Image Credits:-
All images from Pixabay/Pexels unless otherwise stated with many created in Book Brush. Book cover images from Chapeltown Books and Bridge House Publishing. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes.
I hope you had a lovely Christmas and may I wish you a Happy New Year! This is a longer post that normal taking in all the usual “bits and bobs” I would have put in a post had it been a normal week. Lady had a fabulous time over the break and yes Santa Paws was generous to her – no surprises there. The big surprise? The squeakers are still in her Christmas toys!
Facebook – General and Chandler’s Ford Today
31st December 2024
Happy New Year! However you celebrate it, have a lovely time.
Will be sharing my website round up later this evening which will include the usual items I would have written had last week been in any way a normal week! Hope you enjoy a good read when it is up later. It is this very post!
Author newsletter out again tomorrow.
Will be off to the pantomime at the end of January (so yes I know it’s ages away, we all know how long January drags on for!). Will be seeing Cinderella as performed by my local and excellent amateur theatre company, The Chameleon Theatre Group. Know it will be a good laugh and I always have time for that! By the end of January, I will be in good need of that laugh I should think!
Lovely to get back to seeing our park friends again. Lady loved playing with her Hungarian Vizler and Rhodesian Ridgeback pals.
Writing wise, am slowly getting back to the usual routines, and I will be sending out my new author newsletter on 1st January though it won’t be at midnight! To sign up for writing news, tips, prompts, and more, do head over to my landing page at https://allisonsymescollectedworks.com
Will be discussing Story Tips for Chandler’s Ford Today on Friday.
29th December 2024
Pleased to be back on More Than Writers, the blog spot for the Association of Christian Writers, with a timely post called New Year, New Hopes. Hope you find it useful.
27th December 2024 – second post, none on 28th
Second post tonight as will be happily busy tomorrow with last of the Christmas family events. Lady will love it too and be shattered by the end of the day, as she always is with these things.
Writing Tip: I find using my old school desk diary invaluable for planning out my work, making sure posts are scheduled, I know when I have to get competition entries in by etc. Writing things down helps in that I find it “commits” me to achieving these things. Seeing something written down like that does prod me to get on with said writing!
I hope you have had and are continuing to have a lovely Christmas. Couple of posts from me tonight as I’m off again tomorrow. Normal service (or as close as I can get to that!) from Sunday.
First up, I’m pleased to share my Chandler’s Ford Today post for this week – New Year, New Writing Hopes. I look at the value of taking some time out at around this time of year to work out where you are with your writing and where you would like to be by the end of next year. I also share a summary of what I’ve been up to and what I’d like to achieve in 2025. I also celebrate the return of Writers’ Narrative. Hope you enjoy the post.
New Year, New Writing Hopes
Nothing for 25th and 26th December for obvious reasons!
Facebook – From Light to Dark and Back Again
31st December 2024
Happy New Year, everyone.
Looking forward to writing my first flash pieces of 2025 but at least I won’t have long to wait for that. Am loving the flash fiction related book I was given for Christmas (it’s an anthology and I recognise some of the names, which is lovely). Some stories so far were deeply moving, others made me laugh out loud. Sums up what I love about flash as a whole – I love the mixture of moods it can conjure up.
I don’t know about you but it doesn’t feel like a Monday, even though I know it is one! This post-Christmas-but-still-holiday-time does feel odd. However, it definitely means it’s time for a story. Hope you like my last one for 2024 on YouTube -Another Year. I suspect writers will identify with this one.
Wonderful day spent with family yesterday. Lady loved it too and came home as a very tired but happy dog!
I’ll start submitting work to Friday Flash Fiction from next week but it is so nice to be back at the desk again. Loved the break. Am loving getting back to the writing again. It’s a good place to be and flash fiction gives me a nice way into resuming work again – in writing short creative short pieces, which will get the old imagination fired up again!
28th December 2024 – second post, none on 28th
What will be nice resuming my flash fiction afternoon later this weekend is it will ease me back into my writing routine nicely. Loved the few days off. Caught up with some viewing. Liked the Doctor Who and absolutely adored Wallace and Grommit. Loved spotting all the film references in that. Am beginning to think of potential competitions to have a go at soon as well. Want to start off the coming New Year on a good creative footing!
27th December 2024
A couple of posts from me tonight given I’ve a busy but lovely day or so coming up. Will be back to my usual Sunday afternoon writing lots of flash fiction later this weekend. One of my Christmas presents was flash book related and I’m enjoying a thumping good read of that. Has given me ideas for a potential future market too so win-win there.
Quick flag up to fans of Friday Flash Fiction. They will be re-open for submissions from Tuesday 7th January 2025. See screenshot. I’ve taken the opportunity of Christmas to have a writing break here myself but know I will raring to go again sending stories in here from next week.
Nothing for 25th and 26th December for obvious reasons!
Fairytales with Bite – Time Off
Even the fairies need a break from their wands.
It’s not just the equipment which needs a recharge.
Time to put the feet up, make non-magical brews.
As there are many evil beings at large,
A fairy godmother’s work is never done.
For now it’s time for tea and a decent iced bun.
Ends
Allison Symes – 27th December 2024
This World and Others – Resuming Work
A break is always welcome but it can be so hard
To resume work and get back to the old routine.
But if one has no wish to be scorned or even barred
From the old fairy network, back to work you go,
Let Santa and the seven dwarves say ho ho ho.
Ends
Allison Symes – 27th December 2024
Goodreads Author Blog – The Joys of New Books and Revisiting Old Favourites
I hope you received (and gave) plenty of book related presents over Christmas. I was delighted to receive a flash fiction related book and am enjoying reading that at the moment. There is something so special about receiving new books. But I also love the joys of revisiting old favourites. Books are for life!
I took in a lot of my favourite Christmas stories via films – Hogfather, A Christmas Carol (the definitive version by The Muppets, of course!), and The Polar Express. I never get tired of these.
A major joy of a new books is in discovering an unknown world (regardless of what genre it is) and getting to know characters new to you. The joy of old favourites is knowing these already but enjoying these things all over again. I never tire of that either!
I hope the New Year brings you plenty of opportunities to enjoy your old favourite books and to discover many new to you.
Happy reading for 2025!
WRITERS NARRATIVE SUBSCRIBER LINK
AMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL – ALLISON SYMES
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsNew Year, New Writing Hopes https://t.co/FkuiAufj6X I’m pleased to share my last CFT post for 2024 – New Year, New Writing Hopes. I look at the value of taking some time out to work out where you are with your writing and where you would like to be by the end of next year.
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) December 27, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI share the joy of new books and old favourites for my last Goodreads post for 2024.https://t.co/ejhZMgKAPQ pic.twitter.com/fI8NxHTK98
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) December 27, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMore than Writers: New Year, New Hopes by Allison Symes https://t.co/IvjCBiqI6n Pleased to be back on More Than Writers, the blog spot for the Association of Christian Writers, with a timely post called New Year, New Hopes. Hope you find it useful. pic.twitter.com/FOFVG1j2xM
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) December 29, 2024
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsI don’t know about you but it doesn’t feel like Monday, even though I know it is! This post-Christmas-but-still-holiday-time always feels odd, but it definitely means it’s time for a story. Hope you like my last for 2024 on YouTube – Another Year. https://t.co/Rd6BmqsytG
— Allison Symes (@AllisonSymes1) December 30, 2024
Allison Symes: Collected Works 