Here in rural north Norfolk the fields have lots of bouncing, biffing, bonkers hares in them, wonderful creatures that chase around and beat each other up in a mock fight reminiscent of the one between Colin Firth and Hugh Grant in Bridget Jones Diary, a lot of flailing and not much real damage. 

I caught an interesting BBC Radio 4 item called Shock Waves (you can get it online). It is about how artists and writers respond to something as shocking as the pandemic. Interesting to me, because I have found that, while I have had thoughts and ideas where the pandemic features, I have not yet felt ready to form them into a narrative. It seems I am not alone; it's going to take time to process. It also features an author who was well into her pandemic novel when the real one hit and found she had to abandon it. I love hearing creatives talk about process. It also concluded that another reason is that creatives, generally freelance and fiscally abandoned by the Chancellor have been in survival mode and that, dear reader, is stressful, exhausting, and time consuming.

As concentration is apt to be shot to pieces in these Covid times, apart from decluttering your attic, you might like to dip into some short fiction (as you know I am a huge reader of and writer of short stories). So here are some recommendations, 2 short and 2 memoirs. 

'Some Days Are Better Than Ours.' by Barbara Byar. Published by Reflex Press.
'Salt Slow' by Julia Armfield. Published by Picador.
'Notes to Self.' by Emilie Pine. Published by Penguin. Memoir/essays with high praise from just about everyone/everywhere including Anne Enright and Book of the Year 2018 Irish Book Awards.
'I Am I Am I Am.' By (one of my favourite authors) Maggie O'Farrell. Published by Tinder Press.

You may not recognise The Reflex Press, this is because they are a small indie publisher and doubtless have a website and online shop, please drop your Amazon habit for a moment and buy direct, it makes a huge difference to the publishers and to writers if you purchase either directly from them or from a small independent bookstore like The Book Hive in Norwich who will post them to you. Similarly, Salt Publishers from Cromer Norfolk, have a great website, wonderful writers, and post books promptly.

Blimy it's already February! I used to consider February the longest and cruelest month, despite its being only 28 or 29 days. In recent years I have softened as I've discovered it isn't always grey on grey with a sulking sky just hovering above my head, no, sometimes it can come through with a few days of sunshine that give the promise of spring just waiting to get the go-ahead. Yesterday I managed to complete and submit my end of year accounts to the Inland Revenue and to spruce up my system of recording income and expenses, meaning I can get ahead of myself and get 2020-2021 completed for April 5th (that'll be a first.)  It is, of course a bi-product of the Covid lockdowns because, like most freelancers, there is precious little income to show for the last trading year, although most fixed bills have to be paid despite the lack of business.

For me the lockdowns have been really busy, teaching on Zoom, mentoring and planning a way out of this mess. I lost all my data in a computer incident which left me truamatised. I have taken the opportunity to re-organize my computer files and I am trying to get on top of the endless paperwork that somehow infiltrates several rooms in the cottage. Part of the trouble is because I cut out numerous, reviews and snippets from newspapers, magazines and journals, along with items I think would/should interest my children and there are ideas written down in whatever notepad, envelope or folder that comes to hand. Then there is other peoples stuff. Grown up offspring living in tiny flats or rooms don't have room for their stuff. More sadly, there are the deceased whose own collections of files and papers now fill my study.

​I am also filling in countless literature based applications to progress my career in one way or another and they hungrily eat my time, each one requires the same information but in a wildly differing format, so they are really tricky. I am though walking more frequently, because it's pretty much all we're allowed to do and walking is great for writers, ideas come when you walk. I've already thought about re-writing a short story that could be longer or a novella. I have a few more admin tasks to complete and then it's down to writing again, the thing I love the most and which helps me forget about glum, grey February. I am also eagerly looking forward to the time when we are allowed out to play again! The meadow will come into its own for big social picnics and pot luck suppers with bunting and lanterns.

I have a reading recommendation. As you know I love short fiction, which is perfect for a time when a lot of you are struggling with concentration and memory issues. Short stories are the perfect read for these odd Covid times.  I have just read 'Dinosaurs on Other Planets' by Danielle McLaughlin, published by John Murray. I often purchase short fiction I see well reviewed and this collection has rightly garnered much praise. If you want to revel in beautifully constructed sentences and a bit of lock-down vocabulary stretching this collection is for you. Below are a couple of examples.

'Maddened, the blue bottles looped like spitfires.'
'...the ditch that separated their property from the farm next door brittle-grassed and silver.' 

I am delighted to have been a winner in the West Sussex Mind short story competition chose by the  judge and author Rosanna Ley. Coming on top of my earlier shortlisting in the 2020 Bridport Prize, this is a great boost in a glum year.

 This is the last chance to see this amazing and inspiring exhibition which closes at 4pm on Dec 5th - do go. Scroll down for the poster with details.

I am delighted to announce that I have been shortlisted in the 2020 Bridport Prize short story competition by the judge Nell Leyshon. This is the third time that I have been shortlisted for this prestigious award and coming in the top 100 short stories in an international prize with over 4,400 entries ( the top 2% or so I'm told) is a real boost. 

There are very few spaces left on my forthcoming workshop at the Groundwork Gallery, Kings Lynn  www.groundwork.com
This is a fabulous exhibition, really inspiring and we will spend the day working from close observation and leaning how to craft a multi-layered fiction.
see the flyer below for more information and go to their website for booking.

It's National Poetry Day and here is a link to the wonderful Cafe Writers competition  
http://www.cafewriters.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Cafe-Writers-Competition-2020.pdf
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​The frustrations of the Covid pandemic conditions have necessitated a change in my working practice, particularly teaching. As the lock-down began I sent out an invitation to my database, a call to creativity. We are social beings and isolation is difficult; although, as a writer, I am used to being alone and anyway, when you write you are in the company of your characters, which is a good place to be. For those living alone, solitary confinement and fear of this frightening virus was hard to deal with, the financial toll was also a massive aftershock. For the creative industries this has been a tumultuous time, in many cases  income ceased overnight and around 3 million creatives fell through the cracks of government support.  
 
My course, Online Corona Creative, filled a gap in those first ten weeks of lock-down and it forced me to embrace Zoom and learn on the job about the technical issues related to running courses online with participants in their homes. I learnt when the students are not in the same room I no longer had the teacherly authority that I do when teaching face to face. I also learnt that body language cannot be read on screen and methods to make sure everyone has an equal speaking opportunities had to be instituted. I found that eleven participants is too many (smaller groups are the answer) and that some people struggle with this way of working, while others have by necessity embraced it and found it a social and educational lifeline. I have also been a student myself on Zoom with the Society of Authors. In October I will be again, by taking part in an online writing retreat hosted by the author Jill Dawson. As one would expect, creatives have been remarkably adept at find new and inventive ways of adapting to this 'new normal' and presenting their work in new ways and seeking out new audiences.
 
As a teacher, this time of year always gives me that back to school sensation, it is the beginning of the academic year and, like New Year, it is a time for reflection and renewal. I have long wanted to make some video content about my artistic and literary practice and Covid has given me the push I needed, and with an Arts Council grant to buy technical equipment I am taking that leap, scary? yes a bit, but positive too; it’s exciting to find a new method of reaching out to fellow practitioners and students. Creative Progression, my online course for creatives of any discipline has begun, but there will be  another opportunity for a face to face course at Anteros, Norwich, when Covid restrictions lift hopefully next spring. More online courses are in the pipeline, one to one mentoring continues on Zoom if you would like to book please get in touch www.mullinpatricia.com and if you would like to combine a writing retreat with a relaxing holiday take a look at The Artist's Studio on www.meadowcottagenorfolk.com 

Have a safe, happy and creative autumn.