Month of Brave – Week One

So, I’m approaching the end of the first week on my month of brave (is anyone else doing this by the way, or am I the only one mad enough?!)

Actually it has been really good and I think Eleanor Roosevelt might have definitely been on to something when she said we ought to do one thing that scares us every day. It certainly does seem to make for interesting times.

So, for those of you who are curious to know how I’ve been getting on here are my ‘brave’ highlights from this week:

• I took part in a film for London’s Literature Lounge, reading an extract of my latest novel Dear Dylan whilst being filmed with various light projections being beamed upon my face! It took me years to read in public confidently so reading to the camera was definitely a challenge for me. But although I was dead nervous beforehand I had a great day and it was a fantastic experience.
• I wrote a poem and started two others (see previous Month of Brave blog for what an achievement that is!)
• During one of my lunch breaks this week I made myself go off exploring rather than beat my usual well worn track to the nearest coffee shop. I ended up in a derelict East End warehouse that had become a temporary home to a photography exhibition. The photos on display were fantastic and I have now enrolled on a photography course for next year.
• I met up with two other author / writing coaches whose paths had crossed mine online. One of them, Amanda Hampson was over here from Sydney and it was fantastic to discover how much we all had in common. The other was Jacqui Lofthouse, whose own blog had inspired me to embark upon a Month of Brave. The ‘brave’ part of our meeting was that I have decided to launch a range of downloadable products for writers – coming to this website soon!

• I have also made the momentous decision to self publish my novel Dear Dylan. I did have a traditional publisher for it but they had been messing me about a bit so what the hell – why not go it alone again? In my role as self publishing editor for Writers’ Forum magazine I have witnessed so many self publishing success stories it’s been very inspiring. And what better time than a ‘Month of Brave’ to make that decision?
• And my final ‘brave’ act of this week? I am going to publish one of this week’s poems on this site. As you will have seen from my previous ‘Brave’ blog, in doing this I am overcoming a lifetime of insecurity and poetic doubt, not to mention the post traumatic stress counselling (tee hee). It’s called ‘xxx’ and it’s only a tiny one, but at least it’s a start!

xxx

Like fireflies our texts

Flit through the ebony sky

Every x a spark

Falling to earth to warm our hearts

Like bonfire embers upon the breeze.