consider me someone with a steady, consistent moral compass and that I'm a good person. I'll be working hard to make that true every day.
We booked the first authors for our festival! And got some amazing funding from Canterbury Rotary Club, Code Kids Canterbury and the brilliant folk at Chapters Books in Sturry have funded a school visit from an author too! So excited!
I have a short story out! Over at @escapepod.org , inspired by the @bsfa.bsky.social contest run by @emilyinkpen.bsky.social, read brilliantly by @thesarahgriffin.bsky.social and hosted by the amazing @tinaconnolly.bsky.social !
Happy Friday Louie !
I’m in between projects so I’ve had the time to write a picture book story , design the layouts and start world building.
It will probably go no where but I’ve enjoyed dreaming !
I better not show The Boy - If he knows there are actual physical books in the world already he'll be hatching mad schemes to pull off a heist to get one. 😆
No, Louie, bad Louie. Publication day is 3 days after my son's birthday (I'm debating pre-ordering it as a belated gift to get the bonus pin from The Phoenix, but a week earlier would have been much better for me 😆). Therefore May is still ages away (I need the time to plan)!
Both my kids have been doing incredibly well at school so have secretly bought them little presents - the best part is that I managed to retain enough from the last time Bill spouted Warhammer gibberish that I could google 'Kharn the something Warhammer?' and find the thing he wanted without asking.
I've been invited to a dogs birthday party on Sunday, which amuses me quite a bit. He's one of my dogs best buddies so it'll be a lot of convivial canine chaos!
I once stumbled upon a dog birthday party in my local party. They were handing out party hats and cupcakes to any interested humans and biscuits to the dogs. I smiled non-stop for a week.
Had a new story published on @mrbullbull.bsky.social - The Mummy.
I more or less gave up sending stories off in around 2008. I used to do it a lot. Last year I told myself I could do it again. I had 14 or so published.
(whispers) I *think* I finally have a handle on the core of the story idea I hope to turn into my first novel. Whispering because I don't want to scare it away after a monster week of wrestling with it to figure out what it wanted to be 😅
My very traumatised rescue cat has started trying to play with me from his safe space under a chair. He's also allowing me to stroke him. Big progress in 4 weeks
The gang @childrensbooksireland.ie and Eason have come together to promote Irish children's books with a special #RecommendedIrishReads campaign.
Great news for Irish writers and illustrators, publishers too.
It's not little, it's HUGE and joyful: I went to see &Juliet again with my favourite cast. 💖 If I could see it once a week every week for the rest of my life I would. It's like being hugged by your best friends for 2 1/2 hours solid. So much love and joy in this show. So much. 🥹💖
Cooked and eaten! First time in years. At uni I would put it in the microwave while I went to a lecture and by the time I was back, it was cooked. Haven't really bothered since 😂
Signed a contract for Keshed, my first published novel, out later this yr with @ortacpress.bsky.social, 6 months(ish) ahead of my book on American culture/Bret Easton Ellis. Wasn't expecting Keshed to drop till 2027 so this is a cracking result 😀
I was diagnosed with ADHD this week and it’s like the clouds have finally parted and I felt the sun for the first time. I got very emotional at first, then hyper like I had a super power, and then had a burn out. Hoping for plain sailing today cos I need to crack on with life.
omg Rachael me too at the grand age of 32! what a revelation to realise after all this time that the constant noise in my head isn't standard and so it's not entirely my fault I'm so distracted I can't always stick to deadlines 😅
I haven't yet, I think i'm still in the mentally 'coming to terms' phase so haven't been looking more into it yet 😂 but I'll get onto it asap and report back, thanks!
Such a revelation! At one point the psychologist testing me said, “I’m neurotypical and the only thing in my head right now is what I’m saying to you.” That just blew my mind! I didn’t know that was even possible. I had to sit on my hands and concentrate so hard for those two hours of testing 😵💫
I gave an early copy of my next book to the friend I dedicated it to, and her reaction was just what I'd hoped for. Shock, delight, squeals and a few tears. 🥰
@barringtonstoke.bsky.social
Mentoring this week was a fucking game changer. Also, I applied for summat massively out of my comfort zone and I got it! Tomorrow I’m off to start working on a short film!
After a lifetime of avoiding team sports I started playing 5 a side football last year with some other over 40s dads. I never thought I was very good but everyone's really friendly and supportive. On Wednesday I scored 5 goals
Every milestone yessss. I'm starting my drawing for this book in about a month so limbering up for that...but the big text edit is done so that's a celebration.
Lots! Son has decided he likes reading poetry, LOVED my sneaky preview peek at @garypanton.bsky.social The Not Witches, started watching Kaos on Netflix and finally friend excitedly reminded me that Maz Evan’s’ new book out That’ll Teach Her end of Feb. What a week!
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(Also I did my tax return and paid my tax last July so am not anxious like I have been in the past on 31st Jan)
End of a big project is in sight at work.
And I finally (after six and eighteen months) got the labels printed for my daughter's last two birthday CDs (design pictured from a copy I gave to her cousins for Christmas).
https://escapepod.org/2025/01/30/escape-pod-978-oak-hill-lane/
I’m in between projects so I’ve had the time to write a picture book story , design the layouts and start world building.
It will probably go no where but I’ve enjoyed dreaming !
I better not show The Boy - If he knows there are actual physical books in the world already he'll be hatching mad schemes to pull off a heist to get one. 😆
🥳🎉🍾🎈
I more or less gave up sending stories off in around 2008. I used to do it a lot. Last year I told myself I could do it again. I had 14 or so published.
10 of them were Tom Cruise stories. This is 11.
https://mrbullbull.com/newbull/flash-fiction/the-mummy/
Me, I was busy teaching in Edinburgh, but I vicariously savoured the joy that moment gave.
So, my girlfriend can take BOTH of her furbabies with her when she moves in. :D
Back in September I started ‘reading’ with a small human, and back then they were not able to even recognise letters
This week they not only read me two stories they also WROTE one
I am so proud of them
And I am so grateful for the people who taught me not just to decipher the glyphs but to understand the joy of reading!
I love reading so much—my own children are now 15 & 17 and I still read to them twice a day!
Great news for Irish writers and illustrators, publishers too.
I sent my LMG off for its first beta read 🫣
@barringtonstoke.bsky.social
I also had some really lovely news from a dear friend ♥️