I received a rejection yesterday. It was for a story I wrote about a year ago and at that time I thought it was really good - one of the best things I'd written. So I printed it up and started to re-read it last night with the aim of perhaps making some changes - improving it. I got rather depressed. The language is clunky and I should be able to fix it - but for some strange reason I don't know how to fix it.

In a more positive light I've started drafting a flash piece this week. I think the language is working - I'm just having trouble with the ending.

Other people I know have been posting up their achievements for 2005 and their aims for 2006. So here goes.

2005

Clarion South
Publication in F&R and an acceptance from F&R to be published in 2006
A couple of publications in Antipodean SF
Shortlisting in the 2004 Antipodean SF Awards
2nd prize in the KSP Fantasy Awards for 'Here be Monsters'
Publication in ShadowBox
Acceptance to Shadowed Realms (to be published in January 2006)
Longlisting in HarperCollins Varuna Awards
Acceptance for Outcast Anthology (to be published in March 2006)

So all up a pretty good result - particularly for someone who only decided to take writing seriously in 2004.

Goals for 2006

Finish my YA novel
Sell a couple of short stories
Actually get accepted for the Varuna Awards (yeah I know... fat chance)
Write lots
Read lots

I've been hanging out for a bookshop hit for a couple of weeks. Today I indulged.

The grab bag I brought home includes:
Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay
For Kicks by Dick Francis
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman

The list of books I picked off the shelf and carried around the shop for half an hour before putting back on the shelf was much longer! But I did decide that the four I ended up with would take a couple of weeks to chew my way through.