A triumphant week for the PWA!

I've written before about the fabulous PWA - our online (and occasional in-the-flesh) writing group. And while my NaNoWriMo efforts have been an epic fail (due to proofing I hasten to add, wasn't slacking completely...) two PWA members had awesome success this week!

First up Bernie McGill's novel The Butterfly Cabinet was chosen by Julian Fellowes as his novel of the year! For those of you unfamiliar with Julian Fellowes he's currently best known as the writer of the international hit series Downton Abbey. I love Downton Abbey (and not just because fellow PWA-peep Julie Agnew and I enjoy drooling over the delectable Branson...) and am quite jealous of the US audience who haven't seen the third series yet. Of The Butterfly Cabinet he writes, "McGill has the ability to enter into the brain and heart of her characters and so to make us sympathise with people who commit acts we abhor."

And secondly short story writer Mandy Taggart has won the 2012 Michael McLaverty Short Story Award (run by the Linenhall Library, Belfast) with her story Ways of the North. It will be published in an anthology along with the two runners up. If you want to hear Mandy talking about her win you can listen (for 30 days only!) to her Radio Ulster interview. (Mandy's bit is at the end.)

Congratulations to both lovely ladies! I'm feeling suitably inspired by their success to get the proofs finished and get some writing done!

Happy Belated St. Pat's!

I would have written this yesterday but I was out making the most of my day off! A very pleasant day - spent some time with my dad in the morning, then visited friends in the afternoon and finally out for a lovely meal and some drinks in Portstewart.

There was a bit of a session going in the bar - lots of musicians playing together - and at one stage the band was largely made up of kids! Really talented! They also did some Irish dancing and got a great round of applause from everyone there. Great atmosphere and great crowd.

Anyway it was a lovely St Pat's - all the more lovely because I didn't have to get up for work this morning!

Back from the beach

Keep hearing about this heatwave they are getting in England - complete with health warnings no less! Looking out the window there is no sign of it here in not-so-sunny Norn Iron. In fact we're promised truly apocalyptic rain this afternoon.

We headed out for breakfast this morning, then got to the beach before the black clouds came in. It's not swimming weather but a paddle was definitely on the cards. Not too many cars on the Strand this morning which was nice for us but probably not so good for the town. Lots of absent holidaymakers. We almost walked to the barmouth, then turned and ambled home.

So now I am settling in at the desk, because the sky is darkening outside the window and it's shaping up to be what Colm calls 'writing weather'. I'm sitting at 22,000+ words so aiming to hit 25,000 by the end of the day. Got to use the holidays wisely.

My office is a crazy mess and really needs binned out, but don't want to procrastinate. So I'll do the writing first, and then see if I get to the cleaning. Mrs Mop I'm not...