Plotting

I never outline or plan in the early stages because I love that sense of discovery that comes when writing a first draft. Although this does mean that later drafts involve a lot of rewriting (and cutting) as I try to figure out the plot, once the basics of what happened, and then what happened... are in place- it gets juicy again. I used to dread plotting but shaping a story, identifying its twists and turns can be really enjoyable, this quote from Rikki Ducornet, sums it up for me -

'Plot is not secondary but essential, the heart of the matter, the bright web that connects all of the elements and causes them to throb and shudder.'

Delighted to say that my short story, 'Since I became a Monster,' will be in the next issue of Crannog, (to be launched in The Crane Bar at 6.30 on the 24th February), and also, a poem of mine, 'Sleeping Beauty's Take' will be in the spring edition of The Moth Magazine. The Moth is currently running a short story competition (deadline 31st March) which is open to anyone, living anywhere. Happy Writing. Happy Wednesday:)

Irish Writers' Centre Novel Fair Competition

The 20 winners of the Irish Writers' Centre Novel Fair Competition have been announced. The Centre received over 570 entries. I'm delighted (understatement!) to say that my novel, The Herbalist, is one of the winning novels. Looking forward to the Novel Fair in March where there will be the opportunity to pitch it to Irish agents and publishers.
	Winners	Novel Titles
	Margaret Biessman	Freefall
	Helen Blackhurt	The Galah Birds
	Therese Cox	Dear Dirty Dublin
	Jennifer Brady	What Ghost Burns
	Ian Flitcroft	The Reluctant Cannibals
	Daniel Seery	The Glue Sniffer
	Kevin Curran	Beatsploitation
	Mary Murphy	The Boy from England
	Janet Cameron	Next Time the World Ends
	Garvan Grant	A Piece of Work
	Michelle Woods	Ire
	Susan Stairs	The Watching Wall
	Delia O'Callaghan	Honeysuckle to Handcuffs
	Geraldine Shears	Shakespeare's Tree
	Fran Russell Banks	A Spider's Quickness
	Edel Moloney	What is Unspoken
	Alan Timmins	The Dogs Came Home
	Niamh Boyce	The Herbalist
	Marie Hannigan	Tide Riders
	Roderick Maguire	The Legal Term
	Highly Commended Novel Titles Colm O' Shea This Dirty Road Josephine Hughes Southpaw Jennifer MacGowan Closing Time Deirdre Shanahan Birds of Erin Edel Corrigan Always a Stranger Andrea Carter Treacherous Strand Eimear Kelly Followers Donal O' Sullivan And The Drak Falling Tara Sparling In June Léan Ní Chuilleanáin The Living Tom Tierney The Slipstream O Brain Kirk Winter Journey Alan McMonagle Duck Street H.D. Waterstone Eagle in Winter Aine Tierney Panacea