2020: A Beginning...
2020: A Beginning...
A recap of December and a hopeful start to a new decade
Hello and Happy New Year!
I have trouble saying that because I watch from afar as my homeland burns out of control. After spending three weeks in Australia we left on December 29th. Fires had already destroyed parts of Adelaide, my former home, including a friend’s vineyard. I am now listening to the news of friends and family in NSW who are right in the middle of the NSW firestorm. I am hoping that they make the right decision to leave their homes before the fires hit.
So it is with some anxiety that I have started 2020. But it is also with hope. A new year, a new decade and some new and exciting things on the horizon.
In terms of writing, I have taken a little time off. I have spent some much-needed time-out with family and friends. Restorative time at the beach. Time to clear my head, but not much time to reflect as there were so many people to see!
One of the most exciting things to happen in December was that one of my stories on Medium was curated! This is a big thing for Medium writers, mainly because it increases our exposure. It was a really personal story too, about my wonderful daughter who is truly inspiring! You can read it here, “My Daughter is a Drag Queen.”
I keep writing satire! And amazingly got a top writer’s badge in satire on my Medium profile! So here is what I wrote in December:
Group Denies Existence of Whole Continent
Starving Artists Eat Gallery Walls Bare (in response to the banana art eating incident!)
Friday 13th Zombie Animal Farm
Eight Essential Products to Get You Through the Holidays
I also wrote some poetry. I got a top writer’s badge in poetry as well!
I’m Dreaming of a Beach Christmas
And I wrote a few other pieces about life:
So that was my month of December on Medium. I really thought I wasn’t very productive, but looking at the list of things I guess I wrote more than I thought!
In non-Medium land, I’ve had a poem published in a lovely book called Poetry Pills. It has been put together by two young women from India who have collated 31 poems from different poets all over the world as a daily poetic pill. Such a lovely idea! Each poem has been illustrated. It’s available for purchase on Kindle or paperback. (They found me on Instagram! Social media can be great!)
I have also been collaborating on some songs with a woman I met last year. She is from Holland but lives in Spain so it’s an interesting collaboration! I have been doing the lyrics and she does the music. She’ll be recording them this year so I will keep you posted!
This newsletter is the first thing I have written in the new year. I am back in my beloved north, with long nights, crisp air, and time to reflect. I will be writing more now I am home so stay tuned…
I hope you have had a lovely start to 2020. It will be fascinating to see how this new decade develops!
Thanks for reading!
Lisa x