Contest Entries on Their Way

My entries for the Arkansas Writers Conference contests are on their way. I ended up entering 3 of the 36 catagories (though one is only for students). That's several fewer than I had hoped, but I didn't expect to be hit with another bout of bronchitis last month. There's something about cough medicine with codeine that seems to limit my writing....

I've been going back over some of the fan fiction I wrote in the past 10 years or so, wondering if I can salvage any of it as original stories. What's really been surprising is that I still like what I wrote all those years ago. I don't think I'd feel the same way if I could find some of the stuff I wrote 30 years ago (when I started writing fan fiction), so I guess it's a good thing that those stories are among the missing (I'm sure they're in a box somewhere in the garage, with everything else that won't fit in the house).

Is there ever enough room?

Men In Kilts

I'm back from a weekend at the (28th Annual) Arkansas Scottish Festival and Games. Three days among men in kilts. (Pause. Deep breath. Go on.) The Festival was held (as usual) at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas.

The find of the weekend was a musical group from Dallas, Texas, called Need Fire. They are terrific! They play rock adaptations of traditional Celtic music, original songs and instrumentals, and bagpipe blues. The last has got to be heard to be believed. With John Cleghorn playing a fairly traditional blues guitar (and remember, I'm a big fan of Jim Byrnes), Brad Madison plays (what traditionally would be a harmonica part) the bagpipes. Also phenomenal is fiddler/digeridoo player Dylan Cleghorn (John's son!). I've never seen a bass player have more fun (and play better) than Ed Walewski, and Gabriel Martinez may not sound Celtic but drums up a storm. They have two CDs currently available and are working on a third. Don't miss them! I've posted photos (the look red because of the red tent) in an album – look to the right sidebars for the links.

Also at the festival was the preeminent Scottish folk singer, Alex Beaton. He's in fine voice these days, and has moved from California to Tennessee.

It was a beautiful weekend (I'm a bit sunburned from standing in the sun most of Saturday) and we had a wonderful time.

Another week until I have to have the Arkansas Writers Conference contest entries in... I'll just have to see what I an wrench out of the various muses. Carys Weldon has been writing in her blog about her entries to the same conference contests – so far it doesn't seem like we're entering the same contests, but we may be in competition with each other... Good luck, Carys!

Upcoming contests

Well, I've got two entries ready for the Arkansas Writers Conference contests. There are still several I want to enter, and I've got until the end of April (though that will be here before I know it!) What's strange is that these stories are nothing like my usual -- G-rated, even mainstream-ish. Where they came from I have no idea, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth (or a channelled story in the verbs....).

Not much of an entry today — I haven't been doing much this week (James is home for Spring Break). I'll have to get busy and either write something new or find something suitable to read at the Writers Group this Friday.