So, the year 2020 continues to disappoint. Lockdown the second occurred the day before I was scheduled to do a reading of my piece in Ko Aotearoa Tātou, which I was looking forward to. I was also supposed to be having a job interview, and to be part of the sideline team for the Blues v Crusaders. The job interview took place virtually, which is how this whole year has felt. Virtual. Unreal. The rugby just got canned.
But before I disappear further into my own navel, there is actual writing news.
Last month (was it last month? I think it was last month) I was able to attend a small ceremony for the Sir Julius Vogel awards, which was great fun. I did not win, nor was I expecting to. I did meet a lot of fantastic people and found out a lot more about the spec fiction writing community in New Zealand. I also got to wear my fancy suit.
I actually had a non-speculative piece published in the July issue of Flash Frontier, and at the same time the editors announced I received their winter writing award. I’m super stoked to pick that up, and it is a definite bright spot in the grey fug that is 2020.
Currently I am impatiently awaiting the results of my masters dissertation, at the same time as knowing that I’m most likely going to get them in October.
It’s been a week where it felt like the past two months had never happened. I’m back on the floor at the lake, eating dinner in front of the fire and it might as well be May again, only colder.
But that temporal loop has one upside. The local supermarket still has Snifters Lumps in stock.
Photo by elizabeth lies on Unsplash
Shifters lumps? Excellent. Also congratulations on the winter writing award, that’s awesome!